Stories

Pond, Jessie #223 *

Honoured by Marcia & Barry Pond, Bob Dales and Johanne Blais, Kate and Geoff Cudmore and Peter and June Dales.

Jessie Dales / Pond / Runkle (nee Moore)

Jessie was born February 26, 1923 and raised in North Bay. She was the only child of Edgar and Kate Moore, who were early North Bay pioneers. Jessie was a graduate of North Bay Collegiate Vocational Institute and the University of Toronto.

Jessie was a vibrant, strong woman who enjoyed life. She had many life-long friends in North Bay and Sault Ste Marie, who she supported and were supportive of her. Her happy ringing laughter was an easily identified trademark of Jessie. After family, her greatest love was golf. An avid and accomplished golfer, she enjoyed competition and took particular joy in winning the Grandmother’s Cup.

Jessie met and married her first spouse Bob Dales, a Civil Engineer and a keen golfer, at the North Bay Golf Club in 1949. Katie, the eldest of their children is married to Geoffrey Cudmore and they have two children, Peter Cudmore (spouse Sarah and son Damien) and Edgar Cudmore (spouse Paula, children Charlotte and Gregory). The middle child Robert Dales is married to Johanne Blais and they have three children, daughters Laurence and Julia, and son Philippe. Jessie’s youngest, Peter together with June Dales have two children, Lily and Lincoln.

After Bob Dales unfortunate death in an automobile accident in 1961, Jessie raised her young family on her own. Initially she worked as a supply teacher at Widdifield Secondary School, but found her true calling as North Bay’s first female real estate agent – which she excelled at!

Later in North Bay, Jessie met Larry Pond, a young widower, while playing bridge. They subsequently married in 1968 and she fully embraced Larry’s son, Barry as her own. Together with his spouse Marcia, they have two daughters, Erin and Allyson. Jessie and Larry later moved to Sault Ste Marie where Larry started a new career as a secondary school teacher. She enjoyed her time in the Sault meeting new friends, winning golf tournaments, volunteering with Meals-On-Wheels and Telecare, and closing real estate deals.

After Larry’s death in 1980 Jessie returned to North Bay, again a widow.

In later years while wintering in Cape Coral, Florida Jessie met and married Lewis Runkle. They lived in North Bay in the summer and enjoyed their years together travelling, playing golf and visiting friends and family.

Jessie spent the last years of her life living close to her son Bob in Ottawa and her daughter Katie in Belleville Ontario. She died November 15, 2005 and is buried at Terrace Lawn Cemetery in North Bay.

McNutt, Edith #92

Honoured by Shirley & Ralph Priolo.

Thank you for purchasing a leaf for Edith and for supporting your Community Waterfront Park project.  Story to follow.

RTO/ERO District 43, Retired Teachers #43 *

Nipissing Retired Teachers – Our members past, present and future.

“Excellence in teaching”

RTO/ERO Nipissing District 43 is an organization whose membership includes retired educators who have chosen to become members of the Retired Teachers of Ontario.

In 2011, over 65,000 members provincially benefit from comprehensive health plans, a social network, a travel program, political advocacy, a professional magazine, bilingual services, as well as providing scholarships & “Service To Others” (STO) Awards in the community and much more.

The RTO/ERO leaf honours those (past, present and future) who have and will continue to provide
excellence in teaching in North Bay and District.

Teachers are traditionally community builders.  They are dedicated to their students and their school community and so we say a hearty “Thank you and well done!” to all our colleagues.

Through the efforts of District 43 RTO the North Bay and area community will continue to be blessed.

McMurchy, The Doctors #1883 *

Honored by Karin McMurchy

Dr. Archibald McMurchy (1851-1936)

North Bay’s first physician, Dr. Archie McMurchy, grew up on a farm in King, ON. A strong student, he graduated in Arts from Queen’s University in 1875 and embarked upon his first career as a mathematics teacher in Pembroke, ON, where he met his future wife, Elizabeth Martha Fraser. He returned to Queen’s and graduated in medicine in 1883, whereupon he joined the Canadian Pacific Railway as physician and surgeon. Charged with tending patients in the area stretching from Chalk River to Sudbury, he arrived in North Bay with the first CPR construction crew in 1883. Archie and Elizabeth married in 1884 and lived briefly in Mattawa while awaiting the opening of the road to North Bay and construction of a house. By 1885 they were settled in North Bay where the family grew to include four children: Jean, Archibald H., Dorothy, and Donald.

Dr. McMurchy provided medical treatment, surgery, and dentistry to CPR employees and their families and also had a general practice. He made calls on foot, on horseback, with a horse and cutter, and by rail handcar. Often he could be found at some lonely point walking along the railway line, whereupon he would be picked up by the train crew and delivered to his destination. With the arrival of the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway, later known as the ONR, his practice area expanded as far north as Haileybury and New Liskeard. Dr. McMurchy devoted half a century of unselfish service to others and commanded love and respect from all who knew him.

Dr. Archibald H. McMurchy (1887-1962)

The second Dr. McMurchy followed in his father’s footsteps and after completing medical school joined his father’s practice. During WWI, Arch travelled overseas as a Canadian Forces medical doctor. He again wanted to serve during WWII, although by then he was in his 50’s and was deemed too old.
Arch and his wife, Anita Watterson, had no children. However, Arch was a doting uncle to his brother Donald’s two children, Donald and Dorothy Ann. ‘Unc’ spent many happy hours with them and frequently took his nephew Donald along on house calls. Don later recalled the pleasure of visiting with his uncle’s patients and their families, often receiving treats or enjoying a meal with them. In fact, it was during these house calls with Unc that young Don acquired a love of Italian food and an appreciation for the ways in which Dr. Arch demonstrated his care and devotion to his patients. Dr. Arch was a faithful, compassionate doctor who was very well-liked by his many patients. Special thanks to the late Mrs. Dorothy White for providing excellent care and companionship to Arch during his final years.

Dr. Archibald Donald (Don) McMurchy (1924-1984)

As his grandfather and uncle before him, Dr. Don McMurchy dedicated many years of service to caring for the people of North Bay and area. He was born in Toronto to Donald James McMurchy, the youngest son of the first Dr. Archibald McMurchy, and his wife the former Elizabeth (Betty) Cummings Strathdee. Don spent his earliest years in Pontypool, ON. In 1929 the young family relocated to North Bay where Don grew up. After high school Don joined the army and was selected for training in an intelligence unit when WWII came to an end. He then attended medical school at the University of Ottawa, graduating in 1952.

Don met his future wife, Karin May Olson, in 1946 while she was attending North Bay Normal School. They married in 1951, and lived first in Ottawa and then in Winnipeg as Don completed his medical training. In 1953 the young couple moved to Wingham, ON. Don joined a general practice and their son Donald and daughter Beth were born. In 1959 the family returned to North Bay where daughter Susan was born. Don’s 26th year as a highly respected local physician was tragically cut short in 1984 when he suffered a fatal heart attack. He was known to his many patients and colleagues as a good listener with a warm bedside manner and a great sense of gentle humour. Don loved the outdoors, was an avid reader, talented writer, and imaginative story teller who entertained his young children with tales of adventure. A kind and loving husband and father, he is sorely missed by his wife, children, former patients, and the medical community.

Currie, Doreen #117 *

Honoured by Ralph Currie

DOREEN’S DIARY

I was born on August 22, 1924 at the general hospital North Bay, Ontario.  My parents were Thomas and Bessie Read.  I grew up on Princess Street East with our back yard bordering on Chippewa Creek.  One of my proudest moments was being made a lifetime member of the famous Fisher Street Gang.  I attended Dr. MacDougall School (better known as Brooke Street School) grades 1 – 8 and North Bay Collegiate Institute and Vocational School, grades 9 – 13.

About 1935 we moved to 656 Fisher Street so dad would be closer to work at the Temiskaming and northern Ontario Railway (later renamed The Ontario Northland Railway).  Dad started as a machinist on the railway and worked his way up togeneral foreman.

I decided to become a nurse when I graduated from high school and was accepted at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie, Ontario.  Nursing students worked 12 hour days plus studying, with virtually no pay, but we did receive free room and board.  I graduated in May of 1945 but
could not become a registered nurse until I turned 21 in August.  Another classmate and I decided to work our way west where we obtained work in Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.  We only stayed four weeks at each place except for Calgary and Vancouver.  I may have stayed in Vancouver except for a serious appendix operation.  With no money coming in I had no choice but to return to North Bay and recuperate with my parents.  Feeling better I obtained work at St.
Joseph’s Hospital in the Paediatric ward.

I met my future husband (Ralph) at a naval reserve party.  We went out together several times and became engaged on Christmas Eve 1959.  After receiving approval from my father we set a date to be married at Trinity United Church for May 14, 1960.  After living in an apartment for 18 months we decided to buy a house.  A contractor was advertising new homes for sale so with a down payment of $500.00 we purchased our home at 117 Granite Street for a total cost of $12.100.00 and have lived there ever since.

I continued to work until the arrival of our son Andrew on March 13, 1961, when I became a stay at home mom.  A daughter Christen arrived on May 23, 1963.  I returned to work in 1968 at the
Civic Hospital and finally retired in 1973 for good.  I enjoyed retirement doing volunteer work
with handicapped children and also learning how to quilt from the ladies of St. Brice’s Anglican Church.  I loved to sew, knit and other related needlework and as a result was able to display and sell my work at various craft shows.  In later years I was able to enjoy my grandson Connor who was born on July 12, 1996 and who stayed with us on many occasions.

PS – It was not easy to have Doreen put something down on paper for posterity, however, the above is a short history of her life.  Doreen died on September 30, 2007.