ABEL HENRY COLEMAN WILLOUGHBY  1887 - 1930

                       curtesy Bob Bond email rbond007@tnni.net

FATHER   Jacob Willoughby

MOTHER  Anne Conroy

MARRIED

            #1 Sylvia Mary Evans                                 1883 -  1912       married in 1907; Korah Twp. Ont.

           #2 Beulah Stanhope                                                           married in 1914; Sault Ste. Marie

CHILDREN 1'st marriage

              1 Edward (Ed) Henry Willoughby                   1908 -  1994             born in Tarentorus, Ont; died at Sault Ste. Marie

                s Bertha Mona Weir                              1910 -                            born in Tessalon, Ont.

                                                                                                                married in 1932; Sault Ste. Marie

              2 Inez Mylia (Dorothy) Willoughby          1909 - 2000                died in Mississauga, Ont.

               s Herbert Maw                                        1909 -

                2'nd marriage

             3 Ernie Willoughby                                   1917 -

             4 Gordon Roy Willoughby                        1919 - 1995       born in Sault Ste. Marie; died at Schrieber, Ont.

               s unknown

Note:

Abel Henry Coleman Willoughby, born Dec. 25, 1887 in Wolford Twp., Grenville Co., Ont., the

youngest child of Jacob Willoughby and Anne Conroy.   Henry was named after the minister

of St. Peter's Anglican Church in North Augusta, Grenville Co. where he was baptized Jan. 5,

1888 (from Kingston Anglican Archives).   In 1894 he moved with his family to the wilds of Algoma,

living there in a home built by his father in an area north of the Root River, near Sault Ste. Marie,

Ont.   Henry attended the Landside School to grade 4 before the land slid creating the ski hill

(from Edward).   When Henry's father moved closer to a quarter section of land on the Great

Northern Rd. closer to town, Henry helped his father build their new home there.   In the early

1900's Henry delivered milk in the Sault from the dairy farm he and his father ran from this property.

Henry met his first wife while delivering milk to the Algoma Hotel where she worked as a waitress

(from Ed. and from marriage certificate).   She was Sylvia May Evans-Lanning, born Feb. 16, 1883

in East Templeton, Quebec (from Evans family and 1901 census of East Templeton).   Her first

husband Warren Elwood Lanning had died in Lansing, Michigan, after the birth of their child,

Viola Sylvia Mary Lanning in 1905 (from Evans family).   No record of Sylvia and Warren's marriage

could be found in Michigan or Quebec, also no record of Warren's death or Viola's birth found

in Michigan as yet -- still looking.   After Warren's death, Sylvia went to Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

with Viola to look for work.   Her sister Lilah was living and working in the Sault at the time

(according to Audrey Evans).

Henry and Sylvia were married 31 July 1907 in the Anglican Church in Korah, Ont. (from Archives

of Ont. MS 932,reel 126).   Henry built another house on his father's property for him and Sylvia,

and their family; Edward 1908; Inez Mylia (Dorothy), 1910; Fred, 1911.   Henry continued to work

on the dairy farm and to deliver milk in town (from Ed).

Sylvia died tragically on 9 Dec., 1912 from heart failure (from Sault Star).  She was pregnant at

the time and had fallen down a flight of stairs (from Ed).   At Sylvia's funeral her sister Lilah begged

Henry to allow her to take the baby home to raise him, but Henry's reply was " I have just lost

his mother, how can I bear losing my son too".   Henry's parents and family then helped him

look after the children Ed 4; Dorothy 3; and Fred 1.

Henry married his second wife Beulah Stanhope, on 20 May 1914 in the Sault.   Beulah went

to live with Henry and Ed and Dorothy in their home on Henry's property.   Fred continued to

live with his grandparents, as Beulah and his grandmother had spoiled him.   Beulah was later

forced to move to town because of her asthma, taking Dorothy with her to live at her parents

home.   Henry and Ed stayed for one more year on the farm, then moved to town where the

family lived on Bay Street.   Henry and Buelah's son Ernie was born 15 April 1917 and Gordon

on 9 April 1919.   After his grandmother's death in 1917, Ed was sent back to the farm for

another year to help his grandfather and Jacob's sister, Susan, who lived with the family (from Ed.)

At some time Fred went to live with his Aunt Annie.

Henry worked at the Steel Plant and for a time ran a "jitney" service, taxiing people back and

forth across town.   In January 1930 Henry was stricken with pneumonia.   While he was

recovering, the furnace in their home backed up, and everyone was overcome by the fumes.

However, a lodger in the home was first able to call a doctor.   The doctor came with firemen

who broke down doors and windows and all were saved (Sault Star, Jan. 20, 1930).

However, the experience worsened Henry's illness and he died four days later on Jan. 23, 1930

written by Doreen Guerriero April 2000.