SEVENTH GENERATION

125. Rufus Sylvester Hadley was born on 18 Sep 1875 in Scugog Island Ontario. He resided in 1904 in Glamorgan, Haliburton, ON. He died on 27 Sep 1934 in Styal AB. He was buried in Smithfield Cemetery.

He was married to Margaret Ann Cory (daughter of John Cory and Elizabeth Hooper) on 2 Nov 1904 in Woodville, Mariposa Township, ON. Margaret Ann Cory was born on 18 Feb 1878 in Mariposa Township, Ontario. She appeared on the census in 1881 in Age 3 single living with parents. She was in 1881 in Bible Christian. She appeared on the census in 1901 in Age 22 single living with parents. She was in 1901 in Methodist. She resided in 1904 in Mariposa, Victoria, ON. She died on 17 Mar 1973 in Toronto, ON. She was buried in Riverside Cemetery, Toronto On. She Known as in Maggie or Mag. Margaret Ann Cory was born February 18, 1878. Likely in Mariposa Township, Ontario.

Margaret married Rufus Sylvester on November 2, 1904 in Woodville, Ontario. (Her original marriage certificate is in the possession of her granddaughter Dora Hamilton. At the time of this writing efforts are being made to have this very ornate document scanned and incorporated into this family tree).

Rufus and Margaret (Maggie) left Glamorgan Twp., Ontario in 1905 travelling by horse and wagon to the Smithfield District, Alberta. The Dominion Land Grants record a Rufus Hadley and a Michael Joseph Ferguson holding a quarter section (Part NE, Section 2, Township 53 Range 3 Meridian W5). (At this time no information is available about Michael Joseph.)

Ion August 26, 1908 their daughter, Essie Tressa Clara May was born in Wabamum AB. It was not an easy birth, and Margaret lingered bear death for some time. Apparently the afterbirth had grown to the uterus wall. There was no Doctor in attendance at the home delivery and the midwife did her best. Margaret survived the ordeal but was unable to have any more children. It had been decided that the child, if a girl, would be called Clara May. The story goes that poor Rufus paced the floor with his crying new-born daughter in his arms and his wife next to death. Apparently there were two other women in the house at this time called Essie and Tressa. Rufus paced and paced saying, "Essie, Tressa, Clara, May what am I to DO?" Thus the child got all four names, however she was known only as Clara May.

In 1918, the family moved west to the Styal District of Alberta.

About Styal Alberta:
National Resources Canada shows the location for Styal as:
Section 28: Township 53: Range 8: MeridianW5.
The Dominion Land Grants indicate that Grand Trunk Pacific Town and Dev Co Ltd. Held a grant for the NE and S quarters of this section. The remaining NW quarter was held by Ernest C Purin. The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, formed in 1914, was a subsidiary company to the Grand Trunk Railway GTR. The Grand Trunk Pacific experienced heavy financial losses and was largely responsible for the bankruptcy of the GTR in 1919. The Federal Government took over the railway that year, placing it under the management of the Canadian National Railways in 1923. By May 15 1917, there was a post office at Imrie (and presumable a railway station.). On January 1, 1919, the name was changed to Styal. George Bolsover was the Postmaster from May 15, 1917 till he resigned on February 12. 1918. Rufus Sylvester Hadley took over as postmaster on February 2, 1919 and continued till his death September 27, 1934. His wife Margaret Ann Hadley took over the post office on November 28, 1934 and resigned on August 39, 1935.

Since no Dominion Land Grant records exist for this location in Rufus Hadley's name, it is assumed that they purchased the land. At this time it is unknown whether they purchased railway lands or NW section that was a Land Grant to Ernest D Purin. The Canadian National Railway cut through the property. Rufus and Margaret farmed and raised sheep. The land was not good for crops as it had a lot of muskeg (wet lands). Later a General Store (which housed the post office) was added as well as two smaller cottages (one was rented to the women who came out to be teachers).

After Rufus' death September 27, 1934, Margaret and Clara found that the business was too much for two women to manage alone and sold the property to the Clarks. Margaret and Clara then drove east to Toronto Ontario by car, a considerable undertaking for two women at that time.

The Clarks were not able to make a success of running the store and farm and rather than loose the property entirely, Margaret and Clara repossessed the property in 1940. Meanwhile, Clara had married Frederic Henry Savage in Toronto and Frederic (known as "Eric") joined the two women in the running of the farm and general store. Margaret resumed her duties as postmaster on November 1, 1940. The Hadley & Savage enterprise was born.

In 1943, April 17, Margaret became a grandmother for the first time, when Clara gave birth to her daughter Dora Ann. In 1947, February 28, Margaret was once again a grandmother to Bruce Frederic Savage.

In 1952, the property at Styal Alberta was once again sold to Horace and Mayme Collingridge, and Margaret was on the move with Clara and her family.

They drove by car Leaving Edmonton on Sept 15 1952 - first west to Vancouver and Victoria and then down the west coast of the USA through California (stood on the corner of Hollywood and Vine) and then cut through the States diagonally to Detroit/Windsor finally arriving in Toronto on Tuesday October 14, 1952 at 4:30 p.m. The trip took 4 weeks and covered 5,880 miles through 28 of the then 48 States of the USA.

Margaret lived with Clara and Eric and their family in Toronto where they ran a corner store at 201 Lambton Avenue. Margaret and her granddaughter, Dora shared a bedroom in the tiny three-bedroom apartment over the corner store. When the large supermarkets moved into the area, the competition threatened the little store. In 1959 the store was sold.

Margaret again accompanied the family as they moved to 23 Burnelm Drive in Etobicoke (a western suburb of Toronto). Clara and Eric found work in other retail establishments. Margaret remained active preparing most of the meals and baking numerous pies, cakes and cookies for the family as both parents worked. Her seamstress skills were also in high demand both for the family's needs and some alterations for a local dress shop where Clara worked.

In May 1967, Eric died suddenly of a heart attack. By this time Dora was working and Bruce was away at University of Waterloo most of the week. He returned on the weekends to help with the work that three generations of women could not do.

On October 17, 1970 Dora married Garth Hamilton and left for a two-year contract in Africa. Margaret did not see them off at the airport but said her goodbyes from home. She tearfully expressed her fear that she would never see Dora again as she expected to dead by the time Dora and her husband returned from Africa.

Bruce was away at University of Waterloo. Margaret was still in good health, however she was alone during the day when Clara worked. Clara was working and found the house too much to keep up. The house in approximately 1971 and Clara took an apartment. Margaret became a resident at Carefree Lodge (a senior citizen home) on Finch Avenue Toronto.

Margaret (who was now over 90 years old) seemed to adjust quiet well to her new surroundings and could be found wherever the Bridge game was. (Not too bad for someone who at one time could see the devil in every card!).

Margaret's Grandson Bruce was married May 27,1972, and Margaret was there with a warm smile and very much in touch with what was happening.

In the fall of 1972 Dora and Garth returned from Africa, and Margaret was delighted to see them.

During the winter of 1972/3 Margaret had some health issues and was hospitalised. While in hospital she suffered an accident when she attempted to get out of bed while the sides were still up. (She did not want to bother anyone just because she needed to use the bathroom).

" I sat with my Grandmother the night of March 16, 1973 when she was in hospital. She knew I was there and she would doze off and then awaken. We would talk and then she'd doze off again. This went on for several hours. She awoke again and told me that I should go home. She caught my coat collar and pulled me down towards her face. She kissed me "good-bye" and told me to go along to my own home and husband.. She was peaceful and very much in her right mind. I was the last one of the family to see her alive as she died that night - quietly and peacefully.

Margaret's life went from horse and wagon transportation to witnessing mankind's walks on the moon. She witnessed woman's fashions from complete coverage from neck to ankle to the mini skirt and bikini (and she had her comments to make about it). Her travels across the continent ( more than once) were somewhat unusual for a person of her humble origins. She saw the world racked by two-world wars and a depression. She worked hard with her husband to make a life. She continued her hard work to help her daughter raise two children.

Margaret was a seamstress and pianist (she played the organ for church services when the instrument was loaded on the wagon and taken from place to place). She was my first piano teacher and needlecraft instructor. She liked nice dresses and was always 'sewing something for us'. She must have crocheted miles of doilies and stitched millions of tiny neat stitches on numerous quilts - to say nothing of the many socks, mittens, sweaters and socks she knit. She was also a hockey enthusiast and would sit in her rocking chair watching the Maple Leafs (her favourites). The tempo of her rocking indicated the game. When we heard "He shoots, he Scores" we could always tell which team it was because Grandma would cheer if it were the Leafs - otherwise all was quiet.

Margaret's life was both ordinary and extra-ordinary. It was a long life and lived well."
By Dora Ann (Savage) Hamilton
Granddaughter to Margaret Ann






Rufus Sylvester Hadley and Margaret Ann Cory had the following children:

+177 i. Clara May Hadley.