artikel in memoriam:
2011 : Freda Kamstra, aged 91 years, passed away quietly at her long-time home in South Gillies on February 28, 2011. Born in Westcott, Surrey, England, she moved with her family to West Fort William when still a toddler. She attended Frances Street School, Fort William Collegiate, and North Bay Normal School. In her late teens she embarked on her first teaching assignment: a one-room, ten-grade school in West Scoble township. For two years she boarded with families there, making trips to Fort William whenever possible. This often meant employing the passenger service of an up-and-coming South Gillies farmer and egg-vendor named Cecil Kamstra. A relationship developed, and after Freda spent a while teaching in Nipigon and Fort William, the couple settled as newlyweds in a spanking new home on the farm. She threw herself into agrarian life, becoming a lead hand in gardening and poultry production. One of her greatest joys was hatching time, when she helped oversee the emergence of hundreds of chicks from what was then a state-of-the-art electric incubator system. When she had time in this busy setting, which eventually included three children, she gave expression to her artistic talents in creating an attractive home, lovely flower gardens, and stylish clothing. She immersed herself deeply in community life, forming a girls’ group called the Teenettes and joining the South Gillies Women’s Institute. Over the years she kept her hand in teaching at the South Gillies school, sometimes full-time, sometimes part-time, and as visiting music specialist. She led children’s choirs in music festivals, always with flair and occasionally with winning results. She loved organizing entertainment events, especially Christmas concerts, whose exciting grand finales she heralded year after year, pounding out "Here Comes Santa Claus" on the old upright piano in the South Gillies hall. Ever on the lookout to make use of her creative talents, she wrote, illustrated and produced two children’s story books and a small book of poetry. A perpetual student, she enrolled part-time at Lakehead University, and eventually achieved a degree at age seventy-two. She immersed herself in philosophy studies, finding the subject to be deeply satisfying and helpful in dealing with the conundrums of life. But music was her first love. In later life she taught piano pupils privately, played the organ at St. James Church, Murillo, and was part of the L.U. choir. She entertained as a singer at Grandview Lodge, Pinewood Court, and other venues. Her alter-ego, Flossie, complete with Cockney accent, invoked the atmosphere of old English music halls. In her early eighties Freda performed a memorable concert at Rural 60+ in a voice reminiscent of Judy Garland. Her final decade saw her turn increasingly to classical music. It provided much-needed solace as blindness crept in and stole away the colours of flowers, birds and natural scenery which had been so much part of her life blood.Other significant achievements of Freda’s life include presidency of the Rural Learning Association of Ontario and Ontario Farm Safety Council. With those organizations she gained a wealth of special friends from all corners of Ontario and beyond. She was also a major contributor and compiler of the Women’s Institute’s Tweedsmuir History of South Gillies.Freda is survived by daughter Freda Davies, son George Kamstra, his wife Dianne, grandson Kevin Davies, his wife Li Fong, granddaughter Marcia Arpin, her husband Steve, grandson Ryan Kamstra, great grandchildren Benjamin Arpin, Sydney Arpin and Vivian Davies, cousin Lenora Aedy, and other relatives. She was predeceased by her husband Cecil Kamstra, son Joel Kamstra parents, George and Florence Aedy, brother Donald Aedy and sister Edna Aedy. A funeral service for Freda Kamstra will be held at 1:30 pm on Monday, March 7, 2011 in the Westfort Chapel, 420 West Gore Street at James, with Sister Alice Greer officiating. Interment will follow in Mountainview Cemetery. If friends so desire, a donation or effort toward the improvement of music education would be most suiting, but any generous act would be welcome.Please sign the on-line condolences at everestofthunderbay.com" bron: legacy.com\The Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal
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census:
1931 : Fort William, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
George William Aedy Vader 39 years (1892) England, United Kingdom
Florence Selina Aedy Moeder 40 years (1891) England, United Kingdom
Freda Aedy Zus 11 years (1920) England, United Kingdom
Edna Aedy Zus 14 years (1917) England, United Kingdom
Donald Aedy Broer 6 years (1925) Ontario, Canada bron: Canadacensus1931 Fort William, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
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