(submitted by Jeannette Richards and LeRoy, David, and Allan Willer)
Our grandfather, Hugh Austin Willer (1885–1963), was born and raised in Brooke Twp. He moved to Warwick Twp. when he married Lilly Ann May Clark (1886–1978) of Warwick Twp. They lived at Lot 8, Con. 2 SER where our Aunt Sadie (1910–) was born. From there they moved to Lot 4, Con. 3 SER, where our father Roy Ernest Willer (1912–1996) was born.
For the next 30 years Hugh and Lilly Willer farmed at Lot 4. Our father, Roy, and mother, Catherine Jeannette Forbes of Plympton Twp., were married in 1940. They lived at Lot 2, Con. 2 SER for two years before moving to our grandparents’ farm. Our grandparents moved to Watford, where Grandfather did part time jobs, one of them digging graves at the Watford Cemetery.
Mother and Father had four children: Jeannette, LeRoy, David, and Allan. As well as raising us, Mother taught school at Watford and Wyoming until her retirement in 1979.
Father was a man of many talents. He had a gravel truck and hauled gravel for the construction of the Bluewater Bridge. He helped construct an airstrip at St. Catharines during World War II. He designed and built a posthole auger to fit on the back of a WD-45 Allis Chalmers tractor. For many years he bored holes for Ontario Hydro in Lambton and Middlesex Counties. He bored holes at the Dupont plant in Corunna when it was constructed in the mid 1950s.
In 1985 our parents moved to Forest. Father continued to help out on the farm to within a few years of his death. He loved to drive the tractor and to attend any local auction sales where he could meet old friends and catch up on the local news. Mother has moved into North Lambton Lodge in Forest where she resides in 2008.
Jeannette attended Westervelt College in London, married Gordon Richards of Thedford, and lives in Embro.
LeRoy attended Ridgetown Agricultural College, and worked for Labbatts Research Farm at Putnam for nine years. In 1985 he married Donna Green and took over the home farm, as well as working for Dupont in Corunna. LeRoy and Donna have two children.
David attended Waterloo University, obtaining a degree in mechanical engineering. Upon graduation he moved to Welland where he married Marge Nero.
Allan started with Androck in Watford as an apprentice in the machine shop. He remained at Androck until 2006 when the plant closed. He married Jeannette Giles of Rodney. They reside in Warwick Twp. They have three children.
SS#3 Warwick, 1955: Back: Dorothy Shea (teacher), Ruth Ann McCabe, Evelyn Blain, Johnnie Douglas, Valerie Williamson. Third row: Lyle Douglas, Leroy Willer, Max Brouwer, David Willer. Second row: Audry Brouwer, Jeannette Willer, Ivan Minielly, Jerry Douglas. Front: Clare Minielly, Sandy Douglas. Courtesy L Willer.
Chapter 24 of 25 - Willer Family
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