Henry Ernest Forth

Harry and his elder brother, Alf, took over the Forth Bakery in 1926. Alf became sole owner of the business in 1927 and Harry moved to MacTier to establish a similar business.

The family lived in an apartment over the bakery. On March 22, 1934, the bakery burned down. Sadly, Harry lost his youngest son at the time, George Duncan Forth, in that fire. Duncan was only five and a half. He was buried in Foot’s Bay Cemetery March 27, 1934, but I have not yet located a headstone for him.

Shirley Forth writes of this family tragedy in her book "A Dutch Cooper's Legacy: An Ouderkirk Story From 1660":

"Tragedy struck the family on Thursday evening, March 22, 1934. Their night baker sounded the alarm when he discovered fire about 9 p.m. In their upstairs apartment, the Forths heard the alarm, gathered four children and headed for the stairway. Dense smoke prevented Elizabeth from following Harry down the stairs and prevented him from returning for her and the children she held. He found a ladder and rescued her and the two children through an upstairs window. All efforts to reach the fifth child - six year old Duncan - failed and he perished in the flames. The fire completely destroyed the building as well as an adjoining store. On Tuesday, March 27 a memorial service for Duncan, described by his teachers as a bright and popular child, was held in Mactier United Church."

After they lost the business to the fire, the family moved to Orillia. Harry and Betty were located on a Voters List living at 64 Scott Street in 1935.  In 1937, they opened a bakery at 145 Mississaga Street West. By 1939, they also had a grocery store at 41 Front Street South. By January of 1941, the family was living with Harry Forth senior at 54 Waubeek Street in Parry Sound.

In May of 1941, Harry junior enlisted in the RCAF and went off to do his part in the second world war! After the war, Harry returned to Parry Sound. I located him and his family at 2 Logans Lane in Parry Sound on a 1949 Voters List. Shortly after that, Harry and his family moved to St. Thomas, where Harry opened another bakery. His final occupation was working as a chef at the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital. His youngest daughter has said it was like retirement for him.

Over the course of their marriage, Harry and Elizabeth Forth had seven children:

Douglas Henry, Jean Elizabeth, Donald James, George Duncan, Iona Grace, Robert James, and Susan Elizabeth.

Betty Forth passed away on July 9, 1961, in St. Thomas.

A year later, June 30, 1962, Harry married his second wife, Pearl Margaret Wheeler, a widow who had been married to James Berdan.

Pearl died March 25, 1978, and Harry married his third wife, Evelyn Georgina Smith, on February 6, 1982 in Hillsborough Co., Florida.

Evelyn was a widow who had been married to Harris Charleton Eckmier. Four years later, Evelyn passed away. Although Evelyn’s name and birth year are engraved on the Forth headstone, she is not buried with Harry and his first two wives. She is buried with her first husband, Harris Charlton Eckmier, in Union United Church Cemetery in Union, Elgin County, Ontario. 

I remember meeting Uncle Harry a couple of times but had more interactions with his son, Don Forth, and Don’s wife, Charlotte Ruggles, who was a sister to my aunt Irene’s husband, Howard Ruggles. Don was best man at the wedding of Aunt Irene and Howard. Following family tradition, Don operated a bakery in Parry Sound in the 1950's and 60's before relocating to St. Thomas. Don's elder son lives here in Bracebridge, but we have not been able to stay in contact with each other.

After a long life well lived, both in providing for his family and in service to his country, Henry Ernest Forth died December 19, 1987, one day before his 92nd birthday. He is buried in St. Thomas Cemetery in St. Thomas, Ontario, with his first two wives.