One of Simcoe's oldest
residents, Mrs. W. C. J. King, 103, of 14 Queen St. S., died at Norview
March 12. She would have been 104 years old next month.
The former Zina Mary Hope
Hornsby, she was born near Barrie in the vicinity of Shanty Bay. She was
married to Toronto in 1886 to W. C. J. King and moved to Simcoe in 1905.
She had lived here ever since.
Mr. King died in 1945.
Her husband was manager of the
Simcoe branch of the Canadian Bank of Commerce for many years. After his
retirement he was secretary-treasurer of the Norfolk Golf and Country
Club for several years.
Mrs. King is survived by two
sons, W. Hope King of Dumont, New Jersey, and Geoffrey Francis King of
Queen St., Simcoe, with whom she resided. A daughter, Kathleen of
Simcoe died in 1957. Two grandchildren also survive.
Mrs. King was a member of
Trinity Anglican Church.
Interviewed on her 100th
birthday, Mrs. King enjoyed exceptionally good health as was able to do
all her own housework and prepare meals. She was an entertaining
conversationalist and retained a vivid memory of earlier days, both in
Simcoe and the Barrie area in which she was born.
Her father was a lawyer who had
come to Canada from England and settled in Barrie to practice with a
relative, Dunlop McCarthy.
Both Mrs. King's sons served in
World War I. Geoffrey went overseas with the 133rd Battalion, Norfolk's
Own, later serving with the Army Service Corps in France. He has made
his home in Simcoe since 1931.
Hope King served with the
Canadian Army in France and won the Distinguished Service Order for
gallantry on the field of battle.
Mrs. King was never a member of
many organizations, preferring to devote her time to her home and
family.
The funeral will be held Monday
at 2 p.m. from the Marvyn Veale Funeral Home, Simcoe. Canon L. W. Owen
will officiate. Interment will be in Oakwood Cemetery.
