Rodgers

[Richard SPC]

Seeking any info re John Hubert Rodgers and Lydia Elfrida Rodgers (nee Coleman).

John was born October 2nd 1872 in London, England and married Lydia 1905 on the Isle of Wight. John had served in the Scottish Rifles and both he and Lydia set sail for Canada on 31st May from Glasgow, aboard the TSS Scandanavian arriving in Montreal.

When he signed up for the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1917 they were living at 448 Main Street, Toronto.

From this point I have no further details apart from his WWI service record which includes a copy of a 'Death Certificate of a Pensioner'. This was issued and was obviously to do with the Canadian military side of his pension. This death certificate states :-

NAME - John Hubert Rodgers (Sergt)
DOD - 17th August 1947
PLACE - Willow Beach Lake, Simcoe, Ont
CAUSE - Coronary Thrombosis

Signed - Rev J.P. McLeod, Minister of Emanuel Presbyterian Church, Toronto, of which Mr Rodgers was for many years an Elder.

If anyone has any info, or can point me in the direction of where I might find info relating to a) John & Lydia's time between WWI and 1947, and b)any info about what happened to Lydia after John's death.

I have my fingers crossed that there is at least one person on this wonderful forum who may be able to help.

Richard

[cosmac]

Lydia Rodgers, 58, b. I.O.W. Eng., married, travelled on the Duchess of Richmond from Southampton to Quebec arriving 12 Sep 1935.  She had lived in Canada from June 1913 to June 1935 and her address was 486 Main St. Toronto.

Her voyage to England was from Montreal to Southampton on the Montrose arriving 13 Jun 1935.  The destination address was 10 Parkview Villas Gills Cliff Road Yentnor I. of Wight.  Her age was 59 and status married housewife.

Debbie

[waiteohman]

Hello Richard

Lydia Elfrida Rodgers died on or about (8th or 9th - hard to read) April 1949, late of East York (Toronto area). There is a notice to creditors in the Globe & Mail  June 25, 1949

There is a Mr. & Mrs. J.H. Rodgers in Stratford in 1937. Did your Rodgers have a daughter Edna Marjorie? Globe & Mail has a Stratford-Ahearn marriage announcement, marriage date September 4, 1937.

If you would like further details for above newspaper articles, let me know.

Linda

[waiteohman]

Hello again Richard

Do you know where your John Rodgers is buried?

If not, he may perhaps be in the Prospect Cemetery if he had a military funeral. The Veterans' Plot is in Section 7, 1450 St. Clair Ave W., Toronto. The cemetery contains Commonwealth burials of the First World War, many of them in the veterans plot.
http://www.ww1cemeteries.com/ww1cemeteries/torontoprospect.htm

Linda

[Richard SPC]

Debbie & Linda,

I don't know how I can thank you both for what you have found. I have been trying for 2 yrs since I found his army records and the only thing I found in that time was the passenger list for 1913 which I found 5 weeks ago.

Debbie, that is definitely my Lydia as she was from Ventnor, IOW where her father was a Gardner. I will now have to do a bit of digging (no pun intended) as to why she came back home for such a short time. You don't know whether John accompanied her on this trip do you ?

Linda, I would welcome any more info on the newspaper articles, thank you. With regard to children, I have no idea at all. John's army papers state NO children as of 1917 at which point he was 48. That is not to say they didn't have any after that, but I guess somewhat unlikely. I may be wrong. I hope I am.

Is Stratford a district of Toronto? That may well be John & Lydia, but I have no evidence. If there is any chance of finding more out about the Rodgers Stratford connection and the Edna marriage. With the marriage, if it shows he father's trade that may help. John's trade was Carpenter in 1917.

I have no idea as to where he is buried and whether he had a military funeral. My gut feeling is that he didn't as he was only a Seargent when he left the army.

Would there be any way of finding Wills for John & Lydia as that would most likely show if there were any surviving children.

Basically what I am trying to say is that any info about them, no matter how insignificant is welcome. Please let me know of any cost that you incur helping me and I will sort them out.

Thank you both. I feel like jumping on a plane to Canada to give you both a grateful hug.

Richard

[Louisamay]

Hi Richard,

In the Toronto Star pages of the Past,  there is a death notice for John Hubert Mitchelmaw Rodgers.

He died at his Summer home, Willow Beach, Lake Simcoe,  on Sunday August 17th, 1947.

Interment Veterans' Plot, Pinehills Cemetery.

The only person mentioned is his wife, Lydia.


Louisamay

[Louisamay]

Lydia died April 9th , 1949.

She is buried in Pinehills Cemetery.

Two people mentioned in death notice are her brothers,  Joseph Coleman, Toronto,  and Jack Coleman, South Africa.
This was in Toronto Star, Pages of the Past.

Louismay

[Richard SPC]

Louisa,

I love you !!!!.

Thank you for that snippet. It must be him.

Would you know how to obtain wills etc as they may mention other people.

Richard

[Louisamay]

Sorry Richard, I have no idea.


Louisamay