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- Surname: Kinnear Given name: Ethel Age: 15 Sex: F Nationality: Ir Date of arrival: 1929/04/29 (YYYY/MM/DD) Port of arrival: Quebec , Quebec Ship: ATHENIA , Anchor Donaldson Reference: RG76 - IMMIGRATION, series C-1-a Volume: 1929 volume 2 Page: 178 Microfilm reel: T-14751
JOHNSTON, Ethel (nee Kinnear) - May 15, 1913 - April 22, 2005
Born in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland. Beloved wife of George A. Johnston. Loving mother to Pat (Ross) Montgomery, Brian (Muriel), Judi Armstrong, and David (Jacquie). Cherished grandmother to Douglas, Wende, Lori, Darren, Julie, Jennifer, Evan, Katie, Libby, Melanie, Julie and Karen, and great-grandmother to James, Trish, Alex, Kyra, Owen, Ryan, and Meta. Ethel immigrated to Canada in 1929 with her father Thomas, to join the rest of her family. She is predeceased by brothers Tom, John, David, Robert, Sam, and sisters Lillian, Annie and Winnie. Friends may visit at the Jerrett Funeral Home, 660 Kennedy Road, Scarborough (between Eglinton and St. Clair Aves. E.) after 12 noon on Tuesday followed by a service in the chapel at 1p.m. Cremation. The family would like to express their sincere appreciation to all the staff at Parkview Home for the Aged, in particular, the personnel in the west wing nursing. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Parkview Building Fund, 481 Rupert Ave., Stouffville, ON L4A 1T7.
Ethel arrived in Canada with her father Thomas Kinnear, sister Winnie and brother Sam in 1929. They were met by their brothers Tom, Robert, David and John. The boys had rented a three bedroom home in East York and Ethel soon became the chief cook and bottle washer at the age of 15. She remembers washing white shirts etc. all by hand and hanging them out to dry even in the middle of cold winter days. Her knarled hands can attest to the work she did both in Ireland and Canada. Winnie was eleven and Sam was eight and they were promptly enrolled in school. Ethel stayed home to look after the house for all the family and they even had a friend Willy Rooney living with them too. Ethel did go to Eastern Commerce High School for the night school program for two years where she took accounting. When she was seventeen her father Thomas got her a job in the office at Brown's Bread Company and after that she went to work in the office at the T. Eaton Company where her brothers David and Robert and Tommy were also working. She met her husband to be George Johnston through a mutual friend while working at Eatons. She married George February 15th 1936. They were married at Rodgers Presbyterian Church with her sister Winnie as bridesmaid. They were unable to have a honeymoon as they had rented a home on Sammon Avenue in East York and Winnie came to live with them there. Sam went to live with his brother Tommy and his wife Dorothy while he finished high school. Ethel had to give up her job as married women were not allowed to be employed after marriage. Ethel and George had their first child Patricia July 1938 and moved to Glebeholme Blvd in 1941 and their son Brian was born in May. Ethel and George became foster parents to children from the Children's Aid Society in 1945 and they adopted their daughter Judy who was born Jan 1945 and they had another son David born in August 1953. Ethel was the matriarch to all the Kinnears and tried to keep the family together as much as possible over the years. There were always get togethers and shared Christmases and summer holidays at Pine Lake in Muskoka for many years throughout the fifties and early sixties. Ethel and George have thirteen grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. Ethel made at least twenty trips back to Ireland from the late fifties to the early nineties, visiting numerous relatives who still reside in Ireland.
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1913 - 2005 (91 years)
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