WHEN GEORGE MET DAISY - A DELORO LOVE STORY

THE SMITHS, THE REAYS AND THE BROOKS

Harry Smith Sr. and Daisy Reay Smith, c. 1904

Smith Family, Deloro, c. 1924, Standing Back Row, L. to R. - Simeon, Daisy, Harry Jr., Norman, Sitting L. to R. Daisy Smith with Iris, Richard (Dick), Harry Sr., William (Mae, Betty, and Marjorie not yet born).

Harry passed in 1940 and Daisy in 1966, both are resting in the Harry passed in 1940 and Daisy in 1966, both are resting in the Marmora Protestant Cemetery with two of their children, Iris and William, together with Donald Smith and his wife Jessie. Donald Smith is the grandson of Harry and Daisy Smith.

George Charles Brooks, born in West Ham, U.K. emigrated to Canada in August 1922 from Bognor Regis, U.K.and settled in Deloro. There, at the boarding house operated by Harry and Daisy Smith, he met and married Daisy Smith, (born in West Hartlepool, U.K.), the daughter of Harry Smith and Daisy Reay Smith in 1925. George and Daisy Brooks raised 14 children, all born in Deloro and attending primary and high schools in Deloro, Marmora and Madoc.

Harry Smith, born 1883, Manchester, U.K., married Daisy Reay, born 1884, Hartlepool, U.K. and then emigrated to Canada, 1910, and settled Deloro. His wife, Daisy Reay, joined Harry in Deloro in the same year, arriving with their 3 children: Harry, Daisy and Norman (all born in West Hartlepool, U.K.. A further 8 children were born in Deloro:

Simeon, Richard (Dick), Iris Violet (Mae), Vera (Betty), William. Marjorie, and David.

Harry worked at Deloro Smelting & Refining Company for 30 years, a member of Deloro Stellite Co., Quarter Century Club, foreman Silver Plant, and member Deloro Safety First Committee He attended St. Paul's Anglican Church, Marmora, with his family.

Harry Smith Sr. with workers at Deloro Stellite & Refining Co., circa 1914, together with a picture of two of Harry Smith's brothers, William and Jack, joining him in Deloro c. 1914 and for a short time worked at Deloro Stellite but eventually William settled on a farm in Manvers, ON, and Jack settled in Richmond Hill, ON. Harry Smith, Sr., wearing white shirt with braces.

"Topping the Blast Furnace" - Deloro Smelting and Refining Co. 1914 Harry Smith Sr. with his brothers, William and Jack, who emigrated to Canada shortly after Harry. William eventually settled on a farm near Manvers, Ontario, and Jack settled in Richmond Hill, Ontario

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In the U.K. George played soccer for "The Bognor Rocks", West Sussex Soccer League, Bognor Regis, and the team won championship in 1921-22. George was a shoemaker by trade in the U.K. In Deloro he worked at Deloro Smelting & Refining Co. and on the side, he repaired his children's footwear, made football cleats and baseball bats for his sons, and hockey sticks for his sons and daughters but when playing ball his children did so bare-handed, George played the bugle, the drums, the spoons, the bones, the piano and harmonica while at the same time had a good singing voice.

Daisy was the homemaker, played on the Deloro Lawn Bowling League, received piano lessons when she was young from a teacher in Marmora, and provided many hours of piano music for her family and friends, together with her lovely voice. She was truly a participant in the article ".... and the mothers made lunch" (Click to view) Another hobby of George and Daisy was playing the card game cribbage and Daisy had the honour of being dealt a perfect hand of cribbage while playing with George.

On December 7, 1950, Daisy and George celebrated their 25th Wedding Anniversary with family and friends.

George's main catch was a 47 pound muskielunge.

George served in the Reserves, Hastings and Prince Edward Regiments. He wanted to go to fight in WWII but was refused as he was considered to be needed more because of his ability and knowledge as Foreman in the Stellite Department in making of ammunition, airplanes, tanks, and other military machinery for use in WWII, without which it would have been difficult to win WWII.

George was employed at Deloro Stellite and Refining Co. as Foreman for 38 years and in Belleville for 9 years. He was a member of the Quarter Century Club and participated in Industrial Accident Prevention matters and was sent to the Head Plant in the U.K. for 6 months in 1949 for teaching purposes.

The raising of 13 children was a full-time plan for George and Daisy. The plan was school and homework first, then chores, sports and music. The chores were looking after the Community Hall, the outdoor rink including flooding of the ice, the shovelling of snow, playing hockey and carnivals, cutting up and storing 18 cord of pole wood and kindling for the cook stove, the hoeing, weeding, digging up and storing of potatoes and vegetables for the winter months (including corn roasts each August); the harvesting and storage of apples for the winter; the production of maple syrup, the cleaning and maintenance of the chicken coop including feedings, gathering of eggs; the care of baby chicks in the spring; the raking of leaves in the Fall; etc., as well as household chores carried out by each and every one.

George and Daisy also had their hobbies to help them in developing their family. Both were on the Deloro Lawn Bowling Club team and they won the Silver Trophy for their participation. George was a fisherman for the love of the sport and Daisy did very well in cooking up many a fish feed for themselves and the children and this love of fish and chips continues until this day. George's main catch was a 47 pound muskielunge. There are many a fishing tale out there enjoyed by his fellow fishing buddies such as Jack Atchison, Bill Brown, Mike Corrigan, etc.

George Brook, Daisy Brooks celebrate their 25th Anniversary with friends and co-workers - top row - L-R Cec Holland, Bill Brown, Bruce MacKenzie, Joe Gillhooley, Tom Brawley, Steve Glembiski, Harold Dalton, Mike Corrigan, Sam Stevens Seated; L-R Gertrude Corrigan, George Mantle, Grace Gray, Ivy Mantle, Evelyn Gill hooley, Jean Brawley, Nora Brown, Mrs. Dalton, Front: Helen Holland, Lrraine MacKenzie, Percy Gray, Daisy Brooks, George Brooks

BUGLING - A FAMILY TRADITION

November 1949, Remembrance Day Service at Community Hall, with Deloro Public and Deloro Separate Schools participation with 2 minutes silence, the showing of War Movies and the laying of Wreaths with 26 veterans from the plant and village attending, including Mr.R.G. Walsh for the Company and Mr. C.H. Buskard for the Village Council, with the service lead by Rev. G. Young of Marmora with the Last Post and Reveille sounded by George Brooks and yearly thereafter.

George was associated with the following associations in Deloro:

1925 and 1933 - Player, Deloro Soccer TeaM
1944 - Safety Committee, Industrial Accident Prevention Association
1944 - The Suggestion Committee
The Deloro Lawn Bowlers Teams
1945 - Trip to Industrial Accident Prevention Association Convention, Toront
1945 - Deloro Softball Club Manager
1946 - Vice-President, Deloro Recreational AssociatioN
1946 - elected Committee Chairman for Softball
1946 - elected Manager for Softball
1946 - elected First Vice-President for Deloro Recreational Association
1946, Manager and Committee Chairman for Softball arranging new teams to form a league consisting of Deloro, Marmora, Bonarlaw, Stirling and Bata, plus the Canadian Legion Team from Marmor
1948 - Manager, Deloro Bantam Hockey League
1948 - President of Deloro Recreational Association
1948, Floating Member for Inspection Committee, Safety Committee
1948, Manager, Deloro Softball Club
1948, Juvenile and Midget Minor Hockey Mentor
1949 - November 1949, Secretary, Suggestion Committee
The Dr. Hamilton Crawford Arena in Marmora was opened on October 15, 1948. George was one of the Canvass Committee Directors and made a presentation of Crests to the players of Junior and Senior Hockey Leagueon this night.

GEORGE IN SPORTS

***Deloro Soccer Team C.1928 - Front Row: Tom Cousins, ?, ?, George Brooks & Bill Brown. MIDDLE ROW, FAR LEFT - nORMAN hIPSON***

***Soccer Team 1933 - Far Right standing - Syd Cheeseman Front row: 3rd from left, Bill Brown, 4th George Brooks***

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THE CHILDREN OF GEORGE AND DAISY BROOKS

Winifred Mary Kathleen (Winnie) - married Cecil Nobes of Marmora, 4 children: James, Linda, Gregory and Daryl. Winifred was serving in Ottawa in the CWAC in June of 1945, at the end of WWII. Winnie passed in 1979.

Robert George (Bob); married Jeanne Stewart, 5 children; Debra, Susan, Karen, Stephen and Rick. Bob passed in 2002.

Sidney Ronald (Sid or Cider); married Joyce Daniels and raised two daughters Heather and Pamela Louise. Sid played hockey for the Marmora Millionaires in 1945. Sid passed in 2017.

Charles Stanley (Stan); farmer, married Betty Moffatt from Marmora, raised 9 children: Bill, David, John, Randy, Beverley, Shirley, Sharon, Andy and Barbara (all raised in Marmora). Stan passed in 1990.

·Baby Boy Brooks: stillborn, 1934.

Evelyn Grace (Ev'):, married Michael Roberts of Cornwall, U.K., Professor of Geology, Simon Fraser University, 2 children, Susan and Cliff. As of 2018 they reside in Vancouver.

Thomas William (Tom); position of Accountant, Bethlehem Mines in Marmora, met and married Ruth Fleming, 1 child Jeffrey, divorced, met and married Ann Marie Bedore from Marmora, 1 son Conrad (who now resides in Australia), Tom passed in 2015.

Daisy Jean (Jean); married Jack Rushnell, 3 daughters Deborah, Denyse and Danette. As of 2018 Jean and Jack reside in Stirling, ON.

James Edward Cecil (Jim): married Pat Plane from Madoc, had 2 children (Jay and Pamela Lee), divorced Pat and married Eleanor and as of 2018 are settled in Amherstview, ON.

Harry Richard (Harry); married Sally Cross (Winnipeg), 4 children Caroline, Carolyn, Scott and Roy. Harry passed in 1976 and laid to rest in Brooks Plot, Marmora Protestant Cemetery.

Brenda Ann; married Frank Skof (Ottawa), 3 children David, Lora and Wendy.. As of 2018, Brenda resides in Ottawa.

Victor Winston (Vic) Marmora lived with mother Mrs. Daisy Brooks, was involved in activities in Marmora including Crawford Memorial Arena, the new playground, Marmora Dog Sled Racing, was a member Kiwanis Club and a volunteer at the Marmora Fire Department. In 1986 Vic moved to Mabou, Nova Scotia, Cape Breton. Vic passed in 2015 and is buried in the Brooks Plot at Marmora Protestant Cemetery.

Kenneth Dennis (Ken): joined the Canadian Air Force, posted to Saskatchewan, married Lenore, 3 children with Lenore; Christopher, Montgomery and Martin., was eventually posted to North Bay, ON, retired from the Air Force, returned to Prince Albert, SA, to work as Guard at the Prison, Lenore passed, met and married Norma Head. As of 2018 Ken resides in Prince Albert.

Sylvia Pearl (Sylvia); Sylvia attended Deloro Public School. At age 8 Sylvia developed leukemia and passed away on March 8, 1956. She is interned in Marmora Protestant Cemetery in the Brooks Plot.

The Brooks Graves site, opposite to the Smith Graves site, is in Marmora Protestant Cemetery, which include George, Daisy, Sylvia, Harry and Victor. Winnie (Brooks) Nobes is buried in the Legion Section of the Marmora Protestant Cemetery and Stan, together with his wife Betty Moffat, are buried at the Beaver Creek Cemetery.

Daisy Smith, Daisy Brooks, Winnie and Linda Nobes.jpg

FAMILY DAYS

Listed below are family recreational activity days courtesy of Village of Deloro each year which is part of what made Deloro an "especially nice place to grow up" , together with the provision of tennis courts, lawn bowling activities, Library, Community Hall for Dances and other entertainment (such as movies and community dinners) and of course Sunday School together with a football diamond, a large hill for skiing, tobogganing, sledding, horsehoeing, and snowshoeing, complete with lights for after dark activities which backed onto the baseball diamond.

July 1 - Canada Day - A baseball game was scheduled, with races for all the children, i.e. sack, three-legged, egg and spoon, etc.., free ice cream and drinks were provided with a big fireworks display at night.
December 24 - Christmas Eve - A concert was held n the Deloro Hall put on by the pupils of Deloro Protestant and Separate Schools, with a huge decorated tree in the Hall with an appearance by Santa Clause, complete with the ringing of jingle bells and footsteps on the top of the Hall roof. Santa also provided a gift for each child and a bag of treats (candy and fruit).
November 11 - Remembrance Day - At Deloro Hall students from both schools marched to the Hall from their classrooms to honour this day, together with veterans and dignitaries from Deloro Refining. Movies were shown, the laying of wreath took place and Taps and Reveille were performed by George Brooks.
October 31 - Halloween - Tickets were sold by the children for donations to UNICEF and collected those tickets while they played "Trick or Treat". At the Community Hall prizes for best or worst costumes, and the collection of the tickets sold. In any event there was the usual school gate up the school flagpole, outhouses turned over, and cars and windows soaped.
December 25 - Christmas Day - The Brooks Christmas Tree was always put up on Christmas Eve for viewing by the younger ones on Christmas morning after all were washed and dressed in their Sunday best and marched downstairs from the oldest to the youngest for the gift exchange. Daisy would always be up early preparing the Christmas turkey supplied by the Plant (usually a 25 pounder for the Brooks family), with Daisy and girls preparing the meal with George and boys doing the clean-up. After that, the children were allowed to go ice skating, sledding, play hockey or whatever.
December 31 - New Year's Eve - The village went "house-pubing" on New Year's Eve, going from home to home picking up participants with a number of residents ending up at the Brooks home with a huge sing-along with George on the piano. Much loved British pub songs were belted out. There was a dance at the Community Hall with the ringing-in of the New Year of the Plant whistle at midnight.
Sundays -Deloro operated Sunday School led by Mr. Al Drew -- hymn singing, Bible readings, lessons taught. Prizes were given for best attendance, certificates for participation, and scriptures learned from the Bible, awarded at a dinner of scalloped potatoes, homemade beans and hot cocoa prepared by the ladies of the Village. The Brooks family attended St. Paul's Anglican Church in Marmora. Brenda Brooks taught at Deloro Sunday School for a short time
Yearly - Wintertime - Outdoor skating rink maintained by George Brooks and his sons, two change shacks (female and male) with heating and lighting. George Brooks instrumental in organizing minor hockey (competition games with neighbouring communities) and carnivals complete with music, competitions (race) and good old fashioned ice skating. In the spring, summer and fall, there were baseball, softball and football games
Monthly - Teen-Age dances held in Deloro Hall monthly for the Teen-Agers with attendees from Madoc, Marmora, Tweed, etc. Music was by records from the 1950s era. Tom Brooks was paramount in the organization of dance nights.

DELORO TIDBITS

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Silver Band, 20 members, practised in warehouse (being the building remodelled for home of Hec Boudreau)
Deloro Tennis Club, Deloro Public Library Association, Deloro Red Cross, Lawlor's Nursing Home (1946), Deloro Community Sunday School, Deloro Movie Picture Shows, Deloro Wolf Cub PacK
Many gatherings at the fountain (pump house on front street, the installation of water sewage, Jim Dalton cutting off the head of the Quinn's canary, the number of horrific dog fights, and kids carrying Floyd Gray's hot lunch to his work daily.
Deloro-Marmora put on Minstrel Show booked as "Kotton Club" playing in Marmora, Madoc, Tweed and Bancroft, musically directed by Stan Hawthorne. Great octet in this group, good stand-up comedy via George Woodhouse and Alex Cunningham. and other standout solo voices, certainly memorable.
Del-Mar Teenage Club started by Tom Brooks with dances every Friday night, using big stereo set, teaching everyone to dance and drawing busloads of kids from Havelock, Marmora, Madoc and Tweed, and was so beneficial without booze or drugs, and all learned to fox-trot, waltz, chatise, square dance and so on with the lady parents of Deloro present to motivate and assist.
Deloro was the only town within miles that had a regulation football field and as a result we had many good football events to watch.
Deloro had two outdoor rinks which provided good hockey teams/players. The first was down on the mud flats with a huge "pot-bellied" stove to warm up by and all the orange drink or cream-soda pop or, ginger ale that you could want at seven cents each - if you had money. The second new one was across the street from the Brooks home via Crawford's Lane (Dr. Crawford), a real beauty, good change houses (male and female, with heat) and an up-to-date flooding process. There was good ice because the Brooks family made it under George Brooks' supervision.
Most importantly was the overall community behaviour that permeated the village of Deloro. All parents and children were on the same wavelength. It was required of each of us to get schooling, to do family chores, to play in sports, to be involved in extracurricular activities and to work together in achieving these. Great ethical development and a lot of fun.
Deloro had milk delivered by Hannah's Dairy in the early morning. The money to pay for the milk was put, as change within the bottles. Suddenly this money went missing. Hannah complained about no payment and who was suspect but the kids. Big investigation, a lot of asking, doubting, etc., and it was found that Alphonse Clemen's two pet crows were the robbers. All the change was found in the nest, apparently they are attracted/mesmerized by silver objects, and the kids were vindicated once again.
Deloro Public School was very fortunate in having excellent teachers and to name a few; Fred Stewart, Florence Henderson, Clare and Sylvia Hooey. Very good classes in its time, i.e. workshop (manual training) and home economics room for cooking, sewing, etc.

PUBLISHED IN THE DELORO PLANT BULLETIN

1943 - 1944 - Bob, Sid and Stan Brooks played hockey for Kinsmen Senior Deloro Bruins and Junior Marmora Redwings and won championship
1945 - George was Manager and the Deloro Softball Team, was one of the best in Deloro as it ended regular schedule and play-offs without defeat, won 10 league and exhibition games, 5 play-off games and tied 2 games with George Brooks trying to arrange a home-and-home series with Beta.
1945 - George Brooks always nervous wreck after every game
1945 - Deloro still remains in unbeaten class, only two exhibition games have been played with Deloro winning first game at Bata 18-12 and second game 11-9.
1945 - George Brooks ordered softball sweaters for team, to be presented to players at a dance held in Deloro Dance Hall.
1945 - Bowling Dinner was held and cups awarded to team John Hempbill, George Brooks, Orval Trumble and Mike Corrigan.
1945 - Deloro Public Board gave night classes for boys in craft work under the direction of C. Hooey for both Separate and Public Schools.
1945 - Harry Smith, Sr., instructor and foreman at the plant received $5.00 for finding Charlie McInroy to work on blast furnace.
1945 - Voluntary Workers' Club held a Mother and Daughter Dinner, well attended by girls 10 to 18 and the girls turned in 61 articles with regard to the War Effort and assisted in General Store for February War Savings Stamp Drive, and paraded around Village in patriotic costumes resulting in $326.00 of savings for the War Effort
1945 - Sports season started with Junior and Senior Softball, Tennis, Bowling and Horseshoes.
1945 - Earl Cousins, Ray Black and Bob Brooks spent 2 weeks at Connaught Rangers near Ottawa with Reserve Army.
1945 - Deloro Community Sunday School held opening service on Sunday, October 7th, with 39 children attending.
1945 - Deloro is a good spot for winter sports with snow and cold donated by Nature, in the creation in December of sport clubs, i.e. Deloro Ski Club, Snowshoeing,, Tobogganing, or Winter Sports Clubs with a trail cut to the hill to the Ball Field with lights installed so it could be used after dark.
1946 - Winnie Brooks, former "Hello Girl" on plant switchboard, with C.W.A.C., expected to be discharged in fortnight (April 19), no plans but going steady.
1946 - Evelyn Brooks went to work on fruit farms in Central and Western Ontario.
1946 - Evelyn Brooks rescued brother Harry from drowning at Old Swimming Hole.
1946 - Tap Water came to Deloro on May 9th.
1946 - George Brooks went fishing with Jack Carter and Tommy Cousins and ate his own herring brought along for lunch - no luck.
1947 - George Brooks was Manager for Bantams Hockey League, eliminated Tweed and in a tough competition in Lakefield were eliminated.
1948 - George Brooks managed Softball Club and won championship.
1948 - Baseball game was held in Deloro between married men and juveniles which ended in a 5-2 victory for the fathers, and a second game was arranged after the teenagers claimed they could beat the oldtimers but the oldtimers won that game with George Brooks playing right field.
1948 - George Brooks organized Juvenile and Midget Minor Hockey.
1948 - George Brooks organized Teenage Carnival at the Deloro Rink, held on January 24th, and was a huge success with the sale of hot dogs and coffee made to meet expenses. Music supplied by Jack McCrodan. Broom football played and if Mike Corrigan and Frank Everard had not stepped out of the net, the other side would have had a chance. Skating races and contest were held with refreshments served. Winners of skating events: Girl Best Skater - Dianne Quinn; Boy Best Skater - ? Archibald; Fastest Skater Girl - Margaret Drew; Fastest Skater Boy - Ray Darrah; Under Teenage: Fastest Girl - Brenda Brooks; Fastest Boy - R. VanHoukolom.
1948 - Deloro Baseball Team lineup was Tom Brooks on third base and Bob Brooks in left field.
1948 - Bowling League, Charlie McInroy beat J. Hempbill and Bill Brown trimmed George Brooks.
1948 - The Dr. Hamilton Crawford Arena in Marmora was opened on October 15. George Brooks was one of the Canvass Committee Directors and made a presentation of Crests to the players of Junior and Senior Hockey League players on this night.
1948 - In June, Bob Brooks transferred from Mould Room to Blanchard in Finishing Department.
1949 - Summer migration of young people to Central and West Ontario for fruit picking includes Bob and Ann Borland, Ann Barlow, June Loveless, Evelyn Brooks, Sheilagh Corrigan, Ruth Koski and Mary Barlow.
1949 - George Brooks was chosen to attend the International Accident Prevention Association Annual Meeting in Toronto because of his safety record as Foreman for many years in Deloro.
1949 - Extracurricular activities in Deloro handled by Stone Moners Club and its members George Brooks, Mike Corrigan, Bill Brown, Jules Ethier, Tom Pieranuik, and Jack Atchison, had bull sessions after good card games
1949 - George Brooks, while in England for six months, wrote home that he was "bitten by the golf bug" while he was there and he also played baseball while in England.
1949 - George Brooks travelled to the Deloro Stellite Ltd. Plant in Shirley, Birmingham, U.K. for 6 months at the request of Deloro Stellite for educational and teaching purposes in Deloro.
1949 - In November Remembrance Day Service was held at the Deloro Community Hall with Deloro Pubic School, Deloro Separate School, with 26 Veterans from the Plant and Village attending, including Mr. R.G. Walsh for the Company and Mr. H. Buskard for the Village Council, with the service lead by Rev. G. Young of Marmora, including the viewing of a War Movie, the laying of Wreaths, the 2-minute silence, the citation of In Flander's Fields by the school children, and the sounding of the Last Post and Reveille by George Brooks.
1949 - Sports Day in Deloro, July1st, track and field event was organized by Harry Easton, and one-mile race. First prize was Silver Trophy and $3.00 store voucher; second prize was $2.00 store voucher; and third prize was $1.00 store voucher. A large fireworks display was set for the evening.
1949 - Frank Everard, reporter for Deloro Plant News, was transferred to Northern Ontario Asbestos Mining, and thanked Tommy Pierniuk and George Brooks regarding good lunge stories and techniques in regard to catching his first fish.

BROOKS SMITH AND REAY