Erle Herbert Orr

ORR, Erle Herbert – Peacefully at home on Tuesday, November 29, 2011 in his 76th year. Beloved husband of the late Beverley. Beloved father of Clifford (Laura) and Jeff (Colleen). Cherished grandpa of Ethan, Jacob, Justin and Caleb. Dear brother of Jessie Bell (Wib), Tom (Norma), late Christena McClelland (late Mervyn), Ruby Buck (Alvin), late Shirley Buck (late Mervyn), Mary Bier (Terry) and Neil. Brother-in-law of Morley Trotter (Gloria). Also survived by many nieces and nephews. Friends may call at the Arthur Funeral Home & Cremation Centre on Friday, December 2, 2011 from 6 – 9 pm. Funeral service from the chapel on Saturday, December 3, 2011 at 12 noon. Rev. Jan Schenell officiating. Interment Gordon Lake Cemetery. Memorial contributions to the Heart & Stroke Foundation or to the Desbarats United Church would be appreciated by the family.

My name is Erle Herbert Orr and my birthdate is May 31, 1936, born in Thessalon, Algoma District – registered June 29, 1936, 36-05-025547

My grandfather (Thomas Higgins) told me that my mother brought me home in a matchbox. I am the fourth of a family of eight. I have two older sisters, Jessie and Christina, an older brother Tom, younger sisters Ruby, Shirley and Mary and a younger brother Neil

I attended Gordon Lake School in 1942 at age 6 until age 14. My teachers were Laura McKay (an aunt), Mrs. Garnet Bell, Mrs. Grigg and Mrs. Brodie. Mrs. Bell (who was also a neighbour) always said I paid attention better if what she was teaching about involved trucks.

When I was a kid, I had a thing about stairs and I always fell down the basement steps if the door was left open. The scar on my face is a sign of a dog bite, but I didn’t pull his tail as he was eating. After school I worked on the farm until I was 16 years old, then worked part time off the farm for the Department of Lands and Forests as an EFF (Emergency Fire Fighter) and in the tower at Lonely Lake, but still worked on the farm.

I worked two winters up the ACR at Mile 77 and Mile 140 for the Schue Brothers driving truck and loader, loading box cars with logs, back to the farm for the summer.

My dad died the fall of 1956 and I worked the farm. The fall of 1957 for Thomas Woods driving truck, bulldozer and loader, working in the bush in the winter and at the sawmill in the summer, when I had time from the farm.

In 1962, on August 11, I married Beverley Bell Trotter. Bev was a registered nurse. My mother offered the farm for sale to the family, (Mervyn and Shirley Buck) so we lived at Echo Bay and the Soo. Clifford was born July 25, 1963 while we were in the Sault.

Thomas Woods lost his sawmill by fire so I was laid off. I got a job with North Star Landscaping driving truck and loader and with Lloyd Avery driving in the Steel Plant (Algoma Steel). In 1963, the farm was up for tax sale and we took it over. On July 3, 1965 Jeffery was born.

In 1965, 66 and 67, I worked for the Ministry of Natural Resources at Ranger Lake with the truck besides farming. In 1967 Allan McClelland and Charles Tregonning asked me to work for them. In 1968 I started to work a full time job at the Fish Hatchery and in 1969, went on permanent staff, delivering fish province wide for 26 years. I retired on November 30, 1993. I bought a big truck, backhoe and still farmed. Beverley kept house and worked at Algoma Manor in Thessalon. Bev was a great wife, mother and a good housekeeper. She loved her flowers and birds. She passed away March 30, 2005 at the Plummer Hospital after a lengthy illness and courageous fight.

Clifford is married to Laura Maitland and works for an Architect in the Soo, and has one son Justin. Laura works at the high school, CASS in Desbarats.

Jeffery is married to Colleen Evoy and is parts manager at World Cars in the Soo and has three sons, Ethan, Jacob and Caleb. Colleen works in the doctors’ offices at the Group Health Centre in the Soo.

We have bought 25 new vehicles from GMC and have for the grandsons one old tractor each, all Massey Harris. We still have the tractor my dad bought new in 1939.

I had quadruple by-pass surgery in Sudbury in June of 1995. I had my heart attack the night of Bev’s retirement party in Desbarats.

This is my life story as of May 17, 2005.

Erle H. Orr