Fall 2000
Grand River Branch
Grand River Branch has enjoyed a busy spring and summer with membership at 170 and an attendance approaching 50 each month. Our meetings are held on the 3rd Sunday of the month, and are hosted by members in various locations.
We have met in Brantford, Galt, Waterloo, Simcoe, Caledonia, and Waterford. Our programs have included Myrna Fox on the Loyalist Burial Sites project, Mary Beacock Fryer talking about the life of John Graves Simcoe, Roger Cruickshank’s presentation on historic Woodhouse United Church (Edgerton Ryerson’s church) and its 200th anniversary, Barbara Martindale on the history of Caledonia, the railroad there as well as Loyalist families along the Grand River, and Bob Stevenson who presented slides to illustrate his talk on the history of the town of Waterford.
Historic churches, museums and a restored train station have been the locations for this year’s meetings. Many enjoyed going to dinner following the meetings as well as the summertime potluck buffet picnics.
Although no meetings are held December-February, our members remain active. Last February, we participated in a Professional Development Day for teachers with the Grand Erie School Board and presented each teacher with a copy of A Teacher’s Resource. This involved two presentations at the day-long in Caledonia. Another opportunity for education presented itself with our Loyalist display at a Heritage Fair in Kitchener in February. In June, for Loyalists Day, we mounted another display at Celebration 2000 in Simcoe, and a costumed session with Girl Guides at Backus Conservations Area is slated for October.
Memorial cards were designed and printed for the Branch to have placed in funeral homes when a member has passed away. This advise the family of the fact that a plaque in memory of the deceased will be placed in the memorial book we donate annually to our Loyalist Library.
Education chair Doris Lemon hosted an Education Workshop in Waterloo, with President Marilyn Branch, Vice-President Robert McCarey, Archivist and Librarian James sweet, Newsletter Editor Claire Machan and Past President Bill Terry. A large number of people attended and some of these have joined the Branch and embarked upon their genealogical research as a result.
Doris Lemon presented her dramatization of Loyalist wife Mary Titus Williams to The Big Sisters, Waterloo-Heights Seniors, Conestoga Towers Seniors, Holy Cross Group, the Kitchener-Waterloo Zonta Club, and to Dr. Kenneth McLaughlin’s first year Canadian History class at the University of Waterloo.
Flags were presented to Woodhouse United Church and St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, both in Simcoe. The first was in honour of a 200th anniversary and the second was for a special service in honour of the Queen Mother’s birthday. Furthermore, a letter of congratulations was sent to the Queen Mother from Grand River Branch, and a response was received.
Three of our members were nominated for, and received Ontario Volunteer Service Awards.
Again this year we continued support for and communication with Chiefswood, the home of Pauline Johnson on the Six Nations Reserve, now a Heritage designation. We have also taken steps to have the unsatisfactory conditions at one of our Loyalists cemeteries, “Tranquility” corrected. It is situated near Brantford.
Our President’s wife, Monica McCarey, surprised us by sewing canvas bags to carry and protect our flagpoles and stands. They have made such a difference in transporting the equipment to meetings. Our last three meetings this year are at Guelph, Port Dover, and Ayr.
Marilyn Branch UE, Grand River Branch
Vera Ferdericka Vanderlip
PhD, UE, UELAC Past President, Philosopher, Teacher, and Founder of Grand River Branch
Dr. Vera Vanderlip UE was a loyal member of the UELAC, and died peacefully at Grand River Hospital on May 5, 2000.
She served the Association in many capacities, and breathed a new life in Dominion Council for some twenty-five years. When the dominion Office was re-located to 50 Baldwin Street, her preference was for a more accessible location. She designed the present pamphlet used by the association to promote membership across Canada, served on various committees, and was elected President for the years 1986-1988.
Her lief of leadership began with teaching young people English at the secondary level in North York, Ontario. Dr. Vanderlip received a masters degree in Classics, and in 1966 an honourary degree in Philosophy from Yale University. She lectured at the University of New Brunswick and Sir Wilfred Laurier in Waterloo, where she opened the students’ eyes to Latin, Greek, and Greek Mythology.
In private life she was an active member of the Waterloo community participating in church music, acted as a delegate for the Waterloo district on the General Council of the United Church of Canada, as well as serving on the Session of the First United Church in Waterloo. He heart rested in the peace of the countryside at a cottage on Georgian Bay, her retreat.
Dr. Vanderlip was proud of her Loyalist heritage, and her ancestor William Vanderlip UE who served in Butler’s Rangers, and settles and farmed in the Niagara district. William moved later to Ancaster with his wife and children where he ran the Vanderlip Inn. Vera was the daughter of Frederick and Maude Vanderlip and is survived by her sister Ruth Vanderlip.
She had a great sense of style in everything she did, and will be missed by her sister and friends, including her cats, the Boys.
Elizabeth Richardson UE and Doris Lemon UE