Ophelia Lochhead^[1]

1853 - 1958  (104 years)

• Name	Ophelia Lochhead
  Born	14 May 1853	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]
  Gender	Female
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/65193215
  Interesting	story
  Name	Ophelia Rife
  Residence	1861	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [8]
  	United Presbyterian
  Residence	1871	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  Residence	1871	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  	New Connexion Methodist
  Residence	1891	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [9]
  	Evangelical
  Residence	1911	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7]
  	Methodist
  Eby ID Number	00092-5303.1
  Died	3 Mar 1958  [4]
  Buried	New Hope Cemetery, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  Person ID	I10646	Generations
  Last Modified	7 Nov 2024

  
  

  Father	James Lochhead,   b. 1819, , Scotland ,   d. 1862  (Age 43 years)
  Mother	Alzina Walker,   b. Oct 1830, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. 1915  (Age ~ 84 years)
  Family ID	F28812	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	David Rife,   b. 30 Apr 1848, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 14 Apr 1913, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 64 years)
  Married	24 Jan 1871	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6, 9]
  Children	1. Annie Alzina Rife,   b. 28 Jul 1871, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 15 Mar 1873  (Age 1 years)   2. Mabel Naomi Rife,   b. 26 Dec 1872, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 1934  (Age 61 years)   3. Charles Herbert Rife,   b. 5 Jan 1875, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 7 Apr 1953, Wawa, Delaware, Pennsylvania, United States  (Age 78 years)   4. David Edward Rife,   b. 3 Jan 1877, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 27 Apr 1956, Edmonton, , Alberta, Canada  (Age 79 years)   5. Lester Hungerford Rife,   b. 26 Oct 1878, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 3 Aug 1958, Alameda, Alameda, California, United States  (Age 79 years)   6. Margaret Ophelia "Maggie" Rife,   b. 26 Mar 1881, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 26 Mar 1958  (Age 77 years)   7. William Arnold Rife,   b. 5 May 1882, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 1965, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 82 years)   8. Elizabeth "Bessie" Rife,   b. 31 Dec 1883, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Aug 1938, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 54 years)   9. Alzina Walker Rife,   b. 26 Sep 1885, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 1970, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 84 years)   10. Walker Rife,   b. Sep 1887, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	12 Nov 2024
  Family ID	F3058	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  MRS. OPHELIA RIFE A warm and tender tribute By Carol Dunnett Mrs. Alec V. Dunnett, nee Carol Elizabeth Rife, spent her early youth in North Dumfries. After attending Hespeler Continuation School and High School at Media, Pennsylvania, she graduated in 1938. Next came a stint of War Service, first with the Inspection Board of the United Kingdom and Canada and later with the British Admiralty Technical Mission. She became Mrs. Dunnett in 1945 and has two children. During recent years much honour has been paid my grandmother, Mrs. Ophelia Rife, Hespeler, Ontario, who on May 14, 1956, celebrated her 103rd birthday. Newspapers, photographers, newscasts and televised newscasts have all shown a keen interest in the fact that grandmother still retains her remarkable memory and zest for living. As I mingle among the many relatives and friends who come to pay their respects on her birthday and gaze upon the beautiful cards, flowers and gifts which arrive from near and far, I find myself deep in a wealth of memories. So many stories are told at each birthday party, I know for many of the guests it is also a day when the past is relived for them. To everyone grandma is a symbol of many pleasant associations and cherished memories. So much is woven into the story of her life it seems it must be told by someone close to her in order to appreciate the richness that is hers in the sunset of her life. Grandmother's life story reveals a great deal of the early history of Waterloo County which I feel is interesting to those of us who are fortunate enough to be living within its boundaries. Ophelia Lochhead, daughter of James and Alzina Lochhead, was born in Galt on May 14, 1853. Her home was located on Market St., now known as Cambridge St., near Dickson St. It was a duplex, with wide front steps and the other half of it was occupied by the Jaffray family, original owners of the Evening Reporter. She describes this house as an ideal location for viewing much of the town's activity such as the band concerts which were held on a platform at the market square. At that early date the Firemen's Ball was quite a gala event in Galt. Since her mother lived close by she had been asked on occasion to assist in preparing the sumptuous meal which it was customary to serve at midnight. Grandma recalls the night she and her sister were permitted to accompany their mother so that they might watch for a while and then return home. They were so entranced they stayed till 2 a.m. for which they were severely scolded. One of the ladies present wore an elegant black velvet gown and a gold bracelet which grandma has dreamed of and envied all her life. James Lochhead was employed at the Galt Edged Tool Works, then known as Date and Distin, since H. H. Date and W. L. Distin were the proprietors. Grandma recalls taking messages to him at his work, being carefully handed from one worker to another past the burning forge till she safely reached her destination. She remembers proudly that tools which he made in Galt were shown in a red-lined box and won first prize at the Exposition in Paris, France. She describes the Date residence as one of great beauty, located on the east side of Water St., across from the present collegiate site. Their daughter had a governess and used to come with a pony chaise to take her father home from work. Two other large firms at that time were owned by Cant and Gourley and Goldie McCullough. The Cant and Gourley firm made saws. When the Galt Edged Tool Works failed at the beginning of the American war, Cant and Gourley took it over, moved it across the river and started business again. The oldest living ex-student of Central School, grandmother has recollections of its earliest days. She tells of the ice-jam in March, 1863, which took away the bridges over the Grand River, leaving children on the school side and many parents on the opposite side of the river. The children were taken in rigs around by Preston in order to cross and return to their own homes. A man who was caught in a tree and could not be rescued till the following morning caused much excitement. A May 24th parade stands out in her memory as an event the children enjoyed immensely. Great arches of evergreen were placed at the head of Main St., at the corner of Water and Main Sts. and at the centre bridge. All the tie-posts and every object that would hold a tree were decorated with evergreen. The children marched from Central School hill down Main St. up Water St. to the bridge. Each child was given a bag of candy. James Kay's Works on the west side of N. Water St. erected a wonderful arch over Water St., made of boxes. Their products were displayed on these boxes and as the procession went by a man stood on each of the steps. Galt was called "The Manchester of Canada" because the products made there were similar to those made in Manchester, England. W. L. Distin is said to have coined this phrase. Grandma recalls that in the low water season children could wade across the Grand River and factories had to close down for the want of water. Girls married very young at that time, even though they seemed little more than children. Grandmother smiles at the memory of a Galt girl who could not be located when the time for her wedding approached. She was found sliding down a haystack with her playmates, very much unconcerned about the event which was to change her whole life. At that time Mr. Tassie taught Grammar School at the present collegiate site. Many of his pupils were lads who had come out from England and Scotland. They played in a field in the vicinity of the old Victoria school and Rose St. known as the "Commons" and were nicknamed "Tassie's Apes." Since some of her relatives were located in the Ayr district she visited there frequently. When she was nine years old she remembers vividly a comet she saw in the sky while on a visit there. On another occasion, when visiting the Morton farm there a bad storm threatened. Even the children were helping the men to get in a crop of flax which was planted in the orchard. When the clouds hung so low it seemed as though one could touch them the women and children ran to the house and the men to the barn. A huge ball of fire which appeared as large as four men with arms joined landed between the house and barn, bounded over the fence into the pasture field and was believed to have landed in the Nith River. The terrified men threw themselves to the ground in their fright. Terrible thunder followed which grandma declares she has never heard equalled since. James Lochhead passed away when grandma reached the age of ten years. After his death an aunt and uncle took her to Michigan, U.S.A., to live with them. They were very strict with her but she has felt it benefited her well in later years. She was very fond of music and was said to have had a clear, sweet voice which she dearly loved to use. She tells of the time when a neighbor purchased a new organ which she longed to hear. One evening her desire became so insistent she decided to slip away to her neighbor's home against auntie's orders. However, her absence was soon discovered and she was so severely reprimanded she has never forgotten the episode. Her love of music continued to grow and in later years was instilled in all of her children and many of her grandchildren. At ten years of age she helped to make bandages for wounded soldiers during the Civil War and mended clothing for runaway slaves. At the age of fourteen she returned to Hespeler, Canada, where she met David Rife to whom she became engaged. David Rife was a grandson of Samuel and Elizabeth Rife who came to Canada with the Pennsylvania Dutch settlers in 1823. They first settled in or near where Preston now stands, but, subsequently, in 1825, moved to Guelph township to become the first settlers there. Their daughter, Sarah, was the first white child to be born in Guelph township. Samuel Rife was born in Adams Co., Pa., in 1788. His father was David Rife, then spelled Rieff. (Somewhere down through the years a story has been told that the name was originally Van Rieffe.) Records show that David Rieff came to Pennsylvania on the ship "Richard and Mary" in September, 1753. He served in the Revolutionary War as a member of Captain Hughey's company of the Lancaster County militia. Young Samuel married Elizabeth Hoke, a native of Chester Co., Pa., and they reared a family of eight children. Their son, David, settled on a farm on the outskirts of what was to become the town of Hespeler. Through the years it has been erroneously stated in newspaper accounts that David was the original owner of the sturdy log house built on this property. We have not been able to determine the year the house was built but have learned that a Mr. Hunt occupied it in the year 1837. A man by the name of Clemens was the occupant when David Rife took it over in the year 1840. Additional rooms were added to the log structure and eventually it was plastered on the outside- In 1870 David Rife purchased the Hartell farm adjoining his own. He moved to this farm and rented the home farm to his son, David, Jr. David, Sr., was a zealous Christian and temperance worker. He was a member of the Methodist church in the early days, having donated the land on which the Methodist church, later to become the United church, now stands. Many times he served as minister for that congregation. When the union of the Methodist New Connexion and the Wesleyan Methodists took place he decided to become a member of the Evangelical church. In present church records he is listed as having been an Evangelical preacher. He passed away in 1888. In 1871 Ophelia Lochhead and David Rife, Jr., were married and settled on the Rife homestead, known as Sunnyhill Farm. The long, low house with its 12 spacious rooms, attic, storeroom, summer kitchen and traditional outer shed, proved to be ample space for the eight children which blessed their marriage. There are two staircases going out of the living room and my father, aunts, and uncles have often told us that it was a steadfast rule that the boys must use one and the girls the other as they wended their way to bed at night. As children we were intrigued by these two staircases and the large area covered by grandma's house. Sunnyhill Farm covered a large acreage, some of it well-wooded. The Rife woods, now known as Woodland Park, is still a popular spot for picnics. Many pictures have been taken of the Rife farm with its lovely back lane, rail fences and spreading buildings. As we pass through Hespeler now it is hard for us to visualize the town as our grandparents knew it in the early days. Main St. had some good sidewalks but the side streets had plank walks, sometimes one plank while others boasted two planks laid side by side. The schoolhouse contained two rooms. One room was taught by A. J. Brewster and the second room by Miss Belle White, daughter of the Rev. Jas. White, minister of the Methodist church. She later became Mrs. George W. Rife. The Methodist church was a small building furnished with wooden benches and a wooden altar rail. It also boasted a cradle which proved a great blessing to many a weary mother. On a clear day you could see the church spires in Guelph from the church steps. Jacob Hespeler was the town's most prominent citizen at the time of his daughter's marriage to a Mr. Walker from Walkerville. Grandma recalls a carpet being laid for the bridal party from the bride's home, later known as the "Coombe," to the railway station. A special train came from Toronto or Hamilton to take the newlyweds away. The employees of the nearby mills owned by Mr. Hespeler had been disappointed at not being given the day off for the occasion, so they all stopped work and rushed to the windows to watch the proceedings. The scales which Jacob Hespeler used to weigh the money with which he paid his mill hands is still in the Rife home at Hespeler. Grandma used to weigh her homemade butter on it. She once made butter for one of the stores for which she received 8c a pound. She said she would not do it again so solicited private customers who paid her 10c and 13c per pound. Tea was $2.50 per pound but tea dust could be purchased at a very low price. Brown sugar cost $1 for ten pounds and white sugar $1 for eight pounds. Eggs were 8c and 10c per dozen. Cotton sold for lc per yard after the American war was over and the tariff removed. Print sold for 4c per yard. English shirting was very expensive selling at 15c and 20c per yard. There was a cotton mill at Dundas. Her grandparents settled in Hamilton when it was just a mudhole. The courthouse there was built with bricks her grandfather made. He also had a grist mill at Dundas and operated three routes by team to Goderich with supplies. One team came through the Beverly swamp on the corduroy road. She recalls that the people in the Puslinch area were very poor, often having to plant potato peelings for potato seed. The story is told of a Puslinch woman who walked to her Grandfather Walker's mill for 25c worth of flour. The mill had closed on Saturday night when she arrived. Regulations were very strict at that time and a serious fine was imposed on anyone who sold anything between closing hours Saturday and Sunday midnight. The woman pleaded to be served so that she could start the long walk back to her starving family. However, Grandfather Walker promised that he would load his wagon at midnight Sunday so that she could ride to Preston on it and be home just as quickly. When she got off the wagon at Preston she was given as much as she could carry in her arms as she walked the remainder of the way home to Puslinch. In the early days of Hespeler strong drink was available at five establishments on Main St., including hotels, drug store and general store. Conrad Nahrgang operated the post office which was located on the present Bank of Montreal site. The town hall was situated above Sault's blacksmith shop. A popular spot for sports and town picnics was a site in the present Corktown vicinity known as "Evergreen Hill." It was surrounded by huge pine trees, making it an ideal spot for such activities. Grandma recalls a July 1st parade which surpassed any of the Old Boys' parades held since that time in Hespeler. The girls wore white skirts with red and blue accessories and carried brooms. The boys wore blue trousers and white shirts. They marched smartly along carrying wooden guns. Quite a stir was caused in town when the Randall Farr & Co. mill decided to move to Holyoke, Mass. Just as the move was about to take place the creditors came in an attempt to seize everything. However, it was discovered that everything was owned by a silent partner whose name was Mr. Busby, so the moving continued as planned. David and Ophelia Rife were community-minded people. The Hespeler branch of the Women's Institute was organized in their home. They were loyal members of the Methodist Church and David was a member of the Royal Templars. The affairs of the town were also of much concern to him and he was reeve of Hespeler for a number of years. As the years rolled by their four daughters and four sons enjoyed bringing their many friends home to Sunday evening suppers, picnics, church group meetings and socials. Visitors were always warmly welcomed and all respected the rules of the household. The family had to retire at a respectable hour which in those days was never later than ten o'clock. Somehow grandma and grandpa maintained a remarkable discipline which never resulted in ill-humour. An adventurous spirit and wanderlust eventually took members of the family far afield. With their departure grandmother and grandfather found their interests covering a much wider scope. Their eldest daughter, Mabel, married Dr. Harry Smith and took up residence in Edmonton, Alberta, where she continued to live until her death in 1934. A trip to Edmonton in those days was quite ati accomplishment but grandmother managed to make the trip twice. Charles, David and Lester also felt the call of the West and went to Alberta and the Peace River District. David homesteaded in Crossfield, Alberta, later settling with his wife and four children in Edmonton where he carried on a dairy business for a number of years. He passed away in April, 1956. Charles returned from the West and, in 1907, in answer to an advertisement, was accepted as herdsman at a large dairy farm in Wawa, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. He was put in charge of 500 head of cattle which had been imported from the Isle of Guernsey. Very happy in the land of his forefathers, he later became state dairy inspector and resided in Wawa until his death in April, 1953. In 1935 I accompanied him to his home presumably for a vacation. As I took my first trip down the beautiful Susquehanna Trail into the fertile fields of Lancaster, Oxford and Delaware counties, I was thrilled again and again with the kinship of that part of Pennsylvania to our own beautiful Waterloo County. I could almost feel the challenge the northward journey must have presented to those first early settlers as they saw the possibility of clearing and developing a new land so like their own had once been. Thus it did not seem strange that my vacation should become a three-year sojourn in a land which became very dear to me as I found myself happy and contented in a way of life so similar to that of my own home. Many times since then I have travelled the Susquehanna Trail, never tiring of its beauty and always feeling strongly the link between the past and the present and its relation to my own life. Lester spent several years in Alberta but later followed his brother to Wawa, Pennsylvania. When his daughter married and settled in California, Uncle Lester and Aunt Bertha decided to make their home near her and are residing in Orinda, California, at the present time. Bessie spent seven years with her sister, Mabel, in Edmonton, before returning to teach at the Hespeler Public School. For a few years prior to her death in August, 1938, she was ill at home where she was well-known and beloved by her former pupils and friends. Aunts Margaret and Walker and my father remained at home during this period. In 1906 my father, William Rife, was the cause for much concern when he suffered a series of unfortunate accidents. Early in the summer, he was crushed between a load of hay and the barn door. A short time later as he stood in the doorway watching a mother hen and her baby chicks after bringing in a pail of water he was struck by lightning. Grandmother tells of how she quickly threw the pail of water on dad which she has always felt saved his life, though he remained unconscious for several hours. When he recuperated enough to travel he set out by train to visit his sister in Edmonton. On the way the train was involved in a serious wreck which claimed the lives of fourteen people. Dad escaped with a bad shaking- up. On his return to Hespeler, he was gored by a bull, requiring thirty-six stitches to close his wound. His experiences were printed in newspapers as far away as Chicago under the heading, "He Bears Charmed Life." David Rife passed away in 1912, a well-respected member of his community. His passing left a great deal of responsibility to be shouldered. My father, the youngest of the Rife sons, had delivered milk for many years for his father who operated Sunnyhill Dairy. Dad often tells of the early morning deliveries and how the milk was poured from a measure into the container provided by the customer. After his father's death my father continued to operate the farm. Aunt Walker and my father were both interested in chickens and won many prizes at poultry exhibitions. Dad also travelled about judging at poultry shows and fairs. He and Aunt Walker were very popular guitar and harmonica players. Few programs were complete without a selection from them. They each had a mouth- organ holder which fitted over their shoulders so they could play the mouth organ with guitar accompaniment. As children we were always thrilled to hear them play. Dad still entertains us with his guitar. Dad and Uncle Charles played the cornet, Uncle Dave the tenor horn and Aunts Margaret and Mabel the piano. When my father and mother were married, dad rented a farm close to the home farm and continued to operate both places. Finally the desire to purchase a farm of his own where he and mother could rear their family brought dad to the Dickie Settlement district where he purchased the farm on which he still resides. Warden J. S. Knapp, who was then agricultural representative for Waterloo County, was instrumental in interesting dad in his present farm. I am happy to say that after my own wanderings ceased, I found myself situated on three acres of this farm which my husband and I purchased from my parents in 1950. When grandmother and aunts could no longer carry the responsibility of a large acreage, much of the Rife property was surveyed and sold for building lots. Only the spacious, well-landscaped grounds with their immense trees seclude the Rife property from the city homes which have been built on the southern and western sides during the past few years. A twinge of sadness and regret overshadowed the entire family when the remaining 28 acres and buildings surrounding the house proper were purchased for a residential development in July of this year, 1956. When dad left Hespeler, Aunt Walker decided to use her knowledge of chickens and went into business for herself. She carried on successfully until 1955 when failing health forced her to give up. The townsfolk enjoyed coming to the Rife home to buy their eggs and to visit with grandmother and my aunts. A special treat for the children was a slice of Aunt Walker's delicious bread with homemade jelly, or one of Aunt Margaret's homemade rolls. Since my sister, five brothers and I were the only grandchildren who lived nearby, we enjoyed to the fullest all the wonders of Sunnyhill. We loved to explore the attic where we uncovered coin collections, bird's egg collections and many other treasures, all souvenirs of my aunts', uncles', and my father's childhood days. My sister and I whiled away many hours playing with the lovely little dolls, doll cradles and beds. The dolls had stuffed bodies but boasted beautiful china heads. My favourite was little Hannah, who wore a bonnet of the same fine china. Our present Highway 97, then known as the Roseville Road, was just a narrow dirt road when we were children. Road conditions were poor generally and autos were not used to travel any distance. Most of the relatives who came to visit came by train and stayed at Sunnyhill. A telephone call summoned us all, dressed in our Sunday best, to visit with the guests. Often other nearby relatives came also. In summer, picnic tables were set up under the lovely spreading trees. Everyone chattered gaily as we enjoyed the goodies set before us. Many times breakfast was served outside as well. The outdoor fireplace and these same picnic tables are still used by some of the Hespeler church groups in the summer and fall, especially when the corn is in season. Perhaps our most nostalgic memory is that of Christmas days spent at Sunnyhill. Uncle Charles, known to all of us as Uncle Budd, always sent a turkey to grandma which we were invited to share. I will never cease to marvel at the unselfishness of my own dear mother when I think of what a struggle it must have been for her to get seven children ready on Christmas morning amidst all the excitement of new toys and clothing. Winters were much more severe then than now, so mother heated bricks and flat-irons which she placed at our feet as she and dad bundled us into the sleigh. (Most cars were put away for the winter by Christmas.) No matter how weary she felt, she would never for one moment have disappointed us. I remember, in particular, the Christmas morning our chimney caught fire. Mother and Dad extinguished the fire in the chimney and stove after some difficulty. Even after such a fright they did not deny us our trip to Hespeler. When we arrived home that night our house was icy cold but mother cheerfully wrapped us in blankets until the fire was built and the house warm again. We would start off on our ten-mile journey as excited as could be, but I can still remember how glad we always were when we glimpsed the old C. T. Groh home, now the Department of Lands and Forests building. We knew then we were nearing the town and would soon reach grandma's house at the opposite end of it. It was an accepted rule that no gifts would be opened until after dinner. I can still taste those delicious meals. Parsnips and turnip were always a part of the menu, and, like most children, we complained when mother served them at home. However, we were so eager to finish our dinner on Christmas that we all ate them very obediently and actually enjoyed them. My aunts must have spent hours dressing the tree and preparing the scene beneath it. My brothers were fascinated with Noah's Ark and all the little animals which were part of it. The ark is still intact but has been packed away with the dolls now that we have all grown up. A little monkey which has long been one of the decorations on the Sunnyhill tree now delights my own little sons. My aunt in Edmonton always sent a parcel with a gift for each of us. There was a box from Uncle Budd and our gifts from grandma and aunts. What a thrill it was to hear our names called as the gifts were distributed! Those wonderful family dinners have long since been discontinued now that we have families of our own who like to visit their own nannas and grandpas at Christmas. Yet the memory of those other Christmas days will linger in our hearts and minds till the end of time. When I finished grade school at Dickie Settlement I spent the following year with grandma and aunts while I attended continuation school in Hespeler. I recall grandma's efforts to teach me to be observant. When I returned from a trip downtown she would ask me the prices of various articles in the store windows. When I would not be able to tell her she would tell me I should train myself along this line. How many times the lack of observance on my part has caused me a great deal of embarrassment and inconvenience! Somewhere in the Hungerford side of the relationship had been a person who was very bent. Grandma used to warn me to keep my shoulders straight or I would get the "Hungerford Hump." Before breakfast each morning she advised taking half a cup of warm water with a pinch of baking soda and salt. This was to ward off colds and throat ailments. It has stood her in good stead through the years which makes me sorry I didn't continue the practice. As the years passed, many changes were wrought in our lives which claimed a great deal of our time. Our visits to Sunnyhill became less frequent but none the less enjoyable. All of our western and American cousins have visited at Sunnyhill while some of their children have also had the privilege. As in the old days these visits have meant a gathering of the family. Sunnyhill was a beehive of activity in the summer of 1947 when Hespeler celebrated its Old Boys' Reunion. Relatives from far and near renewed acquaintances, some of them for the last time. Grandmother's ninety-seventh birthday was also Mother's Day and a memorable occasion for many of us. More than seventy guests were present when my brother Charles' ten-month-old daughter, Wendy, and my five-month-old son, Richard, were christened in their great-grandmother's living room by their great-great-uncle, Reverend Edward Rife of Rochester, New York. Uncle Edward was well-known in Galt from 1900 to 1905 when he was secretary and physical director of the Galt Y.M.C.A. At the time of the christening he was eighty-five years old. (Last summer, at the age of ninety, he paid a visit to Sunnyhill and, while attending a gathering at my sister's home in Galt, christened Charles' second daughter, Kathy Ann.) The bowl used for Wendy's and Richard's christening was from grandma's wedding set of dishes which was then seventy-nine years old. The table on which it sat belonged to my great-grandmother Rife before her marriage. I was thrilled when grandma told me that I am to have the christening bowl and the table. Another prized possession in the Rife home is a sunburst quilt which was pieced by my Great-grandmother Walker. This quilt was in the possession of grandma's first cousin in Lewiston, New York, until recent years. She sent it to grandma with the request that it be kept in the Rife family. In the summer of 1951, grandma broke her hip but refused to be taken to hospital. With the aid of salt bags her hip was held in place until it knit, after which she was able to walk again much to everyone's amazement. Telegrams from the Queen and Prime Minister, a bouquet from Alaska, a lei of orchids from Hawaii, flowers from the mayor of Hespeler and a cake from the town council were highlights of grandmother's one hundredth birthday. Guests arrived from British Columbia, Alberta, California, Pennsylvania, Rochester and many Ontario centres. Open house was held, which no one enjoyed more than the guest of honour. Grandma went out to vote after reaching the century mark. On the occasion of her one hundred and first birthday, she and members of the family appeared on television. Ninety-four guests signed her one hundred and second birthday register. Another year has passed, bringing its joys and sorrows to all of us. On May 14, 1956, we were once again privileged to gather at the lovely old home which has remained much the same through the passing of time. A fire of undetermined origin destroyed some of the outer buildings in 1947, but the remainder of the buildings and grounds looked just as familiar to the guests this May as they did when they used to play there many, many years ago as boys and girls. A profusion of flowers, cards and gifts graced the rooms while seven birthday cakes were presented to grandma. The eighty-four guests who called were delighted to find her just as keenly interested in her family, friends and surroundings as on their last visit. She still rises by seven o'clock each morning, listens to her radio and enjoys having the paper read to her. I have been amazed each time I consulted with her while writing this article at the clarity of her mind and the detail in which she is able to describe events and places. This May she appeared on television again with my aunts and a granddaughter, Mrs. Frank Noakes of Vancouver, who was visiting briefly en route to Europe for the summer months. We know we cannot hope to share many more birthdays with her, but through the years will cherish the memory of the many wonderful occasions we have enjoyed in her home. We know our lives have been greatly enriched by our association with her and we will continue to be grateful for the heritage which has been ours through her. As grandmother has considered it a great privilege to have been spared to see these many years of progress in Waterloo County, so we consider it a privilege to look back on the contribution of our pioneer ancestors to that progress. Mrs. Ophelia Rife A Warm And Tender Tribute By Carol Dunnett, Forty-Fourth [1956] Annual Report Of The Waterloo Historical Society _____________ COUNTY'S OLDEST PERSON, 104, DIES By Record Correspondent HESPELER Waterloo County's oldest resident, 104-year-old Mrs. Ophelia Rife, died yesterday in the house where she had lived for the past 87 years. She had been ill about two weeks. Mrs. Rife was a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. James Loch head of Galt. She was born May 14, 1853. When she was 10 years old, her father died and she went to live with an uncle and aunt in Michigan. She could recall making bandages for wounded soldiers and mending clothes for runaway slaves in the U.S. Civil War. MARRIED IN 1871 At the age of 14 she returned to Canada and met her husband to be, David Rife, in Hespeler. They were married in 1871 and settled on the Rife homestead, known as Sunnyhill Farm. The homestead was built in 1842, 24 years before Confederation and 11 years before Mrs. Rife was born. In the 12-room house, Mrs. Rife raised eight children, four boys and four girls, four of whom survive. Her husband died in 1913. but she continued to live at Sunnyhill with two unmarried daughters, Margaret and Walker. Now the farm has nearly disappeared and last year all the farm "buildings were torn down to make way for new houses. Sunnyhill is officially 134 Hillcrest Ave. In her younger days, Mrs. Rife was active in Methodist Church work and was an honorary member of the Woman's Association. ACTIVE IN COMMUNITY She also took a strong interest in community affairs and the local Women's Institute was organized in her home. She be came the first district vice-president. She is survived by two sons, William of RR 2, Galt, and Lester H. of Orinda, Calif., and her two daughters at home. Mrs. Rife was predeceased by two sons, Charles and David, and two daughters, Mrs. H. R. Smith and Miss Elizabeth Rife. There are 19 grandchildren and 48, great-grandchildren. The body is at her home where the funeral will be conducted Thursday at 2:30 p.m. Rev. John Butler will officiate. Burial will be in Hespeler Cemetery. Kitchener-Waterloo Record 04 Mar 1958, Tue Page 3

  
  

• Sources

  [S10] Book - Vol II A Biographical History of Waterloo Township and other townships of the county : being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin..., 184. [S143] Census - ON, Waterloo, Hespeler - 1901, Hespeler (Village) D-2 Page 22. [S143] Census - ON, Waterloo, Hespeler - 1901, Hespeler (Village) D-2 Page 22. [S237] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Cambridge - New Hope CC#4498 Internet Link . David Rife/ Born Apr. 30,1848/ Died Apr. 14,1913/ Acts 13. 36/ His Wife/ Ophelia Lochhead/ Born May 14,1853/ Died March 3,1958/ Sons Of/ William & Lillian/ John 19271989 [S508] Census - ON, Waterloo, Hespeler - 1871, Page 23. [S4] Vit - ON - Marriage Registration. David Rife Junr (farmer of Hespeler) b. Hespeler Ont Age: 22 born abt 1849 father: David Rife mother: Mary Rife married Ophelia Lockhead (resident of Hespeerl) Age:: 17 born abt 1854 b. Galt Ont father: James Lockhead mother: Alzina Lockhead married 24 Jan 1871 Marriage Place: Waterloo, Hespeler [S392] Census - ON, Waterloo, Hespeler - 1911, Div. 21 Pg. 22. [S1838] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1861, Galt 1861 Div. 1 Page 5. [S2208] Census - ON, Waterloo, Hespeler - 1891, Section 1 Page 47.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 14 May 1853 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - United Presbyterian - 1861 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - 1871 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - New Connexion Methodist - 1871 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Married - 24 Jan 1871 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Evangelical - 1891 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Methodist - 1911 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - New Hope Cemetery, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth