Theodore Joseph "Ted" Dietrich

1896 - 1981  (85 years)

• Name	Theodore Joseph "Ted" Dietrich
  Born	18 Oct 1896	St. Agatha, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1, 2, 3]
  Gender	Male
  Business	St. Agatha, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	T. Dietrich Garage
  		St.Agatha-TheodoreDietrich-0001-Automobile,Trucks,FarmEqupment-calendar1945.jpg
  Residence	1911	St. Agatha, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  	Roman Catholic
  Elected Office	1966	Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	councillor - Wilmot Township
  Elected Office	1966	Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	Reeve/Mayor
  Interesting	aviation
  Name	Ted Dietrich
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-201575
  Died	18 Oct 1981	Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  Buried	21 Oct 1981	Saint Agatha Roman Catholic Cemetery, St. Agatha, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  Person ID	I201575	Generations
  Last Modified	25 Apr 2024

  
  

  Father	Louis B. Dietrich,   b. 17 Mar 1869, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Mother	Mary A. Bucheit,   b. May 1873, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Family ID	F20907	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Nellie Mayer,   b. 1900,   d. 1951  (Age 51 years)
  Last Modified	26 Apr 2024
  Family ID	F44851	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Margaret Louise "Louise" Schummer,   b. 9 Oct 1911, Linwood, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 29 Jul 1989, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 77 years)
  Last Modified	26 Apr 2024
  Family ID	F258913	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  DIETRICH, Theodore J. Sr. Peacefully, on Sunday, Oct. 18, at Cambridge Memorial Hospital, Theodore Joseph Dietrich, of 58 Bridgeport Rd. E., Waterloo, formerly of St. Agatha. Mr. Dietrich was born in St. Agatha 85 years ago, a son of the late Louis Dietrich and the late Mary Buchheit. He was a lifelong member of St. Agatha RC Church, serving the church in many capacities over the years. He was also on the board of directors of St. Mary's Hospital and on the board of the Catholic Social Services. He was a former councillor and reeve of Wilmot township; was on the board of St. Agatha Children's Village and was a founding member of Greenwood Rod and Gun Club. He was a past president of the K-W Flying Club and a member of the Knights of Columbus, Waterloo Council. He was propreieter of the Theodore Dietrich Garage in St. Agatha for 52 years, retiring in 1972. Beloved husband of the former Louise Schummer; beloved father of Ted and his wife Mary Ann of St. Agatha, Mary Pat (Mrs. Peter Dietrich) of Arlington Heights, Ill.; beloved brother of William and Edwin, both of St. Agatha, Charles and Martha (Mrs. Alex Miller), both of Waterloo. Lovingly remembered by his grandchildren, Kevin and Charlene of St. Agatha and Caroline, Mary Frances and Craig of Arlington Heights. He was predeceased by his first wife, the former Nellie Mayer in 1951 and by one sister. Visitation at the Futher Bros. Funeal Home, 40 Henry St., Wellelsey until Tuesday at 11 a.m., when removal will be made to the Schreiter-Sandrock Funeral Home, Benton at Church Street, Kitchener, for visitation after 2 p.m. Prayers will be offered at the Schreiter-Sandrock Funeral Home on Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 10: 15 a.m., followed by a concelebrated Mass of Christian Burial at St. Agatha RC Church at 11 a.m. Rev. Vern Brunning, Rev. W. L. Ryan and Rev. Clarence Hauser will be the celebrants. Interment will follow in St. Agatha RC cemetery. A St. Agatha parish vigil service will be conducted at Futher Bros. Funeral Home this evening at 7: 30. Kitchener-Waterloo Record 19 Oct 1981 ___________________________ Built early plane, Ted Dietrich dies on 85th birthday Theodore Dietrich of 1206-58 Bridgeport Rd. E., Waterloo, who was one of the first men to fly a home-made airplane in Canada, died Sunday on his 85th birthday, at Cambridge Hospital. The native of St. Agatha achieved national fame when he built and flew a nine-foot airplane Jan. 30, 1930. On that cold, snowy Monday, neighbors ran to their doors, their hearts thumping in fear while young Dietrich circled 500 feet in the air in the plane built by his brother and him. He once recalled that pilots in those days were considered daredevils to the point of being suicidal maniacs. His craft, called the Skylark, was powered by a four-cylinder motorcycle engine bought from a Toronto policeman. The plane weighed 325 pounds and had a 25-foot wingspan. It was dismantled and sold to the Royal Canadian Air Force for cadet training in 1940. Newspapers from all over Canada carried stories about Dietrich, his home-made aircraft and flight. He was honored by many organizations and saw himself in theatre newsreels. In 1979, his native village of St. Agatha held a dinner to honor him. He wasn't always so popular in St. Agatha. In 1922, for instance, he phoned Sir Adam Beck to see if he could negotiate an agreement for St. Agatha's first set of five street lights. The village ended up with street lights even before Kitchener, but residents were't too happy about the addition to their tax bills. Dietrich was one of the early General Motors dealers in this area back in 1920. He was an all-purpose man, too. He'd sell a car, go by train from Kitchener to pick it up at the General Motors plant in Oshawa, drive back to St. Agatha at 15 miles an hour, teach the customer how to drive and look after its servicing. He started the business when automotive garages were evolving from the blacksmith shop of the horse and buggy era. In a 1977 interview, Dietrich recalled teaching the owners of those early cars how to drive. I remember many hair-raising experiences of ending up in ditches. One of my student drivers was a nun who ended up in the ditch and then, after her initial fright, drove without an accident for 15 years. Dietrich, who suffered a stroke in 1976, was a charter member of the Waterloo-Wellington Flying Club and its president in 1946. He also served as a councillor, deputy reeve and reeve of Wilmot township during the 1960s. Surviving are his wife, one son, one daughter, three brothers and one sister. A concelebrated funeral mass will be conducted Wednesday at 11 a.m. Kitchener-Waterloo Record 19 Oct 1981 pg 34

  
  

• Sources

  [S133] Census - ON, Waterloo, Wilmot - 1901, Wilmot H-5 Page 6. [S346] Census - ON, Waterloo, Wilmot - 1911, Div. 9 Page 1. [S513] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Wilmot - St. Agatha Roman Catholic CC#4568. Dietrich/ Theodore J. Dietrich/ 1896-1981/ Nellie/ Mayer R.N./ 1900-1951/ Louise/ Schummer R.N./ / may they rest in peace North: picture of an airplane

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 18 Oct 1896 - St. Agatha, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Business - T. Dietrich Garage - - St. Agatha, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Roman Catholic - 1911 - St. Agatha, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Elected Office - councillor - Wilmot Township - 1966 - Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Elected Office - Reeve/Mayor - 1966 - Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 18 Oct 1981 - Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - 21 Oct 1981 - Saint Agatha Roman Catholic Cemetery, St. Agatha, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth