William Gourlay Millar

Other Events:

• Supernatural: haunted house
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-86571P
• Residence: 1851, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Occupation: 1871, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lawyer
• Occupation: 1901, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lawyer

Notes:

Mr. Millar was born in Berlin, Ontario, but has been a resident of New Hamburg for 35 years. A member of the legal profession, he has practised his chosen calling with success and profit to himself and acceptibility to a large clientele. Of an unassuming but courteous and kind disposition, he has many fast friends among his fellow townsmen by whom he is highly respected. He has been clerk of New Hamburg for the pad 25 years.


Special Industrial souvenir number of New Hamburg: containing a comprehensive review of the natural advantages and resources of the village of New Hamburg, 1908, Berlin Daily News, Berlin, Ontario

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Cranberry season comes to an end

NEWS 09: 00 AM by Brenda Murray New Hamburg Independent

After 34 years, Cranberry House Bed and Breakfast is closed for business.

New owners will be moving in at the end of the month. The Waterloo Street building will be converted back to a family home.

The house was built in 1872 by William Millar, a lawyer and one of the founders of New Hamburg. The semicircular drive leads up to a graceful, yellow brick house with double arched windows, high ceilings and a luscious garden.

Owners Terry Schaefer and Roy Berfelz decorated the house in period antiques and Victorian wallpaper. They named it the Cranberry House after their extensive collection of cranberry glassware.

Surrounded by boxes and packing tape, Roy and Terry were pleased to share stories of some of the guests and events that have transpired within its tasteful walls.

"Many of our guests returned again and again and became like an extended family," Roy said.

They described the three teenage couples who turned up after a long drive from Michigan to attend the Stratford Festival. A little surprised by their young ages, Roy and Terry were even more surprised to see them the next summer and every summer after that for eleven years. One of the couples got engaged in the backyard. Now they are all grown up and have children of their own, but Terry and Roy will never forget them.

Well-known guests also stayed in the B&B, such as young David Pelletier around 1996 who went on to become a gold medal Olympic champion in figure skating; Peter Harder, the retired deputy minister of foreign affairs, and various singers and musicians who participated in New Hamburg Live!

"Running this bed and breakfast was probably one of the best educations you could get," Terry said, referring to the many guests who visited from all over the world, such as the young Korean exchange students who stayed there. "It has been a chance to soak in other cultures."

Even though Cranberry House is also Roy and Terry's home, they never found the need for a curfew and their guests were always given their own house key.

"We never had a bad experience," Roy said. "We had only one theft in all these years - a doily. It was returned to us along with a letter apologizing for the mistake. Bed and breakfast guests have a different mindset from motel guests. They're very respectful."

Cranberry House became a home away from home for many people visiting family in the three adult living communities nearby as well as the Nithview residence. The B&B has hosted bridal parties and was also the backdrop for wedding pictures.

Ghost stories? They have a few. Every night for the first three months after Roy moved in to the house, he felt a shiver at the back of his neck and heard a door slam upstairs.

One clairvoyant guest said she felt a ghost presence in a room. The ghost seemed to say, "You're welcome here. This is a good place."

Lillian Millar, the granddaughter of William Millar, visited the house and claimed she saw her grandmother walking in the dining room carrying a silver tray.

Roy also lost two cars that were parked in the driveway of Cranberry House. One was damaged during a thunderstorm when a tree fell onto the roof of the house, smashed through the porch railing, and then landed on his van.

The other happened in 1984 when a twelve-year-old boy took a car for a joy ride, crashed into garbage cans, careened across the road into the driveway of Cranberry House, and smashed into another of Roy's cars. Roy slept through the crash, but awoke a few minutes later to find the young boy standing at the top of the stairs inside the house covered in blood and disoriented. Luckily the boy was not badly hurt.

"We have lots of stories to tell about our life at Cranberry House, mostly good," said Roy. "There is not one day that I regret buying this house in 34 years."

Terry and Roy would like to express their sincere thanks to the community for all their support over the years.


Murray, B. (2018). Cranberry season comes to an end. NewHamburgIndependent.ca. Retrieved 28 August 2018, from https://www.newhamburgindependent.ca/news-story/8862906-cranberry-season-comes-to-an-end/

William married Anna Sophia "Annie" Warren 10 Mar 1869, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Anna was born 5 Jun 1846, Fort Erie, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada; died 29 Mar 1929, Vancouver, , British Columbia, Canada; was buried , Vancouver, , British Columbia, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-90523
• Residence: 1891, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Anglican

Other Events:

• Birth: New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Birth: New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Name: Kate Millar
• Name: Katharine Isabella "Kate" Sterling
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-359710
• Residence: 1891, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Anglican
• Occupation: 1900, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Stenographer
• Occupation: 1900, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Stenographer

Katharine married Frederick William Charles Sterling 22 Aug 1900, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Frederick (son of William Sterling and Jane Mulholland, son of Dr. William Mark Sterling and Jane Mulholland) was born 1870, Vaughan Twp., York Co., Ontario; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-200759

Other Events:

• Name: Mary Margaret Anderson
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-177481
• Occupation: 1900, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Trained Nurse

Mary married Egbert B. Anderson 19 Sep 1900, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Egbert (son of Cyrus William Anderson and Margaret Han) was born 1864, , Ontario, Canada; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Florence Mary "Mary" Kirk
• Name: Mary Millar
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-359711
• Residence: 1892, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Anglican

Florence — Edward Frank Kirk. Edward was born CA 1874; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Harry Millar
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-359712
• Residence: 1891, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Anglican

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-200757

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-241067

Notes:

On Wednesday, 8th inst., of diphtheria, Warren Nile, the youngest son of William Millar, solicitor, New Hamburg, aged 5 years.

Galt Reporter Jun 17 1887 pg 8

Other Events:

• Name: Lillian Victoria "Lillie" Andrews
• Name: Lillie Millar
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-359713
• Residence: 1891, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Anglican

Lillian — William Andrews. William was born CA 1884; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-23268