A Tribute to my Brother William Leslie Greatrix (1947 - 2018)
By Beulah Greatrix-Sopher (in collaboration with Keith Millard):
Editor's Note: William's paternal grandparents were Amanda Kleinsteuber & Oran Greatrix
Image by Kevin Greatrix, click to enlarge:
By Beulah Greatrix-Sopher (in collaboration with Keith Millard):
Editor's Note: William's paternal grandparents were Amanda Kleinsteuber & Oran Greatrix
Image by Kevin Greatrix, click to enlarge:
Billy as we affectionately called him, was born in Franklin Township near the lake of bays. He was the third child of Nellie Hillyard and Joseph Greatrix. His birth was difficult, but he survived. He was a healthy little boy, but had some brain damage on the left side due to the difficult birth. This caused many problems in numerous ways for Billy, throughout his life. Andrew my oldest brother, and I were thrilled with this little bundle of joy, and tried to help out as much as we could. We lived in a little building on the Beswick farm, off of Bonavista Road in Huntsville at the time. We raised goats, had a vegetable garden, and processed maple syrup. Andrew being the oldest pulled a wagon, when it came time to work at Maple syrup and transported the ones who couldn’t keep up the pace.
Andrew and I also hauled honey pails of water as we had no running water. My mother, told me that she kept a large pail of water for emergency, somewhere near the shed, which Andrew recollects as being where we lived. Our father was a musician and worked at Britannia Hotel, and also was away a lot on gigs when not required to work at the hotel.
I recall my mother saying that when he was home he practised for his gigs around the fireplace with our small family as his audience. He also took us for boat rides whenever he could.
Hover over pics for caption, click to enlarge:
Andrew and I also hauled honey pails of water as we had no running water. My mother, told me that she kept a large pail of water for emergency, somewhere near the shed, which Andrew recollects as being where we lived. Our father was a musician and worked at Britannia Hotel, and also was away a lot on gigs when not required to work at the hotel.
I recall my mother saying that when he was home he practised for his gigs around the fireplace with our small family as his audience. He also took us for boat rides whenever he could.
Hover over pics for caption, click to enlarge:
By the time Billy was almost two our mother had another baby. They named him Joseph, I enjoyed pushing Joey in the stroller with Billy toddling along beside me. When Joey was 15 months something happened beyond our control as a family and eventually we children ended up at the CAS and were made wards of the crown. Two of us were adopted out and the other two were fostered out.
I was concerned about Billy and wondered how he would cope. He was only two. I was one of the ones adopted out. I kept asking for my brother Billy. My adopted Family tried to get him, but his foster mother didn’t want to give him up. I never forgot him, probably the fact that my adopted family had already adopted another boy named Bill, kept my little brother Billy in the forefront of my mind.
I went to Toronto to work at Canada Life when I was 19, but I never forgot my brother Billy. I knew what the children's aid was like, back then. It was like banging your head against a brick wall. They even had set up some kind of system to add your name to a list and when your name came up, they would zero in on your particular search Nothing materialized with that plan.
At 21, the feeling to keep up the search was still there, so I phoned the CAS in Timmins to see if they would relent and put me in touch with someone who could help. To my surprise the woman that handled our case back in 1949 answered the phone. She was so glad to hear from me. She was retiring soon and said that she would be glad to help me. A few days later she phoned and told me my brother Bill was in Toronto and told me that he had been looking for me as well. After he was through the Childen's Aid system, he had come to Toronto, because he had heard that Toronto was the meeting place.
Hover over pics for caption, click to enlarge:
I was concerned about Billy and wondered how he would cope. He was only two. I was one of the ones adopted out. I kept asking for my brother Billy. My adopted Family tried to get him, but his foster mother didn’t want to give him up. I never forgot him, probably the fact that my adopted family had already adopted another boy named Bill, kept my little brother Billy in the forefront of my mind.
I went to Toronto to work at Canada Life when I was 19, but I never forgot my brother Billy. I knew what the children's aid was like, back then. It was like banging your head against a brick wall. They even had set up some kind of system to add your name to a list and when your name came up, they would zero in on your particular search Nothing materialized with that plan.
At 21, the feeling to keep up the search was still there, so I phoned the CAS in Timmins to see if they would relent and put me in touch with someone who could help. To my surprise the woman that handled our case back in 1949 answered the phone. She was so glad to hear from me. She was retiring soon and said that she would be glad to help me. A few days later she phoned and told me my brother Bill was in Toronto and told me that he had been looking for me as well. After he was through the Childen's Aid system, he had come to Toronto, because he had heard that Toronto was the meeting place.
Hover over pics for caption, click to enlarge:
Bill and I were inseparable for four years. I lived in Toronto with my cousin Pauline at the time. He had his own place downtown Toronto, but would keep in touch. He was very protective of both Pauline and I. He would often say “There are a lot of perverts out there and I don’t want anything to happened to you two”. He would usually meet me as I was boarding the subway and come home with me to make sure I got home safe. We both appreciated his concern and invited him for meals. He would help with dishes, laundry etc. Wednesday we would eat supper out and go across Toronto to help with children’s work. Sometimes he would meet us on our way back and follow us home, so he knew that we were home safely. I often wondered why he did that. We had already been in Toronto 2 years with out him.
When I was writing this tribute, I finally realized his concern. The night of our reuniting, we had a wonderful time, and upon parting, he went to his place and I went to mine. On the way home I saw a man with one eye starring at me. I thought I was imagining it, so I changed subway cars to prove to myself that I was just imaging it. He got up and followed me to the next car. When I got to Eglinton I ran and got lost in the crowd. Years later I solved that mystery, but that is another story covered in my life story.
Pauline and I had some great times with Bill. We went often to Toronto Island. We would pack a lunch and stay for most of the day. He came to church on Sundays with us quite often. We all went to Clarenceville to spend a weekend with Mom ad Dad Goheen, Once Bill and I went to Sault Saint Marie to spend the weekend with his foster family and all their relatives, also Houseys Rapids many times to visit with the Goheen relatives and countless different other trips.
Pauline says she remembers hearing Bill tell her he drank pickle juice, she figured he was just trying to gross her out.
Sylvia wanted me to include the fact that his favourite song was “Oh Lord It‘s hard to be humble” by Mack Davis. She remembers going on the subway with her brother Darren and their uncle Bill and singing that song at the top of their lungs.
I left Toronto to get married in 1972. Bill was heart broken. I felt so bad for him but told him that I had to live my own life and he had to live his. I came to Toronto when I had a chance, and looked him up. He was so excited. The next time I had an appointment in Toronto for Sylvia, I looked him up to introduce him to his niece. He was overjoyed. and thought she was just beautiful.
Hover over pics for caption, click to enlarge:
When I was writing this tribute, I finally realized his concern. The night of our reuniting, we had a wonderful time, and upon parting, he went to his place and I went to mine. On the way home I saw a man with one eye starring at me. I thought I was imagining it, so I changed subway cars to prove to myself that I was just imaging it. He got up and followed me to the next car. When I got to Eglinton I ran and got lost in the crowd. Years later I solved that mystery, but that is another story covered in my life story.
Pauline and I had some great times with Bill. We went often to Toronto Island. We would pack a lunch and stay for most of the day. He came to church on Sundays with us quite often. We all went to Clarenceville to spend a weekend with Mom ad Dad Goheen, Once Bill and I went to Sault Saint Marie to spend the weekend with his foster family and all their relatives, also Houseys Rapids many times to visit with the Goheen relatives and countless different other trips.
Pauline says she remembers hearing Bill tell her he drank pickle juice, she figured he was just trying to gross her out.
Sylvia wanted me to include the fact that his favourite song was “Oh Lord It‘s hard to be humble” by Mack Davis. She remembers going on the subway with her brother Darren and their uncle Bill and singing that song at the top of their lungs.
I left Toronto to get married in 1972. Bill was heart broken. I felt so bad for him but told him that I had to live my own life and he had to live his. I came to Toronto when I had a chance, and looked him up. He was so excited. The next time I had an appointment in Toronto for Sylvia, I looked him up to introduce him to his niece. He was overjoyed. and thought she was just beautiful.
Hover over pics for caption, click to enlarge:
Final Thoughts:
Bill was a smart boy and a very deep thinker despite all he had gone through. He loved to communicate with other people and enjoyed writing poems. Visiting the library was one of his passions. This helped him to expand his knowledge, learn French and different expressions in other languages enabling himself to communicate with as many people as he could. He was very loving, loyal, kind and compassionate to all he met. His smile was contagious, and drew people to him. He was very observant, and it would be natural for him to meet someone on the street, realize they had a problem, and offer to help them, to any extent that was necessary, even to a fault.If I have it right, as I recall, he met his future wife on the bus. She was having difficulty with her eyesight, and needed assistance, so because of his nature he stepped up to the plate and helped her. From then on he was there for her making sure she was safe. They eventually married and had a little boy whom they named Kevin Joseph Greatrix. He was the apple of their eye, and of course I used every opportunity to spend time with him as well while they lived in Toronto.
Eventually they moved to New Brunswick to be near Nicole’s family. Bill, Nicole and Kevin came up north for a visit after we moved into our new house in Houseys Rapids, near Gravenhurst. Kevin was young then, about 4. We took them on a trip to Bonavista where we lived when Bill was born and met Hannah and Bill Beswick and their family. Hannah was the midwife who delivered Billy. A few years later Bill came to our place himself, but didn’t stay long because he missed his family and felt that he had to get back to them, I never saw them again until I took my client down east, and made a trip to New Brunswick to spend time with Bill Nicole, and Kevin. What a special time we had!
I am so thankful to God for giving me the insight to call the children’s aid that day and also thankful for the lady that went out of her way to be able to reconnect my brother and I. I wouldn’t change that for anything. This allowed access to information that got me reunited with of my immediate family and relatives on the Greatrix and Hillyard side. I appreciated the support and encouragement I received from my adopted parents, Elmer and Grace Goheen in my attempts to be reunited with my birth family and countless other relatives. I couldn’t have accomplish this without their help.
Love you Bill. Your sister Beulah. Rest in peace until we meet again on the other side.
Bill was a smart boy and a very deep thinker despite all he had gone through. He loved to communicate with other people and enjoyed writing poems. Visiting the library was one of his passions. This helped him to expand his knowledge, learn French and different expressions in other languages enabling himself to communicate with as many people as he could. He was very loving, loyal, kind and compassionate to all he met. His smile was contagious, and drew people to him. He was very observant, and it would be natural for him to meet someone on the street, realize they had a problem, and offer to help them, to any extent that was necessary, even to a fault.If I have it right, as I recall, he met his future wife on the bus. She was having difficulty with her eyesight, and needed assistance, so because of his nature he stepped up to the plate and helped her. From then on he was there for her making sure she was safe. They eventually married and had a little boy whom they named Kevin Joseph Greatrix. He was the apple of their eye, and of course I used every opportunity to spend time with him as well while they lived in Toronto.
Eventually they moved to New Brunswick to be near Nicole’s family. Bill, Nicole and Kevin came up north for a visit after we moved into our new house in Houseys Rapids, near Gravenhurst. Kevin was young then, about 4. We took them on a trip to Bonavista where we lived when Bill was born and met Hannah and Bill Beswick and their family. Hannah was the midwife who delivered Billy. A few years later Bill came to our place himself, but didn’t stay long because he missed his family and felt that he had to get back to them, I never saw them again until I took my client down east, and made a trip to New Brunswick to spend time with Bill Nicole, and Kevin. What a special time we had!
I am so thankful to God for giving me the insight to call the children’s aid that day and also thankful for the lady that went out of her way to be able to reconnect my brother and I. I wouldn’t change that for anything. This allowed access to information that got me reunited with of my immediate family and relatives on the Greatrix and Hillyard side. I appreciated the support and encouragement I received from my adopted parents, Elmer and Grace Goheen in my attempts to be reunited with my birth family and countless other relatives. I couldn’t have accomplish this without their help.
Love you Bill. Your sister Beulah. Rest in peace until we meet again on the other side.