Leila McFalls and Silas McFalls

Often (as noted in the previous post) our ancestors followed the Bible’s cultural mandate, “be fruitful, and multiply.”  

Our ancestors had numerous children who in turn had numerous children. Those children begat more children, who begat even more children, and well, you get the picture. One couple could end up with a colossal number of descendants.

Such was not the case for Mary Emily Whiteford (1868-1954) and her husband, James McFalls.

Mary Emily Whiteford and James McFalls had two children:

1. Mary Leila McFalls (known as Leila McFalls), born 8 September 1898 in Biddulph Township near Lucan, Ontario, Canada.

2. Silas William McFalls, born 19 July 1900 in Biddulph Township.

Both Leila and Silas were the great-grandchildren of John Culbert and Mary Ward.

Neither Leila McFalls nor her brother, Silas McFalls married or had children. Therefore, the Mary Emily Whiteford-James McFalls line came to an end.

It was unusual at that time for people not to marry or have children. So why did Leila and Silas not follow society’s expectations of them? Apparently, theirs was a very religious family. Their mother, Mary (Whiteford) McFalls wouldn’t allow Leila or Silas to marry. Mary thought that no one was good enough for her children.

Mary Emily (Whiteford) McFalls: mother of Leila and Silas.

Whatever became of Leila and Silas?

LEILA McFALLS worked at Victoria Hospital in London, Ontario, and was an active member of her church. A 1935 Voters List shows Leila as a spinster, living with her brother and her widowed mother in Lucan. Aside from that, I haven’t found any information about Leila McFalls’ life. I don’t know when she died or where she was buried. 

UPDATE: (added on 7 May 2021). During the 1960s, Leila was the leader of a CGIT group (Canadian Girls in Training) at Carmel Presbyterian Church in Hensall, Ontario. Leila McFalls died 19 October 1972 at Seaforth Community Hospital in Seaforth, Ontario, age 74. She is buried in Exeter Cemetery in Exeter, Ontario.

 

Source: Exeter Times-Advocate, 26 Oct 1972, page 3.

SILAS McFALLS began learning the tailoring trade at age 17 but he would become a banker and clergyman.

Source: Exeter Times, 28 March 1918.

By age 19, Silas was working at the Molsons Bank in Clinton, Ontario.

Source: Exeter Times, 11 December 1919.

This was followed by transfers to Aylmer, Centralia, Waterloo and St. Mary’s. He also worked at the Canadian Bank of Commerce in Hespeler, and the Bank of Montreal in Walkerville.  Silas immigrated at age 25 to the United States on 16 April 1926. It’s said that he worked as a banker for several years in Pontiac, Michigan.

The 1935 Voters List shows Silas back in Canada, living in Lucan with his sister and his widowed mother. As well as working in banks, Silas was also a clergyman with the Calvary Evangelical Church in Dashwood, Ontario.

At some point in the late 1930s, Silas returned to Pontiac and was working in banks, and as a clergyman. It appears that he remained in Pontiac throughout the 1940s. I don’t know when he returned to Canada.

I’m told that Silas moved around a lot throughout his later years; living in Exeter, Ailsa Craig, and other small Ontario towns. It’s said that he got a good pension from his working years in the United States.

Silas is described as being a “natty dresser” even in his later years. Silas died in January 1993, age 93. I haven’t found his burial place.

If you have any photos of Leila and Silas or more details about their lives, please contact me at this email address:

Leila McFalls and Silas McFalls Family Tree:
Ancestors:
John Culbert & Mary Ward (great-grandparents)
Rebecca Ann Culbert & William Whiteford (grandparents)
Mary Emily Whiteford & James McFalls (parents)