Rebecca Ann (Culbert) Whiteford (1845-1940) - Update with Photograph

180 years ago today on 15 July 1845, Rebecca Ann Culbert was born on the Culbert homestead to parents John Culbert and Mary Ward in a log cabin near Lucan, Ontario, Canada. 

Rebecca Ann (Culbert) Whiteford (1845-1940)

For more information about Rebecca, click here to read a more detailed post I wrote about her on 15 July 2019. 

Until recently, I had only one small, blurry photo of Rebecca. This new photo (above) is from the personal collection of Rebecca's great-granddaughter, Anne (Routly) Willcox of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Thanks to Anne's son, Scott Willcox for sending this photo to me.

Rebecca (Culbert) Whiteford - Oldest Woman in the Exeter Old Home Week Parade

Rebecca Ann (Culbert) Whiteford (born about 1845) was the daughter of John Culbert and Mary Ward. For a full biography of Rebecca, click here.

UPDATE (posted 15 July 2025): This new photo of Rebecca (below) is from the personal collection of Rebecca's great-granddaughter, Anne (Routly) Willcox of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Thanks to Anne's son, Scott Willcox for sending this photo to me.

When they retired in 1907, Rebecca and her husband, William Whiteford moved to Exeter, Ontario, Canada.
 

Exeter is about 20 km (13 miles) north of Lucan, Ontario.

If you're a descendant of John Culbert & Mary Ward, you have relatives who lived in Exeter. 

Residents of Lucan often went shopping in Exeter. Exeter offered a variety of stores, and it was closer than driving to London.

Main Street, Exeter in 1916.

The summer of 1935 was an exciting time for Exeter. The town was celebrating a "Century of Progress." It was over 100 years since the first settler built the first log cabin.

The Founding of Exeter. Photo by Alan L. Brown at Ontario's Historical Plaques.

A year ahead of the "Old Home Week" event, invitations began going out all over the world. Exeter's "Old Boys and Girls" were invited to attend "Old Home Week" from July 27-31, 1935. 

Even the local businesses got caught up in the excitement. This hair salon advertisement invites you to "Look your best for Old Home Week with a Shelton Permanent Wave"...

This schedule promised five days of entertainment including music, dancing, a baseball tournament, horse races, a street carnival, a fiddlers' contest, and fireworks...

A highlight was a Grand Parade of floats, cars, and calithumpians on Monday, July 29th.

The photo below shows some of Exeter's aged residents who took part in the parade.

Among the most enthusiastic of Exeter Old Home Week were some of Exeter's aged and esteemed residents who appeared in the parade on Monday ... No. 5: Mrs. Wm. Whiteford, aged 91, oldest woman in parade.

A closer look...
 

Rebecca (Culbert) Whiteford, oldest woman in the Exeter Old Home Week Parade.

The following is a truncated description of the "Monster Parade." Rebecca (Culbert) Whiteford won the prize for oldest woman, along with James Handford, age 96, who won the prize for oldest man.

Highlights of Old Home Week:

It sounds like a good time was had by all!

Click here to read more about Rebecca (Culbert) Whiteford and here to read about her children.

The Children of Rebecca Ann Culbert and William Whiteford

In the previous post, we met Rebecca Ann Culbert (1845-1940), the daughter of John Culbert and Mary Ward.

Rebecca Culbert and her husband, William Whiteford had 10 children, six of whom lived to adulthood.

Rebecca Ann (Culbert) Whiteford (third from left) and her children. This photo was probably taken in the late 1930s when Rebecca was in her 90s. Photo courtesy of Rebecca's great-granddaughter, Anne (Routly) Willcox.
Left to right:  
Susan Lauretta "Ettie" "Etta" (Whiteford) King
John Silas Whiteford   
Rebecca Ann (Culbert) Whiteford (1845-1940)
Sarah Elizabeth "Lizzie" (Whiteford) McFalls
William "Will" Henry Whiteford 
 Mary Emily (Whiteford) McFalls
Rebecca Ann "Annie" (Whiteford) Horne

If you’re a descendant of Rebecca Culbert and William Whiteford, and would like to write a more detailed account of any of their descendants, please contact me.

The following are brief descriptions of Rebecca and William's six adult children.

MARY EMILY WHITEFORD

Mary Emily Whiteford was born 25 May 1868 in Centralia, Ontario. 

On 4 August 1896 she married James “Jim” McFalls (c1869-1931). Jim McFalls was the son of Alexander McFalls (1833-1914) and Eliza Brown who farmed at Lot 7, Concession 2 on the same concession as the Culbert homestead in Biddulph Township near Lucan, Ontario. 

Mary and Jim farmed for some years in the Dashwood area, then moved to Exeter where Jim was employed at the salt works.[1]

Mary and Jim had two children:

Mary LEILA McFalls (1898-1972).

Silas William McFalls (1900-1993). 

The 1921 Census shows the McFalls family living on Andrew Street in Exeter, Ontario.

Mary Emily (Whiteford) McFalls died 23 August 1954, age 86.

WILLIAM HENRY WHITEFORD

 

William Henry “Will” Whiteford was born 29 May 1870 in Huron County, Ontario. 

At age 21, Will moved to the United States. The 1895 US Census shows him working as a telegraph operator at Northwestern Railroad Station in Sioux City, Iowa. His future bride's father, Theodore Hout operated the Northwestern Depot Hotel at that time. 

Will married Mary Jane Hout (1876-1935) in Sioux City, Iowa on 28 May 1896. Over the next 40 years, Will and Mary Jane lived in various towns in Iowa. Will became a grocer, and owned his own grocery store.

Will and Mary Jane had three children:

Miles IRVING Whiteford (1896-1947).

Elveretta “Elva” Whiteford (1897-1969).

Ruth Maxine “Ruthie” Whiteford (1916-1995).

Will Whiteford died 11 June 1960, age 90 and is buried in Graceland Cemetery in Webster City, Iowa.

SARAH ELIZABETH "LIZZIE" WHITEFORD

Sarah Elizabeth “Lizzie” Whiteford was born November 1874 in Ontario.

On 26 February 1896, six months before her sister, Mary married Jim McFalls, Lizzie married Jim’s brother, Alexander McFalls (1863-1930). The wedding took place at the home of the bride's parents, Rebecca Culbert and William Whiteford.

Lizzie and Alexander farmed at Lot 13, Concession 2, Usborne Township, a mile east of Exeter for about 35 years before Al's death in 1930, age 67. Lizzie then moved into a house on Albert Street in Exeter.

Lizzie and Alexander had 3 children:

Elmer McFalls (1897-1917). (click here for more about Elmer.)

Garnet Clifford McFalls (1900-1973).

Percy Alexander McFalls (1906-1995).

Headstone of Elizabeth "Lizzie" Whiteford and her husband, Alexander McFalls in Exeter Cemetery. Photo by Mary Jane Culbert.

 

Lizzie (Whiteford) McFalls died in 1955, age 80 and is buried in Exeter Cemetery.

REBECCA ANN "ANNIE" WHITEFORD

Rebecca Ann “Annie” Whiteford was born 9 June 1876 in Usborne Township, Ontario. 

On 26 December 1900, Annie married George Weston “Wes” Horne (1878-1951). Wes was the son of Samuel Richard Horne and Charlotte Ann Willey, farmers at Lot A, Concession 8, Usborne Township. 

Annie & Wes farmed at Lot A, Concession 8 in Usborne Township until about 1911 when they moved with their two children to Elimville where Wes was working as a self-employed carpenter.[2]

Annie & Wes had two children:

Elva Lauretta Horne (1901-1993)

Lyda Eileen Horne (1906-1920).

Headstone of Rebecca "Annie" Whiteford and her husband, George Weston Horne in Zion Cemetery in Huron Township. Photo by Mary Jane Culbert.

Annie (Whiteford) Horne died 6 May 1955, a month short of her 79th birthday. She is buried at Zion Cemetery in what was formerly known as Usborne Township near Exeter. Zion Cemetery originally was part of the Horne farm at Lot A, Concession 8. Zion Cemetery is located near the intersection of Park Road and the Hern Line. The official address of the cemetery is ​41587 Park Road, Centralia.

JOHN SILAS WHITEFORD  

John Silas Whiteford was born 13 August 1880 in Morris Township, Huron County, Ontario. He was named after his brother who predeceased him a year before he was born.

John’s first wife was Sarah Maud Parkinson whom he wed on 14 February 1906. Sarah was the daughter of John Thomas Parkinson & Eliza Ann Gunning of Blanshard Township in Perth County.

John Silas Whiteford's wedding announcement. Source: The Exeter Advocate, 15 February 1906, page 1.

John and Sarah farmed near Woodham in Blanshard Township.

John & Sarah had five children:

Florence LILLIAN Whiteford (1907-1998)

William LAVERNE Whiteford (1908-2006)

Sheldon STANLEY Whiteford (1910-2004)

John HILSON Whiteford (1914-1981)

Delmar George Whiteford (1921-1981)

John’s first wife, Sarah died of breast cancer on 27 April 1938, age 55. He married his second wife, a widow named Georgina (Harris) Lidster on 29 July 1939. John and Georgina didn’t have any children. After they married, John and Georgina moved to St. Mary's, Ontario. John ran a rural mail route until they moved to London, Ontario where he worked at the Globe Casket Factory until retirement.[3]

John Silas Whiteford's headstone in Zion Cemetery. Photo by Mary Jane Culbert.

 

John Silas Whiteford died 22 October 1963, age 83, and is buried with his first wife, Sarah in Zion Cemetery.

SUSAN LAURETTA WHITEFORD

Susan Lauretta Whiteford, the youngest child of Rebecca Culbert and William Whiteford also went by the names Etta and Ettie. She was born 22 June 1886 in Morris Township, Huron County, Ontario.

Ettie married Wilbert James King, a farmer from Lambton County on 17 February 1915. (Sometimes his name is written as Wilbur.) Wilbert (1885-1954) was the son of James King & Mary Ann Ward who were living in McGillivray Township at the time of Wilbert’s birth.

For about 10 years, they lived in Hamiota, Manitoba. They returned in 1925, and lived in Exeter, Ontario.

Ettie and Wilbert had three children:

Elvretta King (1916-1999)

William James King (1919-1963)

Myrta Eileen King (1923-2001).

Susan Lauretta (Whiteford) King died 1 June 1980, age 93.  

Note: If you’re a descendant of Rebecca Culbert and William Whiteford, and would like to write a more detailed account of any of their descendants, please contact me at this address:

Footnotes:

[1] "A History of the John Culbert-Mary Ward Family and Their Descendants 1828-1995, Volume 1, Branches 5-6-7-8-9" by Grant W. Taylor, page 18.

[2] Ibid., 36.

[3] Ibid., 42.