Gone Fishing: A Memorial Tribute to Greg Culbert (1943-2020)

 Written by Greg’s sister, Mary-Lynn Culbert of Campbell River, British Columbia, in celebration of the 77^th anniversary of Greg Culbert’s birth, 10 December, 1943.

 

Greg Culbert fly fishing on the Oldman River near Calgary, Alberta.

My brother Greg passed in his sleep at home on the morning of September 16, 2020, in Campbell River, BC, surrounded by those he loved after a short struggle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.  

He was a big man - big in stature, big of heart, big energy that filled the room. So the hole left by his passing is equally large. 

Greg was the sort of person you could not feel ambivalent about. He made strong and lasting impressions. Sometimes he left scars. 

Circumstance and distance left me estranged from my brother for most of my adult life. But, in 2001, my mother moved to Calgary, Alberta, to live with Greg and his family, and it was during my regular visits there that we began to form a friendship. I think Greg decided that the best way to see if I was worth getting to know was to take me fishing; if I could keep up and be “one of the boys” for the weekend then I might be worth the effort. I must have passed muster, because he and I murdered many a fish together over the years.  

 

Greg and his sister, Mary-Lynn.

We had much catching up to do and, as it turned out, little time to do it. About 2006, Greg began to suffer from short-term memory loss. Soon, much of the brief history we’d created together had been erased from his mind. I lost him just as I was finding him again.

Greg taught me many things in the time we were given: how to land and release a fish; how to eat pheasant without breaking a tooth on buckshot; how to shoot a rifle (apparently, I’m a natural); how to drink scotch properly (it seems orange juice should never be involved). Most importantly, he taught me a lot about family and how important, fragile, and beautiful those bonds can be. 

My brother saw more with his one, good eye than most people do with two.

 

 He could spot a bully or a fake a mile away. He could point out a tiny flower nestled in the prairie grass, or a covey of quail that even his own dog had missed. And he could be quick to see weakness and exploit it mercilessly.  

Not long ago he shared with me: “There comes a point in your life when you realize you can’t solve things anymore with a punch in the nose. When I think back on all the times I used my fists instead of talking or just walking away, I wish I’d had more patience. Although there were times when some jerk really deserved it, I wish I’d known how to do things differently.”

He was no angel, but he was a good man. He did not suffer fools gladly but he was willing to give anyone a chance or a hand up when they were down on their luck.  

I will remember him for his wicked sense of humor and his fierce love of family. I will miss his stories, and sharing with him a love of nature.

He gave the best hugs! A hug from Greg was like being enfolded in a big, soft, safe, warm duvet. When Greg hugged you, you felt that nothing could ever go wrong again. For such a powerful, tough guy, his hugs were full of love and tenderness. That will be one of the things I will miss the most.

Wherever he now moves through the universe, I hope he is traveling with all the dogs he’s ever loved, and that he finds a quiet spot where the bite is on.

 

Annie, the black English Labrador stayed by Greg’s side to the end, a faithful friend giving love and comfort.

BRIAN GREGORY CULBERT’S FAMILY TREE:

Ancestors:

John Culbert & Mary Ward (great-great-grandparents)

Richard Culbert & Jane Eleanor Fairhall (great-grandparents)

Myron Manford Culbert & Effie Pearl Taylor (grandparents)

Kenneth Arthur Culbert & Mary Helen Needham (parents)

Descendants (Children):

Kimberley Tara (Culbert) Small

Katherine (Culbert) Kerr

Elizabeth (Culbert) Turner

Note: On Sunday, December 13th, there will be a follow-up post (click here) with details about Greg’s life and adventures.

A Change of Dress is as Good as a Nap

A change of dress is as good as a nap... Yet countless women - farm women especially - never put on a fresh dress after dinner unless company is expected or they are going to town. 

So said the Exeter Times, 100 years ago today; a weekly newspaper read by your ancestors and relatives in Huron County and Middlesex County...

Woman's Sphere column in the Exeter Times, 18 November 1920, page 2.

This is just one example of the advice that was doled out to your rural relatives, a century ago. It wasn't enough that a woman had been cooking and baking all day, not to mention sweeping, scrubbing and scouring the house, tending to at least some of the livestock, and caring for at least half a dozen children. It seems that after all that, she was also expected to look attractive for her husband when he came through the door at the end of the day.

What about her husband? Did he change into a fresh pair of overalls when he returned from the fields or did he sit down to dinner smelling of the barnyard? The newspaper article neglects to inform us about whether or not he freshened up his appearance. Someone should have written a similar column for the men, advising them that "a change of dress is as good as a nap."

Culbert Veterans Presented with Parker Pens

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the end of World War Two. After the war ended, Biddulph Township Council presented all the returned Service men and women of World War Two with a Parker fountain pen and Eversharp pencil set with their names engraved on them.[1]

A reception was held in Granton, Ontario, near Lucan on the evening of Tuesday, 25 June 1946.

Brothers, Kenneth Arthur Culbert, Ivan Hector Culbert, and Milward Taylor "Mel" Culbert received their pen sets at this reception. This photo was published in the London Free Press the next day, 26 June 1946...

LUCAN VETERANS HONOURED: Left to right: Ken Culbert, a former Flight Sergeant in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF); Ivan Culbert, a former Sergeant who just recently returned from 6 years and 4 months of overseas duty; and Mel Culbert, a former RCAF Sergeant. The Free Press caption says the Culbert brothers were from Granton but it should say Lucan.

Parker pens were used by General Dwight D. Eisenhower and General Douglas MacArthur to sign the agreements that ended World War II.

Eisenhower holding Parker pens.

Parker pen used in the signing of the German surrender, WWII.

In a previous post, I listed some of the descendants of John Culbert and Mary Ward who served in World War One. Ken, Ivan, and Mel were just three of the many Culbert descendants who served during World War Two. 

Photo colourized by Phil Culbert.

If you'd like to see Phil Culbert's Remembrance Day tribute to his father, Ivan Culbert, click here to visit his Facebook page. 

Footnotes: [1] Pioneers to the Present: Biddulph Township Sesquicentennial History Book 1850-2000, Lucan, Ont. : Corp. of the Township of Biddulph, 1998, p.26.

Wong's Café in London, Ontario

Wong's Café in London, Ontario, Canada was the place to be if you were looking to impress that special someone.

Considered to be the most elegant restaurant in London, Wong's was known for its excellent food, service, music and dancing.

The corner of Dundas and Richmond Streets in London, Ontario in 1914 - the year that Lem Wong opened his restaurant. Wong's Café isn't visible on this postcard. It would have been a little further to the left of the building on the left side of the image at 434 Richmond Street.

Wong's was a popular venue for special events, New Year's Eve parties, and wedding receptions.

99 years ago today, William Walter "Bill" Hodgins (1898-1964) married Lila Ann Sanders on 15 October 1921 in Exeter, Ontario. Bill and Lila held their wedding reception at Wong's Café. For more information about Bill Hodgins, the great-grandson of John Culbert & Mary Ward, click here.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hodgins left for London where a dainty wedding dinner awaited them at Wong's." Source: Exeter Times, 20 Oct 1921, page 1.

 

Famous Canadian bandleader, Guy Lombardo got his start at Wong's Café, entertaining customers on the weekends in exchange for practice space. Radio station CJGC (later known as CFPL) broadcast from the café on Friday nights.

Grainy image showing Wong's Café at 434 Richmond Street, just north of Dundas Street on the east side.

This is the only close-up photo I could find of Wong's but it doesn't do it justice. Architectural drawings of the restaurant are available here.

434 Richmond Street (formerly Wong's Café) as it looked in 2019. You have to use your imagination to picture it in its glory days from 1914-1941. The dining room was on the second floor where you see the big window.

Dinner plate from Wong's Café, found on eBay.

Lem Wong (born 1881 near Canton) opened the restaurant in 1914. Wong's Café remained open for 27 years until he sold it in 1941. Lem worked 15 hours a day to ensure that Wong's Café flourished. Aside from struggling like everyone else during the Great Depression, Lem Wong's business was a success.

Young Lem Wong.

Lem Wong and his wife, Toye Chin are regarded as the first Chinese immigrants to raise a family in London, Ontario. 

Lem Wong, his wife Toye Chin and their eight children.

Aside from chop suey, a dish which was accepted by North Americans, the menu at Wong's was European. At that time, if a Chinese restauranteur wanted to stay in business, he had to serve European or Canadian food. White linen tablecloths and silver cutlery graced the tables at Wong's Café and the waiters were trained in New York City. Upon arriving at the restaurant, Lem would personally greet each guest at the top of the stairs and escort them to their tables. He remembered his customers' names and faces.

If you had ancestors or relatives in London or the surrounding area, they probably spent a memorable night dining and dancing at Wong's Café.

Lem Wong and his family contributed greatly to the community in London, Ontario. For more information about Lem Wong, click here to read Lem Wong: A Story of Perseverance; and click here to read Gift of Opportunity: Gretta Grant BA'43, celebrates legacy of her trailblazing parents. Click here to watch the video, The Road Chosen: The Story of Lem Wong. 

180th Anniversary of the Purchase of the Culbert Homestead near Lucan, Ontario

On this Thanksgiving weekend, I give thanks for this bill of sale...

Are you a descendant of John Culbert and his wife, Mary Ward? If so, you wouldn't have been born if not for that bill of sale. Or are you a descendant of John's brother, Richard Culbert and his wife, Ann Jane Harlton? Read on...

180 years ago today on 10 October 1840, our ancestor, John Culbert purchased Lot 19 on Concession 2 in Biddulph Township near Lucan, Ontario on what is known today as The Coursey Line. The image above is a copy of the Memorandum of Sale for those 100 acres, purchased from the Canada Company for the sum of 12 pounds, ten shillings. The man I believe to be John's brother, Richard Culbert purchased the property next door (Lot 18), three days after John purchased Lot 19.

John Culbert, his wife Mary Ward and their family made the voyage from Ireland to Canada in 1840, settling in Biddulph Township near Lucan, Ontario. None of us would be here today were it not for that voyage, and for that purchase of land.

The John Culbert-Mary Ward family, c1865. For more info about this photo, click here.

This being Thanksgiving weekend (here in Canada) let's raise our glasses in thanks of our ancestors making a new life in Canada. We're here today because of them.

If you're new to the Culbert Family History blog and want to learn more about our family, consider reading any of the following blog posts:

We don't know why the Culberts left Ireland but for my thoughts on the possible reasons, click here.

To read about the Culbert family's voyage from Ireland to Canada, click here.

For a biography of John Culbert, click here.

For a biography of John Culbert's wife, Mary Ward, click here. 

For a biography of Richard Culbert (the man I believe is John Culbert's brother,) click here.

To read about the Culbert homestead near Lucan, later known as Poplar Farm, click here. 

The Culbert homestead (Poplar Farm) as it looked in 2013.