Etc. -- Henrietta Bailey Ravin Buck's 1936 obituary
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A transcription of a page 1 article in the 2 Jul 1936 Simcoe Reformer.

Cultus Resident to Reach 100 Friday

Mrs. Henrietta Buck recalls early days 
spent in Burford district.
ENJOYS GOOD HEALTH
Has been wed twice, first as girl of 16 
Five children now living

One hundred year ago tomorrow, Friday, July 3, a child was born to James Bailey and his wife on the farm which they had cleared, near Burford.

Tomorrow this same child, now Mrs. Henrietta Buck of Cultus, in Houghton township, will observe the 100th birthday, a century of existence spent in its entirety within a 25-mile radius of Simcoe.

Still enjoying good health in spite of her greatly advanced years, Mrs. Buck retains all her faculties, and particularly a memory undimmed by the years. Vivid in her mind today are thoughts of those early years when this district was emerging from its timbered chrysalis.

She frequently speaks of these, and particularly prominent in her mind is the great change which has come over the social habits of the people.

Today, she points out, the farmer is more of an individualist that he was in those times, fourscore years ago, when he had to reply upon his neighbors for assistance in many phases of farm work.

Mrs. Buck recalls the logging bees, the barn raisings, paring bees and a host of activities which today come under the heading of work, but then provided an opportunity for social intercourse.

Mother was U.E.L.

Her father, James Bailey, was of German descendant, while her mother was Julia Lewis, whose family were United Empire Loyalists. Their daughter, Henrietta, married Joseph Ravin in 1852 when she was 16 years old, he having emigrated from England as a lad of nine.

Ten children were born to the couple, Charles, Austin, James, Frederick and Mrs. Charlotte [Blaser], now all deceased, and Mrs. Thomas Goodger of Woodstock, Mrs. Reuben Easton of Cultus, William Ravin of Deseronto, Herbert Ravin, Cultus, and Arthur Ravin, Cultus.

In 1871 Joseph Ravin and his wife moved with their seven children from Burford to Cultus. In their new home they cleared the land which was located in what was then known as the Laycock Settlement, the nucleus of which was a sawmill. Surrounding the small community were almost impenetrable woods, open here and there by narrow logging trails.

Joseph Ravin died in 1887 and ten years later his widow married Charles Buck who died 30 years later. Since that time she has made her home with her youngest son, Arthur, at Cultus.

[Also see her second husband's obituary] 

 
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