Retired
Businessman,
Noted Church Worker,
Henry R. Crabb Dies
Active in the business life
of the community for many years, a devoted churchman, Henry Reynolds
Crabb, [63] Head Street North, Simcoe, died Saturday evening, 14 Mar
1917, in Norfolk General Hospital.
Retired manager of the local
branch of Walker Stores Limited, Mr. Crabb was in his 88th year. He
had been in failing health for some time.
Born at Round Plains, the son
of Mr. and Mrs. James Crabb, deceased was educated in Waterford
Public School, his family moving to that village in 1892.
He worked at the A. M. Little
general store in Waterford until 1899 when he went to Port Dover to
become a member of the staff of the Scofield and Co. general store.
In May 1900, Mr. Crabb came
to Simcoe, having accepted a position as salesman with the Northway,
Anderson and Falls Co., then located on the northwest corner of
Norfolk and Robinson streets, the present site of the F. W.
Woolworth Co. The firm later became the H. S. Falls Co., whose fine
store at the northeast corner of the same intersection was destroyed
by fire in 1937.
Mr. Crabb was appointed
superintendent of the Falls store and staff in 1914 [sic] and
served in that capacity until 1925, when he resigned and accepted a
position with the G. C. Murdoch Co. That business was sold to the
Gordon MacKay Co. of Toronto in July, 1925, and Mr. Crabb took over
management of the store, retiring in July, 1950.
A devoted worker in First
Baptist Church, he served as superintendent of the Sunday School for
33 years. He was chairman of the board of deacons and during the
erection of the new church edifice in 1921-22, chairman of the
building committee. A member of the board of deacons for many years,
he was an honorary deacon at the time of his death. For some time he
also served as church clerk.
A charter member of the
Simcoe Lions Club, he was active in that organization and gave
outstanding leadership as president in 1932.
Mr. Crabb was a member of the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows for half a century and for many
years was prominent in Simcoe Lodge, holding the offices of noble
grand, secretary and degree captain.
He was a member of the Simcoe
Town Council during 1918-1919 and had the distinction of have
organized Simcoe's first hospital. During the influenza epidemic he
organized an emergency hospital in the Norfolk Hotel for the flu
patients.
Mr. Crabb was an honorary
life member of the Simcoe Board of Trade, now the Chamber of
Commerce.
Surviving besides his wife,
the former Edith May Sovereign, whom he married at Waterford 56
years ago, are two sons, H. Lyall Crabb of Toronto and
Jack M. Crabb of Simcoe; two daughters, Mrs. Helen Ingleby of Galt
and Mrs. Arthur E. Fort (Dorothy) of Port Colborne; one sister, Mrs.
Elizabeth Fraser of Rixford, Pa., seven grandchildren and four
great-grandchildren.
Mr. Crabb is resting at the
Marvyn M. Veale Funeral Home for family service on Wednesday at two
o'clock, followed by public service in First Baptist Church at 2.30
p.m. with Rev. Dana H. Lamb officiating and interment in Oakwood
Cemetery.
