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MATHIES GENEALOGY

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Abram J. Mathies and Margarethe/Margaret/ Margareta Dück Family

Margaret and Abram Mathies

Margarethe/Margaret was born on the 6th of April 1897 and was closest to her younger brother, Peter, who was born a year and a half later. She often recalled a most pleasant childhood in Schönbrun and particularly enjoyed riding the family horses at a fast pace. The highlights for her were the evenings when her father, Johann P. Dück, was home and the family would gather round to sing songs. Apparently she was very close to her father and took it very tragically when he died in 1914.

On May 16th, 1919 she married Abram Mathies, also of Schönbrun, in the double wedding with her brother, John and Maria Wiens, at the Dück family home where some 160- 180 people attended. Years later they were able to celebrate their 25th and 50th anniversaries together in Leamington in 1944 and 1969 with approximately 40 people attending from the original wedding in Russia. Margaret and Abram Mathies had 3 daughters in Russia (Helen 1920, Margaret 1921, and Annie 1923) before they emigrated to Canada in 1924. Helen died in infancy two weeks after she was born.

They attempted farming in Essex County together with John and Maria Dick on a farm between Kingsville and Cottam on the Inman Sideroad. They bought this 50acre farm with a house that was large enough for both families in 1927. Their intentions were that one of them would work at the brickyard while the other would do the farming. Their unfamiliarity with clay farming, and bad luck with their crops, did not bring them sufficient income to make their payments and after two years they lost this farm and their investment. They subsequently also farmed in the Vineland area and returned to Leamington to work for Point Pelee orchards in the national park. In the 1950's they developed an apple orchard near Olinda in the Leamington area.

They had another 3 sons and a daughter in Canada (Bill 1925, Harry 1931, Louise 1936, Arthur 1940). They retired from their farm in the 1960's to a home in Leamington. Automobiles were always a great source of interest and pride to Abram Mathies. He died in 1974 and thereafter Margaret moved into an apartment and eventually into the Leamington Mennonite Home where she spent the last years of her life in a wheel chair. In her later years she was often confused, but always happy, and died at the age of 89 in 1986.
 

Margaret and Abram Mathies Family

• Margaret Mathies was born in 1921 and married Jacob Toews in Leamington in 1941. They farmed in Harrow, Staples and in the Leamington area. They also developed an excavating business and in more recent years he worked as a maintenance man in the Pyramid Canners factory in Leamington and Libby's in Chatham. They had a daughter (Linda 1943) and a son ( George 1945).
   
• Annie Mathies was born in 1923 and married Bill Krause in Leamington in 1942. They lived in Point Pelee National Park and worked in the family fishery which was later moved to Sturgeon Creek just outside of the park. Bill Krause died of Leukaemia in 1980 and Annie was very active in the Mennonite self-help and used-clothing store in Leamington, the Etcetera Shop, and with other volunteer organizations. They had 3 children (Eric 1943, Bill 1945 and Kathy 1956).
   
• Bill Mathies was born in 1925 and married Mary Lou Forrest in Leamington in 1949. He worked as a truck driver for Clifford Produce and enjoyed playing cribbage and pool. They lived in Cottam and had 6 children ((Robert 1950, James 1955, Judy 1959, Donald 1961, Dianne 1964 and Richard 1966) in addition to a daughter (Susie 1947) from a previous marriage of Mary Lou. Bill Mathies died of cancer in 1972.
   
• Harry Mathies was born in 1931 and worked as a truck driver for Leamington Transport. He was found dead in his truck in the mid-western United States at the age of 25 in 1956. It was thought that he had been sleeping at a truck stop in his truck with motor running ,and that a snow storm blocked the exhaust.
   
• Louise Mathies was born in 1936 and married Ron Ross in Leamington in 1955. They took over the Mathies family apple orchard near Olinda. Subsequently Ron worked for Point Pelee National Park. Louise worked as a secretary for the Essex County Public School Board. They had 6 children (David 1956, Cheryl 1958, Brian 1960, Marlene 1962, Patricia 1963, and Beverly 1966).
   
• Arthur Mathies was born in 1940 and married Eva Senohrabek in 1960 and they had a daughter (Debbie). He worked as a computer consultant in Toronto for the Honeywell Corporation travelling widely around the world. Arthur Mathies married Margaret Ellard in 1978 and they had a son (Thomas 1977). His personal interests included playing his guitar and singing, shooting pool in his basement and playing video games on the television.

[Source: Ernest J. Dick, Courage, Courage, The Lord Will Help, The Family History of Johann P. Dück and Descendants from Schönfeld, Southern Russia (Leamington, John H. Dick, 1990),pp. 65-67]

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