Beatrice “Lenore” was born June 9, 1921 to William James and Mary (Morrison) McKerroll in Sydenham Township.
She was the youngest in the family with older sisters, Alma, Islay, Clare and Doreen to keep her company. The girl’s parents farmed on Lot 3, Concession 5 of Sydenham Township, on the outskirts of Owen Sound. Lenore attended elementary and high school in Owen Sound before graduating and acting as a teller at a local bank.
While at a dance at the Port Elgin Pavilion, during the summer of 1944, Lenore met a dashing young man by the name of Vernon Elroy Emke. Immediately they started dating as it was love at first sight. It was a short engagement for the young couple as Vern was living in Elmwood and, of course, Lenore was in Owen Sound. Vern often joked that he had to marry Lenore as he couldn’t afford the cost of gas going back and forth.
Lenore and Vern were married February 3, 1945 at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Owen Sound. The young couple soon bought a home in Chesley from Mr. Wright, it was 1946. At the time Vernon was a licensed funeral director and the couple began to transform their new home into a funeral home. It was also at this time that the couple began their family with Eloise joining them in 1946, Marlowe in 1949, Lynne in 1952, Carol in 1955, Leverne in 1958 and Heather in 1959.
In 1950-1951 Lenore and Vern added a chapel to the funeral home. As their business grew, so did Lenore’s responsibilities within the funeral home. In 1955, Lenore began training under Vern to become a licensed funeral director herself. This commenced in 1957, when she spent six weeks in Toronto finishing her formal license. She and Ruth Alton, were the only two females to graduate that year in the province of Ontario. In fact, Lenore was only the fourth woman in Ontario to become a licensed funeral director. Lenore broke ground in a predominately male profession and returned home to support her husband and care for her family.
However, Lenore saw her role, both in the family and family business, to support and encourage Vern. Always a wife and a mother before a funeral director, Lenore seldom made any of her desires, likes, and dreams known. She worked hard and diligently to care for family and business.
When time allowed, Lenore loved to curl, especially in bonspiels all over Ontario with her sisters. In fact, Lenore and Vern were part of the founding members of the Chesley Curling Club and was very active at her home of faith, Geneva Presbyterian. Being part of a Bridge Club was also high on her list of passions as was playing tennis, motorcycling, snowmobiling, hunting, crocheting and sewing. Perhaps most of all, Lenore loved music! The radio was always on and she loved to sing!
Lenore was an incredible cook. Her family recalls many of her creations but their favourites included short bread cookies, pies (especially banana cream), and raisin cake for Marlowe! Lenore was very social and loved to entertain. Thus she did this all the time. Her meals were incredible and there was always a huge spread for any visitor or guest that Vern invited to the table. Lenore had that lost talent of being able to make something out of nothing. She really kept the family together and was a great matriarch of the family.
The entire family got together every Thanksgiving and Easter. Why not Christmas you ask? Well, Vern and Lenore were always in Florida then of course. The couple first vacationed in Florida in the late 1950’s for a couple weeks. Who knew that this would be their winter destination for the next 50 years! They first bought a trailer in Jensen Beach, but as the years passed they moved around a bit and the vacations continued to get longer. By 1976, Marlowe was working at the funeral home and Lenore and Vern started spending a full six months (from Thanksgiving to the beginning of April) in the sunny south. They often joked that they had more friends in Florida than they did here. It was also in Florida, that Lenore took up the sport of lawn bowling, a pastime she very much enjoyed. The couple continued this journey yearly, until at the age of 87 they decided to make it their last.
The Emke’s always had a cottage with the first one being at Sauble Beach. Lenore and the kids would spend the entire summer at the cottage, with Vern joining them when he was able.
The couple’s hard work over the years paid off, and they were fortunate enough to retire in their mid 50’s. The funeral home was eventually sold to Jim McFadden in 1977. In 1978, the family made their home at Pike Bay until they transitioned to a condo in Owen Sound in 1988 to be closer to family.
Lenore was always on the move, always active, never stopping long enough even to share much of her life’s story, disappointments and personal triumphs. She devoted much of her life to looking after her family and especially Vern, as they were always together and seldom did anything apart.
Sadly, Lenore passed away at Brucelea Haven on Tuesday, November 29, 2016 in her 96th year and is now reunited with her beloved Vern.
She will live on in the hearts and minds of her children, Marlowe (Mary) Emke of Walkerton, Lynne (Bob) Hammond of London, Carol (Rod) Calhoun of Swallwell, Alberta, Leverne (Larry) Misch of Port Elgin and Heather (Rick) Grypstra of London. Lenore will be fondly remembered by her son-in-law Leonard Calhoun (Pat Boyd) of Hanover, twelve grandchildren, twenty three great-grandchildren and several nieces, nephews and cousins. Lenore was predeceased by beloved husband Vern (2013), eldest daughter Eloise Calhoun (2004), sisters Alma MacLennan, Islay Baldwin, Clare Ellis, Doreen Tomlinson and her parents, William and Mary (Morrison) McKerroll.
A memorial service celebrating Lenore’s life will be held at her former home, Rhody Family Funeral Home, Chesley on Saturday, April 8, 2017 at 1 p.m. with visitation one hour prior to the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to Brucelea Haven Activation Program or Canadian Cancer Society would be appreciated as expressions of sympathy.
