| Name |
Glenn Fredrick Mabee |
| Birth |
1 Oct 1922 |
Albion Township, Peel County, Ontario, Canada  [1] |
| Gender |
Male |
| Residence |
1965 |
Rural Route 1, Everett, Dufferin County, Ontario, Canada [2] |
- Glenn Mabee, Labourer
Mrs Blanche Mabee
|
| Witness-Obituary |
12 Sep 1988 |
Toronto, Ontario, Canada [3] |
- Fred Ross Mabee died at Stevenson Memorial Hospital, Alliston, on Saturday, September 10, 1988. Fred Mabee in his 93rd year, beloved husband of Etta Mark. Loving father of Glenn of Everett, Ross of Bolton, Raymond of Tottenham, Marion (Mrs Norval Hollingshead) of Schomberg, and the late Jean. Loved by ten grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.... Interment Mt Tegart Cemetery
|
| Residence |
Between 1997 and 2002 |
5175 County Rd 13, Everett, Dufferin County, Ontario, Canada [4] |
| Witness-Obituary |
30 Dec 2003 |
Toronto, Ontario, Canada [5] |
- Died peacefully at her home in Everett on Sunday, December 28th, 2003. Blanche-Edith Watson, in her 75th year, beloved wife of Glenn Mabee. Loving mother of Cindy Mabee-Coulan and her husband Loyal of Sudbury, Jill Caron and her husband Adrian of Midhurst, and the late Michael. Dear sister of Marie Allen and her husband Ron, Ruth Rose and her husband Bill, all of Huntsville and the late Donald Watson. Resting at Rod Abrams Funeral Home, 1666 Tottenham Road. Tottenham 905-936-3477 on Tuesday, December 30th from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Funeral service will be held in the Alliston Pentecostal Church, Highway 89, West of Alliston, 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, December 31st, 2003. Interment to follow in the spring of 2004 at Trinity Cemetery, Beeton. Donations in Blanche's memory to the Canadian Cancer Society (Small Cell Cancer Research) would be appreciated by the family.
|
| Anecdote |
2011 |
Alliston Herald, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada [6] |
- Glen Mabee built over 200 concrete silos throughout the local farming community and when we travel through the beautiful farm countryside we see a lot of his cement towers. They are part of the typical rural scene.
In the old days, many of the big storage cylinders were made of wood and held together by iron bands in the same way that the old wooden rain barrels were built. They are used for storing corn or hay crops that are fed to livestock. The entire crop is ground up and blown into the storage and when the plant juices ferment, the alcohol preserves it and it is excellent feed for cattle.
After the Second World War there was a considerable demand for silos, so young Glen Mabee found employment in this construction work. At first he earned only $1 per day for long hours of heavy labour but he was learning a useful trade and hoped to own his own construction company when he gained enough expertise.
After a few years on the job, his dream was realized. Today, in his 89th year he continues to run his own business, operating his backhoe, bulldozer and dump truck but he no longer builds silos.
The Mabee family came to Canada from the United States as United Empire Loyalists after the American Revolution. They settled on a hilltop farm in a place called Mount Wolfe, south of Highway 9.
Several generations of the family farmed the home property and Frederick Glen Mabee was born there on Oct. 1, 1922.
Growing up on the farm, he learned to work hard and he developed many talents in addition to agriculture. The lad became accustomed to working with machines and hand tools at an early age and even today he still enjoys working with heavy equipment and running his own business from his farm in Tosorontio.
When Glen grew up, he found a labouring job, building concrete farm silos. He managed to buy an old Model A Ford and gasoline cost only 25 cents a gallon.
One day while driving through town with a friend, his pal said, "Hey, I know those two girls on the sidewalk. Let's give them a lift." One of the young ladies was Miss Blanche Watson and Glen was immediately attracted to her and struck up a conversation. Later, he decided to call on her at the Watson home in Beeton. The young man did not find her father, Fred Watson very friendly and his wife was just as bad. They refused to welcome him or talk to him but he was determined. Glen recalls, "I wasn't afraid of anything in those days."
He said, "I remember that Fred was in the living room ignoring me but I knew that we shared an interest in hunting, so I started talking about that and he warmed right up afterwards we got along, OK. Blanche's mother took a small drink of liquor every day for her heart condition so I went to Barrie to pick it up for her and after that we got along OK She even gave me a wee taste of it.
"Blanche was the prettiest girl in Beeton and I was determined to keep her so after only three months dating, in spite of her parents objections, we were married on Feb. 15, 1949 in the little United Church."
Glen's work involved climbing and working high above the ground. It could be dangerous work in a time when there were no industrial safety regulations on the worksite. Everyone had to take care of himself.
Apparently the young man became pretty good at his trade and he must have enjoyed it because, when the opportunity arose, he purchased his employer's concrete forms and went into business for himself with only a car and trailer to haul his equipment.
He built his own hoisting machine from the rear end of an old car. Mabee was ready for his first contract and one of the first customers was my father, Elmer Braden. Those must have been exciting days in the new business enterprise.
He began each silo project by leveling the proposed location beside the barn and then building a thick concrete footing with steel reinforcements strong enough to carry many tons of concrete. He hired a friend to run the gasoline-powered cement mixer and to hoist the mixture up to him at the level he was building.
The car rear end hoisting machine worked well. By simply braking one wheel, the other one turned, winding up a cable, thus lifting a bucket-load of cement.
Glen was in the habit of riding up to the level in the bucket. It was quicker than using the ladder but on one occasion he had a fall. He was just getting off the lift when the employee let the brake off, allowing the device to drop back to ground level. He fell about 25 feet, landing on the mixer which dumped over, helping to break his fall. If he had hit the upright iron handle he might have been killed. As it was, he went right back on the job. One had to be tough in the old days. That's the way we were then.
Things were going well and Mr. and Mrs. Mabee bought an old, run-down farm in Tosorontio. Little by little they added new buildings and fixed up the house.
Blanche loved flowers and Glen built flowerbeds with stone borders and soon the place was looking great. In spite of her lifelong weak heart, she gave birth to three children, Cindy, Jill and Michael. Their pastures were stocked with 80 fat cattle and the Mabees were very busy, prosperous folk.
Little Michael was always at his daddy's side and, no doubt Glen envisioned the lad working with him in the business when he was old enough. Then, one day when the wee fellow was only five years old, tragedy struck the family. The child was on the gravel road near their house when he was struck by a car. He died on the way to hospital. It was a terrible heartbreak for the family.
Glen Mabee was a broken man. He said, "I didn't do anything for two years and Blanche didn't push me until finally she said, we're running out of money so I think you'll have to do something." Glen pulled himself up, and ended his grieving period and went back to construction work.
He bought a bulldozer from Morris Aikens and a small dump truck and then a backhoe. Pretty soon he was digging swimming pools and septic systems, leveling properties, building lanes and driveways and all manner of projects. Once again, business was booming.
Busy as they were, the Mabees found time for travel. Glen went hunting with friends at Manitoulin Island every fall and life was good. The devoted couple entered their golden years in prosperity and then when Blanche was 74 years old, on Dec. 28, 2003 she passed away. Once again the Mabee family was in mourning.
Glen Mabee continues to keep busy in the work he knows so well. Now, in his 89th year, there is no sign of slowing down. During our farm visit, he showed us the great load of maple logs he had cut, split and piled during the week.
He seems to age at a different rate from most men, so I asked, "Don't you have any arthritis?" He answered, "I don't have time for it."
I asked about recreation and he said, "I enjoy hunting and I go out dancing but mostly I'm busy working."
He is one of very few in Ontario to have a dump truck license at his age. He drives a smart new half-ton truck and has a modern, shiny Honda four wheeler for field and forest travel.
I had to ask, "How do you keep so youthful and active, keeping up with the times the way you do?" He said, "I just keep busy."
The answer made me recall a Biblical verse which says, "But those who trust in the Lord will find their strength renewed. They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow weak." Glen Mabee shows no sign of weakening and we hope he is able to be just as active in his 90s.
|
| Reference Number |
24427 |
| Residence |
2011 |
Tosorontio Township, Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada [1] |
| Death |
26 Sep 2016 |
Hospice Simcoe, Barrie, Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada [7] |
| Burial |
Beeton United Cemetery, Beeton, Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada [7] |
- MABEE; Michael John Fredrick; beloved son of Blanche & Glenn Mabee; Jan 24 1958 - Jun 29 1962; Glenn F Mabee; Oct 1, 1922 - Sept 26, 2016; His Beloved Wife; Blanche E Watson; Sept 9, 1929 - Dec 28, 2003
|
| Person ID |
I24263 |
Maybee Society |
| Last Modified |
7 Apr 2024 |
| Father |
Ross Fred Stewart Mabee, b. 30 Aug 1896, Albion Township, Peel County, Ontario, Canada d. 10 Sep 1988, Alliston, Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada (Age 92 years) |
| Relationship |
natural |
| Mother |
Mary Etta Mark, b. 30 Oct 1898, Luther Township, Dufferin County, Ontario, Canada d. 13 May 1996 (Age 97 years) |
| Relationship |
natural |
| Marriage |
2 Nov 1921 |
Tottenham, Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada [8] |
- Ross Fred Stewart Mabee, 25, a farmer of Albion, son of Daniel Mabee and Mary Hall; was married to Mary Etta Mark, 23, a spinster of Tecumseth, born in Luther, daughter of Daniel A Mark and Matilda Hammond; on 2 Nov 1921, by A. P. Stanley, Methodist Minister, at Tottenham, Simcoe County, Ontario
|
| Family ID |
F6974 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
1922 - 2016 (93 years)
