Ethel Allison

ETHEL ALLISON was born in her grandparent’s home in Essex, Ontario at the time of the bad flu epidemic, on Feb. 26, 1920. As a very young child, her parents moved to Concession 3, Maidstone Township and Ethel, the oldest of six children, has lived in the same home since then. She attended S.S. #4 Maidstone, a one room school, for her elementary education. Ethel remembers the big, wood burning furnace where the students would place potatoes on top and at noon, they had hot potatoes for lunch. Secondary education was attained at Essex High School. Then Ethel looked after her grandmother and worked around the farm for a few years. In 1945, she was approached to teach music at various schools in the county. She was studying music at the time with the McKenzie sisters in Leamington. In the 50’s, Ethel took a six week summer course in elementary education at Hamilton Teacher’s College. Besides a few refresher courses, in Toronto, Ethel also took Fred Waring Music Choral summer courses in East Lansing, Michigan and at Delaware Water Gap near New York City. Ethel has received an Associate of music degree from Western and she has her specialist in Library Science. She taught music and library for 40 years in the elementary schools in the north part of Essex County. Ethel was responsible for the choirs in nearly every school where she taught. Ethel retired in June 1985 and joined RWTO that September. Ethel has always enjoyed our luncheons and trips and as the RTO/ERO Goodwill Convenor for the north part of the county she comes in contact with many of our RWTO members. Ethel has played piano, the second Tuesday of each month, for the United Church service at County Village Retirement/Nursing Home Centre, since 1988.She also does Paper Tole and makes jam preserves for her Church Bazaar in November. For the past 20 years, she has served on the Bicentennial Museum Committee in Maidstone Township. Ethel has won many awards - Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal, Maidstone township Citizen of the Year, Lakeshore Citizen of the Year in the Year to Honour the Older Person, and Ontario’s 125 Year Medal. Ethel now enjoys her 6 nephews, 4 great nieces, 3 great nephews and 2 great, great nieces, Avery and Mikalya. She is also trying to be her brother Tom’s legs as he has had an ankle fusion operation.
All of us who know Ethel wish we had her spunk and energy. What a delightful lady !