Leonard was born February 5, 1944 in Hopewell Hospital, Russell Street, Leamington, Ontario. He died on Highway 77, corner of Concession 7, on his way home from school on November 22, 1951.
My twin brother Werner had died at five months in 1939, and my sister Nancy died in 1947 at 14 months of age. As a result, my parents were left with me, a skinny, sickly child, and two younger healthy children, namely Linda and Leonard.
We lived on a farm on Concession 7, Mersea Township and attended the old Blytheswood school on the corner of Highway 77 and Concession 8, just across the road from the general store.
In the 1950s, the junior children’s school day ended at 2:30 in the afternoon. On November 22, 1951, brother Leonard, along with Dave Enns and cousin Bill Enns walked home together on Highway 77 as usual. All three lived on Concession 7. When they neared the corner, they waited for a truck to pass. Without looking further, brother Leonard darted across the road, and was struck and killed by a car driven by Fred Morley, a sales representative for McCormick Cracker Company.
According with the custom of that time, a viewing and receiving line was held in our home in the front room. I recall that several well-meaning people commented what a shame it was that sickly Walter could not have died in healthy Leonard’s place.
The Funeral Service was held at the Mennonite Church on Oak Street with Rev. N.N. Driedger, Rev. Abram Rempel and Rev. Jacob Neufeld officiating. At that time, one Pastor officiated at the home and two at the church service.
What really puzzled me as a 13 year old was that my parents asked Fred Morley to sit with us on the front bench at the church service.
The years passed and I lost track of Fred Morley. Then one day in 1999, I read his obituary in the Leamington Post. I went to the viewing at Reid Funeral Home. Fred had first married Katie Willms who worked at the Royal Bank; after her death he married Irene Wiens. He had been 29 at the time of Leonard’s passing and died after a lengthy illness. Irene Wiens Morley later said that the accident in 1951 was on his mind every day; he never forgot.
Told by Walter Koop
