William Edward (Will) Townsend (3B10)
| Date of Birth: | 19 Sept 1873 |
|---|---|
| Date of Death: | 8 Feb 1947 |
| Generation: | 9th |
| Residence: | Vancouver, BC, Canada. |
| Father: | Henry Edward Townsend [3B05] |
| Mother: | Cook, Elizabeth |
| Spouse: |
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| Issue: | |
| See Also: | Table IIIB ; Lineage ; Ancestors' Tree ; Descendents' Tree |
Notes for William Edward Townsend (Will)
Will was born on the family farm in Gorrie, Ontario.
Married 1st. Frances Ann Ayers (1) on 24 December 1896 in Listowel, Ontario, Canada. Frances died on 21 October 1903 and Will was left a young widower with two small boys – Harold [3B19] and Leslie [3B20]. Married 2nd. Ida Francis Pillman (2) on 1 July 1905 in Evanston, Illinois, having met through mutual acquaintances.
Will started his career as a high school teacher in the Ontario area. However, shortly after his second marriage, Ida became homesick for her family and west coast scenery and they decided to move from Illinois to Vancouver, BC, Canada. It was here that Will accepted a prestigious position as a Manager with the Hudson Bay Company. This eventually led him into a wholesale furniture business which he established in Vancouver with his son, Harold. The business was very successful and Will and Ida built a lovely home in the Fairview area of Vancouver.
Will was a quiet, genial man and could often be found smoking his pipe and reading his favourite cowboy novel. His daughter-in-law Frieda (wife of Wilbur Pillman [3B22]) recalls how, with a twinkle in his blue eyes, he liked to quietly tease his sons about their girlfriends.
Will died of a heart attack at age 73 on 8 February 1947 in Vancouver. The story of his death, passed orally from Howard [3B21], who was there, to Francis [3B32] is that: Howard's wife, Grace [3B27], had gone with Ida for a ride in Ida's brand new car. Howard and Will were out in the back yard talking when he sat down under a cherry tree that he had planted years ago. He said, "Well, she now has everything she's wanted." When Howard looked around to ask his Dad what he meant, William Edward was already dead.
Between 1992 and 1997, Gracie Townsend [3B27] extensively researched members of the family descended from Richard Townsend [335]. This work has been invaluable in compiling the records of those concerned.
(1) Frances was born in Listowel in 1876.
(2) Ida was born in 1880 and died in Vancouver, BC ca 1975.