Mary
Mary Hesman
MRS. MARY MABEL HESMAN
of Sundridge
Mary M. Hesman (nee Pilger), was born November 8 1915 in Commanda Ontario to Philip Pilger and Clara Pilger (nee Simms). Mary was the 7th child in a family of 8, and she remained close to all of her sisters and brother Frank.
Mary grew up on the Pilger family farm on Pilger Road in Commanda. At the age of 14 years, she started working in lumber camps and sawmills as cook's helper, eventually moving on to being the cook herself. She married Robert McConnell when she was 17 years old and they made their life together working for the lumber industry, he as a logger and general labourer and Mary as a cook.
Robert was a WW1 veteran, and when WWII broke out, he re-enlisted and was posted in several different areas of Ontario as a guard for prisoners of war. Mary followed him around taking work wherever she could, picking fruit in southern Ontario, domestic work, even working in a meat packing plant in Toronto. When the war ended they went back to working in the lumber industry near their child hood home in northern Ontario. Robert passed away of a heart attack, and Mary went on cooking in lumber camps where she was approached by Walter E. Hesman to come and cook at his tourist resort, Little River Lodge in Golden Valley. Mary turned him down twice, because she thought her cooking was just plain and not suited to the fancy clientele from the USA. Eventually she agreed to try it, and was a great success with all of the tourists. She not only found a job, but a husband as well, and she and Walter were married and had one son, Rick.
They continued to run the lodge until they decided to sell it in 1969. They lived on the property next to the lodge and Walter continued on with his trap line in the fall and winter. Mary kept house, and gardened and remained well known with family and friends for her wonderful cooking.
In 1985 they moved to Sundridge and purchased their home on Murray St., where they enjoyed full retirement and eventually passed away, Walter in June of 1996 and Mary in November of 2018, just 4 days short of her 103'd birthday. They are deeply missed by son Rick and all of their family and friends.
of Sundridge
Mary M. Hesman (nee Pilger), was born November 8 1915 in Commanda Ontario to Philip Pilger and Clara Pilger (nee Simms). Mary was the 7th child in a family of 8, and she remained close to all of her sisters and brother Frank.
Mary grew up on the Pilger family farm on Pilger Road in Commanda. At the age of 14 years, she started working in lumber camps and sawmills as cook's helper, eventually moving on to being the cook herself. She married Robert McConnell when she was 17 years old and they made their life together working for the lumber industry, he as a logger and general labourer and Mary as a cook.
Robert was a WW1 veteran, and when WWII broke out, he re-enlisted and was posted in several different areas of Ontario as a guard for prisoners of war. Mary followed him around taking work wherever she could, picking fruit in southern Ontario, domestic work, even working in a meat packing plant in Toronto. When the war ended they went back to working in the lumber industry near their child hood home in northern Ontario. Robert passed away of a heart attack, and Mary went on cooking in lumber camps where she was approached by Walter E. Hesman to come and cook at his tourist resort, Little River Lodge in Golden Valley. Mary turned him down twice, because she thought her cooking was just plain and not suited to the fancy clientele from the USA. Eventually she agreed to try it, and was a great success with all of the tourists. She not only found a job, but a husband as well, and she and Walter were married and had one son, Rick.
They continued to run the lodge until they decided to sell it in 1969. They lived on the property next to the lodge and Walter continued on with his trap line in the fall and winter. Mary kept house, and gardened and remained well known with family and friends for her wonderful cooking.
In 1985 they moved to Sundridge and purchased their home on Murray St., where they enjoyed full retirement and eventually passed away, Walter in June of 1996 and Mary in November of 2018, just 4 days short of her 103'd birthday. They are deeply missed by son Rick and all of their family and friends.
Visitation Details
Wednesday, November 7th, 2018 2:00pm - 4:00pm, Opatovsky Funeral Home-Moore Chapel
Wednesday, November 7th, 2018 7:00pm - 9:00pm, Opatovsky Funeral Home-Moore Chapel
Service Information
Thursday, November 8th, 2018 11:00am, Zion United Church
Guestbook
Visits: 11
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