Person:Ruth Thom (1)

Name and Relationships

Name: Name on her 1880 birth registration is Ruth Thom, not Ruth Gordon Thom. Name on marriage registration is Ruth Gordon Thom. Her nickname was Ruby. Name on her grave marker is Ruth Gordon Harper.

Parents: Archibald Thom and Sarah Gordon. Source is Ruth's 1880 birth registration and Ruth's 1902 marriage registration.

Spouse: John Harper.

Ruth Thom was Mary Thoburn's adoptive mother.

Personal History

1880 - Birth: Ruth Gordon Thom was born on October 12, 1880 in Osprey Township, Ontario. Source is her 1880 birth registration. The 1901 Census of Canada lists her birth date correctly as October 12 but incorrectly as 1881. The 1911 Census of Canada also incorrectly lists her birth year as 1881.

1881 - Census: In 1881, Ruth Gordon Thom is not listed in the household of Archibald Thom although she would have been a few months old at the time. Source is 1881 Census of Canada.

1891 - Census: On April 6, 1891, Ruth Thom 10 was living with her parents Archibald Thom 52, school teacher, and Sarah Thom 44 and her 5 siblings: Agnes (incorrectly spelled Agmes in this census) 27, John (spelled Joker in this census) 25, William 23, Alexander 19 and Harry (incorrectly spelled Hary in this census) 15 in Armour Township, Muskoka and Parry Sound. Source is 1891 Census of Canada.

The household was living on a farm near Katrine, Ontario. Source is Susan Binster, Find a Grave.

1901 - Census: In June 1901, Ruth (called Ruby in this census) Thom 20, Printer, was living with her parents, Archibald Thom 63 and Sarah Thom 56 along with her brother William Thom 33 in Sundridge, Ontario. Also living with them was John Harper, 39, Frances Chapman, 13, lodger, and Barbara McNiven, 21, board-in lodger. Source is 1901 Census of Canada. NOTE: This is part of that girlhood friendship between Ruth and Barbara that Mary Irwin refers to in her memoirs.

1902 - Marriage: On August 27, 1902, Ruth Thom 21 (interestingly listed as two years older (23) in this document) married John Harper 40 in Sundridge. Source is their 1902 marriage registration. NOTE: Her friend Barbara McNiven, does not marry until July 27, 1904 in Orillia.

1908 - Birth of Child: On February 23, 1908, Ruth Harper's one and only natural daughter, Agnes Bernise Harper, was born. Source is Agnes's 1908 birth registration. WHAT HAPPENED TO HER?

1910 - Foster Daughter: In March 1910, Ruth Harper 29, traveled to Saskatchewan to get Mary McLean Thoburn 2 from her brother Alexander Thom and his wife, Annie Thom (nee McNiven) who lived in Wadena Sask. Source is Mary M Irwin Memoirs, unpublished.

1911 - Census: In June 1911, Ruth Harper 30 was living with her husband John Harper 49, foster daughter Mary Harper 3, niece Agnes Thom 12 (John Thom's daughter) and several roomers at 26 Barrie St. Source is 1911 Census of Canada. NOTE: This census incorrectly lists her birth year as 1881. Her father, Archibald Thom, was the census enumerator.

1921 - Census: In June, 1921, Ruth Harper 40, was living with her husband John Harper 59, and Mary Harper 13 and Kenneth McLean 61, a Printer who boarded with them in their house on Barrie St. Source is 1921 Census of Canada.

1935 - Marriage of Foster Daughter: On October 17, 1935, Mary Harper married Elmer Irwin at Ruth and John Harper's Barrie St house in Sundridge, Ontario. Source is Mary M. Irwin Memoirs, unpublished.

1941 - Death of Husband: On January 1, 1941, Ruth Harper's husband, John Harper 79, died from a massive stroke. Source is Mary M Irwin Memoirs, unpublished.

1947 - Travels: In July, 1947, Ruth went with her foster daughter, Mary by train to Victoria to see Mary's brother George Thoburn. Source is a postcard sent by Ruth to Mrs. Vinnie, Sundridge on July 7, 1947.

1956 - Residence: In 1956, Ruth Harper 75 moved to Uxbridge to live with her foster daughter Mary Irwin and family. Source is Mary M Irwin Memoirs, unpublished.

1960 - Death and Burial: On July 10, 1960, Ruth Harper 79, died in the hospital in Uxbridge, Ontario. Source is an original copy of her funeral notice which incorrectly listed her age as 81. She had fallen down the stairs at the Uxbridge farmhouse a few days earlier. The funeral service was conducted at Sundridge United Church at 2:00 PM on July 12, 1960 and she was buried later that day in Strong Cemetery, Sundridge, Ontario beside her husband. Source is funeral notice and image of grave marker.

Grave Marker: RUTH GORDON HARPER Oct 12, 1880 July 10, 1960 Beloved wife of JOHN HARPER Strong Cemetery, Sundridge, Ontario.