Source: Gathering Our Heroes
Find-A-Grave
The second marriage of Lilly Mable Doan Laskey, was to Mr Albert Arthur Land, the son of Thomas Land and Mary Rogers Jackson, of Sarnia, and took place at #15 Johnson St. London Ont. at 7:30 PM 23 June 1919.
Art, as he was called, was a soldier in the First World War, and was returned from overseas with broken aches in his feet. It was in a military hospital, that he met Marjory Laskey, who was a Candy Striper, (Volunteer helper), and was invited to the Laskey home. He there met Marjory’s mother, and it was love.
The marriage was successful as he worked hard to provide for his ready made family of three boys and a girl, ages 2 – 16 years. In the spring of 1922 the family moved to a farm near Komoka, at the cross roads known as the “5” corners. This was because Art’s health was poor. Marjory did not move with us as she went to Toronto to attend the Toronto Bible Institute, she wanted to be a Missionary. The move to the farm was a benefit to the health problem, but not a profitable one as the soil was poor, and Art was not an experienced farmer. Market garden produce was raised and taken to the London market by horse, and sold from the back of the democrate,(buggy that carried seats for four, with, with the rear seat removed).
At the “5” corners, a daughter was born to Art and Mable, at 4:30 PM 27 Aug 1923, named Hannah Isobel (Lilly) Land. It was from here that Paul started school, when he was 7 years old, to S.S. # 9 Lobo. He did not attend the full year as he took “Diptheria”, which left him with a heart problem.
The offer of a good job in Detroit Mich. caused the family to move to that city in Oct 1925, with Art taking a job with the Fisher Body Co. Mable, always an enterprising woman, decided to take in boarders, in our home at #782 Green St., there were always a Congenial group present.
Along with the many good times on Green St, like Cecil marrying Della Brown, Den living at home, and Marjory, falling in love with one of the boarders, Peter Morninigstar, and marrying him, Paul took seriously sick with “Scarlet Fever, and Rumatic Fever”, which further affected his heart problem, Lilly became sick with “Strep” throat. She died 31 Mar 1927, and was buried in the Woodmere Cemetery, on Fort St. Detroit, 4 Apr 1927.
The health of Paul was poor, and it was doubtful that he would see maturity. The family now reduced to Den, Paul, Mable and Art, moved to Wyondotte Mich. as it was thought the air would be better for Paul. We lived about 50 feet from the railroad tracks, over a boat house on the Ecorse River, about one city block from the Detroit River. Paul rowed a boat up and down the river almost every day, and the air and the exercise did wonders for his health.
The land lady, Mrs King, lived in another part of the house, she also owned another house in Ecorse, where a Mrs Bowles lived, whose husband had just been killed in a accident at the Ford motor plant. She persuaded Mrs Land to move there to be near the bereaved woman, and her two small children.
Den married Helen Murphy, 7 Nov. 1927, and was now living in Detroit. So the family now of Paul, Mable and Art, moved to theplace in Ecorse, #46 Elexis St., this location was also very near the Detroit river, and most of the family’s in the area were engaged in running “Beer” in from Canada.(The U.S.A. was in prohibition) Paul helped the neighbourhood children bring beer from the river to their back yards, on hand wagons or sleighs.
The depression was now being felt by everyone, so it was decided that the family would move to a larger accommodations, and share it with Den and his young family. The family moved to the next block to 39 Cherry Grove, with Den.
Mable’s mother, Mrs Geo. Doan of Komoka Ont. was getting well up in years and was chronically ill, so in the summer of 1931, Paul, Mable and Art moved to the village of Komoka, to be able to care for her mother.(Mable’s father had passed away in 1927)
Life in the village of Komoka was fairly normal, Paul attending the Public School in the village, later going to the H.B.Beal Tech. School in London, commuting by train each day. Mable was active in church work, and through efforts of her, Geo Campbell, and Jack Hord, Penticostal Prayer meetings were held in the old Orange Hall in Komoka. In early 1934, Paul decided to quit school, and went to work.
Art took odd jobs with the local farmers until he got a job as section hand on the C.N. Railway. He remained with the C.N. until his retirement in 1962.
Marjory Laskey Morningstar passed away, 19 Feb 1937, in Detroit Mich., leaving four small children. Mable and Art immediately took these children to raise as their own, the childrens ages were, Paul 7, David 6, Eldred 5, Ruth 3,. The children were delicate and required special care. About this time, Annie Jeacock who had always called the Laskey/Land residence home, came to live permanently with them, she was semi crippled with a leg infection, but was a good companion for Mable, and helped with the care of the children. Art’s employment took them to various places of residences, Komoka, Appin, and Stevensville Ont..
Stevensville was one of the longer places called home. Annie Jaecock died there the 24 Nov 1948, in her 79 year.(the body was taken to London for burial in Mt Pleasant Cemetery). It was here the children started to mature and leave home. Home was on a farm and was usually a happy place for all. Once more Mable and Art had seen their family educated, strong, healthy, mature, and leave home, going out on their own.
After Art’s retirement, in their home in Hagersville Ont. Mable’s health started to decline, it was discovered she had “Diabetes”. She passed away in the Hamilton General Hospital, 19 Mar 1957. Internment was in the Woodland Cemetery, in London Ont. beside that of her first husband Frank, at 2 PM, 23 Mar 1957.
Art Land married again to Mrs Abegal Wilma Melenbacher, 31 Aug. 1957. Wilma had six children by a previous marriage.
Albert Arthur Land, died 4 May 1972, and was buried in a small cemetery near Langton Ont.. Wilma went to live in Port Rowan Ont. near her married children. D. 26 Oct 1983
Contributed by Paul Andrew Laskey
War Diary of the 18th Battalion CEF 