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JOHN AND JANE MCCREA
1865
Omemee, ON

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JOHN AND JANE McCREA

John McCrea and wife Rebecca Harper left their home in Clonaweel, County of Fremanagh, Ireland, where their children were born, and sailed with the four youngest for Canada in 1846. Both died soon after landing and were buried in Montreal. John McCrea, one of their children, and Jane McNeely (born in Ireland), were married on August 5th, 1857. These were John McNeely McCrea's parents. They were active in the affairs of church and community. John was a layman and filled in for the minister when needed. He was a carpenter, making furniture for several families around the area, as well as being the Undertaker Here were constructed the much-desired corner cupboards, such as were in every home that could afford one; here were made chairs of the prevailing styles - arrow-backs, pillow-backs, captain's arm chairs, Boston rockers; also various types of tables, especially "drop-leaf"; and bunks and bedstead. As well as furniture, Mr. McCrea built to order pine coffins in advance of the day when they would be needed. Mr. McCrea charged the village council $5.00 for the coffin in which to bury an indigent person. Of course all these articles were hand made. The only piece of machinery in the shop was lathe for wood turning, which was operated by a horse-power engine located in the yard back of the shop. Like so many of the old trades, that of a cabinet maker became almost obsolete when the large factories came into production. McCrea's evolved into a furniture store, handling factory-made pieces.

He served in most positions in the town council during his time, except for the chair of Reeve, which he wanted no part of. He conducted Young Men's Bible Class every Sunday and was a lay preacher. Jane was active in the Ladies Aid and Missionary Society. With the other women in Omemee, they knit and sent the knitted articles to the men in Africa during the Boer War. John and Jane McCrea celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on August 5th, 1907. John McCrea died November 27th, 1909, in his 78th year and his wife Jane died October 26th, 1922 in her 90th year.

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JOHN MCCREA AND MRS. MCCREA
1917
Omemee, ON

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JOHN McCREA AND MRS. McCREA

At the golden wedding anniversary of his parents, this garden picture was taken of John and his wife.

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THE MCCREA FAMILY
1890
Omemee, ON

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THE McCREA FAMILY

John and Jane had eight children (four boys and four girls) spanning 21 years, including John McNeely McCrea. They loved all their children equally and dispensed justice without prejudice or favour. All the children were allotted tasks according to age and ability. Prayers were a part of everyday life, but Sundays they shared religion with the community and church. The family was musical and either played an instrument or sang.

Amy, the eldest, was a tall, beautiful and gifted girl. She was a teacher by nature as well as training, and taught school at Bethany, and later taught music in Omemee. At home she was a good seamstress, and had many interests, including sketching, English, history and poetry. Amy married Mr. Robert J. Mulligan. Robert's parents were Mr. and Mrs. William Mulligan and they lived in the first house west of Lebanon Wesleyan Methodist Church in the hamlet of Lebanon, south of Omemee. Mr. Mulligan was a weaver and it was in this house that Robert was born. At a later date the Mulligans moved to Omemee where William operated a loom for the manufacturers of carpets. Amy and Robert had three sons. Harper at the age of eight and his 2-year-old brother died of diphtheria. The middle boy, Clifford survived.

Harper, the eldest boy, was tall and slim. Harper loved music. He played cornet in the village band and sang in the choir. He worked in his father's cabinet shop, which then led to involvement in the building field in Rochester, New York. While there he became ill, came home, was diagnosed with rheumatic fever, and after ten days of great suffering, died at the age of twenty-eight. Harper was born in Omemee March 18th, 1861 and died October 4th, 1889.

Ella, the second daughter, had a gift for organization and had a great sense of humour. She was a great storyteller to the younger girls and boys. She taught Sunday school and worked for the Women's Missionary Society. She had a genius for fund collecting for various church projects.

John, born April 16th, 1865, was serious and caring. John was a cabinetmaker, and had served his apprenticeship with the well-known furniture firm of Jacques & Hayes of Simcoe Street, Toronto. He may have become an architect, had he not suffered under a cruel, tyrannical teacher during this first year or so in high school. Between the ages of seventy and ninety, he made many the many models in this collection. When John was 38, he married Elizabeth Roberts (1868-1914), 34, of Lindsay Ontario, on June 4th, 1903. Their infant son, John Roberts, died May 8th, 1907. John later married Frances Morden and a second son was born in 1923, John Morden. John died April 6th, 1957 at the age of 92. John Morden McCrea resides in Pittsburg.

Anna, along with John, was a gentle person. She was clever and quick to learn and had her senior matriculation at the age of sixteen. She loved music, and studied at the Conservatory of Music while teaching in Toronto. The two careers put a strain on Anna's health, making it impossible for her to take her final examination in piano. On her way home from a visit with Flora, she drowned in a car that plunged backwards into sixteen feet of water. Due to rheumatoid arthritis, she was unable to climb out of the car. Anna Rebecca McCrea was born February 01, 1863 and died October 4th, 1952.

William S. was different from the other children. He was a dark-skinned, black-haired boy, handsome boy, who rarely smile. He was a tease and difficult child who was a constant constraint to his parents. He had a mechanical mind, and worked at various jobs, and finally moved to Winnipeg. He later served in the First World War, and after his return (November 6th, 1900), developed arthritis and became an invalid.

Arthur was a lovable, happy boy. He played cricket, baseball and hockey in Omemee, and sang in the choir and at one time played violin. He later became a Massey-Harris agent. He worked in his Uncle Isaac McNeely's store, and later was invited to join the T. Eaton Company Ltd. where his earlier experience helped him to advance in the company. Arthur had the first two-wheeler (bicycle) in Omemee. Later on in life, he was known as "Uncle Arthur" by all his friends, young and old, and his nieces and nephews. He had an enormous knack form making and keeping friends.

Flora (later known as Lady Eaton) was the youngest. She was strong willed and loved music. She went to Toronto at the age of 18 to study as a nurse at the Toronto General Hospital, where, after three months probation was told that she not fitted to become a nurse, and was let go. She then applied to Rotherham House, a private hospital on Isabella Street. It was there that she met a patient by the name of Jack (John) Eaton, son of Timothy Eaton, the founder and president of the T. Eaton Company Ltd, whom she married at the age of nineteen.

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THE JOHN McCREA MEMORIAL PARSONAGE
1910
Omemee, ON

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THE JOHN McCREA MEMORIAL PARSONAGE

In 1910 a new parsonage was constructed for the Methodist Church, lying immediately East of the church on the South side of King St. This new parsonage was a gift of Lady Eaton and was built as a memorial to her father John McCrea who, with his wife and family, had been faithful members of the church.

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McCREA MEMORIAL CHAPEL
1940
EMILY TOWNSHIP

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McCREA MEMORIAL CHAPEL

A McCrea Memorial Chapel was opened on September 3, 1929 at the Emily Cemetery, lying on the North side of Highway 7 a short distance East of Omemee. It was donated by Lady Eaton as a memorial to her family and included a new set of cemetery gates. The chapel was constructed by stone masons and has British Columbia fir and oak used in the interior. In the chapel are 6 marble headstones embedded in the walls. These headstones are for the early members of the McNeely and McCrea families and include a headstone in memory of John McCrea and his wife, Rebecca Harper, who died shortly after landing in Canada in 1846 and were buried at Montreal. "They were lovely and pleasant in their lives and in death they were not divided".
In recent years, the chapel has been restored and is now in use as setting for funerals and memorial services.