Life Story of Arthur Henry Haynes - Retirement
The Life Story of:

Arthur Henry Haynes - 1910-2008


Home  Introduction 1910 - 1938 1939 - 1953 1954 - 1975 1976 - 2008

1976 - 2008 - Retirement

In 1976 Art's first project after retirement was to complete the second floor of the cottage.  From spring until late fall that year he laboured to remove the roof overhang, and erect a barn style roof to create a very large second floor room.  Keeping true to his frugality he hand-built all of the roof trusses to keep costs low.  The result was a very comfortable cottage that Arthur and Margaret began to use as a permanent summer home.

Double Click for larger image in new window.
1976


Double Click for larger image in new window. Double Click for larger image in new window.
1976 - Art with sons Barry, John, and Rob with their families. 1976 - Art with sons John, Rob, and Barry.


 

In 1975 Art and Peggy purchased a mobile home in Bradenton Florida.  This would serve as their winter residence until 1983 when they sold the mobile home in Florida and purchased a home in Fonthill, Ontario.  During this time period Art and Peggy would spend the summers on Manitoulin Island and the winters in Florida.  

During the summers on Manitoulin Island the children and friends would frequently visit.

Double Click for larger image in new window.
1978 - Art with grandchildren Sean and Shannon.


Double Click for larger image in new window. Double Click for larger image in new window.
1978 - Seabreeze Mobile Home Park Bradenton Florida

1978 - As was the case during the summers, Art and Peggy would have frequent visitors to their mobile home in Florida and kept up a busy social life with the other mobile home park residents.



Double Click for larger image in new window. Double Click for larger image in new window.

1979 - Blanche and Ed Frappier with Art.  Gore Bay, Ontario.

1980 - Art on his 70th birthday. All the kids took him out to his favourite restaurant in Sudbury - Cassios.



In the summer of 1981 Peggy decided she wanted to organize a garage sale to sell-off a lot of unwanted "stuff".  As is common with men of his generation he didn't think it was a great idea and though it would be a bust.  When throngs of people arrived and the money started to pour in he quickly found religion and began ferrying "his stuff" from the shed out to the sales tables.  They had a very successful day. Double Click for larger image in new window.
1981 - garage sale


Double Click for larger image in new window. Double Click for larger image in new window.
1982 - Art with all the boys and their families. 1983 - on Manitoulin Island - Art was in his element puttering around the property at the cottage on Manitoulin Island.  Art would call it "the camp" and Peggy would call it "The Cottage".  He loved to wear his well-worn clothes that were ripped and frayed but in his mind they were still good and he was getting full use out of them.  Packages of new shirts and socks filled his dresser in his bedroom but he would always rather dress in the familiar than the new.  The frugal mentality of the depression years never left him.


Double Click for larger image in new window. Double Click for larger image in new window.
1984 - After selling their mobile home in Florida in 1983, Peggy and Art purchased a home in Fonthill Ontario. 1985 - Art with granddaughter Carly, munching on his favourite;  balony and spanish onion sandwich.


Double Click for larger image in new window. Double Click for larger image in new window.
1986 - Art with grandson Daryl 1987 - Art with grandson Brandon aged two.


Double Click for larger image in new window. Double Click for larger image in new window.
1988 - with sister Nell & brother-in-law Don Arnott 1988 - grandson Brandon's first boat ride


Double Click for larger image in new window.
1992 - Art and his surviving sisters 


Double Click for larger image in new window. Double Click for larger image in new window.
In 1969 we put our footprints in concrete on the cottage patio and in 1992 updated them.  1993 - grandson Brandon loved a fire so that became a ritual to do just before sunset.


Double Click for larger image in new window. Double Click for larger image in new window.
1995 - Art at Ten Mile Point Manitoulin Island, Ontario with nieces Betty & Joyce 1995 - nodding off reading.


Not one to spend money easily, in 1995 at the youthful age of 85 he embarked on a large project at the cottage to replace the septic tank.  Most of that summer he built concrete forms out of wood and portion by portion poured a new septic tank hand mixing concrete in an ancient wheelbarrow.  By the end of the summer he had finished the monumental task and it is in service today.  He did admit he was tired after it was all done.



 

One day in August 1998 son David and grandson Brandon took out the old sailboat for a run around the bay at the cottage.  On one of the tacks they flipped the boat and it turned completely upside down with the mast sticking into the bottom of the lake.  The sailboat was old and had been patched many times.  It was heavy and not particularly easy to right.  So there they were in the middle of the bay on the disabled boat and not able to right it.  While Peggy called 911 and other cottagers,  Art launched the rowboat and began to row out to the sailboat.  He took his time in slow and easy strokes and rested when he got tired.  He was almost out to the sailboat when other cottagers came to our aid in powerboats and towed us and him back to shore.  The boat was sold shortly thereafter.

Double Click for larger image in new window.
1998


In the fall of 1998 son David built a post & beam home.  Art was frequently on-site to offer advice, particularly when it came to the plumbing.  With his advice David managed to get the plumbing installed.  The plumbing did not pass on first inspection but after a few fix-ups it was passed and it was ready to go.  To see more about the build go here. Double Click for larger image in new window.
1998 - Son David's Post & Beam home.


Double Click for larger image in new window. Double Click for larger image in new window.
1999 -  with son David and grandson Brandon. 2000 - 90th Birthday with niece Betty, and sister Nell


In his later years, Art was becoming profoundly hard of hearing.  One morning Art and Peggy went into the bustling metropolis of Little Current Ontario (pop. 1200) to do some shopping.  Peggy went into a store and Art, as was his custom, sat outside on a bench to watch the procession of people wander by.  A short while later Peggy emerged to see Art talking to two young men.  The two men were dressed in black suits and were obviously of the Jehovahs Witness faith enjoying a day of spreading the word.  Peggy arrived within earshot to hear: "do you know Jesus Christ ?" to which Art replied "Yes ... I used to do plumbing work for him in Sudbury".  The look of shock and consternation on the faces of the two young men was priceless as Peggy explained to them that he was hard of hearing and hustled Art away. Double Click for larger image in new window.
2002 - at cottage during sunset


Double Click for larger image in new window.

Double Click for larger image in new window.

2003 - Wild flower garden

2003 - Son John and spouse Pat  with Art

Double Click for larger image in new window.

Throughout the years Art enjoyed growing flowers and vegetables.  He didn't garden in an organized manner but rather liked to try things and see what would happen.  In the late  1990's Art set about to make a wild flower garden at the cottage.  He built a rustic walking path with stone rubble, old railway ties, old stumps, and just about anything (free) that was wild and laying around.  He introduced various wildflowers and just about any other seed package he could get.  The unplanned result was wonderful. 

Double Click for larger image in new window.

2004 - Wild flower garden

2004 - Wild flower garden


Double Click for larger image in new window. Double Click for larger image in new window.

2005 - In the winter of 2005 Peggy went to New Zealand to visit her sister.  She arranged for respite care for Art so he could have his meals prepared for him and he could still be relatively independent.  Three weeks went by very quickly.  Later Art would say his stay at the home  was ok but the place was full of old people. 

2006 - Art with son Rob and grandson Thomas


Double Click for larger image in new window. Double Click for larger image in new window.

2007 - Art in Fenwick Ontario. In the last two years of his life he began to heavily favour the use of one of the two old black canes he still had from his train accident in 1956.  He began to obviously slow down.

June 7, 2008 - Art with son Rob, grandson Paul, daughter-in-law Kathryn, Peggy, Paul's girlfriend Mel, and Liliana.



Double Click for larger image in new window.
August 30, 2008 - the last photo.

In November 2008 my father, after a brief hospital stay, was admitted to Raplje Lodge in Welland Ontario.  The day before he passed away he was somewhat confused.  He had dreamt about a boating accident and thought he had lost my mother and the rest of us.   When she arrived at the nursing home that day he couldn't believe his eyes when he saw her.  He burst into tears of joy and was almost inconsolable.  

That same evening when we arrived for our nightly visit,  he wondered how we had got dry so fast, still believing we were involved in some boating accident.  Happy go lucky to the end he merely shrugged and said OK when we assured him that he had been dreaming and that everything was OK. 

He was tired that night and we bundled him into bed careful to tuck the blanket around his neck so he was snug and warm. In the early morning of November 22, 2008 he passed away in his sleep.

It's with these memories that we move on and keep them close in our thoughts. As my father would frequently tell me, "Don't take any wooden nickels" ( a lighthearted reminder to be cautious in one's dealings ).

David Arthur Haynes     [email protected]

Last update: Sunday January 11, 2009.  All original photography Copyright © 2008 David Arthur Haynes. All Rights Reserved. Text and photos may not be copied in whole or in part without permission. 

Best viewed with resolution set to 1024 X 768.