David, son of Mariah Parr
and Robert Tunks, was born 31 March 1860 (19 Mar 1862? Census) in Mosa Township, Middlesex
County, Ontario.
Magdalena, daughter of Henry Sitler and Susannah Good was born 31 August 1875 (29 Aug
1873?) (29 Aug 1871? Census) at Mosa Township, Middlesex County.
Lanie started working at the Bothwell apple factory when she was 9 years old. Maggie and
her mother both worked there. Maggie was the oldest in her family and she had to work.
This meant that she didn't have much education and through the years, she could read,
though not easily. Maggie and her sisters Emma and Mariah were baptized in the river
because the Baptist Church didn't have a baptismal font.
They were married 13 August 1890 at ______________________. (city)
They had 12 children; Emma Jane, Mariah, Ernest
Henry, Della May, James Robert,
Clifford William, Iva Blanche, John Wilfred, Clara Bertha, Olive, Glen, and Garnet David.
In the 1901 census, Dave and family were found at Southwold Station, on Lot 18 Concession
2. Their 5 room home at that time, housed 7 children.
Olive was born _____________ 1906 and she died ___________ 1906. She was buried in
_____________________ cemetery at _______________________. (city)
Dave used to cut lumber for furniture and caskets. His bush had plenty of birds eye maple,
ash, and walnut to make a good product.
He worked in the basket factory that his brother Bob ran. As most Tunks of his day, Dave
was a good mechanic. At one point, Dave went down to Pennsylvania and laid out sawmills
and grist mills.
Dave was oiling a saw and something fell from above that forced his hand into a saw at his
brother's sawmill. The doctor cut off most of Dave's arm and that forced a change of
careers; to that of a mail man. With a new career came a new nickname, "one arm
Dave".
At first Dave used Walpole Ponies. He'd use one in the morning and another one for the
afternoon to pull the buggy in delivering mail. Then he paid $680 for a used model T. A
"modification" Dave made to the Model T was to get an axe and cut the top off.
Then it was open to handing out mail on either side. He was delivering mail for some 20
years until he retired.
This old Ford was a small 4 cylinder car. One would put their foot down to the floor for
low gear, and lift your foot off for high speed. There wasn't pavement roads then, so this
old car with its almost bicycle sized tires braved the many roads made up of sand tracks.
Snake roads they were called; roads with deep ruts that dictated where the car was going
to go.
Dave, like most Tunks of his day, had a wicked temper. But he still loved kids, his or
others. "He was good hearted, said Granddaughter Dona Nash, "he'd give you the
last cent he had."
Maggie died from ________________ (cause) on 11 December 1930 and was buried in the Gibbs (now Gardiner) Cemetery.
Dave lived out his life at Cashmere, Ontario and died in his 89th year from
_______________ (cause) on 21 August 1948
and was buried in the Gibbs Cemetery as well. |
