Tribute Appreciated

Tribute to mother was appreciated

She loved writing for The Express

Editor:

I am writing to thank you for your column, about my mother, Margaret Quinton, which was in the Dec. 17 edition of The Express. It has been greatly appreciated by all of my family. As a little boy, I remember my mother taking time, from a hectic household schedule to write for your paper as well as others in the community. It gave her a great deal of satisfaction to know that she was writing for the paper and informing the community. Though I must confess that I did not read many of the earlier contributions, as I did not want to know who had visited who, or who was ill or whatever it was she used to put into those community news columns. I hope that at the time some people appreciated them. I can now understand that those columns were a means, for some readers, to connect and interact, in some manner with their community.

My father bought copies of the paper, with your article, for his children who do not have subscriptions. I believe some of my siblings get your paper even though they live in Hamilton, Ont. and Fort St. John, British Columbia. I guess The Express is a connection to home, a connection to Walter's Falls and a connection to my mother.

Fortunately we are now in a time period where computers have spell check and printers. I know my mother could have benefited from such tools. But those were the days of less technology and even less money; my mother scratching away and you at the other end deciphering and editing. I do not know if I am expressing myself well. I am not a journalist. It is difficult to say how much I appreciate not only the article you wrote but also your years of patience and acceptance of the work of my mother, who like me, was no journalist. I applaud you and your paper for helping my mother become the woman she was. 

Thanks again.

Yours truly, Paul Quinton

This was a letter to the Editor of the Meaford Express published sometime shortly after mother's death — I'd guess Dec 24 or 31, 1997. Document scanned and Google Eye used to capture text. REQ ‘21/04/26