#52 Ancestors Week 36 - "Work"

There is a lot of good info about my great grandfather, Delaski Marr's career in his obituary. My paternal grandmother kept this newspaper clipping from December 30, 1946 in The Toronto Star. He was a small town doctor who was very active in other hobbies and community organizations. Just before he passed away he attended his 3,000th birth.  He was born in Almonte, Michigan on the 21st of April, 1871. His parents were Dr. Francis Button Marr and the former Mary Ann Smith. The Marr family moved to Ridgetown, Ontario when he was a year old. He was the eldest of 3 boys. His siblings, Ralph and Freddie were born in Ridgetown but sadly both brothers died when they were very young.

He attended school in Ridgetown, before attending medical school at The University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine. He graduated M.B. in 1893.  According to the 1928 Ontario Medical Register, Dr. Marr joined the College of Physicians and Surgeons on the 30th of May, 1893.  He did post graduate work in New York and Edinburgh, Scotland and returned to Canada in 1899.  He practiced medicine with his father, Dr. Francis Button Marr, in Ridgetown. Their office was located at 45 Main Street, pictured below. The drawing is on a greeting card from the Ridgetown Centennial in 1975, which was also in my grandmother's momentos. The building is no longer there. It was demolished and is currently the Town of Ridgetown Municipal Centre.  

Marr Home and Medical Office

From 1914 to 1918, Dr. Marr was a medical and recruiting officer in District One during World War I.  After 1918 he retired with the rank of Captain from the 24th Kent Militia. 

Somehow my great grandfather found the time to take part in a lot of activities besides work. He was the founding member of the Ridgetown Rotary Club in 1930. He went on to be the District Governor of the 153rd District from 1940-1941. His funeral was attended by the President of Rotary International. He was a skilled bowler and toured Europe on the Canadian Bowling Team in 1932 and 1936. He enjoyed playing golf and tennis.  He was an internationally recognized Dahlia grower, and was a judge at the New York Dahlia Show in 1939. Dr. Marr served on the Ridgetown Board of Education for the High School, was a director of the Ontario Society for Crippled Children and the Medical Officer of Health for Howard Township and Ridgetown, Ontario, Canada. He was mentioned in the Annual Report for the Department of Indian Affairs as being the doctor for the Moravians of the Thames First Nations band for 1896 and 1897. 

I found what looks to be a prescription for acne-rosacea that he came up with. It was in The Medical World, Volume 12 published in1894 right after he graduated from University. I wonder if it worked! 💡