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By SUZANNE HANSON Do you know what you were doing on this date 49 years ago? Granted, some of us weren't even around then but those who were would probably find it difficult, if not impossible, to even remember what the weather was like on a particular day that many years ago. He has been busy recently, condensing the important details from all, the diaries into one book for easy reference. So far he's up to 1971 with the most important details from each day of each year highlighted. The weather But if you asked Rossell Orth of RR 2, Burgessville, he could tell you in just a matter of minutes. All it would take would, be a quick reference to his diary and he could tell you what he did that day and what the weather was like. Few people could boast maintaining such a con- tinuous record of events and Mr, Orth is quick to point out that he never missed a day of writing in his diary. For him it was no chore to do it. -“I just got into the habit." Mr. Orth was given his first diary by his sister Muriel Meldrum as a 27th birthday present back in 1934. He faithfully kept it up, writing in it daily. The next year he bought a five year diary himself and continued the practice for the next 49 years, non-stop. At the end of this year, he will have 50 years of daily life recorded as history for future generations. He said he usually wrote it up each day as the last thing he did before going to "It got to be as normal as taking your shoes off," he said. While he may not have realized it at the time, Mr. Orth was actually recording bits of history in his diaries. And that thought' now provokes a laugh from him as he admits he always hated studying history in school. "I thought it was a terrible thing to have to study what they did years ago in Europe," he said. _ Browsing through the diaries he finds many days where there's nothing major recorded but he always managed to find something to till the space. Kept diary for nearly 50 years s,"';" Grade 13 proficiency winners _ Roger Empey (left), Michelle Millsum and Rod Dickson were presented with proficiency awards for having the highest standings in Grade 13 at the Norwich District High School commencement ceremony Friday night. (NG Photo) I extremes he writes in red ink, the deaths in black, the births in green and the general information' in blue ink. Any important events such as weddings are underlined, he said. That means he can quickly gain access to important in.. formation without the time- consuming task of sifting through an entire year of writing in the diary. DeMONTMORENCY - At Nor- villa Nursing Home, Norwich, on Friday, December 23, 1983. Elmrick DeMontmoreo, cy of Norwich in his 84th year. Husband of the late Florence I. Morris (1978). Father of Mrs. Tony (Lois) Duncan of Leam- ington. Brother of Mrs. Frances Palmer And Mrs. Emily Hammond of Brantford; Ray- mond of Norwich and Eland of Brantford. Grandfather of Howard of Ottawa and Chris of 2:00-9:00 pm. The complete funeral service will be held on Monday at 12 noon. Reverend David, Fearon will officiate. Mr. Orth said once he's finished his condensed version, he may donate the diaries to the Norwich Sudbury and one great- grandson, David. also survives. Friends may call at the: Am 9 Son Funeral Residence. Nor- wich, Saturday 2ip0-4:30 and Z7411 “A W? 1t.raviL1rc2i. /LK, Cout M /7// V’WC 1F,,,i.2.cc.rcdds,'-k 2i; " 7f, archives to ensure they are preserved for the use of others and for future generations. - "If you lost them' you couldn't replace them," he said, and such a complete uninterrupted record of the past can be a useful key to the past. In addition to the weather reports and recording the major events in their lives, Mr. Orth has also recorded such things as variations in the seasons and machinery purchases DOWNHAM - Suddenly ati Stratford General Hospital, on' Sunday, January 1, 1984. Myrtle Jane (Campbell),, of People's Care Center, Tavistock and formerly of Thamesford, in her 94th year. l Beloved wife of the late Asa Downham (1962). Dear mother of Mrs. Erie Walden (Margaret) of Toronto, Cecil of Strat 0rd, Seymour, of London and James of South Mountain. Sister of Jessie Drummond, of Newark, England, Florence Hamilton of Hamilton and Mary Burt of Pointe Claire, Quebec. Also survived by six grand- children and seventeen great- grandchildren. Predeceased by one son Allan. Friends may call at the Carrothers-Betzner Funeral Home, 177 Dundas Street, Thamesford where complete funeral service will be held on Tuesday, January 3rd, 1984 .at 2:00 pm. 'Fleverend David Mack of- fioiatlng. Temporary entomb- -ment. Interment later in Zion 7th Line Cemetery. . on the farm where he has lived since moving there with his parents in 1913. He and his wife were married in 1932.and lived in part of his parent's house on the farm until his parents moved into Burgessville in 1942. Browsing through the diaries he's kept, Mr. Orth can tell you they bought their first tractor in 1937, having used horses up until that time and he can tell you they purchased their first combine in 1945. The _ . S ilors honoring y, P. _ F f a Firirt Wag” V94 ',jip " "fs dyring, cér‘gmom left i"/?_)ht, Arthur Tanner WAR lit q Upon return to Towers, the opp . d Drums Wtii stage a brief tattoo-type Concert. Pipes, an . Invited guests include Woodstock Mayor Wendy Calder, Oxford MP Bruce Halliday and Oxford MPP Dick Treleaven. a.m., after which the paldiieThGii7, 1a Bark ",",ie,",'fi'k, , the salute taken by Commander Don ch back to To C.D., caster at city half. ald s. Bethune, mun-u... 1't'r""t""":5. m m: Ulnar“) “Ude the 5"" e l .. and Drums, who will lead me Battle ' 0Vincial Pollacde' an- o The parade marches off from 'iid Atlantic Fag: on Dark das Street at 10:30 am. and arriv Etts parking] ria F cenotaph at 10:50 a.m. es at the irfcto rd . The parade will include the OPP r GM ' Royal Canadiah Lpgion Branch 55 Coguxm”! ngéean W55; Veterans Association, Royal Canadian Sr P arty ',t' corps oo! and members of the Oxford County Navea Cade ns /issocra- tion (Wopdstock Navy Club). al Vetera t 11 . . . . a ",se,,rle.ty,h,.1yitttlf.ey1t,,vtrtoria Park may: 3m, Tanner was one of the. M“ ,4 si:iiii,t"ti7,-,iirfcr f, 1 ER lucky ones to return from the siCC.C" T-F " NN Great War. Many of his \gthHUR TAt/ friends weren't so fortunate, itift War ve he said. con- o Tomorrow's ceremonies will in eorrd ipes secutive appearance of the Ontario glide the 59mg P and Drums, who will lead me Battle “Pow-"cm Parade. Dan. . The parade marches off from m. t Atlantic oa . nn __..", His hearing was severely damaged by the sound of guns and bombs during the a Great War for Civilization. 3 Doctors were unable to l repair his hearing, but Tan- ner has been an inspiration to all who know him. In his wallet are photographs of I himself when he joined the i Royal Navy and the ship, the, 'i, HMS Gruiad, where he spent g most of his time. ;“ The rigorous life on the sea was an experience Tanner ', will never forget. His travels took him to centres throughout Europe and some , of his iondesrrriernories in- j elude Palestine, the Mediter- 'i" ranean Sea and Paris. _ _ Navy, Tannér wih ti/jaGut joined T, for the annual commemora 13y parade fy Atlantic, mn of the I Tanner, M, now resides in the Home. He is one of the oldest m Sho cart Navy) Veterans Association J,'l'/i'lyiige,se,n,,t Oxfor- Tanner, M, now resides in the urgmg Home. He IS one of the oldest mem fyressant cart 34003123: Naval Veterans Association and sabers of the Worm)"; tend to.morrow's ceremonies 'GGii'/t,! this ek peter" His hearing was severely hdif W? F' damaged bv the sound a: or mg Arthur Tanner Jas 18 . left his home in England and 32:2? old ttg/fi/ii'. Dnrlng the First World We d the Roy, was. a member of the ships which r, Tann?Canad1an troops to the European (iiiuis:iy,ted Tomorrow, 66 years after 1119M? be Royal Navy, Tanner will be honora e ioinedt 3161131} for the annual cornmeGGWi?, parade mattle O Atlantic, mn of the B . "What we did 30 or 40 Jourr years ago we're not doing ofhis now," said Mr. Orth. And And? he can see the change in solve our standard of living from argun what's recorded on those weatr handwritten pages. been "They talk about the Orth, good old days but I don't "there think I'd want to go back to white them," he said. The good (the: times were there but there times were also the hard times, for tl particularly during the he's depression years and Wally sometimes people can tradil forget those times. diam Orth, the answers are all there down in black and white. “I've gone to them Athe diaries) a good many times and hunted around for things," he said. And he's hoping that his son Wally will continue the tradition of keeping the diaries when he's finished, 'ith will