Person Record

Metadata

Name

Toms, Violet

Othernames

neé Violet Krause "Vi Toms"

Places of residence

Williamsford, Grey County
Sydenham Township
Owen Sound, Grey County

Father

_______ Krause

Nationality

Canadian

Notes

Violet Toms (neé Krause) grew up in Williamsford, Grey County. She married Cecil G. Toms in 19__. He was a long-time garage owner and service station owner at Owen Sound, and also had a car dealership. In the 1930s-1940s, people often traded livestock for vehicles, and Mr. Toms needed a farm for the livestock he acquired. For a time they were at a farm located where the Heritage Place shopping mall would later be built.

They next resided in a brick farm house on the outskirts of Owen Sound that is called "Branningham Grove". This 1881-built house was used as a summer brothel by Margaret Matthews long ago in its history (1907-1915). The Toms family acquired it in 1940, from the Estate of Dennis Hatton, for $4,800. They were there for 35 years. In 1974, Cecil and Violet moved to Owen Sound, selling the property to Lillian Weaver, who later sold it to the Gavaris family. The house later was converted into a restaurant called the "Louis' Steak House". In 2016, it was decided that the building should be torn down, as commercial development has spread towards it, and the building had been vacant for some time, and had deteriorated over the years.

Violet Toms used to tend a large vegetable garden there when she lived on the farm. In her later years, she enjoyed visiting the Branningham Grove property at times (usually about once a year). She died at the age of 103 in 2015, and after her funeral, her family had some of her ashes were sprinkled on the land of her former home.