It’s the pumpkin party of the year.

Sitting on her front porch with a smile in late September, 25-year-old Amanda Pantrey of Battersea seems happy to talk about the most popular event in her community.
“It’s almost time for the 23rd annual Battersea Pumpkinfest,” confirms the organizer. “The festival is an amazing day of affordable family fun. It covers most of the village and includes games, wagon rides, live music, food and locally produced items. It’s an incredible celebration of everything this community has to offer.”
To be held from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday, Oct. 14, the Battersea Pumpkin Festival is a celebration of the fall harvest. It is organized and conducted by volunteers.
“I’ve always felt Battersea is a unique community,” admits Pantrey thoughtfully. “There is a tradition here where neighbours still help neighbours.”

Located 15 minutes from Kingston between Loughborough and Dog Lakes, the sleepy village comes alive every October to host one of the best events in Frontenac County.
“The Pumpkin Festival creates a strong sense of pride and celebration in our community,” admits Pantrey, who has been volunteering almost from its inception. “The streets and park are filled with laughter and fun.”
A member of the organizing committee for the past four years, Pantrey is excited about a few new attractions this year to complement family favourites.

“New this year is The Not So Amateur Amateurs.. They’re bringing their costumed crew to do face painting, balloons and a bouncy castle,” she confirms.

Also new this year is a ribbon cutting ceremony at 11 am to unveil four new play structures in the park next to the Battersea Ball Diamond where the festival is held.
“It’s going to be nice when it’s done,” says Pantrey who has helped fundraise for more than a year to purchase the new structures. “The equipment is going to last years and years. It will be used in the community for a long time.”
Admission to the Battersea Pumpkin Festival is $5 per person or $20 for a family.

The day starts with a parade at 10 am (assembly at the ball diamond begins at 9:30 am) and ends with a pie eating contest at 3:30 pm. Highlights include pumpkin carving, cookie decorating, rides on model trains and a pie social at the church.
“Come-out to the country and enjoy a day of wholesome family fun,” says Pantrey. “There’s something for everyone. You won’t be disappointed.”

For more information about the Battersea Pumpkin Festival, contact Amanda Pantrey at 613-483-1176 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also find the festival on Facebook.

Hunter Chown is a modest young man with a bold plan.
Speaking from his house on Wolfe Island, the 18-year-old hopes to outplow some of the best farmers in the country and win the upcoming International Plowing Match (IPM).
It’s an ambitious plan that might just work.
A five-time winner of his junior class at past IPMs, Chown just won his adult division (two-furrow conventional plow) and Best Land Overall at the Frontenac County Plowing Match in Battersea last Saturday.
“It was a good day,” Chown says with a smile.

Using a 1968 plow and a 1967 David Brown tractor, Chown caught the attention of the judges with his straight and even furrows.
“You have to maintain a constant depth,” he explains.
“The furrow also has to be even and level. You have to be careful with your ins and outs and watch how you change the soil from one end to another.”
“It’s expensive, but it’s a lot of fun,” says the teenager when asked what he likes about plowing.
“I don’t know, honestly. I just find it really interesting. It’s hard, but fun.”
Trained by his grandfather, Dennis Mosier, Chown has spent hundreds of hours turning the neighbour’s soil on Wolfe Island to plant soya beans and corn.
“I do a lot of plowing to practice for the IPM in September,” he says earnestly.

The eldest of four brothers, Chown credits his grandfather for giving him the skills needed to compete on the world stage.
Mosier is the former operator of a dairy farm on Wolfe Island and a qualified judge of plowing matches.
“He’s done a lot. He’s spent a lot of time with me,” says Chown with gratitude. “It helps that he’s a judge. I can see what they’re looking for and fix it.”
Excited about the upcoming match in Walton, in the Township of East Huron, Chown is also looking forward to starting a Civil Engineering Course this fall at St. Lawrence College in Kingston. Prize money from previous matches has helped pay for his education. If he wins at the IPM again this year, he will earn a trophy and money he can apply to school.
It’s a golden prize for a young man with a bright future who is becoming the pride of Frontenac County.

“Hunter has been plowing with his grandfather for years,” says Martin Oomen, President of the Frontenac County Plowmen’s Association, the volunteer group that hosted last Saturday’s match.
“He’s a good plowman, good sport and talented young man,” says the president.. “We wish him the best of luck, blue skies and good plowing at the IPM.”
Smiling at the thought of plowing in the rain, Chown notes with good humour, “It’s not my first time getting soaked.”

Local farmers will have their hands on a plow and feet near a furrow at the Frontenac County Plowing Match in Battersea this Saturday. An annual tradition by the Frontenac County Plowmen’s Association, the match is a celebration of the history, importance and art of growing food. “We have a match every year,” confirmed Martin Oomen, President of the Association. “The plowmen need to have so many matches and wins under their belts to qualify for the International Plowing Match.” An electrician and farmer from Sunbury, Oomen looks at the match as a way to pay homage to the skills of our forefathers. “I still like watching the horse plowing and antique plowing,” admitted the friendly 62-year-old. “It’s an art to plow well.” A successful farmer of beef cows and cash crops, Oomen is looking forward to the match that requires a team of volunteers to plan and host. Judges have been hired to score the 15- 20 plowmen who will be working the field with horses, antique plows and tractors. Organizers estimate the match has been held in the county for 100 years. “Basically we’re continuing a tradition that started many years ago,” said Oomen thoughtfully. “It’s keeping a piece of our heritage alive.” To be held on Aug. 12 at Cloverview Farms in Battersea (4440 Millburn Road), the match includes exhibitors, food and music by Adam Knapp. The match is hosted by Jeff, Richard and Robert Sunneveld from 10 am to 3 pm. Winners of this event could advance to the International Plowing Match near Walton, Ontario next month. “I’ll be competing myself,” said Oomen with excitement about the upcoming plowing match in Frontenac County. “These matches are the Olympics of plowing,” he noted with a smile. To learn more about the Frontenac County Plowing Match, contact Martin Oomen at 613-583-4761 or find the event on Facebook at 2017 Plowing Match by Frontenac County Plowmen’s Association.

The Frontenac Five, events you should not miss in August, have been posted. This month they include The Wolfe Island Music Festival, which runs this coming weekend – August 12 and 13, is the first one on the calendar, check wolfeislandmusicfestival.com for details. The following weekend, August 19 and 20, the Parham Fair is featured. See Parhamfair.ca for more.

Ongoing events this month include the Godfrey Sculpture Park, see Godfreysculpturepark.ca for more, and the Thursday Night Battersea Porch Sessions, different musicians each Thursday all summer between 6:30 and 9:30 at Holiday Country Manor. Rounding out the list is the K&P Trail day grand opening on Saturday August 26 at the trailhead in Sharbot Lake.

For the full Frontenac-Five experience, go to Frontenac-live.ca/events/frontenac-five.

Kyle Gordon looks remarkably different than he did a year ago.

Sitting at a picnic table in a public park in Kingston on July 8, the owner of the Battersea Creekside Bar & Grill smiles when asked about his appearance.

“I’ve lost 14 pounds,” he said.

With his 40th birthday right around the corner, Kyle decided last October to make his health a priority.

“It was time for a life change,” acknowledges the friendly father of three about his state-of-mind nine months ago.

Determined to live a healthier life, Kyle started training last May for the Sydenham Try a Tri on July 9.

Enjoying the sunshine at a charity fundraiser the day before his triathlon, the Battersea man had all of the signs of an athlete nervous about their first competitive race.

“I just hope I can finish it,” he admits with a laugh.

Holding the leash of his dog as he watched his children mingle with the crowd, Kyle’s concern for his health extends beyond himself and his family. Since arriving in Battersea, he has made the community closer and stronger by organizing & supporting fundraisers for residents and social projects.

His latest project is to revitalize a playground beside the local ball diamond.

“I love doing events,” he says with enthusiasm about his role on a committee that is on the cusp of meeting its goal of $38,000 to replace outdated equipment in the park.

“It’s amazing,” says Kyle about the group’s progress over the past year. “We are less than $2,000 shy of reaching our goal and almost one year ahead of schedule.”

To help them reach their target, committee members are hosting a charity golf tournament on Aug. 25 at Inverary Golf Course. The tournament costs $90 to enter and includes 18 holes of golf, dinner, sleeve of golf balls and a prize valued at $20 or more. Each participant will also receive a tax receipt for $40.

The committee hopes to raise at least $4,500 at the event which will be used to improve the park.

Knowing a successful event will put the committee over its goal, Kyle knows what to do with any extra money.

“We want to add some trees and do some landscaping,” he explains about the purchased material that will accompany donated labour and equipment by Gilbert & Son Landscaping.

Happy to be so close to achieving the campaign goal, Kyle is clearly not content to rest on his laurels. Another fitness challenge in most likely in his future, as is another project to improve his community. His ambition and energy have their own momentum, sweeping down the village main street like a breath of fresh air.

“I also want to put in a splash pad as well,” he said.

To register (or donate a prize) for the golf tournament, please contact Kyle Gordon at 613-353-1102 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

When Doug Angle looks closely at a steam engine train, the mechanical parts look like a work of art.

Doug,  appreciates, like his family before him, the design, construction and operation of a train.

“My grandfather was a telegrapher for the Toronto, Hamilton, Buffalo Railway,” confirms the 59-year-old process improvement consultant from Sydenham, who is also the President of the Frontenac Society of Model Engineers (FSME)

“My father fired on steam engines in the 1950s.. He shovelled four tons of coal every day.”

Familiar with that hot and heavy work, Doug talks about his father’s accomplishments with pride.

“On a full-sized locomotive, it takes two people to keep it running,” he explains about the fireman (person who shovels coal) and engineer (person who operates the train). “To drive a locomotive, you need to know everything about how it works or you will find yourself sitting on a train wondering why it won’t go.”

Armed with this family history and his own interest in trains, Doug joined the FSME ten years ago.

“I wanted to take on something new,” says the friendly father of three.

“I think what you’ll find with model engineers, particularly with steam engines, you can see all of the mechanical parts working. What’s really neat is that our steam engines have all of the same parts as full-sized locomotives.”

18 members strong, the club owns a 1,200 ft track, locomotives and riding cars in a field next to the Battersea Baseball Diamond. The club started construction on the township property in 2011. It completed the elevated track in 2012 and the ground line in 2015.

Tucked away in a corner of the village that is not visible from the main road, the club is bringing itself front and centre this Saturday by hosting an Open House from 11 am to 3 pm.

“This is a great time to see our operation and have a ride on a train,” says Doug. “People can view, and enjoy, a variety of miniature live steam locomotives on display and in operation. We expect to be running on both tracks during the day. We’ll be giving rides on the larger gauge track.”

The president hopes the club exceeds the number of guests at their open house in 2016.

“Last year, we had about 500 people come. That may sound like a lot, but it pales in comparison to the 1,300 passengers we hauled at the Battersea Pumpkin Festival last year,” he said.

“The Pumpkin Festival was a lot of work and we were happy people came-out and shared their love of trains. A lot of people are surprised there are still steam engines burning coal; that they do what steam engines are supposed to do.”

The club is eager to share its love of trains.

“At this event, we have time to show people how the equipment works,” says the president. “In a sense, it’s a way of preserving our steam heritage. There aren’t a lot of full-sized steam locomotives operating anymore. We’re happy to show people that.”

To ride a miniature live steam locomotive for FREE this Saturday, travel into the Village of Battersea and turn off Battersea Road onto Doris Lane. The club is located in the field at the bottom of the hill on the right. To learn more about the club or this event, please contact Doug Angle at 613-376-3908 or visit www.fsme.ca

Penny Harper is fighting a war she will never win.

The mother of a child with a rare genetic disorder, Penny knows her daughter will never live a normal life. The most she can hope for is to manage the behaviour that accompanies the affliction. It is a battle she fights every day, in a war lost to a condition without a cure. For a mother devoted to her children, it’s a bitter pill to swallow.

“When she was born, she was showing signs of failing to thrive,” says Penny thoughtfully about her daughter’s birth on Oct. 1, 2010.

“Maddy was a quiet baby, but I didn’t think anything of it at first because her older sister was quiet as well. We knew she was different soon after her birth and she came home from the hospital with a nasogastric feeding tube. I had to syringe food into her stomach, past her lungs so she wouldn’t choke.”

Born seven weeks early, Maddy Harper was diagnosed with Prader-Willi Syndrome, which causes delayed development and insatiable hunger. Shortly after she was diagnosed, her lungs collapsed; a life-threatening situation that would happen again and again.

Reeling from the severity of Maddy’s illness, the family was thrown into an unending series of medical appointments and treatments to address the absence of the paternal component in her 15th chromosome.

“She finally got to baseline when she came back to Kingston,” says Penny about Maddy’s six-week stay at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. “And every-other-day for a year she was at Hotel Dieu Hospital doing therapies, check-ups and studies.”

Sitting at the kitchen table with her colouring paper, Maddy is sweet-natured and loving. She smiles when her older sister Mya comes into the kitchen, trailed by their little brother Ayden.

Ayden’s father is Kyle Gordon of Battersea who manages the Creekside Bar and Grill. The children divide their time between their family in South Frontenac and their home in Kingston.

Enjoying this warm day in May, Penny smiles at the children who are scanning the counters for food. They know not to try the fridge and freezer which are secured with locks. Penny opens a cupboard and gives the children a nutritious snack to tide them over until dinner.

“There’s been a lot of issues, but we’ve been hospital-free for three years,” says Penny, a Central Reprocessing Technician at Kingston Health Science Centre.

Asked how her daughter acquired the condition, the 28-year-old brunette notes, “It’s a completely random roll-of-the-dice fluke.”

Statistics show Prader-Willi affects one in 15,000 people. It is a rare syndrome that took the family by surprise.

“At first, you’re that person in denial because you don’t see all of the symptoms you hear about,” says Penny with heartbreaking honesty. “Now that Maddy is six, I’m starting to see the behaviours they talked about.”

Because of the syndrome, Maddy is always hungry. She doesn’t have a gag reflex or sense of fullness when she eats. If left alone, she would eat until her stomach bursts. She currently weighs 100 pounds.

“I have to be on my game all the time,” Penny explains, nodding towards the locks on the fridge and freezer that were supplied by the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research.

“I left the fridge unlocked the other day and she ate six containers of yogurt.”

Placed on a strict diet, Maddy has to be constantly supervised. When she’s not, she’ll seek food including discarded items in the garbage.

“Their brain still thinks its hungry and people keep eating,” says Penny, listing complications that can follow such as obesity, Type 2 Diabetes and sleep apnea.

Looking calm and happy, Maddy can turn violent if her brain is focused on food. Because of her low muscle tone, she only requires 700-1,200 calories a day. All of her meals are based around fruits and vegetables. She loves sushi.

“She’s hysterical,” replies Penny when asked to describe what happens when Maddy wants food. “You would literally believe I’m starving my child, despite the fact that she just ate her favourite meal. She’s programmed to believe she’ll starve if she doesn’t eat. She can’t help it. She can’t control it. Her body believes it’s starving.”

To help Maddy, the family works to control the behaviours by reassuring her of the next meal and providing distractions.

“I did a lot of research quickly,” says Penny about how she learned to parent a child with this rare genetic disorder. “I got in touch with other families and asked for help.”

Determined to inform the public about the syndrome and help the Prader-Willi Research Foundation, Penny has organized a fundraiser in early July.

"I never heard of Prader-Willi syndrome before I met Maddison,” admits Kyle, Maddy and Mya’s stepfather. “It was, and still is, very hard to keep things away from her that she will eat. Penny has recently installed locks on the fridge, but Maddie has already trained her younger brother to climb the counter and get the keys from on top of the fridge. This walk and awareness that Penny has organized has been great. Not only has it raised awareness about this rare genetic disorder, it has opened doors for Maddy who was just accepted to see specialists in Toronto.”

The proud father notes, “Penny has worked hard and has even found a few other ways to help Maddison and keep her at a weight that won't be harmful to her health."

Pointing to the $50 locks on the fridge and freezer, Penny wants to return the help she received by holding a fundraiser for the Prader-Willi Research Foundation.

“The locks have really helped,” Penny says about the device that help Maddy lose five pounds the first month it was installed.

Without the locks, Maddy gained 10 pounds in two months.

“That’s basically what makes me want to do all this,” she says about the fundraiser at Lemoine’s Point.

To be held from 10 am to 3 pm, on July 8th, the community is invited to the walk called “One Small Step”. The goal is to raise $5,000.

Looking ahead, Penny knows she will be battling this condition until Maddy reaches maturity. After that, her daughter will likely go to a group home designed for people with Prader-Willi Syndrome where she can receive the help she needs.

“It will get worse,” her mother says sadly. “I’m managing it for her now, but I won’t be able to manage it forever. She won’t ever be able to manage it on her own.”

Always optimistic, Penny is focusing on her three children and a future that is brightened by a fundraiser for a good cause.

“But for now, we’re just going with the flow,” says Penny with a smile.

“I’m proud to say I’m a Prader-Willi Mom.”

To register or contribute to the One Small Step fundraiser in support of children like Maddy, please go to onesmallstep.fpwr.org

Geof and Amanda Hall are looking to their past to plan their future.

Married for three years, the couple has been quietly building an apple orchard in Battersea with the trees of their ancestors.

Often found working late into the night at their kitchen table or outside early in the morning with headlamps to guide them, the friendly pair dreamed big as they spent the last two years planting 500 trees of 37 varieties of heritage apples.

“It’s been an interesting experience for us,” says Amanda over a cup of tea on a wet spring afternoon in early May. “We learned of different varieties (of apples) we had never heard of before.”

“A lot of these are cherished varieties,” adds Geof.

Named Harvest Mill Farm after milestones in the couple’s life, the orchard started with a tree from Geof’s great grandfather’s farm located near Rideau Ferry.

“I started to get into this because I wanted to save the last tree that blew down (on the family farm) during a storm,” says Geog about his ancestor, a horticulturalist from Scotland.

“We started a nursery there to keep the line,” he notes. “That line was able to produce small trees.”

Using dwarf roots from British Columbia, the couple attached a branch to each root and placed it carefully in the ground.

“Each branch just needs a few buds,” explains Geof about the grafting process of attaching a branch to the root with tape, wax and a label.

Spread over approximately six acres, the trees are from Geof’s ancestor and fruit trees not commonly found anymore. The orchard is a mix of nature and nurture.

Last year, the trees were subjected to drought-like conditions. This year, they are enduring a historically wet spring. Through it all, the roots are mapped with precision, subjected to organic practices, and documented as they progress.

“The entire orchard is a grid,” confirms Amanda as she wraps her arms around her 18-month-old daughter, Lily.

Since starting the orchard in 2015, the couple has lost 70 of their 500 trees. The loss was anticipated.

“You always have some loss with brand-new roots,” says Geof, 41, a Water Researcher at Queen’s University.

Bright and kind, Geof is proud of the 143-acre farm he purchased in 2013 from Russell Clark. In time, he will use a flock of sheep to help manage the apple orchard. The animals will help with weed control and fertilization.

For now, he is building the orchard the way he is living his life: on a solid foundation that respects the past and anticipates the future.

Smiling at his young daughter, he notes wisely, “That’s important to us. This really is a family thing we’re doing here.”

“The neat part is, it’s a learning experience for us too,” adds Amanda, an Occupational Therapist at Providence Care in Kingston. “These are apples we have never had experience with. We’ll be trying the apples with everyone else.”

“Some of these varieties have amazing tastes,” she explains about the fruit that will be ready in three to four years. “For us, it’s bringing back our heritage.”

Originally from Barrie, Amanda talks about the farm and the community with the soft tones of a woman in love.

“We were looking for two years to find this farm,” says the 34-year-old. “We’re honoured to live here and carry-on the memories. We love it here. Everyone has been so welcoming. We have not come across someone who has not wanted to help us in one way or another. Battersea is a really special community.”

The couple continues to invest in their future by expanding the farm at a sustainable pace. Working at their kitchen table and investing what they can afford, they plan to add 70 new trees annually to the orchard until they reach 2,500. When the orchard is producing, they will advertise the operation as pick-your-own.

“This year, if we can have a non-drought summer, that would make us happy,” says Geof  about the challenges ahead of them. “Right now, we could also use a week a week of sun and no rain.”

“We’re really encouraged by what we’ve seen this year,” says Amanda  about their fledgling apple trees and small vineyard planted off to the side. A pumpkin patch will be added this summer.

Looking around the farm that is thriving thanks to careful planning, hard work and perseverance, Amanda seems pleased with the results.

“It’s more meaningful for us to do it this way,” she says about the orchard they are building, one branch at-a-time. “There’s something kind of neat about knowing you created that tree.”

To learn more about planting an apple orchard, please join Geof and Amanda Hall at their farm in Battersea on June 10. Details on this one-day course can be found at www.harvestmillfarm.ca or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Adam and Craig Voith are brothers who work smarter, not harder.

Talking from their 150-year-old farmhouse in Battersea, the brothers’ banter with each other good-naturedly as they talk on a cold Canadian morning about the farming operation around them.

A woodstove in the corner of the old kitchen fills the air with a comfortable heat and a warm glow. Their father, Mike Voith, sits in a chair near the fire. He smiles as his sons talk about their accomplishments and dreams.

“These guys are the brains behind the place,” Mike says kindly, gesturing towards his sons. “I think it’s nice that young men like these are trying to get a business going.”

Young and ambitious, Adam, 25, and Craig, 22, are shareholders with their father in a family sheep farm called Sugar Hill Rideaus located 20 kms north of Kingston. The farm was purchased by the family in 2012 and covers approximately 90 acres, 35 of which is tillable.

“Our main focus is direct marketing,” explains Craig, the main labourer on the farm and a construction worker off the farm.

“Our real goal is to direct market as many lambs as we can to consumers,” echoes his father about their sales method of a product that is gaining attention for its quality.

Born on the family farm, the lambs are Canadian purebreds called Rideau Arcott. Raised ethically and humanely, the animals are watched carefully for optimal health.

“They’re all good quality,” says Adam with a smile about the 300 sheep on the farm.

“It takes dedication,” adds Craig about the work required to feed and care for the animals 365 days a year.

“You can’t just call-in sick,” says Adam who works on the farm and off the farm as a combat engineer officer with the Canadian Armed Forces.

Leading the way to the barn, the brothers show a group of lambs that have just been born for Easter sales. Two more batches of lambs will be born in March and May to coincide with other Canadian holidays.

“Right now we’re still growing,” says Mike about the operation. “We want to get up to at least 600 animals.”

Raised until they are 100 pounds, the sheep are sold by the half or whole. The farmers are diligent to avoid disease, worms and coyotes to minimize lost time and animals. It is a model based on efficiency and quality.

“We want to make sure we keep our flock clean from disease,” says Mike, who helps with the operation while running his own beef farm nearby. “Raising the flock in the barns is a little bit more expensive, but we don’t have a worm problem or predator problem.”

Proud of what they have built, the men are working hard to expand the business to meet a growing demand by consumers.

“There’s a huge demand right now for sheep,” confirms Craig.

Talking about the growing ethnic diversity in the country, Mike says about the market for lamb, “There’s tremendous opportunity right now.”

Asked if he enjoys the work, Craig answers with a smile and laugh. “It’s a lot better than a 9-5 job. It’s a nice change of pace. Every season is a different task such as planting, cutting wood, getting ready for harvesting. You’re your own boss here. Everything is better.”

Working hard to build their business, the men are excited about the future. They describe their challenges as balancing growth with infrastructure capability.

“I think our land base is good now with other land we own,” Mike says about the land needed to grow crops for the flock.

Walking around the property, the Voith men talk about their operation with equal parts humility and pride. It is a common trait in farmers.

A glaring difference on this farm is the efficiencies built into the housing and feeding systems.

Enclosures have been modified for the care and comfort of the flock, and services have been added to the water and feeding systems. The men’s skills can be seen everywhere.

“We’re trying to be as efficient as we can with our time,” says Mike, a retired combat engineer officer with the Canadian Armed Forces who also works off the farm.

Walking around the property that was designed as a dairy farm and later converted into a horse farm, the men’s hard work and ambition has resulted in a prosperous sheep operation with a bright future.

Summing up what is obvious to a visitor, Craig notes “We’ve come a long way.”

To learn more about the Voith Family or Sugar Hill Farm, visit www.sugarhillfarm.ca or call 613-353-6380.

A tightknit village in Storrrington is reeling after the death of its Volunteer of the Year.Eileen Sleeth of Battersea, the community’s 2015 award recipient, died at home at 3:20 am on Nov. 15 after a lengthy battle with cancer Wife of Ron Sleeth, a Councillor with South Frontenac Township, Eileen was recognized by municipal officials earlier this year for her volunteer work with organizations such as Battersea United Church where she served on the Board of Stewards.

According to her family, Sleeth devoted her life to helping others.
“Sitting in the second last row from the back of the church, Eileen closed her eyes every Sunday and quietly thanked God for her family, friends and blessings,” noted Ron, her high school sweetheart and husband of 54 years.

“In the church, she thought about the four boys she raised and the eight grandchildren she’s helping to navigate through life. In those four walls, she laughed, cried and prayed. It was a symbol to her, a place of sanctuary built on a rock. She gravitated there, because deep down, she felt the same way.

“Eileen was a person of faith, loyalty and independence. Her foundation was an unwavering love for her family. It was her rock.”

“Eileen was the hands and feet of Battersea United Church,” said Rev. Heather McLurg Murphy. “She was someone who welcomed newcomers and made them feel at home. She was a faithful steward of the church who organized hundreds of fundraisers. We will miss her delicious baking, especially her famous pies, butter tarts and shortbread cookies. Her church family will always be grateful to Eileen for how she was always willing to contribute her prayers, gifts, and services for the work of her church.”

Eileen is remembered for the 37 years she worked as a school bus driver with Robert Hogan Bus Line.
She was a volunteer with the Frontenac Federation of Agriculture, Battersea Pumpkin Festival and a member of the Red Hat Society.

Eileen enjoyed researching family genealogy, fishing on Loughborough Lake and live musical performances by Daniel O’Donnell. She dreamed of travelling to France to visit five students whom she hosted at the family farm for five consecutive summers.

Eileen Sleeth is remembered by residents in the community for her kindness and compassion towards others. She was renowned for her work to organize and support community events. Residents describe her as a caretaker of her family, church and community.

“Between the sermons and the hymns, Eileen and her church family moved mountains as they worked to match their commitments to their convictions,” said Ron from the family dairy farm.

“She was a good person who walked softly and helped many.”

“Our family was often astounded by Eileen’s knowledge and ability which we attributed to raising four sons, the loss of the homestead barn and later the destruction of the family store, all before she was 35 years old,” said Lindsay Sleeth, Eileen’s only granddaughter.

“She was proof that hard times always lead to something great.”

Eileen Sleeth was laid to rest at Sandhill Cemetery in Battersea on Nov. 21