Ruby Mae Bramhill, fourth daughter of Clendon and Violet Bramhill, was born on the 2nd concession of Minto Township. Ruby grew up with 3 sisters and 4 brothers helping on the farm and with several of her father's businesses such as Ice for iceboxes and a Farm Feed business. Ruby attended the S.S. # 2 Minto Public School, a one room school house near Palmerston. She attended Norwell High School graduating in 1947.
Walter John Quanz, second son of Fred and Veronica Quanz, was born March 13, 1928 on the 6th concession of Wallace Township. Walter grew up on a farm speaking only German until he moved to Kitchener at 2 years of age. At age 4 they moved to Elmira, where he started in Kindergarten then grade one. At the age of 6 his family moved to the home farm and Walter attended S.S.#6 Wallace Public School on the 6th concession. In his teen-age years Walter and his brother Harry spent part of each winter in the bush cutting trees to generate additional income through the sale of the trees for lumber. During World War II Harry enlisted in the Air Force while, as the youngest son, Walter stayed home to help on the farm. Walter was active in 4H Club work and worked with purebred Holsteins at home having had a Gold Metal Brood Cow in their herd. Walter was contacted by Glenafton Farms of Alliston in 1946, then the top Holstein Herd in Canada, and was hired as an assistant herdsman. The complete Quanz herd was sold to a Holstein Breeder in the state of Virginia. Walter was hired as herdsman at Sheffield Farms in 1948 in St. George. His Father and Mother moved with him to St. George and worked with him until after Walter and Ruby were married in 1949.
Walter and Ruby met at a Youth Program at the Evangelical United Brethren Church in 1946. They were married three years later in the Evangelical United Brethren Church on the 6th line of Wallace Township in a double ceremony with Walter's cousin Marguerite Quanz and her groom Don Bridge, Ruby's cousin, on July 16, 1949. The officiating minister was Major Everett Pearo of the Salvation Army, an uncle of Ruby and Don's.
After their honeymoon they moved to St. George Ontario where Walter worked as a "herdsman" for Sheffield Farms. Sheffield Farms was operated by the Malcolm Condensing Company, which was owned by Mr. John Malcolm. As a herdsman, Walter won many awards at the Canadian National Exhibition for Prize Purebred Holstein Cattle. Their son, John, was born in Palmerston on May 22, 1951 shortly after they moved back to the Palmerston area to assist Ruby's father, Clendon Bramhill, in the development of a Farm Implement Sales and Service business called Bramhill Service Center. Walter and Ruby's younger brother Roy took over the business in 1965 and made it one of the largest farm implement dealerships in Ontario. Walter and Ruby had two daughters Joanne Mae, born November 10, 1953 and Janice Marie, born March 6, 1957. They had another son, Quinton James, stillborn on October 23, 1962. James was named after the Evangelist Q. J. Everest.
Ruby joined the staff of the Midwestern Regional Children's Centre near Palmerston on March 2, 1966, as Registered Nursing Assistant and became a Staff Councilor, Assistant Ward Supervisor in 1969 and Area Supervisor in April 1988. Walter was involved in several different community boards and positions over the years. He served for two years as the Case Dealer Rep for Eastern Canada on the Dealer Council. He also served one year as Dealer Rep on the New Holland Dealer Council and one year on the Ontario Farm Board. In 1987 Walter became Reeve of Minto Township for four years and Warden of Wellington County for 1989. In 1992 Walter retired, selling-off Bramhill Service Center. Ruby retired December 31, 1992 from MRCC.
Walter and Ruby continue to be active in their home church, the Palmerston Evangelical Missionary Church. They also spend part of their time travelling, to their winter home in Lakeland Florida, and to visit John and his family in Toronto, Joanne in Elora, and Janice and her family in Canton, North Carolina.
Their children:
Richard John
Joanne Mae
Janice Marie
Quinton James
Richard John Quanz
By John Quanz
Born May 22, 1951 in Palmerston, Ontario. Married August 26, 1972 to Elaine Parker in New Dundee, Ontario. They reside in Toronto.
John & Elaine's Family
Liesl, Heidi, Chris
Ben, John, Geri, Randy
Lauren, Elaine
Richard John Quanz was born May 22, 1951 in the Palmerston General Hospital. He grew up in a rural community near Palmerston, about 40 miles north of Kitchener. John attended a one-room schoolhouse, U.S.S. #11 Wallace, for primary grades and then went to Norwell District Secondary School to study Arts and Sciences. After graduation John went to Emmanuel Bible College where he met Elaine Louise Parker (b. Sep. 26, 1950) from New Dundee. He moved to Toronto to study Electrical Technology, majoring in Electronics, at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute. On August 26, 1972 John and Elaine were married in the New Dundee Missionary Church. They set up their first home in Toronto and have lived there ever since.
John and Elaine have three children: Christopher (Chris) John born May 13, 1976, Heidi Marie born April 14, 1979, Liesl Catherine born November 11, 1982. In August of 1976 Randy Grainger came to live with them. On May 15, 1982, Randy married Geri Webster also of Toronto. They have two children - Benjamin and Lauren.
After graduation from Ryerson John joined the CBC Television Network where he maintained the production studios for such shows as The National, Friendly Giant, Mr. Dressup, and Wayne & Shuster among many others. During the transition from film to portable video for news crews, he provided portable video facilities to cover several "News Specials" with immediacy never before possible. This culminated in providing facilities to cover the signing of a mid-East Peace Treaty by Menachem Began, Jimmy Carter, and Anwar Sadat on the lawn of the Whitehouse in Washington, DC. These special events helped change the process of newsgathering throughout the Canadian broadcast industry.
In 1987, Sony approached John to work as a Product Manager covering production cameras utilizing a new technology Sony was introducing to the Canadian market. During the following ten years John filled the roles of Product Manager, Marketing Manager for Broadcast Products, Regional Sales Manager for Ontario and finally General Manager Marketing for all of Sony’s Broadcast and Professional products. This covered technology that ranged from tiny security cameras to news camcorders to Jumbotrons like the one in the Toronto SkyDome – still the biggest in North America.
Since their marriage, Elaine has worked as a Secretary and Computer Editor at the Dictionary of Old English located in the University of Toronto. The project is writing a dictionary of English from its earliest forms to the 11th century. Elaine's work at the dictionary has led to contacts and friends in Universities around the world in countries such as England, Germany, United States, and Japan. Elaine is keenly interested in reading, movies and travel. They celebrated their 25th Anniversary travelling to England and Germany in the fall of 1997.
John is interested in Science Fiction and Home Movies. He is also heavily involved in using his technological background in community events and on a broader basis for church functions. John has provided Audio and Video support for a weekend for teenagers, called Pitch & Praise, for the over 25 years. About 1200 teenagers gather in a camp setting for a weekend of music, guest speakers, sports and special events. John also participated in a television industry organization as a board member for the SMPTE – the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. The SMPTE strives to guide the standardization of technology and processes for the film and television industry.
Their family has also been involved in the Markham Evangelical Missionary Church. Elaine sings in the choir and John is involved in the technical aspects of many church programs. Heidi and Liesl are both involved with Youth activities and Camping. Chris is living in an apartment in Toronto while attending George Brown College. Heidi has just completed the 2nd year of a 4-year degree programme at University of Western Ontario. Randy and Geri have moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Randy is a Sales Manager for Nortel supplying phone-switching technology to the telephone companies in the Maritimes.
Their children:
Christopher John
Heidi Marie
Liesl Catherine
Joanne Mae Quanz
Joanne Mae Quanz was born on November 10, 1953 in the Palmerston General Hospital in Palmerston Ontario Canada. She is the second child of Walter Quanz and Ruby Bramhill. Joanne attended U.S.S. #11 Wallace Grade School. This was a one-room schoolhouse located on the 8th Concession of Wallace Township. The teacher for much of her time at U.S.S. #11 was A. E. Ashemore who taught all 8 grades in the school. She attended the Minto Clifford School in Gowanstown for grades 7 & 8 and then attended Norwell District Secondary School for her high school.
After
graduation "Jo" received training as a Nurses Assistant working in several
Retirement homes in the Palmerston and Listowel areas. In 1986 she started
working at the Wellington Terrace retirement home in Elora. She was privileged
to be able to assist in the care of her grandmother, Veronica Quanz nee-Walters,
until Veronica passed away in 1995 at the age of 97. It was a comfort to
the rest of our family knowing that Jo was on-hand to look after Grandma.
Jo has two primary hobbies in her life – Southern Gospel Quartet music and her pets. Our family has always had a strong interest in music whether Mom playing piano and organ in our church, Dad singing in a quartet in our church or John and Jan being part of local groups traveling around the area singing in churches. Southern Gospel Quartet music has been played on our record players since we were young. All of us have been interested in the groups we listened to but none more so than Jo. She has a talent and an interest in keeping track of our favorite groups as they traveled around North America and kept us informed when they were close enough for us to be able to attend a live concert. Jo also helped to look after all our pets but her favourites were Penny and Bubbles.
Jo still works at the Wellington Terrace and she has an
apartment in Elora. She travels home on her "days off" work to spent time
with Mom and Dad and to take part in the ministry of her church – the Palmerston
Evangelical Missionary Church.
Janice Marie Quanz Nelson Ramsey
Janice Marie Quanz was born on March 6, 1957 in the Palmerston
General Hospital. She is the third child and youngest daughter of Walter
Quanz and Ruby Mae Bramhill. Janice attended U.S.S. #11 Wallace Grade School
for graded 1 to 2 and then attended the Minto Clifford Public School for
grades 3 to 8 and Norwell District Secondary School until graduation.
Janice went to Connestoga College to train for a career in nursing graduating
in 1979. At that time there were very few jobs in nursing in Ontario so
she and her cousin Donna Bramhill moved to Asheville, North Carolina to
work in a hospital there. Donna eventually moved back to Ontario but "Jan"
stayed in Asheville. She met her first husband, James Nelson, while he
was a patient under her care in the cardiac ward of the Memorial Mission
Hospital. Jan and James were married on August 28, 1982, in the Palmerston
Missionary Church in her parents hometown. They returned to the USA to
set up their home in Canton, North Carolina. James worked as a machine
operator in the Champion paper factory in Canton. Some of the coated paper
products James prepared were used by the Creamery in London Ontario for
milk cartons. James died of a heart attack on May 26, 1990 at his home
in Canton. Jan and James had one daughter, Crystal Marie. Crystal was born
on March 6, 1986 in the Memorial Mission / St. Joseph’s Hospital, Asheville,
North Carolina. Crystal is involved in basketball, softball and cheerleading
in her school.
Their children:
Crystal Marie
Janice remarried 25 October 1991 to Garry Ramsey also of Canton, North
Carolina, where they also reside. Garry is a fireman for the Asheville
Fire Department. Jan and Gary met at their church in Canton. They were
married at the Canton Wesleyan Church in Canton.
A few days before the wedding Garry’s department had been called to a fire in an old Victorian style house in Asheville. As they entered the house the two crews used their hoses to quickly knock down the fire on the first floor. One crew laid down their hose and assisted the other crew, led by Garry, to take the hose up the stairs and fight the fire on the other two floors. As Garry led the crews onto the third floor the floor broke away under his feet. He fell to the second floor hitting so hard that that floor, weakened by the fire, also gave way. He fell into the living room, on the first floor, miraculously landing on the sofa. The fire had started up around him trapping him in that room. As he rolled off the sofa he remembered the second hose they had left there as they started up the stairs. He used that hose to douse the fire around him and had the fire under control as his colleagues came from outside to rescue him. Garry is now a Captain in his station in Asheville with 16 years experience.
Jan continues to work at the Mission / St. Joseph’s Hospital in Cardiac Intensive Care.
Jan and Garry have a daughter, Amanda "Paige", born on May 11, 1992. Paige is involved in softball and cheerleading.
Their children:
Amanda "Paige"
CRYSTAL MARIE NELSON
Born March 6, 1986, Crystal resides
with her parents in
Canton, North Carolina.
AMANDA PAIGE RAMSEY
Born May 11, 1992, Paige resides with her
parents in Canton,
North Carolina.
Quinton James Quanz
Quinton James, fourth child of Walter and Ruby, was stillborn on Oct. 23, 1962. He is buried
in the Palmerston Cemetery.
- End -