We would like for you to share a bit of our family history !! A historical run-down of our family roots, which we treasure and hold in our hearts so dear !! We hope you enjoy reading them ! SADIE FETTERLEY (Sadie) Sarah Parker Mcreadie Milroy, the daughter of David and Agnes Milroy was born in Shotts Lanarkshire, Scotland. She grew up on a farm. The family farm supplied Mrs. Kerr’s boarding house with milk, eggs and butter. Sarah met Charlie through deliveries to the Kerr home. Charles and Sarah were married in Scotland on August 25, 1945, the day after her mother died. (Her mother had been ill for some time and it was her mother’s wish that if she died the wedding would still go ahead.) Sarah’s father had previousely passed away.
"I had girlfriend who lost both her parents suddenly just before war broke out. We were very close and I felt sorry for her, so young and here she was an orphan, but like all things experience is a great teacher. In eighteen months in my own family we had lost our parents and both my brother and I got married." Sadie sailed to Canada in June 1946 on the S.S. Letitia. She landed in Halifax and came by train to Toronto where she was met by Charlie on July 1, 1946. They first lived at 10 Walpole Street in Huntsville with Charlie’s sister Edith Flood and family. Edith still lives in that house. Their first child, Thelma was born while they lived in Huntsville. Charlie was a mechanic in the army and received his final Class A papers by working for A & R Motors in Huntsville. They were very sad to see him go and always told him he had a job if he wanted to come back.   In January 1948, the Fetterleys moved to Kearney to run Howards garage and by April they purchased it.  The garage is not the building you see now. The original garage building was smaller and in 1955 a new building was built over top of the existing building. They lived in a small house beside the garage. What they used to call a button bin, it consisted of a kitchen, livingroom and one bedroom. Jim was born, now there were four of them living in this three room house. where the garage is now until they built the present house. Originally the garage was a McColl Frontenac,  then Texaco, changing to Esso when Texaco Canada went out of business and now an independent garage selling Imperial Oil Fuels. The original focus of the business was vehicle repairs. Fetterley’s Garage was also a Pioneer Chairsaw dealer through Hillstad Distributors Limited of North Bay. The garage was a distributor for Sportspal canoes for a few years as well. At one time there were two shifts of mechanics working to keep the log trucks in good repair. In 1993 Charlie passed away and the business depended less and less on mechanics. Fetterley’s Garage is now the local Purolator Depot, Beer and Liquor bottle return depot, Propane Exchange Depot as well as now having a small variety store and still carries a large amount of parts for the do it yourself repairman. The garage is now the only fuel station from Novar to Katrine. Sadie and Charlie had six children but one died at age six months. The oldest is Thelma, then, Jim, Rocky ( who died at age six months), Debbie, David, and Heather. The children all went to school in Kearney and later in Burks Falls. All the girls went through the 4H program in Kearney which was, at that time, supported by the Kearney Women’s Institute. Over and above working at the garage Sadie was also a Real Estate agent for Stan Darling Realtor Ltd. Sadie has been a tireless worker for the Town of Kearney. She was active in the Kearney Women’s Institute. She served with Ralph Bice on the Committee that wrote the Semi-Centennial History in 1958, the Committee that wrote the 75 th Year History in 1983 and with her daughter Heather, has been an active member of the Publications Sub-Committee which is writing the Centennial History in 2008.  She has also served on the town council for many years.  "I have never looked back.  I'm sure some people would say I've had a hard life, but I say a happy one with many great experiences.  Mrs. Fred White was my 2nd mother and a true friend."
Sadie sailed to Canada in June 1946 on the S.S. Letitia.  She landed in Halifax and came by train to Toronto where she was met by Charlie on July 1, 1946.  They first lived at 10 Walpole Street in Huntsville with Charlie’s sister Edith Flood and family. Edith still lives in that house.  Their first child, Thelma was born while they lived in Huntsville.  Charlie was a mechanic in the army and received his final Class A papers by working for A & R Motors in Huntsville.  They were very sad to see him go and always told him he had a job if he wanted to come back. In January 1948, the Fetterleys moved to Kearney to run Howards garage and by April they purchased it.  The garage is not the building you see now.  The original garage building was smaller and in 1955 a new building was built over top of the existing building. They lived in a small house beside the garage.   Jim was born, now there were four of them living in this three room house.  where the garage is now until they built the present house. Originally the garage was a McColl Frontenac, then Texaco, changing to Esso when Texaco Canada went out of business and now an independent garage selling Imperial Oil Fuels.  The original focus of the business was vehicle repairs.  Fetterley’s Garage was also a Pioneer Chain saw dealer through Hillstad Distributors Limited of North Bay.  The garage was a distributor for Sportspal canoes for a few years as well. At one time there were two shifts of mechanics working to keep the log trucks in good repair.  In 1993 Charlie passed away and the business depended less and less on mechanics.  Fetterley’s Garage is now the local Purolator Depot, Beer and Liquor bottle return depot, Propane Exchange Depot as well as now having a small variety store and still carries a large amount of parts for the do it yourself repairman.  The garage is now the only fuel station from Novar to Katrine. Sadie and Charlie had six children but one died at age six months. The oldest is Thelma, then, Jim, Rocky (who died at age six months),Debbie, David, and Heather. The children all went to school in Kearney and later in Burks Falls.  The garage originally was a McColl Frontenac Station, Texaco for many years, then Esso and finally to its current independent status of Fetterley’s Garage.  Over the years the business saw many changes.  In 1955 the current garage was built over top of the original garage. For several winters there were two shifts of mechanics in order to deal with the huge volume of log truck repairs. In 1976 Charlie and Sadie purchased a school bus route from Oni and Helvi Ahola.  At the time it involved two station wagons that would pick up children from rural roads and bring them into Kearney to the bigger school buses.   Charlie received an award from the parents of his Clam Lake Run, for “For His Never Ending Dedication to Our Children”.  This was in no doubt due to his many adventures he did with the school children each year, over and above the daily trip to school.  One yearhe invited all of the school children to travel down the Magnetawan River on tubes from Yankee Dam to Sand Lake. Today there is one 72 passenger bus and two mini vans to bring the students to the local schools.  Charlie and Sadie were the original bus drivers.  Over the years there have been many family members driving, including Jim, David, Heather, and their spouses, Linda, Anita and Gary.  For several years the garage was also the local Pioneer chainsaw dealer.  In the seventies Charlie ventured into selling Sportspal canoe’s.  He vowed never to sell something he didn’t believe in and Sportspal was his favourite canoe, unsinkable he claimed.  From 1972-79 Charlie and Sadie ran Kearney’s garbage pick-up. he garage also operates now as the local Purolator depot, as well as the collection agency for beer and liquor bottles. Sadie also found the time to be a part time real estate agent for Stan Darling Real Estate for several years. Sadie has been a tireless worker or the Town of Kearney, on many committees, most notably the recreation committee and library board.  She was active in the Kearney Women’s Institute until its demise.  She served with Ralph Bice on the committee that wrote the semi-centennial history in 1958, the committee that wrote the 75th Year history in 1983 and now with her daughter Heather is an active member of the Publications sub-committee which is writing the Centennial History in 2008.  In June of 2008 Sadie received the “Senior of the Year” award from the Town of Kearney for her tireless efforts within the community. Sadie was elected a town councillor for Ward 1 in 2003. Her oldest daughter made the mistake of suggesting that she might not run again so she would have more time to relax. Sadie, of course, ran again and was elected through acclamation in her current term.   Charlie was Mayor of Kearney in 1957-58 and again in 1965-66.   Charlie received a Centennial Achievement Award from the Premier of Ontario in 1967 for his distinguished contribution as chairman of the Centennial Committee. Charlie was an active member on the Kearney Fire Department for many years.  He was also a volunteer and Comrade in good standing with the Kearney Legion Branch 276. On May 15, 1983, Charlie represented Texaco at a Pitch-In Day held by the Hubertus Rod & Gun Club at their club house at the old Ravensworth Station.  He was instrumental in getting Texaco to donate two steel drums for garbage can use in the roadside area of the club house. On September 8, 1990 Charlie first walked in the Kearney Walkathon sponsored by the Kearney Recreation Committee.   Proceeds were donated to the Ball park Fund.  In walking from the Sand Lake Log Church to the Kearney Community Centre (17 Kilometres Charlie raised a total of$61.40).  The Kearney Lions Club now holds a walkathon in Charlie’s memory each year to raise funds for the Kearney Lions’ Park. Charlie died in a fire at the garage in January 1993. After his death the garage concentrated on supplying fuel and parts. Jim continues with welding jobs, tire and minor repairs. On August 8, 1998 there was a gathering of many people including former employees at the Kearney Community Centre to celebrate  Fetterley’s Garage being 50 years old! In June of 2008 another celebration was held at Fetterley’s Garage to recognize the milestone of 60 years in business.  Over the years many members of the Charlie and Sadie Fetterley family have worked at the family business.  In February 2007 Heather and family returned to Kearney to help Sadie and Jim run the business. In May the office was renovated to be more of a variety store, much to Jim’s opposition. “I can’t find anything!” can be clearly heard across town. Heather Pateman