Annie Bell Gibbons was born Sept 21 1902, in Innisfil Ontario, Canada, on the south half lot 25 of the 9th line, the daughter of life-time residents and farm families, James Gibbons and Phoebe Taylor, she was delivered by Dr. Little.
Annie Bell Gibbons married Stanley Anthony Walton of Barrie and they became parents of four girls. Issabell Walton, Dorathy Walton, June Walton and Yvonne Walton. Stanley Walton, employed as a World War I Veteran along with his brother Matthew Walton, was also affiliated with the Roman Catholic religion and was a member of the Independent Order of Oddfellows in Barrie. Stanley, his lungs now in deteriorating health did return to Barrie to his young family after World War I ended. While he did suffer from the effects of war, he was able to spend the remaining time with his children in Bell Ewart and received treatment for his injuries at Toronto Hospital until his passing in 1960. Stanley Anthony Walton was laid to rest at the 6th Line Cemetery, located at Yonge Street and the 6th line of Innisfil, Ontario.
While raising her girls, Annie Bell was involved with the Lefroy Women’s Institute. She moved to Barrie, in the 1960’s to the neighbourhood in the East End of Barrie, Napier St, where she lived with her daughter Yvonne Walton-Hussey and her four grandchildren, the offspring of Yvonne and Fred Hussey.
Annie Bell and her husband were no strangers to war time life. Stanley Anthony’s father Edward Walton was also a veteran of World War I. Edward married Mary Carney of Ireland, who had moved to Barrie with her parents, brothers and sisters when she was 10 years old in 1885. Edward Walton’s obituary in the The Northern Advance, Barrie, Ontario, Thursday, May 18th, 1922 listed the many different wars that he took part in during his time as a Canadian soldier from Barrie. In the obituary his funeral was listed as the largest ever witnessed in Barrie, starting at St Mary’s Church to St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery where he was laid to rest alongside his wife Mary Carney.
After Stanley Walton’s passing, Annie Bell found love again, with Mr. Roy Davis. She lived a church-loving life with her friends and family by her side, as well as and at this point, her grandchildren, in both Barrie and Innisfil, whom Roy Davis also cared for and helped to raise. Annie Bell and Roy Davis returned to live for the last part of her life, in a house that was built for her by Roy Davis in Lefroy, Innisfil Ontario. She passed away in 1992 and was also laid to rest at the 6th line Cemetery.
As told by Amanda Yvonne Annie Wilce, great granddaughter to Annie Bell Gibbons.
Many stories of Simcoe County Families and the genealogies, including that of Annie Bell Walton’s families, can be found in the newly published and detailed book organized by Amanda Wilce, a contributor of many stories and much research.
This newly published history focuses on the Ferrier and Sabin family, Mary Sabin and David Ferrier, who immigrated to Canada after the American Revolution. They lived during the very early pioneer times of Innisfil, Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. Along with Amanda Wilce, credit is extended to author and researcher Bill Warnica along with Torrence Ferrier, Brian Adams, Peggy Annette Wells-Huish, Danielle Christine Lee and Teri Lamb-Bowers.
The Sabin-Ferrier book can be found here or by contacting Sabinferrier@gmail.com
