Andrew Ayres; Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust:Information about Raynor Andrew Kerr

[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Home Page |Surname List |Index of Individuals |InterneTree |Sources

Raynor Andrew Kerr (b. June 11, 1909, d. September 17, 1949)

Raynor Andrew Kerr (son of Charles Andrew Kerr and Eva Delphine Ayres) was born June 11, 1909, and died September 17, 1949 in Toronto, Canada. He married MaryEllen Wagner.

Notes for Raynor Andrew Kerr:
Death Record:
Raynor Kerr, Wife and Son are Missing...

Onsted, Sept 19, 1949
The entire village of Onsted is in mourning today over the tragedy that has befallen its first family in the Noronic disaster at Toronto, Canada. Village president Raynor Kerr, 40, Mrs Kerr, 40, and their eight year old son, Philip remain among the missing and are believed dead. Their two daughters Kathleen, 11 and Barbara, 6, and Mr Kerrs sister Miss Josephine Kerr, 45, escaped although Kathleen will remain in St Michaels' hospital in Toronto for two or three more weeks with serious leg and arm burns.....

******
Onsted Mourns Loss Of Three Members Of Its
First Family; 121 Known Dead On Noronic

Raynor Kerr, Wife and Son Are Missing

60-Foot Leap into Water Saves Josephine Kerr and Two Nieces

ONSTED, Sept. 19-1949The entire village of Onsted is in mourning today over the tragedy that has befallen its first family in the Noronic disaster at Toronto. Village President Raynor Kerr, 40 years old, Mrs. Kerr, 40, and their eight year old son, Philip remain among the missing and are believed dead. Their two daughters Kathleen, 11 and Barbara, 6, and Mr. Kerr's sister, Miss Josephine Kerr, 45, escaped although Kathleen will remain in St. Michaels' hospital in Toronto for two or three more weeks with serious leg and arm burns.

Miss Kerr and her two nieces had a very narrow escape. She telephoned friends in Adrian and Fremont, Ohio, Saturday and described her experiences. Her brother and his wife and Philip are without a doubt dead, she said.

"I had a stateroom with Kathleen and Barbara", Miss Kerr said in her conversation with friends. "We were aroused by alarms and the smoke made its way to one of the decks, I believe B deck. The three of us were standing at the rail, it was getting bad.

A mate was there and I asked what I should do. You'll have to jump, he said. It was about 60 feet. I told him I couldn't jump with the girls. Then he stopped a sailor, threw a line over the side and sent the sailor down with Barbara. "You jump alone", he said, you hadn't better take a chance with the line." And so I jumped off into the water. On the way down I struck the bow anchor and cable and bruised one leg and my side. But its not bad.

"The mate said he would be right along with Kathleen." From the water below I looked up to watch their progress. They were about a third of the way down the line when a sheet of flame leaped out from the side of the boat. It seemed to engulf them completely. Then they dropped into the water We all remained afloat until we were picked up.

Miss Kerr now is staying with Barbara in a private home at 354 Englewood, Toronto, Ontario. She was treated at St. Michael's hospital and released. Barbara suffered only a scratch. Kathleen was burned badly but will recover.

Mr and Mrs Harold S. Reynolds and Mr and Mrs A.B. Kidney, close friends of the Kerrs, went to Toronto by automobile Saturday. They were to attempt to identify the three missing persons among the hundreds of mutilated bodies which have been removed from the blackened hulk which was once a pleasure vessel. They planned to return home today while Miss Kerr and Barbara will remain in Toronto until Kathleen is released from the hospital.

Oddly enough it was the Kerrs' love for travel by ship that led to their tragedy. A cruise for the entire family was their idea of a real vacation.

Telephones rang busily throughout the week end in Onsted as members of the closely- knit community exchanged the latest word from Toronto. The loss to the community was a terrible one for the Kerrs were the first family of the village in more than title.

Mr. Kerr, who owned the prosperous Onsted & Kerr lumber and coal business of which his father was founder, was also the president of the board of education of the Onsted Community School. He was instrumental in the recent reorganization of the school which brought children from surrounding districts under the Onsted educational program. With the exception of the two years spent in Toledo when he and his new wife operated a yarn shop, he had always resided in Onsted. He married the former Maryellen Wagner of Rising Sun, Ohio in 1933. He was elected village president in 1948 and again last spring.

The women of Onsted refer to Mrs. Kerr as a "wonderful mother" and "a real community leader, who was alwayswilling to work for anything that was for the betterment of the village." She gave freely of her time and energu despite the fact that she was a small woman, not much larger than her oldest daughter. She had been president of the Onsted Womans Club, and assistant Girl Scout Leader, and at one time served on the board of education.

Just last Monday Mrs. Kerr had arranged a tour of the Kaiser-Frazer plant at Willow Run for members of the womans club. As the bus was about to leave with the women aboard, Mrs Kerr arrived with two large cans in her hands. "I am sorry that I cannot go," she said, I have canning to do and clothing fpor five people to get ready for our trip." Then she held up the cans and appealed to the women to donate to the emergency polio drive. The cans were to be placed in the village bank to receive contributions. She was the village Polio chairman, also.

A few hours before they were to leave on their boat trip, Mrs Kerr met Mrs Vinniw Hubbard at the Onsted library and was enthusiastic about the trip, as she was about everything she undertook. "This is the only kind of vacation that we can really enjoy," she said . "This business of starting out with a car and not knowing where you are going to sleep and eat is no rest for me." We enjoy these boat trips so much. We can rest and read and don't have any responsibilities." A ship cruise was an annual event for the Ker family. They had taken another three-day cruise earlier in the summer.

Mr Kerr was a flying enthusiast and at one time owned his own plane. Mrs. Kerr too took up flying but soon prevailed on her husband to give it up as too dangerous. Both were avid readers and strong advocates of the joys of close family life. Both Mr and Mrs Kerr were graduates of Hillsdale College.

The latest word received from Toronto came through at 3 pm Sunday from Mrs. Kidney to her daughter, Mrs Max Johnson and reported Mr and Mrs Kerr and Philip still missing. Officials of various agencies investigating the diaster have indicated that it will never be possible to identify scores of bodies which have been burned beyond recognition.

Miss Josephine Kerr was well known in Adrian, having been a resident of the city until moving back to Onsted a few years ago. She was an instructor at Adrian College and Adrian High School and the Onsted school as well as the Hillsdale College where she graduated. She also is nutrition chairman of the Lenawee Red Cross chapter.

In addition to his daughters and sister Mr Kerr is survived by an uncle, aunt and several cousins. He was the son of the late Charles and Eva Kerr. Mrs Kerr, in addition to her daughters, is survived by a nephew and niece living in Toledo. Her parents Dr. and Mrs William H. Wagner, a brother William Jr, and a sister Mrs. Elizabeth Wager, preceded her in death.

Philip who was born in May 1941 in Onsted, was a third grade pupil of the Onsted school and with his sisters, was a member of the Onsted Sunday School. Kathleen is a sixth grade pupil in the Onsted school and Barbara is in the first grade.

Children of Raynor Andrew Kerr and MaryEllen Wagner are:

Kathleen Kerr.
Philip Kerr, b. May 04, 1941, d. September 17, 1949, Toronto, Canada.
Barbara Kerr.