Hicks, Arthur Norman

Arthur Norman Hicks was born on 16 June 1900 in Deseronto, Ontario, date and place confirmed by his Ontario birth record. His parents William Hicks and Hannah Davy were from the Deseronto/Napanee area, marrying in Deseronto on 10 October 1899. At the time William was working as a cabinet finisher. The young family settled in Napanee where William found work as a tinsmith. Children born to the couple in Napanee were Aubrey (1902-1903), Lenora (1904-1969), and Eileen (1907-1965). By the 1911 census the family had moved to Kenora in northwestern Ontario, as did Hannah’s parents. By 1914 and the birth of daughter Minota (1914-2001), the family was living in the Transcona area of Winnipeg where William was working as a tinsmith for the Canadian National Railway shops. Daughter Grace (1917-2015) was born in Winnipeg.

With occupation given as machinist and his father William in South Transcona as next of kin, Arthur signed his attestation papers at Camp St Charles in Winnipeg on 27 July 1917. He gave his date and place of birth as 16 June 1898 in Napanee. His service number indicates that he was with the 34th Fort Garry Horse Service Squadron in Winnipeg which trained recruits and performed local military duties as required. However, underage, seven months later Arthur was discharged as a minor on 6 March 1918.

By the 1921 census the family was back in the Kenora area, farming north of the town in Umbach. Children added to the family were Herbert (1919-2002), Lillian (1919-2005), and Norma (1922-1961).

Sadly, Arthur was killed in an accident on 2 December 1921 on property adjacent to their farm. He and his father were cutting down trees when he was struck by a falling branch. Arthur is interred in the Lake of the Woods Cemetery in Kenora.

In 1925 father William began working for the Ontario-Minnesota Pulp and Paper Company, eventually retiring in 1947. William was known for his promotion of sports, especially hockey and baseball, among the youth of the area. Most of Arthur’s siblings stayed in the Kenora area, marrying and raising their families. His father William died in on 13 March 1955, at the time survived by his wife Hannah, son Herbert, daughters Lenora Lindsay, Eileen McCulloch, Minota Sundquist, Grace Kozak, Lillian Gaudreau, and Norma Garrow, all of Kenora, as well as 20 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. Hannah died in June of 1957. She and William are interred with Arthur in the Lake of the Woods Cemetery, Kenora.

by Judy Stockham

photos of Arthur courtesy of the Kozak family

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