Handwritten letters thank Veterans at Sun Parlor Home

Handwritten letters expressing thanks and gratitude were delivered Friday to nine Veterans who now live at Sun Parlor Home.

The letters were written by employees of Nature Fresh in Leamington and delivered by General Manager John Ketler.

“I would like to thank you this Remembrance Day for the sacrifices you have made for all of us to enjoy our freedom,” wrote Ketler in his letter.

“Sometimes many of us take our lives for granted, when we should be thinking of you and what you had to go through for our lives today.”

Ketler handed his letter to Norm Jones, 83, who was wearing a ball cap honouring Navy veterans. 

“It’s a wonderful thing,” said Jones’ wife Esther. “It’s very important to remember.”

Jones enlisted in the Navy when he was just 17-years-old. He was stationed in Halifax and worked as a diver who would repair the underside of the ships.

He graduated from college as a police officer and went on to work as a Leamington police officer.

The other Veterans who received letters were: Joseph Brosseau, Larry Dawson, Ivy Tilden, Robert Clark, John Vermeiren, John Clarke, Gus Pavao, and John Waddell.

“Thanks for all you had to do,” read one letter. “We shall not forget.”

Another handwritten letter thanked the Veterans for the “freedom that we have.”

The mournful sound of bagpipes filled the hallways of the Leamington long-term care home and, outside, rain fell on the dozens of crosses bearing the names of deceased residents who were veterans. 

The small, white wooden crosses were constructed by Leamington scouts. Each bears the name of a fallen veteran and is adorned with a red poppy.