KAWARTHA LAKES-William Donald Warren was born on October 25, 1924, in the apartment above the Warren’s store which his parents operated. Children who were born in the 1920s grew up in a world that had offered opportunities that their grandparents likely would not have been fanciful enough to dream about. Though stores did not sell anything like the number of goods that change hands today, being a shop keeper was a respectable profession. As he was born, his 14-year-old sister, Mary, had the opportunity to attend Fenelon Falls Continuation School (later Fenelon Falls Secondary School)—which was relatively new to the community, and went on to attend the University of Toronto—a rare feat for a young woman from Fenelon Falls at the time.
In an era before bussing, because they grew up in the village, the Warren kids had a realistic prospect of finishing high school. In the first half of the twentieth century, higher education did not have the heavy public subsidies that it does today. This was long before the principle was articulated that no student should be turned away from university on financial grounds. University was for children from successful families, and most kids would start working at a farm, factory, or store by the time they were sixteen—as Don’s father had done. Many parents worked hard their whole life so their children might have better opportunities. Since Don came from a shop-keeper’s family, he might just have the opportunity to be a professional.
Growing up in one of the leading families in Fenelon Falls did not mean that Don would not have an easy childhood. He was premature when he was born, and his birth was not registered until he was four months old—his parents were not sure if he would survive. He had pyloric stenosis, and at that time surgery was not an option, but fortunately the condition resolved. His family moved to his maternal grandparents’ house, then the Robson home—a beautiful stone building perched on the hill on the northwest corner of Clifton and Bond Streets.
Don’s older brother, Doug, was eight when he was born, and was a good older brother—for much of his life Don would look up to him. His family were Presbyterians, in the era of temperance. “Fred and Ethel were really good people. They never drank, not a sip.” This emphasis on sobriety went along with an expectation that Presbyterian boys would be diligent and work hard. Don was a strong student and took Grades 7 and 8 in the same year.
Don attended Public School during the Great Depression. At this time, a lot of businesses had to close. The global economic contraction meant that many people did not have the money for any luxuries any more, but Fred and Ethel managed to keep their store open—but it was not without sacrifices. “A lot of people had to put their purchases on credit. I remember him telling me that he had to put cardboard in his shoes because there was a hole in the sole and his parents could not afford new shoes”—and this was a boy in one of the sober, hardworking, successful families. “In the 1930s, most people would not throw anything out because it could be of use some day.” He joined the boy scouts, but ended up being a ”lone wolf,” the only Boy Scout in town. As a boy, Don helped out at his parents’ store—as any kid would have been expected to do.
While Doug Warren had been in the last class to graduate from the original Fenelon Falls Continuation School (now the masonic lodge), Don would have the opportunity to go to the new brick school next door. It not only had four classrooms—one for each grade, it also had indoor plumbing. Don, like his older brother, Doug was interested in art and showed a lot of skill as a youngster—it had been the same in the previous generation as Fred and his brother John Alexander had both been skilled amateur artists. Don “could sit down and sketch you, in a couple of minutes, and it would look just like you. He was very good at doing portraiture and caricature.” While Don was in Secondary School, he also loved music. He played the piano, guitar, ukelele and zither—an array of instruments that went well beyond what was taught at school. “His family had a box piano in their home, with lots of sheet music.”
Prior to the amalgamation of Secondary Schools in 1951, Fenelon Falls Continuation School was overseen by the community. Don’s father, Fred Warren was on the school board, and “he helped make the decision to build the new school,” while his cousin A.W. (Art) Robson was the chair. Art also served as Reeve and owned the Fenelon Falls Gazette. When he was in Form II (Grade 10), Don had the chance to play Joseph in the Christmas play and was selected as Form Representative. But that same year, war broke out in Europe, and things would never be quite the same again.
In 1939, Doug Warren was 23, and he would sign up to serve his country. In that era, most people had some relative serving overseas. Doug was a doctor, and was served in British Columbia, where the allies were preparing for Operation Cottage, to retake Kiska Island in the Aleutians from the Japanese. As a doctor, his chances of survival were much better than his comrades who were sent into action. For any family with a loved one serving overseas, it was a difficult time. As Don was going to high school, every now and then a student would be called out in during class, and everyone else would know the tragic news they were receiving. Nevertheless, many boys wanted to enlist. “I believe that this was Doug’s first experience as a doctor, and it introduced him to practicing medicine.” Seeing the consequences of war made him an advocate for peace. Though Doug survived, a cousin, Stan Robson flew in the U.S. Marine Corps and was killed in the South Pacific.
Once again, Don would follow in his older brother’s footsteps. He enrolled in the University of Toronto Medical School, and enlisted to serve in the military. “Don would have wanted to join the military because Doug was in the military. Don had poor vision in one eye, so he memorized his brother’s eye chart, so he wouldn’t be turned down to serve.” He turned 18 in 1944, and “I don’t know if he actually made it overseas to serve.” While he was at the University of Toronto, mutual friend Marjorie McCallum who was his classmate in Fenelon Falls arranged for him to go on a blind date with her fellow nursing student Mildred Caldwell. They were married the next year and would have three children: Doug, Bob and Pat.
Don graduated in 1948, interned at St. Michael’s hospital, then moved to Haliburton to work at the Red Cross Hospital. Within a year or two, the young couple built a cottage on Drag Lake. He would move on to having his own practice, but once again he would follow in his older brother’s footsteps. After serving in the Second World War, Dr. Doug Warren took a job working for Imperial Oil in Sarnia. Having heard from his brother about what it was like to practice medicine in an industrial context, Don went to Ann Arbor, Michigan to be trained in industrial medicine and public health. He then went on to work for General Motors, in Oshawa. In that generation, many Fenelon Falls residents would go to work at “The Motors.” He would help diagnose and care for workplace injuries. “He had a big heart and he really cared about his patients.” His daughter, Pat would return to the Kawarthas, operating an X-ray clinic in Bobcaygeon and then Fenelon Falls. She currently serves on City of Kawartha Lakes Council.
This story is a memory and nobody’s memory is perfect. Sometimes details get a little mixed up, things get forgotten or overlooked, and the perspective is inevitably subjective. If you notice something that not right, have something you would like to tell us, or a memory to share the museum would be happy to hear from you: [email protected]
This story is part of our partnership with Maryboro Lodge, The Fenelon Falls Museum and was written by Glenn Walker.
If you want to make a donation to the museum, you can e-transfer to: [email protected] or mail a cheque to :
Maryboro Lodge Museum
Box 179
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Fenelon Falls, ON
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