Cecilia (Celia) Margaret LeDrew
Born April 1 1917 Louisbourg N.S.
Parents Charles Shaw and Bessie Shaw (nee Snow)
Celia was the first child of Charllie Shaw, she had two step
brothers Jake and Sam MacDonald and two step sisters Jessie and Bessie
MacDonald. Celia was the oldest of Charlie’s children she had a brother
Charles, sister Carrie, Sister Annie and brother Kippy. She was born was born
active. She was a good Fisherwoman and good
Hunter. She learned to shoot with her father. They lived on the shore just
beside the Government wharf in Louisbourg. He taught her to shoot old
lightbulbs he would toss into the sea. She was creative and energetic played
hockey and other sports. When the cook at the Dun Donald Inn became sick. She
was chosen to become the personal cook to Millionaire sportsman Michael Lerner
of New York and later to Marion Hasler.
She married Harold LeDrew in 1940 and had two children Gary
July 4th 1942 and Gail January 17 1945
During the war she ran her father’s house as a boarding
house. They moved to Louisbourg lighthouse in 1945 where Harold was assistant
light keeper to Wilfred covey until 1947.
They then moved to Uxbridge Ontario where her step sister
Bessie had a house and they rented room from her. While they adjusted to a new
life in Ontario, Celia amazed the neighbours at her skill at fishing trout from
the creek and shooting partridges with a 410 shotgun along the creek.
She soon had a Job at Willis Drugstore for at least 10
years. She bought the family home herself. She was an avid gardener and could
grow anything. She was an avid curler. She was a good Artist and started an Art
class. She was always busy.
She ran for town council and was very involve in local
politics. She then became a real estate sales person and rose to the top
salesperson year after year. It seemed that everybody that bought a house from
her became a lifelong friend.
Her gardens were amazing and she started the Uxbridge
horticultural society. There is a Celia LeDrew Memorial Garden in Uxbridge.
At eighty when her son left $20 to pay to get the lawn mowed
he would come home to find her mowing it.
She was best friends with Jean Kyte and never forgot
Louisbourg and came home to visit several times.
She died in 2002 at the age of 83.
She was a catholic and had a child out of wedlock with a
protestant Boy who was killed overseas. She was forced into a Catholic home for
unwed mothers and the baby was taken away from her. She finally got to meet him
about 15 years before she died. He doesn’t have a birth certificate only letter
from the cardinal of Nova Scotia. He is Jack Boone of New Waterford.
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