White, Etta Lydia Mary

• Schantz, Etta Lydia Mary

Etta was born to Tobias and Mary Schantz in Port Elgin, Ontario on October 9, 1866 and raised alongside her seven siblings; Orpheus Moyer Schantz, Sophie Emma Schantz, Austin Tobias Schantz, Franklin Abram Schantz, Arthur Benjamin Schantz, Florence Annie Catherine Schantz, and Herbert Cecil Palmer Schantz.

In 1870 the family moved to the village of Hawkesville in Waterloo County. In 1877 the family moved to Conestogo, Waterloo County and later to Berlin (now Kitchener), Ontario in 1884.

In 1884, Etta started working at the Williams Greene Rome Company shirt factory.

Etta attended high school at the Berlin Collegiate & Technical Institute. In addition, she attended the Model School for teacher training at Central School. She taught briefly in West Montrose, Ontario before returning to the shirt factory in 1892.

Between 1892 and 1896 Etta lived in Chicago, Illinois with her brother Orpheus. She helped take care of his home and his infant daughter Ruth Schantz. Eventually, she found a position at the department store Carson Pirie Scott & Company where Orpheus worked. Around 1897, Etta moved back to Berlin (now Kitchener), Ontario.

On September 1, 1897 Etta married her long-time friend Ward White in her family’s home located at 43 Schneider Avenue, Berlin (now Kitchener), Ontario. The couple moved to Leamington, Ontario and had their first child, Wilfrid Herbert White on February 20, 1899. Wilfrid died at four months of age on June 4, 1899.

In 1900, Ward moved out west to homestead in Alberta with Etta’s brothers Arthur and Austin and her father Tobias. Subsequently, Etta returned home to Berlin (now Kitchener), Ontario to give birth to their second child.

Etta gave birth to a daughter, Dorothy Etta White, on April 26, 1900. Etta died from complications of the childbirth on May 5, 1900.

Revised by NM in January 2019.

• English

• Lydia Mary “Etta” Schantz White - Find a Grave
• Schantz Family of Berlin: The Children of Tobias and Mary Schantz by Harold Russell. SCA118-GA391-2-45