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NOTE: This page has been adapted for the Website from Donald Coburn’s My Line. Use of the first person is in relation to Donald and not the webmaster/author of the site. Subscript index numbers (ex. Moses4) refer to generations after the family’s arrival in North America. Edward Colborne being generation 1.

LAURA8 MYRTLE COBURN

LAURA8 MYRTLE COBURN (Charles7, David6, David5, Moses4, Moses3, Joseph2, Edward1) b. 26 July 1881 d. 3 Jan. 1960 daughter of Charles Coburn and Elizabeth (Yerxa) Coburn m. 11 Nov. 1903 John Ray Walker b. 1880 d. 1921 son of Edward Walker and Harriet Walker.

Laura was born in the new house (later known as the Grant house) her father had recently built in Keswick Ridge on the River Road toward the Macnaquac. She went to school at Keswick Ridge across the road from the homes of her uncles William and Tyler Coburn. Next she went to the Provincial Normal School in Fredericton and after graduation taught only one year, at Jones’ Forks near Burtt’s Corner. She then decided that teaching was not for her as she had a recurring dream that her hand would be restrained from falling when trying to administer the strap or ruler to maintain discipline. Schools were then run on the old precept Spare the rod and spoil the child.

Laura went to Everett, a suburb of Boston, Mass., to live with the Elijah Yerxa family. Her uncle Elijah had a large grocery store where Laura worked as a bookkeeper. He was, quite likely, the E. Yerxa mentioned in Benjamin Coburn’s letter.

Daughter Betty provided this information on her mother Laura:

While living in Everett, she met John Ray Walker and they were married there on Nov. 11, 1903. They lived there for a few years and their first son Robert Coburn Walker was born about 1905. When he was a little fellow they came to Keswick to visit Mother’s parents, Lizzie and Charles Coburn. My Dad fell in love with Canada and decided he’d like to live here so they moved to Fredericton and he worked for the John Palmer Shoe Co. and laterthe Hartt Boot and Shoe Co. At the time of his death in the Spring of 1921 he was theirhead Salesman and travelled all across Canada. He died at the early age of 41 from pneumonia after having the flu during the big Epidemic that Spring. My brother Jack(JohnFrederick) wasborn in 1911 after they moved to Fredericton and I(Helen Elizabeth-Betty) in 1913. I was only 7 when my Dad died but I remember him vividly as he was such a loving and caring Father.

John and Laura Walker
John Ray Walker and Laura8 (Coburn) Walker

Fredericton residents used to swim in the river near the old pumping station on Smythe Street. As a tiny girl, Betty used to ride on her father’s shoulders in her little grey wool swimsuit, when her father swam there. Betty gives some of her father’s background:

John Ray Walker and Laura (Coburn) Walker
Laura8 (Coburn) and John Ray Walker with their three children:
Standing; Robert, seated, older boy last name Edney. Two younger children,
John and Elizabeth. Taken in Wilmont Park Fredericton N.B. c1907.

William Walker, my great grandfather married (around 1878) Johanna Roach in Fitchburg, Mass. They had two sons, Edward W. and William. Edward was my grandfather and his family moved to Boston (Brookline) when he was a boy. When he grew up he worked for a few years in the employ of a woolen house and later was in the Lubricating Oil Business. He gave much of his time to the interests of the Methodist Church and for many years was a member of St. Marks’ Church in Brookline, Mass. where he served as an usher for 22 years and was a member of the board.

He was twice married and his first wife was named Harriet. My father was the oldest of their four children -John Ray, Elsie, Helen (my namesake) and Edward. His second wife was Emma Manning Huntley of Nashua, N.H. and they had no children.

Laura died in 1960. She was survived by two children: John Frederick9 Walker and Helen Elizabeth9 (Betty) (Walker) Middlemiss; five grandchildren: John Alexander10 Walker, John Louis10 Walker, Michael10 Walker, Judith Ann10 Middlemiss and Janet10 Middlemiss and one great-granddaughter, Tracy11 Walker.