BX December 5, 1951
Lt.-Colonel A.P. Van Someren Passed Away Here Today
Lieutenant Colonel A.P. VanSomeren of Brantford best-known and most highly esteemed military and fraternal men, died at his residence, 181 St. Paul Avenue, this morning, ion his 83rd year.
Colonel VanSomeren was a veteran of the First World War, former commander of the Dufferin Rifles, high secretary of the Canadian Order of Foresters, prominent in Grace Church, a former member and chairman of the Brantford Board of Education, and honorary treasurer of the Ontario Command of the Canadian Legion.
Worth was appreciated
Few men in Brantford were better known or their worth more appreciated.
Alfred Pope Van Someren was born in Plymouth, England, a son of Surgeon-General W.J. Van Someren and Harriet Taylor. He was closely connected with the Birdwood family. The late Lord Birdwood who died recently was a cousin.
He received his education at Bridge-of-Allan, Scotland, and Mill Hill, England, public schools, and started work in England for a firm of private brokers.
Settled on a Farm
In 1886 he decided to come to Canada to learn farming. He settled on a farm near Glencoe. After three years he homesteaded in Manitoba, near Beresford. Sometime thereafter he opened up a private bank in Souris, Manitoba and when he sold out to the Union Bank, he became manager of the Souris branch. Her served the bank in several places in Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
It was while he was manager at Saskatoon that he was appointed high secretary of the Canadian Order of Foresters, a position he held until he retired in 1949.
Joining the C.O.F. in 1891 he was appointed to the executive committee in 1908, remaining a member until when he resigned to accept the post of high secretary. It was in that year that he come to Brantford.
Military Career
His military career started shortly after he went to Manitoba. He served as an officer in the Manitoba Dragoons. He joined the 25th Brant Dragoons shortly after taking up residence here, and served in it until he enlisted in the 125th Battalion through the Dufferin Rifles. He went overseas as captain and paymaster of the 125th and went to France as paymaster with the Royal Canadian Regiment, serving with it to the end of the war. He then went to Southern France with the Canadian Forestry Battalion, serving until 1919.
Returning to Brantford a major, he resumed his post at the C.O.F., and shortly thereafter went back to the Dufferin Riffles. He rose to command it and was a most efficient and capable officer. He was at different times honored by officers, N.C.O.’s and men of the unit.
Colonel Van Someren was always interested in education and served on the Board of Education for several years, being chairman one year. He was much interested in public welfare and patriotic organizations and gave much of his time and talent to Brantford, where he had resided for 40 years.
An active member of Grace Anglican Church, Colonel Van Someren served on different bodies within the Anglican Church in general and in Grace Church in particular, including the part of warden.
Always to the forefront in matters pertaining to war veterans, he worked assiduously for their interests through the Canadian Legion. He was a past president of Telephone City Branch 90 and for many years was honorary treasurer of the Ontario Command.
Besides being one of the oldest C.O.F. members, Col. Van Someren was a Free Mason and a member of the Independent of Order of Foresters.
Surviving besides his widow, the former Gertrude Thorne, are one daughter, Mrs. E.G. (Esne) Whitaker, Barrie, a son, Alfred W.E. van Someren, Hamilton, a brother, Arthur Van Someren, Liverpool, and four grandchildren.
He is resting at the Beckett Funeral Home until Friday, when public service will be held in Grace Church at 3.30 p.m. Interment will be in Farringdon Burial Ground.
BX December 6, 1951
Impressive Last Tribute to Col. A.P. Van Someren
An impressive last tribute was paid here Friday afternoon to Lieutenant Colonel A.P. Van Someren, V.D., whose funeral service was conducted at Grace Anglican Church.
Many friends and associates in military, veterans, fraternal and financial circles attended the service, conducted by Rev. Cannon H.F. Appleyard, rector of Grace, assisted by Rev. Canon F.W. Schaffter, chaplain of the Telephone City Branch of the Canadian Legion, and rev. J.C. Coles, rector of St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Middleport.
The funeral was held from Becket’s Funeral Home to the church, with interment in Farringdon Burial Ground, where Legionnaires dropped the customary red poppies on the casket during the committal service.
The honorary pallbearers were G. Van Someren Whitaker, Edmonton, Alta; Brig., the Hon. Milton F. Gregg, V.C. Minister of Labor, formerly minister of veterans’ affairs, Ottawa; Col. J.J. Hurley, Ottawa; Hon. W. Ross Macdonald, K.C., M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons; P.S. Secord, Ottawa; W. M. Couper, Montreal, High Chief Ranger of the Canadian Order of Foresters; Dr. C.R.B. Crompton, Wellesley Hospital, Toronto; Brig. O.M. Martin, Toronto; Gladstone Raymond, Toronto; John Ridley, Toronto; Lt.-Col. J.G. Weir, Toronto; Lt.-Col. L.F. Bishop, Brantford; Lt.-Col. J.M. Ferguson, Brantford; W.D. Hurley, Brantford; E. Lewis, Brantford; Group Captain J.A.D. Marquis, Brantford; Lt.-Col. Watson Race, Brantford; J.A.D. Slemin, K.C., Brantford and K.V. Bunnell, Brantford.
The active pallbearers were Patrick Briggs, provincial secretary of the Ontario Command of the Canadian Legion, Toronto; H.G. Bull, grand-nephew of Col. Van Someren, Toronto; P.C. Garratt Jr., grandson of the deceased, Toronto; L.L.B. Hamlin, High Chief Secretary of the C.O.F., Brantford; J. Ross Rodgers, a grandson, Barrie, and K.R. Van Wyck, a grandson, Hamilton.
In attendance were officers of the head office of the C.O.F. of which Col. Van Someren was formerly high Secretary, members of the office staff here at head office of the C.O.F., representatives of the Ex-Imperial Women’s Association, Toronto, the executive of the Ontario Command of the Canadian Legion of which the deceased was honorary treasurer, Legion zone and district commanders, officers of the Telephone City Legion Branch, officers, non-commissioned officers and ranks from the 56th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, officers of the former Dufferin Rifles and the Dufferin-Haldimand Rifles, and members of the various veterans’ groups in Brantford and district.
Many floral tributes also illustrated the great esteem in which Co. VanSomeren was held during a long and active and honorable career in Brantford and elsewhere.
