Wilmot’s Donald Mohr reflects on his father, Clayton Mohr’s service in the First World War

Donald Mohr, with his daughter, Marilyn Parker, at home near Phillipsburg. Parker, who now lives in Calgary, says her soon-to-be 98-year-old father has an exceptional memory and continues to live independently with help from family. Gary West photo

By Gary West

Wilmot Township’s senior residents have long heard the saying that history repeats itself. After the First World War, they hoped it wouldn’t – but only two decades later, global conflict returned.

For lifelong Wilmot Township farmer Donald Mohr, those lessons remain vivid, especially as Remembrance Day approaches.

During a recent visit to his home near Phillipsburg, Mohr – who turns 98 at Christmas – reflected on stories he learned about his father, Clayton Mohr, and his service in the First World War. Clayton Mohr received his draft notice in 1918 and enlisted with the Western Ontario Regiment in London. He departed Canada by ship on Sept. 10, arriving in England on Sept. 15.

He was later transferred to the 4th Reserve Battalion and posted to Kimmel Park. Clayton Mohr contracted influenza but recovered and rejoined his unit on Nov. 4, 1918 – just days before the war ended.

As Donald Mohr and his daughter, Marilyn Parker, shared memories, many stories from his youth resurfaced. Donald Mohr grew up farming with dairy cows, sheep, goats and chickens, and was known for his team of Percheron horses, which he used for springtime sap gathering. One year, he delivered 10 sets of twin calves – all of which survived, a rare feat in early farming days.

Donald Mohr still recalls winters when deep snow meant travelling to school by horse and sleigh, with lunchbreaks spent sliding down a nearby hill. Like most rural students of his generation, he learned in a one-room schoolhouse with eight grades. He remembers Arbour Day yard cleanups, school fairs featuring vegetables and crafts, and Christmas concerts that filled the school with parents and neighbours.

During harsh winter weather, the family travelled across the fields to stay warm on the ride to school. Once home, the Mohr children could count on a hot drink, sugar cookies, cheese or summer sausage waiting for them.

Despite approaching his 100th year, Donald Mohr’s memory is remarkably sharp. His stories bridge generations, offering a glimpse into rural life nearly a century ago and honouring the service of a father he never truly knew – Clayton Mohr died before Donald Mohr was born – but whose legacy has shaped the Mohr family for decades.