June 3, 2026

JUDY HUMPHRIES HONOURED AS GRAVENHURST SR. OF YEAR, AS SHE RELEASES BOOK ABOUT ‘HER BOYS’ FROM TOWN WHO WENT TO ‘THE GREAT WAR’ AND DIED IN BATTLE

GRAVENHURST — Judy Humphries could hardly be more happy than to be named Gravenhurst’s Provincial Senior of the Year this afternoon.

Almost as much as the publication last month of her new book about her “boys.”

The busy community archivist and retired teacher said she was proud of both events as she was presented the Ontario honour at Heidi Lorenz’s Mayor Tea — the 42^nd annual.

She was especially thrilled to have nine of her closest old friends and school chums in attendance since her son and daughter couldn’t make it.

Leaving the ladies to all asked her: “Do you know everyone in town?”

Many of them for sure who were on hand to celebrate her.

No wonder it took them three hours to get out of the Opera House as Humphries had to say “hello” to all who wanted to congratulate her on her much deserved award.

If she’d have known there’d be so many she would hauled in a box of her books from her car and sold them all a $30 copy.

**Gravenhurst Senior of the Year Judy Humphries was deservingly recognized this afternoon at the Mayors Tea. PHOTOS Mark Clairmont MuskokaTODAY.com**

A decade after trying to correct errors on the local cenotaph — and following exhausting research — in May she self-published ‘Remembering The Fallen: Soldiers from Gravenhurst, Morrison and Ryde Killed in the Great War’ of 1914~1918.

The 58 young men “all born in Gravenhurst and who died in action.”

And who “I’d have loved to have met.”

The thorough 170-page compendium is a concise, yet comprehensive, collection of information and facts as ever written (or will be) about the local heroes’ stories. Along with some diaries and vivid accounts of the teens who signed up were last seen leaving the Gravenhurst Train Station bound for overseas and defence of the Commonwealth.

And now history setting their records straight.

“I hope the book will provide ammunition to get corrections and additions made to the cenotaph,” she added.

She said it would be much easier to do the same for Second World War dead and may even tackle that with her remaining years.

**A labour of love, Humphries said she’d “loved to have met” all 58 of the young men she wrote about. One was only aged 15 when he lied and enlisted under age.**

It’s been a true labour of love for the 78-year-old, as painstaking, time-consuming and arduous an endeavour as can be imagined by any family genealogist.

One she said would have her “dreaming about her boys” into early morning following many countless laborious hours writing and researching well into the night for days, months and years.

With the first name on the cenotaph when she realized he hadn’t died during First World War, she knew it wouldn’t be a simple project.

Some 600 young men from this small town signed up to go to war. (Morrison and Ryde were their own villages then and didn’t have cenotaphs before being amalgamated and incorporated into Gravenhurst where the first cenotaph was erected).

“And about 10 per cent of them died in battle,” which was the Canadian average of 6,000 fatal casualties countrywide.

Turn to any page in her book and she can give a detailed account of the soldier’s story, their family, life in Gravenhurst connection, military number and some account of how and where they died and were buried.

Almost everyone with a photo — if not a picture of their tombstone.

The book is a testament to another community that gave enormously and to a communicator who cared to set the record straight.

Humphries is donating copies to the high school and Gravenhurst Public Library for student study and community loans.

‘Tremendous recognition’

Humphries received the award in recognition of her contributions to the Gravenhurst Municipal Heritage Committee (since 2011) and the Gravenhurst Archives (since 2015).

“It’s a real honour to congratulate Judy on receiving this tremendous recognition,” Lorenz said. “On behalf of everyone on our council, as well as our town staff and the entire community of Gravenhurst, I want to thank Judy for her service.”

She was nominated from the public.

Recent other recipients include: