An individual well known in rug hooking circles passed away last year. Elda McLaren died September 14, 2019, at the age of 103!
Elda Frances Leonard was born in 1915 north of Kingston. She graduated from Queen’s University with a degree in English and history, just before the start of the Second World War. “A foolish girl I was, I got married right away after“ to Charles McLaren. He served as a chaplain in the RCAF, both overseas and throughout Canada, as well as the minister at Trinity United Church in Brighton. As a pastor’s wife, Elda helped with whatever was needed in the ministry. During the war she worked at the Douglas Library at Queens University. The McLarens had two girls, Linda Oliver and Betty Anne Chatten. Elda was proud of her four granddaughters, one great-granddaughter and two great-grandsons.
Elda and Mayor Mark Walas of Brighton on her 102nd birthday.
Elda and Charlie retired to Brighton and a friend got her started with rug
hooking. She headed to her cottage one summer, with burlap, wool and hooking equipment, along with a seed catalogue, and completed her first rug. She joined the local branch of the Northumberland Rug Hookers in the 1980’s. A newspaper article celebrating her 101st birthday quotes her as saying, “I had always been interested in the art form because my mother and grandmother had made many rugs using old clothing strips on seed bags. I always wanted to try it. My other would say, “My dear, you can’t hook evenly.” I have been trying for over 20 years now.”
Ever humble, Elda’s work was featured in a display of the work of local hookers at the Brighton Library in 2017. The breadth of her artistry is amazing. She
once described the rug hooking process to a reporter, “It’s relaxing, concentrating on blending colours and directing the design. A great field of creativity and expressionism. The best part is you meet interesting and intelligent women. You form friendships. I am privileged to have met many talented women.”
Stories about Elda are numerous. Lesle Park recounts, “Elda’s husband, Charlie, had to attend a church meeting one night. Someone asked him where she was. His reply was, ”Oh Elda couldn’t be here tonight. She’s a hooker!"”
Joyce Jones asked what she was going to do to celebrate her 100th birthday and was told, “Another pattern, of course.”
In her later years Elda told Pam Duncan not to give her a large pattern as she didn’t know whether she’d have the time to finish it!
Interviewed by local newspapers as a centenarian several times she was quoted as saying “I just went along for the ride,” and “I never did anything extraordinary, just went through the doors that opened at the time.” She attributed her long life to “good genes and a good doctor.”
Celebrating her 100th birthday with her rug hooking friends.
The following from Nancy Crapper sums up the community’s feelings towards Elda: "I feel so honoured to have known Elda & to have had her as a part of my life. She was one of the group of ladies who taught me this craft I love & I will always be grateful for that & for her friendship. She will be missed."
The above tribute was prepared with input from Pam Duncan, Lesle Park, Catherine Starbuck, Nancy Crapper, Joyce Jones, Dianne Algera, as well as local newspaper articles.
