Fedelia “Delia” (Warrilow) Firth

Delia (Warrilow) Firth was born in Sydenham, Ontario, in the fall of 1869. She was the third youngest of eight siblings. Her mother, Fanny Wilson, died when Delia was 12. Delia’s father, John Warrilow, a hotel owner in Owen Sound, married twice more and ultimately provided Delia with nine half-siblings totaling 17 Warrilow children.

Delia met her future husband Thomas A. Firth at the age of 23 in Owen Sound, Ontario, but it would be seventeen years before she and Thomas would be able to marry. During these years Delia received many love letters, a composed and published song called “My Sweet Roasebud” by T A, and poetry he wrote to her under the assumed name of Reddington (his mother’s maiden name). Finally, in April, 1909, at the age of 40 and 42 respectively, they were married in her sister’s home in Warren, Pennsylvania.

After honeymooning around the Great Lakes, they arrived in Dawson City in June of 1909. On January 6, 1910, she gave birth to a twelve-pound baby boy, Howard Wesley, at their home on 7th Avenue. The Firth home is still there today.

Delia was a Christian Scientist by faith, a conservative woman by nature, with a keen sense of humor. She was a member of St. Paul’s Women’s Auxiliary, secretary/treasurer for twenty years of the Order of the Eastern Star and the I.O.D.E. She volunteered knitting socks, making blankets and writing letters to and for the soldiers in the First and Second World Wars. Although Thomas was only 5’4” Delia was a handsome tall woman of 5’9” with a 19-inch waist (thanks to the required corsets of the era).

Delia’s personal items such as her wedding dress, shoes, hats, gloves, prayer books, needlework, gold nugget jewellery, china, hairpins, fans and even opera glasses are still on display either at the T.A. Firth Insurance building, or in many of her grandchildren’s homes.

From 1912 to 1926, her spinster sister Dinah, joined them in Dawson City to help Delia raise their young son, Howard. Bridge games, needlework (crocheting, knitting, tatting, embroidery) and watching Howard play hockey kept them busy during the long winter months. Delia had a very active social life. Dances at Arctic Brotherhood and Oddfellows Halls, entertaining in her home, fishing and camping at their Rock Creek cabin on the Klondike River and a variety of community volunteering kept the two women, young Howard and TA very busy.

Delia would spend the late 1920s and early 30s living in Dawson City with TA and visiting her son Howard in Vancouver whenever she could. In 1932, Howard met his future bride, Nancy Hughes, in Fernie, B.C. When the senior Firths realized how serious he was they decided to “go out” and meet Nancy, or as our Dad would say “came out to Inspect Nancy”!

Upon the marriage of their only child, Delia and TA made sure all would be ready for the young couple’s arrival in Dawson in September, 1937. They provided a new home with one of the first “indoor” toilets and a 1928 Chevy Touring Sedan for the newlyweds’ comfort. Delia would have known firsthand what it would be like for her new daughter-in-law arriving, as she did in 1909 to Dawson, facing the first Yukon winter, away from a large family and friends for the first time.

By 1938, Delia’s first granddaughter, Catherine, was born and in 1940 a second granddaughter, Sheila.

In June of 1941, Thomas died in Dawson City with Delia and Howard by his side. Four months later in Vancouver, B.C., Delia would die very suddenly from complications from an operation on a goiter she had wanted removed. Sadly, her son was unable to be with her and she was buried alone in Vancouver. She would never know that Howard and Nancy had four more children. Attempts were made to bring her back to be buried with TA in Dawson, but were unsuccessful. This year on the 110th anniversary of T.A. Firth & Son Insurance Agency, her grandsons (Thomas P. Firth and Howard Wesley Firth Jr.) brought soil back from her grave site and erected a grave marker on TA’s grave in the Masonic section of Dawson City cemetery. They are finally together again.

Thanks to Delia’s love and enduring patience waiting for Thomas to marry her, she has now six grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren and ten great-great-grandchildren. There are six generations of Firths now living in the Yukon. Delia’s oldest great-great-granddaughter Shellane is co-managing T.A. Firth Insurance Agency and Delia’s youngest great-great-granddaughter has been given her name, Michele “Delia”.

Delia loved her “Tommy” and her Yukon. Although none of us knew her personally, we as her Firth Family are very grateful and thankful each day she lived.

Nancy Lou (Firth) Huston
Youngest Granddaughter