Rear L-R: Lecetta (Liz) and Abraham (Abe), Middle:Roy, Mabel (Mae) and Beatrice (Bea), Front: Earl -- at Albert Street South, Berlin, in 1914

Birth

Abraham Saunburn Uttley was born April 26, 1879 in Elmira. No birth record has been found so we have to rely on what the man himself always said. In later years he said that he was named after Abraham Lincoln. This story, while possible, seems unlikely as his father lived through the period of the Feenian raids from the US at the time of the civil war. Now we know that his father, Nathan, had a brother named Abraham who he left in England and this would be a more likely source for the name. The middle name, Saunburn, is unusual and comes from his mother's misty past.

In 1881 the family was living on the Birmingham farm in Crosshill. Soon after they relocated to Waterloo. In 1885, Abe began public school at Waterloo Central. His grandson Bruce Uttley remembers stories Abe told of walking to school in winter with newspapers under his coat to keep warm. He must have walked by the Seagram Distillery in Waterloo as old Joe Seagram would give him a greeting as he passed by from time to time.

He obtained his first job at the Waterloo Woollen Mills in 1892. He was thirteen years old and his pay was three cents per hour. His six day work week of 56 hours allowed him to get to the ball game on Saturday afternoon. He later played ball for the Scotch Grays - at no pay.

While working in the mills in Waterloo, he learned a great deal about fabrics (wool) and saw how the woollens were cleaned. Abe moved to Chatham, Ontario in 1900, working in the Chatham Woolen Mills and learning trade of making blankets. His pay was $1.50 per day. Board cost him $3.00 per week.

During the last six months of 1900, he came back to Berlin (now Kitchener) to Rumple Felt where he worked at finishing of felt. In 1901 he went to the Schofield Woollens Mill in Oshawa with no raise in pay where he learned the washing and finishing of underwear. This in time gave him the idea of cleaning men's woollen suits.

His father Nathan passed away in 1903. The Waterloo Woollen Mills closed down later in the year. Abraham opened his own cleaning and dyeing business in the building formerly housing City Cabs. His first partner was Fred "Fritz" Mahn. At the end of each week, they just split what was left over after take-ins and put-outs. There were no taxes or reasons to keep a reserve. In 1905, he got a new partner, Alan Moyer. They moved to Queen Street, into the Opera House.

Lecetta Mahn in 1901

Abe as a Young Man

Marriage

Abraham married Lecetta Wilhelmina Mahn, daughter of John Mahn and Augusta Voelker, in an old inn at the corner of Wellington Street and King Street in Berlin (Kitchener), Ontario, on October 18, 1905. This was one of the same inns that Nathan stayed at when he first came to Canada. It had been converted into a house.

The Vital Statistics for 1905, #019-205, says that the couple were married in Preston, Ontario. But the "old inn" in Berlin with the connection to Nathan Uttley when he arrived in Canada makes a much better story. Pastor C.C.J. Maass was the pastor of St Peter's Lutheran Church in Preston from the 1890s until 1907 and it was he that performed the marriage. The church records confirm that Abraham and Lecetta were married in Berlin, so the family story wins out. C.C.J. Maas moved about from Galt to Berlin doing his job.

     Groom:      Abram S. Uttley
     Age:        25
     Residence:  Berlin
     Born:       Elmira
     Occupation: bachelor, dyer
     Father:     N. Uttley
     Mother:     M. Saunburn
     Relig:      Presby

     Bride:      Lisette May Mahn
     Age:        22
     Residence:  Berlin
     Born:       Bentick Twp, Grey Co
     Occupation: single
     Father:     Jno Mahn
     Mother:     Augusta Voetter
     Religion:   Lutheran

     Witnesses:  Bert Musselman, Berlin
                 Wilhelmina Mahn, Berlin
     Date:       Oct 18, 1905
     By:         C.C.J. Maass,
                 [St Peter's Lutheran, Preston]
                 Licence
     Regis:      Oct 20/05

• The church register records Lizzie's sister Wilhelmina as the second witness but the Vital Statistics says it was her brother Louis.
• The best man, Albert Musselman, signed as the bride in the church register and Lizzie is just a witness.

Newly wedded couple in 1905

Abraham and Lecetta in 1929

Couple in the 1940s

In 1906, Bill Graber became his third and last partner. They were together almost forty years. He moved the business to the Sattler Block on Queen St. South. His business was now called the Berlin Dye Works.

Abe raised poultry and showed them at Winter Fairs. In 1916, some soldiers decided to paint the side of the Berlin Dye Works a brilliant yellow. He changed the name of the firm to Kitchener Dye Works. After 27 years in business, in 1928, Abe had his first government audit. Tremendous bookkeeping work. Settlement was $30.00 for each partner and they had to hire a bookkeeper.

In 1932, he bought a farm in Bridgeport, near Kitchener. All the family was to work on the farm. He raised show hogs. In 1936, he bought Bill Clement's house at 71 Heintz Ave, Kitchener. With the war over in 1945, there were lots of uniforms to dye. He bought out his partner, Bill Graber. In 1946, he bought the Pearl Laundry business and property on Queen Street from the Knipfels when his boys returned from the services overseas. He moved to Weber Street in Kitchener in 1951 after his wife died. He was appointed to the Executive of the Dry Cleaners and Launderers Institute (DCLI) in 1952.

In 1959, he was appointed Life member of the DCLI From 1959 to 1961, he was Chairman of the Mid-West Division. In 1964, he was still playing golf and still shooting in the low 100's.

In 1969, a big room was rented at a local motel to handle the people that came to wish him well at his 90th birthday. "I made it" was the theme of the evening. There was a family gathering at Grandpa's house in July of 1969 on the night that Neil Armstrong first stepped onto the surface of the moon. The weather was warm and the group spilled into the back yard. Abraham would not come inside to watch the climax of the event on TV. He said he just couldn't believe it.

In 1970, he still played some golf that summer and kept active. The garden continued to be a particular passion. He died in August after a short illness.

He started with a washtub on his mother's back porch, and ended as the owner of the Pearl Laundry with a staff of more than 50. Abe had the first drycleaning service in Ontario.

Deaths

Lecetta died January 3, 1950 in Kitchener. Her obituary was printed in the Kitchener-Waterloo Record the following day on page 5:

OBITUARY Mrs. A. S. Uttley     Native of Bruce County, Mrs. A. S. Uttley, 66, of 71 Heins Ave., died yesterday in St. Mary's Hospital after a brief illness. Formerly Lecetta Mahn, she was a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Mahn.     She was a charter member of St. Mark's Lutheran Church and also of the Ladies Aid Society of the church. She married A. S. Uttley, who survives, Oct 18, 1905.     Also surviving are three sons, Roy, Earl and Douglas, all of Kitchener; two daughters, Beatrice and Mabel, both of Kitchener; five brothers, Harry, Detroit; Fred, Galt; John and Louis, Kitchener; Ezra, Waterloo; three sisters, Mrs. Albert Musselman, Galt; Mrs. Alfred Hagen, Kitchener; Mrs. Clarence Crandell, Detroit and four grandchildren.     Funeral will be held Friday, 2 p.m., at St. Mark's Lutheran Church with Rev. A. G. Jacobi officiating. Burial will be in Woodland Cemetery. The body will rest at Ratz-Bechtel Funeral Home, 621 King St. West, until Friday noon, when removal will be made to the church.

In Loving Memory LECETTA MAHN Beloved Wife Of A. S. UTTLEY Woodland Cemetery, Kitchener

UTTLEY Woodland Cemetery, Kitchener

ABRAHAM UTTLEY . . . 60 years in business K-W Record photo

Abraham survived his wife by more than twenty years, years when he was always busy for he never really retired from the business he knew well. Abraham died on Friday August 7, 1970 in Kitchener. His obituary appeared the same day in the Kitchener-Waterloo Record day on page 23:

A. S. Uttley, Dry Cleaning Pioneer, Dies     Abraham S. Uttley, a pioneer in the Twin City dry cleaning and laundry industry, died today at the K-W Hospital after a brief illness. He was 91.     Mr. Uttley, 292 Weber St. E., was in the dry cleaning business on Queen Street South for 60 years. He began his career with the Waterloo Woollen Mills in 1892. In 1905 he founded the Berlin Dye Works on Queen Street South and in 1946 he incorporated this busines with the Pearl Laundry which he bought from the Knipfel Estate.     The Pearl Laundry was sold in 1966 to Newtex Ltd., but Mr. Uttley continued to visit the Newtex plants daily until he was hospitalized four weeks ago.     He was a life member of the Dry Cleaners and Launderers Institute of Ontario and past President of the mid-western division of the institute. In June he played 18 holes of golf in the Dry Cleaners Association tournament.     Born in Elmira April 26, 1879, he was a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Uttley. He lived in the Twin Cities area all his life and attended St. Mark's Lutheran Church. He was predeceased by his wife, the former Lecetta Mahn in January, 1950, and by two brothers and sisters.     Surviving are three sons, Roy, Earl and Douglas, and two daughters, Beatrice and Mabel, all of Kitchener; eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.     The body will be at the Ratz-Bechtel Funeral Home after 3 p.m. Saturday where Rev. Willis Ott will conduct the service Monday at 2 p.m. Burial will be in Woodland Cemetery.     Donations to the Ontario Heart Foundation will be accepted as expressions of sympathy.

In Loving Memory ABRAHAM S. UTTLEY Beloved Husband Of LECETTA MAHN Woodland Cemetery, Kitchener

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Most recent revision April 2006