Emma Robert was born in Pain Court on January 19, 1881. She was baptized Marie Emma in Pain Court on January 23. She probably adopted the name Evelyn for her confirmation and was thereafter known as Emma Evelyn. The family lived on Peter Robert's farm until about the late 1880's when they moved to the town of Chatham. The family spoke French at home. After receiving her basic education in Chatham Emma went to Mount Clemens, Mich. to train to be a nurse. While there she developed a spot on her lung, probably tuberculosis, and had to leave. The family sent her to her brother Felix in Denver, Colo. and he took her on a camping trip to Yellowstone National Park. Living in the outdoors in tents cured her and she returned home. She suffered from bad headaches from the age of sixteen on.

She was engaged to another fellow when she met Harry Sullivan. She broke off the engagement and married Dr. Sullivan on October 19, 1908. He was 33, she was 27. Her father would have preferred her to marry a Frenchman.

Sullivan-Robert

A quiet but pretty autumn wedding was solemnized at St. Joseph's Church, at seven o'clock this morning when Miss Emma Evelyn Robert, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Robert, Third street, was united in the bonds of holy matrimony to Doctor Harry James Sullivan. Only the immediate friends and relatives of the contracting parties were among the invited guests

An unique feature of the impressive and beautiful ceremony was that it was performed by the bride's brother, Rev. Fr. Robert, of Windsor. He was assisted by Rev. Father James, of St. Joseph's. The bride was given away by her father.

The bride wore a suit of blue chiffon broadcloth with hat to match. She wore a lace blouse with Persian trimmings, and she carried a black Morocco prayer book. Her sister, Miss Anna Robert, as maid of honor, was costumed in old rose broadcloth made in Princess style, and a light brown hat. The bridesmaid, Miss Margaret Munley, of Mt. Clemens, wore pearl grey broadcloth and a white satin hat The groomsman was Mr. Archibald Sullivan, of Picton, Ont.

The groom's gifts to the maid of honor and bridesmaid were pearl crescents, and to his best man, gold cuff links. After the ceremony, a reception was held at the home of the bride, where the bridal party had breakfast.

Dr. and Mrs. Sullivan left on the 8:25 train for Toronto and Picton, and on their return they will take up their residence at the corner of King and Third streets.

The bride is a popular young lady who comes from one of Chatham's oldest and most esteemed families. The groom is also deservedly popular, and is considered to be among the brightest of his profession in Kent County.

Miss Nellie Rhody played Lohengrin's wedding march as the bridal party entered the church, and Mendelssohn's wedding march as they came out.¹⁰

Harry Sullivan was born at Picton in Prince Edward County, Ontario, on February 8, 1875, the son of Daniel and Margaret (Goodwin) Sullivan. To earn the money to study medicine he taught school in Alexandria, Ont. then entered Medical School at the University of Toronto. After securing his M.D. degree, he interned for one year at St. Michael's Hospital, practiced medicine for a while in Northern Ontario, then moved to Chatham and set up practice in September, 1904 in a combination house/office at the corner of King and 3rd St. He also bought a duplex next door to his home containing an upper and lower flat. The house and duplex no longer exist; they were probably expropriated and destroyed when the Third St. bridge was widened.

Emma and Harry had two children, Daniel James, born on August 20, 1909 and Margaret Mary born on January 11, 1911.

After Margaret's birth Emma took Dan on an extended trip out west to visit her sisters Julia in Brandon, Man. and Marcelline in Lampman, Sask.

Three years after Margaret's birth, when she was three and Dan was four, Harry died of pneumonia. He had been in practice for five years only so did not have much money put away for the security of his family.

Dr. Sullivan Passed Away Very Suddenly
His Illness Started Eight Days Ago with a Severe Cold

One of the saddest deaths that have occurred in this city for some time took place at 12:46 this morning when Dr. H.J. Sullivan passed to the Great Beyond, after an illness extending over eight days.

The uncertainty of life was very strikingly demonstrated in this death. Nine days ago Dr. Sullivan was in perfect health, with the exception that he had a cold. The cold grew worse and in a very short time turned to pneumonia. Pleurisy also set in, and the complication of diseases gave his usually rugged constitution very little chance to battle against the fate that seemed to be waiting for him. He grew gradually worse until the end finally came.

Everything was done that could possibly be done to alleviate his sufferings. A specialist was called in and stayed with him over Sunday, and it was really thought that he was improving. His heart action seemed to be strong, and it looked on Sunday night as if his chances for recovery were excellent. He took a change for the worse, however, and the end came very suddenly.

The deceased was thirty-nine years of age and was born in Picton, Ont. He graduated from the Toronto Medical College and acted as a house surgeon in St. Michael's Hospital for a year. He afterwards practiced in medicine in Northern Ontario, and later came to Chatham, about eight or nine years ago.

He then married Miss Emma Robert, daughter of Peter Robert, of this city. Besides his family here, the deceased is survived by his mother and one sister, Miss Stella Sullivan, living in Picton, and two brothers: Thomas Cleary Sullivan, of this city, proprietor of the North Chatham Drug Store, and Archie who is living in the West.

The late Dr. Sullivan was one of nature's gentlemen and he was highly respected by all who knew him. He was an enthusiastic athlete and was highly admired for his ability at cricket and the true sportsmanlike conduct he put into the game. He was a member of the C.M.B.A., the Catholic Order of Foresters and the Knights of Columbus, and was very popular in all of these organizations.

The widow and family who are left to mourn his loss will receive the sympathy of the entire community in their very sad affliction.

The funeral arrangements have not been completed, but it is likely that the funeral will be conducted by the Knights of Columbus.¹¹

Dr. Sullivan also served as representative of the Separate School Board on the Chatham Board of Education ¹² and was a founding grand knight of the Chatham Knights of Columbus Council 1412. He founded the Chatham Council in May of 1909 and served as head of the organization until 1914. On Saturday, April 3, 1982, a centennial church service honouring Dr. Sullivan as the founding grand knight was held in the "Pines Chapel" and a memorial plaque was unveiled on his grave marker.

After his death Emma sold the practice to a Dr. Glenn and moved into one of the flats she owned next door. They next lived with Emma's brother, Hubert, who was a parish priest in Windsor. They remained with him for several years then went to live with Anna Robert Tiernan in Windsor for a period of time. They eventually returned to Chatham and lived with Emma's parents, Peter and Julia, at 29 Third St. Peter died in 1919. After Julia's death in 1928 Emma bought the family house on Third Street from her brother Fred and converted it into a duplex; she and her children lived on the left side and she rented or sold the right side for income. This house has since been razed and the site is now an empty lot.

Dan left home for University and Margaret was married in 1939. After Margaret's marriage Emma moved into the smaller side of the duplex but finally sold the house to a law firm. She lived with Dan in New York City for a short while then in 1945 was living in Ottawa with Margaret. Eventually she returned to Chatham and boarded with a woman she knew on Wellington St. In the early 1950s she moved to Montreal to join Margaret and her family at 4900 Doherty Avenue in N.D.G. and remained there except for the summers when Dan and she would take a cottage at Lac L'Achigan in the Laurentian Mountains north of Montreal. There she played cards with the local French ladies, Mesdames Thériault and Labrosse.

She was in poor health for the last year of her life. She died in Montreal on January 25, 1968, age 87 and was buried from St. Joseph's Church in Chatham on January 27 and interred in St. Anthony's Cemetery.