PARKHURST, SGT. LEONARD Reg. # 453696
Leonard Parkhurst was born May 11, 1889, the son of Joseph Parkhurst and Annie Lucy Judd.
At the time of the 1901 census, the family was identified as living in Ryerson Township. In 1911, the family was identified as living in Orillia. Twenty two year old Leonard was shown as still living with his parents and was identified as a woodworker.
Leonard married Emma Hoult on February 9, 1912 in Toronto. They had a son Basil Edward Parkhurst born in 1912 in Leeds, Ontario. In the record of marriage, Leonard identified that he was a carriage woodworker living in Orillia. (At the time of the 1921 census, Emma and son Basil were identified as living in Orillia.)
In his Attestation papers signed May 27, 1915 in Niagara, Leonard identified that he had been born at Doe Lake.
He identified that at the time of signing identified his next of kin as his wife Emma living at 101 Bond Street in Orillia.
He identified that at the time of enlistment, he was active in the 41st Militia and that he had previously been in the 45th Militia.
Leonard embarked for overseas service with the 58th Battalion, arriving in France on February 20, 1916.
He died from wounds received on June 6, 1916.
The 58th Battalion, CEF was an infantry battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the Great War. The 58th Battalion was authorized on 20 April 1915 and embarked for Great Britain on 22 November 1915. It disembarked in France on 22 February 1916, where it fought as part of the 9th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division in France and Flanders until the end of the war.
Leonard’s death would appear to have been at the battle of Mount Sorrel.
