Biography:

Dr. Mary Louisa Agar was born on November 9th, 1856 near Port Hope, Ontario. Her parents Thomas Agar and the former Abigail Weary were immigrants from England and were considered farming pioneers in Canada.  According to the census’s of 1851 through 1871, the Agar family was living in Durham County.  By the time the 1881 census was taken, Dr. Agar and her family had settled on the Caledonia Road in Chatham Township (Chatham-Kent). Dr. Mary Louisa Agar was the 7th of 11 children.  Her siblings were; Sarah Ann Agar, William Agar, Elizabeth Agar, Thomas Sanderson Agar, Catherine Jane Agar, Charles Benjamin Agar, Jabez Agar, Emmiline Harriett Agar, John Samuel Agar and Lois Blanche Agar.

Mr. and Mrs. Agar felt so strongly about their children’s education, that they moved to Toronto in 1883, so that the children could benefit from a university education.  Mr. and Mrs. Agar would not live to see their daughter or son graduate from medical school.  Mrs. Agar died in Toronto on the 2nd of December, 1884.  Mr. Agar died in Toronto on the 10th of September, 1885.  They were buried at Maple Leaf Cemetery in Chatham.

Dr. Mary Louisa Agar and her brother Dr. John Samuel Agar graduated from The University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine in 1890. According to the 1928 Medical Register, Dr. Mary Louise Agar graduated M.D.,C.M. and Dr. John Samuel Agar graduated M.B.  Both doctors joined the College of Physicians and Surgeons on the 22 of May 1890.  They appear in the 1891 census, living in Dover Twp.  Curiously it lists Dr. John S. Agar as a doctor and Dr. Mary L. Agar as a doctress.  In October of 1904, they purchased the practice of Dr. William Henry Tye in Dover Centre, Ontario.

By 1913, Dr. and Dr. Agar had their medical offices in Chatham.  They are listed in the 1913 Bell Telephone Directory.   Their office was located at 247 King Street West and their telephone number was 86.  Their medical office was listed in the 1920 Vernons City of Chatham Business Directory at 247 King Street West.  According to the 1921 census, Dr. Mary Louisa Agar lived at 245 King Street West in Chatham with her brother Dr. John Samuel Agar and her sister Lois Blanche Agar.  According to that same census, Lois Agar’s occupation was listed as a nurse.

Dr. Mary Louisa Agar died at her residence on the 6th of March, 1931.  At the time of her death, Dr. Agar resided at 267 King Street West.  The funeral service was held at her brother Charles’ residence.  Dr. Agar was buried at the Arnold Cemetery near Chatham.

After his sister’s death in 1931, Dr. John Agar continued to practice medicine until his retirement in 1937. He died on the 14th of August of 1940 and he was buried at Maple Leaf Cemetery in Chatham.

*Dr. John Samuel Agar and Dr. William Henry Tye are also featured on the Chatham-Kent Physician Tribute website.