Person Record

Metadata

Name

Hepburn, Olive

Other Names

Sarah Elizabeth Olive Hepburn
nee: Sarah Elizabeth Olive Richardson

Born

Oct. 9, 1907

Birthplace

Hope Ness

Deceased

Nov. 14, 1993

Deceased

Gateway Haven, Wiarton, Ontario

Father

Wesley W. Richardson

Mother

Mary Wilson

Spouse

Olive Richardson married Gordon F. Hepburn in 1927.

Children

Glenn, Carl

Relationships

Siblings: Howard Richardson (Lion's Head) and Eileen (Richardson) MacDonald (Wiarton), Alma, and Earl.

Occupation

Gordon Hepburn was curator of the Bruce County Museum, Southampton, for about 13 years from 1961 to 1972 and Olive was his assistant. Mr. and Mrs. Hepburn enthusiastically brought the stories of pioneers to life through the Museum's collection. Mrs. Hepburn was a talented writer and skilful craftsperson. She created or refurbished many of the Museum's mannequins to display pioneer clothing and wrote and illustrated many brochures designed to promote the Museum. Mrs. and Mrs. Hepburn retired from the Museum in 1972.

"Besides having a collection of over 200 dolls, Mrs. Hepburn was a real Historian, was a member of the Women's Institute for many years, first at Hope Ness (since her marriage in 1927) and later at Adamsville. Mrs. Hepburn did a number of oil paintings and one of her last achievements was the writing and publishing of "Golden Pebbles from the Sands of Time", a book of collection of poems."

She was the first curator of North Bruce District Tweedsmuir History, started in 1963. She held the offices of President, District Director and Convenorships of the Hope Bay-Hope Ness W.I. Branch, as well as the curatorship of the Branch history from 1946 to 1965.

Mrs. Hepburn was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Bruce County Historical Society and a member of the original committee for the procurement of an official tartan for Bruce County in recognition of the Scottish families who had settled in Bruce County. The Bruce County Tartan was first shown in Southampton on July 1, 1965. In 1975, she wrote a small book on the history of the Tartan.