Obituaries
Obituary of Adelaide Porter Pritchard
Obituary of Adelaide Porter Pritchard
ADALAID [Adelaide] PORTER PRITCHARD
Was born March 28th, 1857, in North Wakefield, and departed this life May 14th, 1883.
During a revival meeting held in 1863, by the Rev. Mr. Dingman and Mr. Steel, evangelist from England, she sought and found peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Her beautiful Christian life bore testimony to the power of god's grace to save to the uttermost. It might well be said that she exhibited the graces of the Spirit, "adding to faith, virtue, and to virtue, knowledge," &c. And this life of loving words and deeds was not spent in vain. She had left home for a visit with her brother-in-law, Mr. A. Brown, of Cantly [Cantley], with the object of improving her weak constitution, and to all appearance she was getting stronger and more vigorous, and the parents' hearts were hopeful of her speedy restoration to health. But alas! How uncertain are human life and hope. Just at the time when least expected the summons came, and all the efforts of kind friends and a skilful physician could not stay the hand of death. In a few short hours the spirit had left the body to join the redeemed on high. In her removal, her parents and family have lost a dutiful daughter and affectionate sister, but their loss is her infinite gain. Her remains were conveyed to the family burying ground and tenderly laid in its last resting place. The mourning ones who are left behind, sorrow not even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. Jas. O'Hara.
Adelaide Porter Pritchard was the daughter of Thomas Pritchard and Elvira Hamilton. Her obituary, and the following obituary for her mother, appeared in a church paper, likely the Christian Guardian.
Death of Margaret (Morrison) Pritchard
Joseph Pritchard and his wife Margaret Morrison lived in Naaleho, Hawaii where he was the manager of the local telephone company. Margaret died giving birth to her daughter Margaret Morrison Pritchard in 1899. Steve McKenzie has the following letter that was sent to her father in Bristol township and published in a local newspaper, probably the Shawville Equity. Joseph was the son of James Pritchard and Eliza Steenson. See the Photo gallery.
Holualo, Jan 23rd, 1899
Mr. George Morrison
Glengyle, Que.
Dear Sir:
It has become my painful duty to send forth the sad news of the demise of your loving daughter Maggie, wife of Mr. J. Pritchard. Two weeks ago there was born to them a little daughter. All went well until the fifth day, when fever set in. The resident physician and good nurse were in constant attendance, but the fever gained on them so that on Thursday a neighbouring physician was called in consultation, but too late; she departed life on Friday, Jan. 20th at 1 a.m.
All that loving hands could do was done, but it was God's will that she should be taken.
She was laid away in a pretty little cemetary a mile above Naahelu, in a village called Walohimo.
The little ones are well and for the present the nurse will care for the family. The Kan mail leaves a few days later than this and Mr. Pritchard will then write you fully of his bereavement. The poor man feels his loss keenly. Just three months ago I spent a few days with them and how happy and comfortable they did seem. To think that I will never more see or hear her causes me much sorrow, and I take this opportunity to send our heart-felt sympathy.
Yours in Sorrow
Mrs. L.S. Aungst
Obituary of Elvira (Hamilton) Pritchard
PRITCHARD Mrs. Thomas Pritchard died in great peace, at North Wakefield, Quebec, on October 15 1899, aged seventy-seven years. She was the daughter of Wm. Hamilton, born on the St. Lawrence and later lived in the township of Cantly [Cantley], Ottawa county. At the age of nine years she was converted under the ministry of the Rev Mr. Herman on the Gatineau Mission, and united with the Methodist church of which she was a faithful member until her death. She was greatly interested in the spiritual prosperity of God's people. Among the last thing she said, she spoke of a revival of religion. The Christian Guardian she read faithfully. In the year 1841 she married to Thomas Pritchard, who survives her, together with seven daughters and two sons. All her married life was spent in Masham, near North Wakefield. H. Krupp
October 1999 marked 100 years since Elvira's death. Being born on the Saint Lawrence after an Atlantic crossing is hard for us to picture today. Evidently her parents gave-up positions of influence in Ireland to be together and to become among the first settlers of the Ironsides area, just north of Hull. They probably moved to the east side of the river, thus the reference to "Cantly". Hamilton is a common Scottish name, and their arrival in Ireland is apparently linked to the Plantation of Ulster in the seventeenth century when they gained vast tracts of land and became powerful landowners and persons of consequence.
Baby Christened at Mother's Funeral
Young Woman Dies One Year After Marriage
Judith Ferguson is believed to have been the first person to be buried at the Alcove cemetery, in 1852; Elizabeth Kennedy Pritchard was the last, in 1942. The cemetery was used mostly by the Pritchard family over this ninety years, but not exclusively so. The following article was included in the booklet "The Alcove United Church 1889-1989" by E. Lois Wilson. Presumably published in an Ottawa paper about 1917, it shows that the cemetery gate was always open when compassion called for it to be. Reverend Brownlee was the minister at Alcove from 1916-1917; the son baptized that day survived, and went on to serve Canada on Active Service in World War II.
WAKEFIELD, Nov. 9. - A year ago, the little Methodist Church at Alcove (North Wakefield) was crowded with friends to witness the marriage of Miss H. D. Wilson, of Aberdeen, Scotland, to Mr. Arthur Healey, of Glos, England, both young people being popular members of the community. On Tuesday, November 6, the same friends assembled, at the same church, to be present at the funeral service held by the same minister, the Rev. Y. Y. E. Brownlee, over the body of the young wife, who rested in her wedding dress in her flower-covered coffin, while her three-weeks-old baby was christened beside his dead mother.
Mrs. Arthur Healey's death at Trenton, Ont., where the young couple had resided, cast a deep gloom over her wide circle of friends. The explosion at the British Chemical Co., Trenton, occurred a few days after the birth of their little son, and the windows of every house for miles around were shattered.
Influenza, followed by pneumonia, set in, and the young mother, in spite of every care from a devoted husband and mother, died of heart exhaustion on November 2nd. A short service was held by the minister (the Rev. Mr. Ross) of the church which was attended by Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Healey, at their home, and as a member of the choir and bible class, a feeling allusion was made by the Rev. Mr. Ross, at the church service on Sunday, to Mrs. Arthur Healey's death. The funeral took place at Alcove, Que. The pall-bearers, Mr. M. D. Fitzpatrick, Roy Newcommon, H. Colbert, H. Rogers, Y. Reilly and Walter Brown, bore the coffin, covered with flowers sent by friends and relatives to the Pritchard Cemetery where the Rev. Y. Y. E. Brownlee officiated at the grave.
Mrs. Arthur Healey is survived by her husband and infant son, Harold; her parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Wilson, of Alcove, Que.; three sisters, Mrs. M. D. Fitzpatrick, Alcove, Mrs. E. Bernie, and Mrs. C. Grant, Aberdeen, Scotland; of the six brothers, John and Alec have been fighting overseas from the beginning of the war- four younger brothers, Albert, Alfred, Charlie and Walter are at home.
A Good Physician
Ottawa Citizen editorial following the death of Dr. H.J.G. Geggie in 1966.
Dr. Harold James Geggie, who has died at the age of 80, called himself "a simple country doctor" but everyone in the Gatineau knew that he had a great heart, medical skills and a sense of public service which earned him honor far and wide. He came to Wakefield in 1911 and gave to the community not only his personal healing ability but, in time, the services of three doctor sons and the facilities of a very good hospital he established.
The specializations of medicine sometimes appear to make doctors generally remote from their communities but Dr. Geggie was one of those who shared the weal and woe of the Gatineau and knew well its difficult trials and private sorrows. R. L. Stevenson said the good physician was the flower of our civilization and the memory of good Dr. Geggie will blossom long in the memory of his people.