It was a
wonderful tribute the people of Simcoe paid to the memory of the
late much beloved James Douglas Christie, when they thronged
Trinity Church for the memorial service on Sunday afternoon
last.
Present
at the service were the Mayor, members of the Town Council,
Board of Education, the Public Library Board, the Masonic Lodge
and Chapter, representatives of the Children's Aid Society, the
principal and pupils of the High School and members of Trinity
Anglican Sunday School. In addition to these were hosts of old
friends and ex-pupils of the late Mr. Christie, who came to do
honor to his memory.
A
beautiful wreath of roses marked the seat in the church that Mr.
Christie and his family had so long occupied. Relatives present
for the service from Grimsby were three nieces: Mrs. Berry, Miss
Lena Wolverton and Miss Winnie Grant, and a grand-nephew, Mr.
George Nelles.
The
choir entered singing the favorite hymn of Mr. Christie,
"Till He Comes." In the course of the service the two
hymns chosen for the funeral service in Grimsby were repeated,
"On the Resurrection Morning" and "Now the
Laborer's Task is O'er" while the recessional hymn was
"For All the Saints Who From Their Labors Rest."
After
the address, a very beautiful solo was sung most fittingly by Miss
Irene Hurley, entitled "Face to Face." The large
congregation was breathless still while she sang.
The
Psalms read were the 39th and and the [3]5th, and the lessons Jobs
29, 1 to 6 and 11 Timothy 44, 1 to 8. These and the special
prayers were beautifully appropriate ad suitable to the occasion.
The
Holy Table was exquisitely and lavishly adored with pink roses
donated in part by the pupils of the High School and in part by
close personal friends of Mr. Christie.
The
general tone of the service was not mournful, but rather one of
quiet and reverent thanksgiving for the life and example of a good
man, whose unselfish eagerness to be of service to his fellows,
and especially to his beloved pupils, will long remain as an
inspiration.
Mr.
Masters took his text from Isaiah 57, verse 2: :He shall enter
into peace." In the course of his address he paid tribute to
Mr. Christie as being, to the limit of his powers, a friend of
every good cause and a helper of every one who needed a lift
upward.
Born in the
east, in Nova Scotia, he brought to life's tasks som of the
wisdom, the strong common sense, the tact and sympathy
proverbially ascribed to the men of the east.
A
son of the manse, he carried with him through life the deep
religious convictions, the clear-cut grasp of religious truth, the
moral eagerness, and the deep sense of moral and spiritual values
handed down from his ancestors.
In
Yarmouth Seminary he came under the influence of such instructors
as Dr. McLennan and the late Chief Justice Falconbridge. With the
late Chief Justice Kellum of Manitoba, he shared the honor of
being the first Nova Scotia graduate of Toronto University, in the
class of 1872.
A
dweller in many places -- Halifax, Toronto, Grimsby, Peterboro,
St. Catharines, Chatham and Simcoe -- Mr. Christie acquired from
each an additional store to add to his wide knowledge of human
nature and human affairs, and to deepen the admirable mixture of
culture and refined courtesy that characterized him.
A
keen student and a great reader, his honors in Moderns at Toronto
were but the beginning of his education.
Gifted,
with a fine appreciation of the best in art and literature, and
with unusual elocutionary powers, and with what was called in St.
Chrysostom a golden voice, his gifts were always at command, and a
host of friends have gained fresh insight into the wealth of
English and Canadian literature through his interpretation.
His
keen interest in all departments of life is shown by the breadth
of his activities. In his chosen profession as a teacher he has
always been counted a wise and capable guide to right thinking and
right living, and an exponent of the highest ideals of honour and
uprightness.
All over
this continent are men and women by the hundreds to rise up and
call him blessed for his kindly interest and clear leadership.
Mr.
Masters then spoke of the noble tribute paid Mr. Christie on the
occasion of his retirement after 50 years of active service in
1922, and proceeded:
"As
a citizen his interests have been manifold. Coming to Simcoe in
1889, he at once took his place as a force in the life of the
community. In all matters educational, and all things pertaining
to the life of the young, his great love of mankind showed itself.
On the Library Board, ensuring the best literature for old and
young readers; in the Children's Aid, promoting right conditions
for child life; in the philanthropic activities of the great
Masonic order, he used his time and strength unstintedly.
"Wide
was the field of his activities, yet he found time and strength to
serve his church in many capacities. He was the first one
confirmed in All Saints Church, Hamilton, in 1866. As a member of
Trinity Church, Simcoe, he has held office as a Lay Reader, Church
Warden and Lay Delegate to Synod. But great as we his service to
the church in general, still greater was his service to Trinity
Sunday School. As superintendent for 25 years, as teacher, and on
occasion as the whole staff, with incomparable faithfulness and
the utmost love and devotion, he served his heavenly Master in
this most important department of the church's work.
"When
we think of the beautiful life of James Douglas Christie, our
sorrow is touched by joy and there is in our hearts a great
thanksgiving for God's gift to our community of a good man -- a
true and loving disciple of Jesus Christ."
