One
of the few remaining pioneers who entered the townsite of Regina by
Red River cart drawn by oxen, will be buried tomorrow, and the body
will be taken to Regina Cemetery by the modern automobile hearse,
which presents such a strong contrast to the clumsy, creaking
vehicle by which he came. The hearse will pass along paved streets
lined with modern buildings, which have sprung up on what was once
the bald, uninviting homestead of the deceased.
Mr. Demettrius Woodward died
at his home, 2259 Cornwall Street, on 26 Oct 1919, in his 83rd year.
Mr. Woodward was born at Port Dover in 1837, 30 years before
confederation. His parents were English settlers. In 1864 he married
Miss Margaret McKim of Lynedoch, and settled in Port Rowan, Norfolk
County. There he followed the occupation of store-keeping and
farming.
In 1882, at the age of 42,
he came with his brother west as far as Brandon, then the terminus
of the Canadian Pacific. With oxen and Red River cart he contined
his journey to Pile-o'-Bones, where he homesteaded section 30.
Regina townsite was chosen as section 30, and Mr. Woodward moved to
36, 17 20, and purchased the adjoining section, which is now a
subdivision of the city. The tiny settlement is now a city, having
grown up under Mr. Woodward's eyes.
In religion he was a
Methodist and from worshipping in a tent with Rev. Mr. Hewitt as
pastor, he saw the Methodist Church housed finally in the present
Metropolitan Church building, and spread out with other churches in
various parts of the city.
Except for a few years at
New Westminster, Mr. Woodward lived at Regina since his arrival.
Mr. Woodward leaves a family
of seven children:
Mrs. Grayden of Edmonton
Mrs. Young of Calgary
Ernest Gould Woodhouse of Seattle
Mrs. Hodge of Seattle
Mrs. Taylor of West China
and Olive and Cecile at home.
Two brothers, Hallam and Edwin, live in Norfolk County.
He was a member of the
Masonic Order for many years. For the last four years he was able to
move about very little, after suffering a paralytic stroke.
