THE REGISTER
BERWICK, N.S., WEDNESDAY EVENING
JUNE 1, 1927
Berwick Mourns Death of
Prominent Citizen
S. C. Parker, Lifelong Resident of
Berwick and One of Town’s Foremost Citizens, Passed Away
Thursday Morning.
Berwick was shocked on Thursday morning
last when news came from the hospital of the very serious
condition of Mr. S. C. Parker, and when, about an hour later,
it was learned that he had passed away, the town was
overwhelmed with grief. It did not seem possible that
his genial and much-loved presence had been removed.
He had been about town as usual on
Saturday, attending a meeting of the Executive of the Kings
Mutual in the afternoon, and only his immediate family knew
he was not feeling quite well. On Sunday he suffered
what he thought was indigestion and did not go to church and
as the pain continued and localised on Monday and Tuesday, an
operation was decided necessary and he went to the hospital
Tuesday evening. Going as he did in, apparently, the
best of health, every hope was entertained for his recovery
and his many friends did not dream but that he was coming out
of it just as well as ever. But conditions were found
to be very serious, with complications, and about 10
o’clock on Thursday morning he passed away.
Mr. Parker filled such a large place in
the community that it is hard to adjust to the fact that he
is no longer here to continue his work. His articles
for The Register, which have created such interest, remain
unfinished. The insurance policies for the month of May
are unsigned by the President. Three organizations are
without a President, and one without Secretary. The
Hospital, in which he took such a deep interest and to which
he gave his wholehearted support, has lost its best friend.
The church, the town and the County have all suffered an
irreparable loss.
Samuel Chipman Parker, eldest son of the
late Theodore Harding Parker and wife, was born in Berwick in
1858. During his whole life his home has been in this
town. In early manhood he visited Florida, but soon
returned to nova Scotia, where he frequently and emphatically
expressed the opinion that apple-growing in the Valley was
far in advance – both in pleasure and in profit –
of orange growing in the South. As a fruit-grower, he
attained much prominence. For many years he was the
Secretary of the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association
and at meetings of that body his advice and suggestions were
listened to with interest and appreciation. He
represented that Association at the celebrated “Siege of
Ottawa” in 1910 and was understood to have been
responsible for the decision to remove tariff duties from
fertilizers.
In November, 1901, the electors of Ward
13 chose Mr. Parker to be their representative in the
Municipal Council of Kings County. At the two
elections, in 1904 and 1907, he was re-elected. At the
close of his third term he retired, having served his Ward
and his County faithfully for nine years. So far as
party politics are drawn into the business of the
Municipality Mr. Parker was an efficient “leader of the
opposition” during those nine years, but he always
enjoyed the friendship and esteem of his colleagues without
regard to party.
When Berwick became an incorporated town
in 1923, Mr. Parker was enthusiastically chosen as the first
to hold the office of Mayor. He was re-elected at the
close of his term but shortly after resigned the position.
From 1912 to the autumn of 1926 Mr. Parker was Postmaster at
Berwick. Early in life he was appointed a Justice of
the Peace, but seldom acted.
Mr. Parker’s recent articles
published in the Register have been read with deepest
interest. In that which appeared last week, he began to
give reminiscences of schools and school-boy days in Berwick.
He was most excellently qualified for this work. When
his school days were over and he had attained to man’s
estate, he was repeatedly chosen to the office of Trustee and
was active in his work in that capacity. No man in
Berwick could equal him in knowledge of the work in, and
history of, our public schools.
Mr. Parker was a faithful and devoted
member of the Berwick Baptist Church. For years he was
Treasurer of that organization and his duties in that
position were always performed in an efficient and
business-like manner.
Mr. Parker was thrice married. His
first wife was Miss Augusta Illsley, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Charles Preston Illsley, of Berwick. They were married
on October 31, 1894. Six years later, in 1900, she
passed away. Later, he became the husband of Miss
Elizabeth Chute, daughter of the late Lemuel Chute, of
Clarence. Her mother, Mrs. Hanna L. Chute, had since
the tragic death of her husband, been engaged as teacher in
one of the departments of Berwick School and was widely and
most favourably known. She is now a resident of Canard.
Her daughter’s married life was short. She died,
deeply regretted by very many friends, in the early years of
her residence in Berwick as a wife. The third wife was
Miss Gertrude Chute, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry J. Chute,
of Somerset, but now residents of Berwick. In this
bereavement she, her daughter, Annie, Mr. Parker’s
adopted daughter, Miss Helen Hivey, and the surviving sister,
Miss Ida, have the sincere sympathy of all who enjoy the
privilege of their acquaintance.
The funeral services, on Friday
afternoon at 3 o’clock, were to have been held at the
residence, Commercial Street, but owing to the very large
attendance and the continued rain, it was found necessary to
have them at the United Baptist Church, which only barely
accommodated the large gathering. Not only was the
entire town represented, including the Town Council,
officials of Kings Memorial Hospital Association, of which
Mr. parker was President; Kings Mutual Fire Insurance
Company, of which he was President; Berwick Fruit Company, of
which he was a charter member and Secretary; local Red Cross,
of which he was President; the Medical Board of the Hospital;
the Oddfellows, who attended in a body; the teaching staff of
the Berwick school – but also the local members of the
Provincial Legislature, officials of the Conservative
Association, members of the County Council and many other
outstanding men of the County.
Rev. H. E. Allaby conducted the service,
assisted by Rev. A. R. Reynolds, Parrsboro, and Rev. John
Hockin, Rev. David Price and Rev. Arthur Hockin. Mr.
Reynolds, in his address, said he wished to do two things
– “to pay a just tribute and acknowledge an
obligation.” He spoke of his association with Mr.
Parker, particularly in Hospital work in which Mr. Parker
carried a heavy burden, financially and otherwise and to its
problems had given unsparingly of his time, his loyalty, his
wise counsel and his broad vision. He said the deceased
had lived here the sixty-eight years of his life and had used
the fine qualities of mind and soul in serving his King and
his community. He had builded his craft, not for the
small, landlocked harbors of life, but had fashioned a
larger, worthier craft for the broad ocean of eternity.
The speaker acknowledged his personal obligation to Mr.
Parker for help in his problems, and for the inspiration he
had received fro contact with Mr. Parker’s high ideals,
his broad culture and his fine friendship.
Mr. Allaby spoke of Mr. Parker’s
connection with the church and his recognition of the
importance of the church in the community. In
supporting and serving the church, the speaker said the
deceased had followed the traditions of his father and
grandfather who had been largely instrumental in building it
up. He made a plea for others to follow their examples
and give the church their best influence and support.
Rev. Arthur Hockin, in his closing
prayer, very fittingly expressed the feeling in the community
when he said, “Truly, a prince and a great man has
fallen this day in Israel.”
The choir was present and assisted with
the music and Mr. Fred Bennet sang “Christians
Good-night.”
The floral offerings were numerous and
beautiful, all organizations with which Mr. Parker had been
associated sending flowers, as well as relatives and a host
of friends.
The pall-bearers were lifelong friends
of the deceased: Rev. H. S. Shaw, J. M. Patterson, A.
S. Banks, S. B. Chute, Capt. E. F. Robbins and A. L. Morse.
The Oddfellows marched to the cemetery
and conducted their last rites at the grave.