After Mr. Hoskins there came
there came the Rev. W. P. Goard. There was no parsonage at that time,
so Mr. Goard left his wife at Pilot Mound. She often drove the circuit
with him on Sundays. It was during Mr. Goard's pastor that the
idea of building a church started, but not then put into action
Mr. Goard, years after, went to Vancouver in the boom time and made
considerable money in real estate, and like so many others, lost it
all. He became the minister of a congregational church in Vancouver.
He became interested in the British Israel theory and became one of its
leaders in England. He died some four or five years ago.
The Rev. Cairns was, I believe, the first Presbyterian minister in the
Greenway district. He came about 1884 and homesteaded on the farm now
owned by Mr. Horace Forbes. He too, had a great territory to cover. He
preached in the home of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Craig until the Excelsior
school house was built. Other points were Glendenning, Stark, Dry
River, and Glenora.
After Mr. Cairns left to go to Carnduff, Saskatchewan, there came a
group of student missionaries. Among them were Mr. Lowery, who went to
the United States later, Mr. Fee. Mr. Hodnet, Mr. Ashcroft, Mr.
Turnbull and others. The Rev. Dr. Farquharson used to come over from
Pilot Mound to hold communion services. Mr. Cecil McKnight, now of
Greenway, was for a long time the only elder in that district.
The Presbyterian charge at Baldur included also Alma and Belmont. The
Rev. Mr. Ross was the first minister that I could discover. Mr. John
Gillies remembers him quite well. After him came the Rev. James McKay.
It was during the ministry of Rev. McKay that the Presbyterian church
was built in Baldur in the year 1900.
A big, rugged Irishman, Rev. Little, followed Rev. McKay. The accounts
I have received are not quite clear here; there was a minister. Rev.
Shearer who came from Dominion City to Baldur and stayed a year,
probably following Rev. McKay. However, Rev. Little and E- J. Hopper
were here at the same time, about 1907. Rev. Little, soon after he left
Baldur joined the Methodist church. Because of some nervous trouble he
left the Church and the last news of him was that he was teaching
school in Saskatchewan.
The Rev. D. Spear came in 1914, followed by the Rev. J. D. McNair, a
student, in 1918. The Rev. Donald Morrison came in 1922 and remained
until church union in 1925.
To return to the Methodist church,
G. Wilson followed Mr. Goard in 1889. In the meantime, owing to
exertions of W. J. Porter and others, a schoolhouse was built at Rose
Hill and used for church services. The building of a church, started in
Rev. Goard's time, now became a reality. At a meeting, of which the
Rev. Wm. McKinley was chairman, and which included Tom Leslie, Messrs.
Rogers, Huffman, Poster, the people erected a church on the quarter
section owned by Alf Welsh's father. When the rail way went through in
1889 and a town started, the church was moved into Baldur in 1890. The
old church
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is still standing, on the Schultz farm.
The dedication of this church was conducted by the Revs. Argue and
Lawson, an uncle of the Rev. Clark Lawson, a former minister of
Glenboro.
After Mr. Wilson came that rugged, and dynamic Yorkshireman, Rev.
Oliver Darwin, who came in 1890. In this year the present manse was
built. Rev. Darwin is still alive and lives in Vancouver with his
daughter.
Rev. Hamilton Wigle came in 1892. Known as a sturdy athlete and a good
horseman he was one of the most successful ministers ever in the
district. He became minister of Zion church in Wninipeg ,afterward
moving to the Maritimes where he became principal of a ladle's college.
He entered the pastorate again but died about twelve years ago. His
wife died at the home of her daughter at Sault Ste .Marie.
In 1894 Rev. J. H. Joslyn came to Baldur. He spent many years of his
ministry in Saskatchewan and is now retired, living in Winnipeg.
Rev. I. B. Wilson came in 1898 In an old Baldur Gazette, a church
advertisement reveals that he preached at Belmont, Rose Hill and
Baldur. He ended his Ministry at Treherne and retired after a long
ministry of 50 years. He passed away a few years ago.
The Rev. H. J. Miller came after Rev. Wilson, and it was during his
ministry that the present United Church was built in 1904. Mr. Albert
Cramer saw him in Vancouver when he was out there two years ago. He
died in the spring of 1938.
Rev. F. A. Buckley followed Rev. Miller in 1905. Many will remember
the terrible automobile accident a few years ago, when returning from a
tour in ihe west, the auto overturned near MacGregor and one of his
daughters was killed. He still lives in Winnipeg.
Rev. E. J. Hopper came in 1907, and after his pastorate here retired on
account of illness and now keeps a small store in Saskatchewan.
Rev. D. R. Patterson, now of Glenboro came in 1910, followed by J. E.
Lane, of Pine Falls. The Rev. Harry Dodd came in 1918 and was followed
by Rev. W. E. Rowan in 1923. Rev. Rowan left here to take a church in
Hawaii and is still there. Rev. G. H. Lood came in 1924, followed by
Rev. Curtis, whose early death was a great loss to the church. He was
the first minister after church union. His widow with her children live
in Montreal, her former home. Rev. Moses Nixon followed Rev. Curtis,
and Dr. B. W. Alison, whose long pastorate and gracious personality are
still remembered with gratitude. The present minister, J. P. Palmer
came in 1936.
Sign on a Kitchener, Ont., window: ''We grow too soon old und too late
schmart."
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