Much Regret at the Sudden Passing of One of Newcastle’s Most Favorite Daughters
The rather sudden and unexpected death of Mrs. John W. McManus at Moncton has caused a severe shock to many throughout the Maritime Provinces and other parts of Canada and the United States.
She had undergone an operation in the Moncton City Hospital from which she did not recover.
Before her marriage she was Clare Creaghan, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Creaghan and was married to John W. McManus about four years ago since which time she had resided in Moncton.
She had received her education at the Ville Marie Convent, Montreal, of which she was a graduate and also later attended Prince of Wales College, Charlottetown, taking a special course there. She also took a course at the Provincial Normal School in Fredericton, where she secured a Superior teaching license and later taught at various parts of the province, being for some time the principal of Millerton School.
During the Great War the late Mrs. McManus responded to the call of King and Empire and with her sister Miss Aileen Creaghan, rendered valiant services overseas, returning home after the Armistice.
Possessed of a pleasing personality and kindly disposition, the deceased made a great many friends and in activities of the Red Cross Society in New Brunswick of which she was a member, as well in the work of the Fort Cumberland Chapter, I.O.D.E., of Moncton, of which she was a valued officer, she will be greatly missed, and her memory long revered not only for splendid executive ability, but for her lovable womanly qualities.
The late Mrs. McManus leaves to mourn their loss, besides her husband, an infant son (John McManus), only a few days’ old, her parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Creaghan of Newcastle, and five brothers and three sisters. The brothers are: Don. S., ex-Mayor of Newcastle, T. Cyril, of Quebec, John A., barrister of Newcastle, Gerald of Montreal, and William V., Manager of the J.D. Creaghan Co. Ltd., in Moncton. The sisters are Mrs. D. King Hazen, of Saint John, N.B., the Misses Aileen and Annie at home.
The remains were removed from her home at 105 Church Street Moncton Monday morning at 9 o’clock to St. Bernard’s church where solemn Requiem High Mass was sung by Rev. Fr. M.A. Harris with Rev. Fr. James Brown, deacon and Rev. Father Ouellette, sub-deacon. After mass, the remains were placed on the C.N.R. local train and forwarded, to Newcastle.
The pallbearers were James Friel, K.C., A.E. Sweeney, John A. Doherty, G.F.C. Bridges, H.H. Trimble and H.M. Rive. There were huge banks of flowers, sent by sorrowing friends as tokens of the love in which she was held in the city in which for the last four years she had made her home. The members of Fort Cumberland Chapter I.O.D.E. attended in a body.
On arrival at Newcastle her remains were taken to the home of her sorrowing parents and her funeral was held yesterday morning, leaving the residence at 9:20 and proceeding to St. Mary’s church where Solemn Requiem High Mass was sung by Very Rev. Fr. J.J. McLaughlin assisted by Rev. Fr. E.P. Wallace deacon, and Rev. Father O.E. Leger, sub-deacon. The choir of St. Mary’s under the leadership of Miss Morris who presided at the organ rendered the solemn requiem mass very beautifully.
At the conclusion of the mass and the funeral services interment was made in the family plot in St. Mary’s cemetery. The Rev. Father O.E. Leger read the final funeral services at the grave. The pallbearers were Hon. J.L. O’Brien, Willis Nicholson, Hubert Sinclair, C.P. McCabe, David Ritchie and A.S. Demers.
The chief mourners besides her husband, father and brothers were S.A. McKendy, Bathurst; S. Doyle, Douglastown, Reid McManus, Edward McManus and James McMurray, Moncton and D. King Hazen, Saint John.
Many mass cards and flowers were sent in loving tribute to her memory. The room in which her remains reposed in her parents’ home was banked all around with beautiful flowers. She was loved by all; it was their last silent tribute.
And it is all too strange
To understand,
Though all too well we know
A guiding hand
That ever upward leads,
has bade it be,
Though crushed it leaves us
In our misery;
And yet triumphant is
Her path to God
With many weary steps
of life untrod;
Thus we must blindly wait
Till we may see
The reason deeper; of
The mystery.
– Arthur Delroy