MANY PRESENT AT FUNERAL OF FORMER MEMBER

[Welland Tribune February 5, 1947]

Labor Minister Among Representative Throng at E.J. Anderson Rites

Residents of all walks of life and representing all corners of the county attended funeral services yesterday afternoon for E.J. Anderson, filling to capacity St Andrew’s Presbyterian church to pay a last tribute of respect. Ex-mayor of Welland, former Liberal member of the Ontario legislature for Welland riding, a prominent member of St Andrew’s church and co-owner and manager of the Welland Iron and Brass Co., Mr Anderson passed away suddenly last Friday night from a heart attack.

Among many prominent citizens attending the services were the Hon. Humphrey Mitchell, minister of labor, and his secretary, George Greene; T.H. Lewis, M.L.A. for the Welland riding and Carl Hanniwell, M.L.A. for Niagara Falls; Mark Vaughan, former member for Welland riding and G.H. Pettit, former M.P. for Welland; Mayor H.W. Walker and members of the city council, who attended in a body, Mayor W.L. Houck and aldermen of the city of Niagara Falls; County Warden George F. Broadley and members of the county council; Judge H.E. Fuller, Judge L.B. C. Livingstone, and Magistrate J.B. Hopkins; Crown Attorney T.F. Forestell, K.C. and other members of the county Bar; Major Ross Damude, whose father, A.B, Damude was for many years Liberal M.P. for Welland county; and representatives of the board of the Welland County General hospital and the Children’s Aid Society of which deceased had been a member; representatives of various Welland civic bodies and many government officials.

Representatives of St Andrew’s church of which the late Mr. Anderson had been a prominent member included the following members of session: W. S. McIntyre, James McNiece, H. H. Hilder, G.C. Leng, James McIlvride and L.D. McCaw.

Also present were members of the board of managers who attended in a body, and the members of the Ladies’ Guild of which Mrs. Anderson was a prominent member who were also present in a body, St Andrew’s choir, with Mrs Harold Robinson at the organ, participated in the services.

Chief mourners included, besides Mrs. Anderson, deceased’s daughter, Margaret, and her husband, Dr. W.W. Baldwin of Brooklin, Ont.

The services were conducted jointly by Rev. A.D. Sutherland, minister of the church, and Rev. R.A. Cranston of Toronto, who had been a minister for 15 years while deceased was associated with the church.

Glad of Counsel

Speaking of the association, Mr. Cranston stated he had always been glad to accept advice and counsel from Mr. Anderson, and that it had always been in the highest interest of the church to which he belonged.

Of his many other activities Mr. Cranston said: “You beheld his interest in the affairs of this community. He was faithful, generous, and unselfish in his public activities, giving the best he had to build a community of fine and true citizens that would be a credit to this country. He gave himself unstintingly to every task, being faithful and energetic to the degree. He gave himself in such a manner that this community is the better for the fact that he lived in it and served it.”

In connection with the work of the church, Mr. Cranston said he knew that when he entrusted some detail to Mr. Anderson that it would be executed with alacrity, sincerity and efficiency.

Of his business career, Mr. Cranston said:”You know his integrity his honesty of purpose, his sincerity of heart, his devotion to the task at hand.”

“For those reasons,” he continued, “the whole community comes now to mourn the loss of one who has contributed so much to the well-being and best interests of this community.”

The services were held from the Sutherland-Thorpe Funeral Home, 152 Hellems avenue, where there was a brief prayer service to St Andrew’s church and thence to Woodlawn cemetery for interment.

Pall bearers were C. McKay, W. Walker, G. Cole, W. Male, B. Sweetman and H. Gidney.

Honorary bearers were Hon. Humphrey Mitchell, M.P. Hugh Henderson, County Clerk, A.J. Babion, George C. Scott, Douglas McCaw, Harry Price of Grimsby, G.W. McIntyre, George Collins, J.H. Gardner and R. Boak Burns.

Members of the Welland city  police under Chief Thomas Gee aided in directing traffic for the long funeral cortege.

Many Floral Tributes

The esteem and affection held by deceased was shown by a mass of floral tributes. Included were flowers from the following organizations:

Sarnia Steamship Co., Canada Cement Co., Humphrey Mitchell, minister of labor; Woods Mfg. Co., Frank J. Murphy Ltd., Welland Board of Education, Atlas Steels Ltd/. Executive of the Welland and Crowland Branch; Canadian Red Cross; Valance Brown &Co., Ltd. Hamilton; John Deere Plow Co., Electro-Metallurgical Co., Welland Water Commission. Welland Club, Presbyterian Guild, Humberstone Twp. Liberal Association, City of Welland, West Riding of Provincial Liberal Association, Welland. Valencourt Boiler Works.

Board of managers, St Andrew’s Presbyterian church; Welland City Liberal Association, Niagara Falls Riding Liberal Association, The Valley Camp Coal Co., of Canada, Welland Senior Baseball Club, United Steel Corporation, Women’s Liberal Association. The Session of St Andrew’s Presbyterian church.

Warden and Welland County Council empoyes of Welland Iron and Brass Co., Wainfleet Liberal Association, International Iron & Metal Co., Welland Machine & Tool Co., Electric Transport, Hamilton; Canada Metal Co., Toronto; A.A. Schmon, president Ontario Paper Co., International Nickel Co., Canadian Foundry Supplies and Equipment Dept; Thorold Township Liberal Association, Welland County Liberal Association.