LATE DR. ERWIN.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20448, 19 January 1932, Page 12

LATE DR. ERWIN.

♦ CITY'S LAST TRIBUTE. FUNERAL AND MEMORIAL SERVICE. Relatives, friends, and former j-.arishioners numbering several hundreds attended the funeral of the Rev. Robert Erwin, M.A., D.D., which left his residence, 82 Mansfield avenue, for the Addington Cemetery yesterday af terlioon. A brief, memorial service was held at Knox Church, Bealey avenue, of which Dr. Erwin was minister for many years before his retirement. The chief mourners -were Miss Jean Erwin, Mr and Mrs Robert Erwin, Mr and Mrs Jack Erwin, Mr and Mrs Alan "\V. Brown, and Mr Desmond Erwin. The pall-bearers, office-bearers of Knox Church, were: At the church Messrs TV L. Plaus, F. W. Gresham, J. I'ulton, G. M. Pilkington, W. Goss, jun., and D. Davidson; at the graveside, Messrs W. Goss, sen., J. I. Royds, R. J. Wallace, H. Kay, R. Johnston, and S. McCullough. Knox Church, Bealey avenue, was filled by parishioners and Dr. Erwin's friends and relatives. The Revs. T. W._ Armour, T. Tait, John Miller, and G. K. conducted the service.

It was an old Puritan custom to bury the dead in silence, without eulogy, said the Rev/ Thomas Tait, who delivered the address. They could appreciate the spirit behind such a custom as that, but they felt it was too cold, and that it would ease their own hearts to express themselves a little before God and among friends. Personally, he hud known Dr. Erwin for the past 30 years, and thus he could fully understand the loss of the community and of the Church at his death.

"I feel we apeak the unvarnished truth when wo say that he was a man unspoiled by any kind of professionali&m," continued Mr Tait. "He was a downright, out-and-out man all through the years when I knew him. He did not deliberately display the Virtues which he undoubtedly possessed; these virtues; had to gleam out of the shadow of hi.'j reticence. He had great reserve, and the power that belongs to reserved strength. He had a deep personal piety rooted in God, and remained always a man not over-eonfident of his own ability, a lover of truth and reality, a hater of shams, a man over whom we can truly lift up our hearts to-day. A man with the strength of a statesman, v.-e thank God that he gave himself to the ministry." Finally, Mr Tait extended the fullest sympathy to Dr. Erwin's relatives, regretting that the hand of God should have come so unexpectedly and with such tragic suddenness. After special prayers had been said the Dead March from '' SauL'' was played.

The officiating clergymen at the graveside were the Rev. T. W. Armour, the Rev. «Lawson Robinson, and the Rev. Theo. Paterson.

"Wreaths were sent by the following: —Jean; Jack, and Helen; Bob, Joyce, and grandchildren j Alan, Heater, Beverley, and Viviennc; Matron, Rannerdalo Home; Mr and Mrs R. W. Morrow ami family; Mrs J. Bain and family; Rev. and Mrs Marshall; Mr W. A. White and | Misses "White; Mr and Mrs W. H. Lane I and family; Captain and Mrs S. Hall: Mr and the Misses Pitts; Prances and Norman; Dr. and Mrs Elliott ("Wellington); Mrs Robert Malcolm; Mr and Mrs Hudson-Brown; W. A. Erasmuson; Mr and Mrs C. S. Forbes; Mr and Mrs Herbert Hill; Mr R. C. Chisholm and Mr and Mrs Stanley Chisholm; Professor and Mrs Steelo; Mrs A. W. and Miss E. Rutherford; Mr and Mrs Norman Rutherford; Mr and Mrs D. E. "Wood; Mr and Mrs "W. H. Rose; Mrs John Nixon and family; Anita, Say, and Lawry; Mr and Mrs W. S. Ncwburgh; Mr and Mrs R. T. Steele; Mrs C. Sawtell; Mr and Mrs G. Shaw and family; members of the Knox Bible Class; Mr and Mrs W. H. Mulholland: Session and Deacons' Court, St. Andrew's Church; Board of Governors, St. Andrew's College; Mr and Mrs James Barnett; Mrs Robert Reid; Mr A. I. and Miss Rattray; Mrs Deans (Riccarton); Mrs Macfarlane, Mrs Scott, and the Misses Macrae; Captain and Mrs H. Monro and Mrs Erie Monro; Mrs John Borgfeldt; Mrs Elmslie and Hazel; Mrs John Erwin and family; Mr and Mrs J. A. Cunningham and children; Headmaster and Mrs Anderson, St. Andrew's College; Mrs Lascelles and Kathleen; Staff, St. Andrew's College; prefects and boys, St. Andrew's College; Knox Church; Sister Agnes; Mr and Mrs W. A. C. McDonald (Wellington); Uncle, Lizzie, and Agnes; Board of Directors, British Sailors' Society; Miss Todd; Junior School, St. Andrew's College; Mr and Mrs Vernon C. Matthews; St. Andrew's College Old Boys' Association; Mr and Mrs W. M. Hamilton; Mrs A. A. McDonald and Douglas; Dominion Executive, P.W.M.U.; Mrs H. W. Ross; Mr and Robert Johnston and Miss J. Johnston; Knox Church Band of Hope; Knox Choir; Ogilvies (Wellington) and Theo and Elsie Gibbs; Knox Church, P.W.M.D.; Jim, Devine, and the Hay family; Mr W. S. Mac Gibbon; Mr and Mrs Thomas Dryburgh: Helen and Laurie Hay; Rev. A. H. and Mrs Acheson; Orthopaedic Department, Public Hospital; and Jeanie Fernie. Among those present were: —Rev. J. S. Young, Rev. A. McNeur, Rev. J. A. Allan, Rev. D. K. Boyd, Rev. E. Simmonds, Rev. J. Farra (Sefton), Rev. F. J. Tylee, Dr. Merrington (Dunedin), Rev. E. Gardiner (Invercargill), Mr W. A. White, Mr W. McAllister, Mr H. P. Donald, Mr W. H. Rose (Christchurch Presbytery), Mr W. D. Cooper, Mr A. Davidson," Mr C. Ogilvie (St. Andrew's College Board of Governors'}, Mr D. Maedonald, Mr T. H. Davcy, Mr V. Burrowes, Mr A. D. Hassall (Rugbv Street Methodist Church), Mr S. J. Morgan, Mr T. W. McDonald, Hon. D. Buddo, Messrs A. Campbell, F. Coleman, W. Watson, W. Miller (New Zealand. Shipping Company, Ltd.), Mr W. J. Jamieson, Mr A. G. Jamieson, DeputyMayor (Mr J. TC. Archer) (representing' the Mayor, Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P.), Town Clerk (Mr J. S. Neville), Mr C. S. Gibbs, Mr C. Peate, Mr J. G. McLaehlan, Mr W. R. Heney, Dr. J. p. Duncan, Hon. G. J. Smith (Canterbury College Board of Governors), Mr W. Johnston, Mr E. Johnston, Mr A. Johnston, Mr T. J. Thompson, Mr E. A. Broughton, and Mr J. G. Wallace.