SIR CHARLES BOWEN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17664, 17 December 1917, Page 5

SIR CHARLES BOWEN.

MEMORIAL SERVICE AT RICCAR-

TON.

A memorial service for the late Sir Charles Bowen was held yesterday morning at the. Anglican Church, Upper Riccarton, the preacher being the Rev H. T. Yorke, vioar. In tho congregation were their Excellencies tho Earl and Countess of Liverpool.

Preaching from 'the text, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I hav e kept the faith,' the Rev H. T. Yorko said that Sir Charles Bowen had been a very dear parishioner and one who for tho past sixty years had been a worshipper at the church. From tho very commencement! of work in the church Sir Charles began to take an active part. His brother, afterwards Archdeacon Croasdaile Bowen, was vicar of the parish, and the brother had done all ho could to a&sisb in the work. As the years went by he became moiie active, and found time to come to the Houso of God Sunday after Sunday, with a firm, strong faith in GodIt Was impossible to be other than extremely sorry that one who for so many years hfld been a worshipper had been called from their midst. Everybody would miss tho kindly face and very gonial disposition, and all the traits of character which went to make up his beauty of character, and which gave joy and pleasure to thoso with whom he came in contact. It seemed as if the. one whom it had pleased God to call from a long and useful life had been looking forward, like St Paul, to tho day when God should calls him, and that, looking back ovcir tho past, he could say, " i have fought a good fight, 1 have finished my course, I have kept tho faith; henceforth/there is laid up for mo a crown of righteousness." It was a glorious tiling to use one's lifo not for oneself, but for tho. good of others'; and in looking 'back over tho life of Sir Charles Bowen, with all its justice, its charity, its truthfulness and goodness, ono felt better for having known such a man, whom they thought of Today as reaping soma fruit of his labours.

At the funeral of Sir Charles Bowen on Friday afternoon wreaths were forwarded by the following:—Directors of the New Zealand Shipping Company, chairman and members of Lyttelton Harbour Board, and Christchurch Domains Board,' North Canterbury Branch of the Educational Institute, tho President and Committee of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association, Church Officers and Choir of St Peter's (Upper Riccarton), tho Committee of the Upper Riccarton Red Cross Society, their Excellencies tho Earl and Countess of Liverpool, Mr and Mrs H. F. Wigram, Mr and Mrs A. Boyle, Mrs William Reoves and family, Mr and Mrs J. Studholme, Mrs A. C. Knight, Mrs F. Robinson, Mr and Mrs W. Morton and Mr H. Cotton, Mrs G. A. Ross, Mr G. D. Acland, a Member of Gonvillo and H-ius College (Cambridge), Mr and Mies Helmore. Mr and Mrs G. Gorard, Dr and Mrs Irving, Mr and Mrs B. Lane, Professor and Miss Macmillan Brown, Dr and Miss Nedwill,. Sir Tames Allen, Rev and Mrs H. Yorke, Miss Saunders. Mr and Mrs G. Helmore, Mrs Rich, Mrs Vernon, Mrs W. Helmore, Mrs Beckett and family, Mr and Mrs Peters, Mrs Noavo. Mr and Mrs Tcschemakcr, Mrs Dunn and Mrs Gustafsen, Mr and Mrs Eric Harper, Mrs Edward Harris, Mrs Slowman and Nurse Maude. Mr and Mrs T. Tripp, Mr and Mrs John Deans, Mrs Walker and Misses Wilson, and Mr and Mrs Purvis.

At the meeting held on Saturday evening at the Chamber of Commerce hall in connection with the port train service, Dr Thacker, M.P., who presided, paid a Irish tribute to tho work for education and for Canterbury done bv the late Sir Charles. Bowen. A motion of condolence with tho relatives in their bereavement was adopted unanimously, in silence, nil standing.