FUNERAL OF MR. GIBSON

Taranaki Daily News, 7 August 1930, Page 12

FUNERAL OF MR. GIBSON

TRAGEDY ON MT. EGMONT IMPRESSIVE BURIAL CEREMONY. WHOLE TOWN IN' MOURNING. AU Stratford was in mourning yesterday. Most of the business premises closed to allow proprietors and members of their staffs to attend the funeral of Lance V. Gibson, who died on the iceclad slopes of Mt. Egmont early on Monday morning. It was one of the most impressive funerals seen in the town. There was an exceedingly long cortege and among the mourners were practically all those who assisted in the rescue of Mr. W. J. Hall and the subsequent recovery of Mr. Gibson’s body. From all quarters of Taranaki they came to pay their last respects to a brave man. The firing party from the ’ Stratford Technical High School cadet corps stood at the present while the flag swathed casket was slowly born from the residence. The procession, extending along Cordelia Street and into Cloton Road, moved off at slow march headed by the firing party with reversed arms. Then under the command of Lieut. Colonel L. 11. Jardine came a compact body of about 50 ex-servicemen, former comrades of Mr. Gibson. Scouts of the. Stratford troop followed, led by Assistant-Scoutmaster H. Sanderson. Then came a large body of Masonic lodge members, immediately preceding the hearse flanked by the Mayor (Mr. P. Thomson), Messrs. W. Pettigrew, R. V. Kay, F. Latham, R. R. Knewstubb and L. Cummins as bearers. Behind came a municipal lorry draped in black material and piled high with wreaths and beautiful floral emblems. Hundreds of mourners made up the remainder of the procession and the stream of cars extended half-a-mile behind the hearse. At the Stratford primary school the children lined each side of Fenton Street and stood with bowed heads while the funeral moved past. All the length of Broadway people stood bare-headed. When the hearse turned into Regan Street the procession of cars had not finished rounding the distant corner at Fenton Street. But the pace of the leaders quickened to allow time for the firing party, the ex-servicemen, the scouts and masons to enter cars awaiting them at the intersection of Cordelia and Regan streets. Scouts and ex-serviceincn lined the path from the cemetery gates to near the site of the grave and up this avenue slowly paced the bearers and mourners.

The Revs. J. MacGregor and J. Bissett of the Presbyterian Church conducted the service at the graveside, after which Mr. J. McAllister recited the masonic burial service and members of the craft field past, dropping sprigs of acascia on the lowered casket. The crash of a soldier’s last salute, the three rounds fired over the grave, came with startling suddenness upon the solemn atmosphere of the cemetery, to be succeeded by the haunting notes of the “Last Post,” bidding a military farewell. The Stratford Bovs’ Band played “Abide With Me.” LADIES’ INTER-CLUB GOLF. ELTHAM AND PATEA DRAW. A team from the Patea Ladies' Golf Club visited Eltham on Tuesday and drew with the local team, seven games each and two all square. ‘ Results are:— Miss Gibson beat Miss H. Wilson. Miss Hurley all square with Mrs. Wills. Miss Glenny lost to Miss A. Wilson. Miss Taylor ■ lost to Mrs. de Launay. Miss Hemingway lost to Miss Wanklyn. \ ■ Miss Gilligan lost to Mrs. Casey. Mrs. Harris beat Miss Pease. Miss Crawford lost to Mrs. Wylds. Mrs. Glenny lost to Mrs. McGarry. i Alisa Thorburn all square with Mrs. Morton. Miss P. Bourke lost to Mrs. Abbott. Miss R. Harris beat Airs. L. Quin. Miss E. Bourke beat Airs. Stauners. Miss Gibbs beat Airs. Haswell. Aliss O’Sullivan beat Airs. Weir. Alias Carey beat Miss Stewart. ELTHAM SCHOOL COMMITTEE. HIGH AVERAGE ATTENDANCE. The headmaster, Mr. R. E. Thomas, submitted the following report to the Eltham School Committee on Tuesday evening:—“For July the average attendance was 40*2.8, or over 93 per cent., boys being 239.76 and girls 163.04. The present roll numbers 433 (boys 255 and girls 178), a decrease of 23 since March 31. The average attendance necessary to place the school in Grade 6B is 401. “Supplementary readers and library books have been received, thus completing the order for books for this year. Fifty-four swimming certificates won by children last year have been received from the Taranaki Swimming Association. The infant school playground requires attention.” The dental nurse furnished a report on her work for July. The number of operations was 762 with a total of 250 attendances. Pupils from nine surounding schools had been treated. The question of levelling the school paddock behind the baths was left to Mr. Benefield. It was decided to present the swimming certificates at the breaking-up at the end of the school year. No stock is to be allowed to graze the school grounds until proper fences are erected. PERSONAL ITEMS, Air. .J. Pringle, railways business agent,,visited Stratford and yesterdar