Memorial Service to the Late Mrs. T. E. Taylor

White Ribbon, Volume 47, Issue 6, 18 July 1941, Page 2

Memorial Service to the Late Mrs. T. E. Taylor

A beautiful Sabbath afternoon, warm sunshine and blue skies, graced the day which the women of Christchurch chose to keep in memory of the late Elizabeth Best Taylor. Durham Street Methodist Church, where many years ago with her family she had worshipped, was well filled with men and women who came with loving thoughts and memories to join in grateful homage to one who had led them so long in thought and deed. Above the cross in front of the pulpit was pinned a white ribbon how, joined with the purple and gold ribbons, emblem of the National Council of Women. Underneath stood a beautiful howl of wattle blossom from her home hills of Cashmere. Rev. W. A. Burley, President of the Methodist Church of New Zealand, presided, assisted by the Rev. Raymond Dudley, Minister of the Church. The speakers were Mrs. W. Mackay. Secretary of the Christchurch branch of the National Council of Women, taking at a late hour the place of Mrs. Ilavclar, who was indisposed, and Mrs. 11 iett. our own Dominion President.

Mrs. Mackay, after referring to Mrs. Taylor’s many public activities and her pioneer work for tlie National Council of Women, later being made a life member, went on to speak of the influence of a life lived as Mrs. Taylor’s was— a woman of culture and vision, who never lowered her standard,* no thought of self, zealous and a true feminist, just living for others—concluding an able and beautiful tribute with this apt quotation, “A doctor called to tend a dying soldier laddie whose young life he could have saved had he hut the instruments.” Our greatest tribute, she said, was to act a> instrument* for our Master in carrying on the work our late friend and leader had laid down.

Mrs. Hiett spoke from the lessons read—John 6, Rev. 21, “Abundantly living,” or “A life lived abundantly.” She traced the life of our late leader,

so lived as a girl and Sunday School teacher in this Chur:h, on to a wife, mother, and home-m.iker in the sense. She was imbued with such mother love that she carried it to all j.liases of humanity wh“re there was need for help and improvement. She hated “the sins which made men mourn and drove them from their Father.” Listening, one's heart was filled with gratitude for her vision which she carried into practice, livin'; to make the way clearer for others Mrs. Hiett outlined her work as a J.P. and first Women’s Associate with the Magistrate on the Bench of the Children’s Court. Her work for the Protection of Women and Children, her neverflagging interest in Child Welfare, one of the founders of the Creche and i!ie Kindergarten Association, how she worked until family allowances, her ambition foT the mother, was accomplished, and her pioneer work for Women Police. As was expected, Mrs. Hiett, representing the W.C.T.U., told of all Mrs. Taylor had been to us a> our leader in the work for Temperance throughout her life. Coupled with this was tier never tiring zeal in the cause of Peace, at the time of her death being a Committee member of the World’s W.C.T.U. and Chaiiwoman of the Pan-Pacific Group. Indeed, she lived abundantly for “God, Home and Humanity,” and our platform, “Peace, Purity and Prohibition.” There was no sadness of farewell in our hearts as we listened to our speakers, realising that our friend had lived so close to her Master that she fully claimed lis promise that through Him she was able to here live abundantly, and is now rejoicing in life eternal, where there is no* more death, neither pain nor sorrow.

Mr. Melville Laury at the organ and Miss Doreen Udell’s solo, “I Know that my Redeemer Liveth,” added to the beauty of a service which strengthened and inspired all present.