Arrived NSW on Fitzjames in 28 Jul 18585,20

Leader (Orange, NSW : 1899 - 1945) Wed 25 Jul 190619

THE LATE THOS. OATES.
THE FUNERAL OBSEQUIES.
The funeral of the late Thomas
Oates took place yesterday (Tuesday).
At 11 a.m., a service was held at the
late residence of the deceased, when
there was a great number of people
present. The hymn "Rock of Ages"
was sung, and a touching prayer offer-
ed by the Rev. J. B. Penman. The
funeral cortege then left for the Me-
thodist cemetery, Byng, and was one of
the largest ever seen in the district,
numbers of conveyances joining in on
the way from Orange, Guyong, Byng,
Springhill, and other places. On arri-
val at Byng there was a large con-
course of people present, and Mr. J. H.
Glasson informed us that it was the
largest funeral seen at Byng for 36
years, thus testifying to the universal
respect for the memory of the deceas-
ed gentleman, who had been a good
friend to many of those present.
Among those present we noticed:—
Messrs C. Trubody, G. Sweeney, J.
Chalmers, H. Thomas, F. Chegwidden
(of the Methodist Church, Orange);
G. Floyd, sear. (Lucknow Methodist
Church), G. Streatfeild (Forest Reefs
Methodist Church), A. Moad, J. Moad
(Springhill Methodist Church), E. Ja-
mes, G. Willis, H. Read, C. Willis
(Millthorpe Methodist Church), G. Be-
asley, Mr. and Mrs. Goode, G. Chap-
pell, Mrs. Willis, Mrs. Capps, Mrs.
Stanford (Millthorpe Methodist Chu-
rch), A.S. Toms, H. Thomas, C. Rod-
well, E. Fisher, W. James (Guyong
Methodist Church); Messrs J. H. Glas-
son, J. H. Dobbin, S. Whitmee, L. Ros-
sell, J. Frape, E. B. Hawke, D. Eve, J.
Pearse, and Mr. and Mrs. T. Hawke
(Canoblas).
The remains were enclosed in a
beautiful oak coffin, which bore the
simple inscription, "Thomas Oates,
died July 23, 1906; aged 71 years."
Messrs F. Evans, W. James, S. T.
Oates, James Moad, C. Willis, and J.
died July 23, 1906; aged 71 years."
Not one-fourth of the people were
able to get into the Methodist Church,
Byng, where the Rev. J. B. Penman
read part of the funeral service, and
also gave an impressive address, in the
course of which he said: We believe
that, like Abel, "the dead yet speak."
We believe in the immortality of good
as well as the immortality of the soul.
Many bright testimonies embolden us
to say a good man has left us, one
who incarnated in his life the princi-
ples of the New Testament, and tried
to discharge aright the duties of life.
He was a good man, a good citizen, a
good neighbour, a good husband, and
good parent. If a man die, he shall
live again, and to-day we only consign
the body to the grave; the soul is safe
with God. The great sacrifice God
made to save men shows their import-
ance in His sight. All must die, but
the Christian can triumph over death,
through the hope revealed in the Gos-
pel; the provision of divine grace th-
rough the death of Jesus on the cross.
Christianity gives light in death, and,
through Jesus Christ, unfolds the
great secrets of eternity. The speaker
went on to tell of his visits to Mr. Oa-
tes while on his sick bed, and hoped
all present might die like him. After
a touching reference to all the berea-
ved, the rev. gentleman concluded by
hoping that all might at last meet in
a brighter and better world.
Another of the late gentleman's fa-
vorite hymns, "Jesu, Lover of my
Soul," was then sung with much fer-
vor, and the service at the graveside
was conducted by the Rev. J. B. Pen-
man.
A large number of beautiful wreaths
were laid on the coffin. The funeral
arrangements were carried out by Mr
J. Reed, of Blayney.
The G.W. Mill, of which the deceas-
ed gentleman was a director, stopped
at about 10.30 a.m., so as to enable the
employees to attend the funeral.
One has gone from us who will be
long remembered as a true, honorable
and upright man, and such men are
always a loss to a community.