DEATH OF MR. S. FRY
A DEVOTED CHURCH WORKER
Mr. Samuel Fry, of 14, Craven-road, Newbury, passed away on Wednesday in last week at the residence of his son, 176, Oxford-road, Reading. He had been ill for 18 months, but made a partial recovery, and went with Mrs. Fry to Reading with the intention of staying a few days, but was taken much worse and could not be moved. His age was 59.
Samuel Fry was born at Sandhurst, Berks., and moved with his parents to Reading. He began work when but about twelve years of age. A devoted Church and Sunday School worker all his life, he first identified himself with Cumberland-road Primitive Methodist Church. He was a scholar in the school, became a teacher, and superintendent of the Band of Hope. He was also a member of the church choir. He married in 1893. Shortly afterwards he took up the work of a local preacher, and whilst resident at Bournemouth and Southampton served on local circuits. Both he and his wife came of musical families, and Mr. Fry found scope for his keenness in this direction when he was invited to become choirmaster of Freemantle P. M. Church, Southampton.
In 1907 he came to Newbury as superintendent of the Britannic Insurance Company, which position he held for five years. Previously he had been agent for the company for 20 years. For the past five years he was in the service of the Reading Co-operative Society, and acted as local secretary of the Education Committee. He continued as an active local preacher on the Newbury Primitive Methodist Circuit up to the time of his illness, and from 1916 to 1924 was lay agent. He put all his energy into his preaching and was particularly acceptable in the village pulpits. He was a delegate to conference in 1925 and to the district meeting in the same year.
Another of his offices was the hon- secretaryship of the Newbury annd District Free Church Council,which he held at the time of his death. Perhaps Mr. Fry's most notable work in Newbury was in connection with the Shaftesbury Society Holiday Homes' Association. For seven years he undertook the local superintendence of the London children sent by the association to Newbury to take a holiday during the summer season. The boarding of these little Londoners with responsible householders involved a considerable amount of time and work, as will be appreciated when it is stated that last year over 600 children were dealt with locally. Mr. Fry was the nominee of the Co-operative Society in the November 1919 Town Council elections, and fought in the West Ward, but was unsuccessful. He leaves a wife, who has been an invalid for twenty years, and one son, for whom much sympathy is felt.
The Funeral
The funeral took place on Tuesday afternoon, the body being brought by motor from Reading, and a service being conducted in the Newbury Primitive Methodist Church by the Superintendent Minister, Rev. E. G. French, who paid a fitting tribute to the life of the deceased. The lesson was read by the Rev. S. A. Price. Despite the wretched weather, the church was well filled by co-church workers and friends of the deceased. The hymns sung were "Christ will gather in His own," and "0 God, our help in ages past." Mr.Charles Griffin was at the organ, and before the service rendered Mendelssohn's "0 rest in the Lord," and "But the Lord is mindful of His own," and afterwards Spohr's "Blest are the departed."
The family mourners were the Widow; Mr. and Mrs. Eustace Fry (son and daughter-in-law); Mr. Jack Fry, Farnborough (brother); Mr. and Mrs. E. Pollard, London (brother-in-law and sister-in-law); Mrs. A. Clargo (sister-in-law) and Mrs. G. L. Cox (Brimpton).
Then follows a list of others present and of the wreaths sent.
Not in Mrs. P. Book No.1917, page 120, Record No.10557 |
