[Editor: This obituary was published in The Woodend Star, (Woodend, Vic.), 13 August 1938.]
Obituary
Mrs. Ada Cornish.
Since the last issue of this paper, the proprietor has suffered a very poignant loss through the death of his wife, a loyal partner and true helpmeet for 45 years, and a devoted and greatly beloved mother.
Mrs. Cornish succumbed at her home, “Linkside,” High street, Woodend, on Sunday afternoon after hovering between life and death for nine days, her husband and members of her family meanwhile watching with the keenest anxiety ebbs and turns in her extremely critical condition, while Dr. Alex. E Lincoln, with untiring attendance, both day and night, and with the greatest of perseverance, assisted by skilful nursing, did everything known to medical science on her behalf, but always, in view of the nature of her illness, with faint hopes of lasting response. At last the patient sufferer’s resistance, limited from the first, gave out and she passed away, in perfect peace, to the veiled Beyond, leaving fragrant memories to all who knew her of an admirable life, lived always in gentle, quiet and unassuming endeavour to minister to the care and service of others, and, during many of her later years, beset by infirmity that denied her participation in the activities of the citizens of the place but added lustre to her courage and Christian fortitude.
Mrs. Cornish was the fifth daughter, in a family of six sons and six daughters, of the late Mr. Edwin and Mrs. Elizabeth Allen, well known and esteemed pioneers of Bendigo, where her father was one of the first mine managers of that goldfield. She was born on 9th October, 1869, at Long Gully, and there she was married to Mr. Richard Cornish, J.P., 45 years ago and went with him to Nhill, where her husband had for two years previously been editing the local influential newspaper, after some years of Press work in Bendigo. Three years afterwards, or 42 years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Cornish made their home in Woodend, and, while in her younger days the deceased did her share in affairs of the town requiring the services of ladies, and took part in the activities of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, a serious illness of some years ago no longer permitted her those privileges. Again, just six months ago, she submitted to a serious surgical operation, which was skilfully performed, and, coming through that ordeal very satisfactorily, there was every promise of at least a few more years of life, but it was not to be so, and, following a heavy cold, contracted three weeks ago, from which, however, she seemed to recover, violent fits of coughing, on the night of Friday, 29th ult., induced a severe heart attack on a previously much weakened organ and culminated in her death from myocarditis and hypostatic pneumonia.
Besides her husband Mrs. Cornish leaves one son (Mr. Aubrey Allen Cornish) and one daughter (Mrs. Edna May Kevill, wife of Mr. E. R. Kevill, of the Railway department’s clerical staff at Spencer street, and of Valley Parade, Glen Iris). She is survived, also, by two sisters, Mrs. F. A. Martin, East Brunswick, and Miss Clara Allen, formerly of the Education department, and who had resided for a number of years with Mr. and Mrs. Cornish. There are two surviving brothers, Mr. W. H. Allen, of East Malvern, retired State school master, and Mr. Alfred Allen, formerly Assistant Registrar of Titles, but now, in retirement, of Thornbury.
The many personal calls and scores of messages of condolence with the bereaved husband and family, received from all quarters of the district, and from various parts of the State, have conveyed deeply appreciated sympathy in overwhelming measure, while the numerous attendance at the obsequies, last Tuesday afternoon, when the remains were laid to rest in the Woodend Cemetery, paid a very high tribute of respect to the memory of the departed one. Many very handsome wreaths were received, including one from the president, councillors and officers of the Newham and Woodend Shire, another from the congregation of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, and a third from the trustees of the Woodend Cemetery. Others were from the proprietor and staff of the “Kyneton Guardian,” the Brookdale Nursery, Macedon (Miss Ronalds); Mrs. and Miss Anderson, “Maloa,” Woodend; and many other similarly beautiful tokens.
Previous to the cortege leaving the home of the deceased, a service was held there, impressively conducted by the Rev. C. E. Hipwell, of St. Andrew’s, who referred to the graciousness and Christian virtues of the deceased.
Those who bore the casket were Messrs. H. O. Mitchell (Alphington), J. Dunkin (Clifton Hill), E. Davey (Glen Iris) (nephews), and R. Phillipson (East Malvern). Pall-bearers were Cr. W. Donovan, Cr. J. J. Keating, J.P., Cr. W. Muntz, Mr. A. H. Fleischer (shire secretary), Mr. S. Harris, J.P., and Mr. T. Surtees (representing local sporting clubs). The Rev. C. E. Hipwell conducted the service, and the mortuary arrangements were carried out by Mr. Isaac Benson, of Kyneton.
Source:
The Woodend Star, (Woodend, Vic.), 13 August 1938, p. 2
Editor’s notes:
cortege = a ceremonial or formal procession, such as for a funeral, wedding, or following a monarch; a funeral procession, being a line of people on foot, or in vehicles, at (or going to) a funeral or a burial, usually moving at a slow speed; a line or train of attendants, or a group or retinue of attendants accompanying someone (especially a monarch)
Cr. = an abbreviation of “Councillor”
helpmeet = (also known as “helpmate”) a helpful companion, partner, or spouse (especially referring to a wife); derived from a phrase in the Bible, in Genesis 2:18, “an help meet for him” (“meet” meaning “fit” or “suitable”) (the full Biblical verse, from the King James Bible, is “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.”)
See: 1) Anatoly Liberman, “Helpmeet, or can stillborn words prosper?”, OUP blog (Oxford University Press blog), 7 January 2009
2) “Genesis 2:18”, Bible Hub
J.P. = (abbreviation) Justice of the Peace
obsequies = funeral rites, funeral ceremony
poignant = causing, evoking, or having a deep, keen, or sharp sense of regret or sadness (a very emotionally distressing and painful feeling of sadness; a very deep and piercing feeling of sadness); evoking compassion, pity; keen, pertinent, or strong in mental appeal; biting, cutting, penetrating, piercing, sharp; to the point; incisive; eloquent; applicable, relevant
Press = the print-based media, especially newspapers (can be spelt with or without a capital letter: Press, press)
Rev. = an abbreviation of “Reverend” (a title given to a minister of a church, a priest, a member of the clergy)
score = twenty (sometimes used in conjunction with a cardinal number, e.g. “threescore”, “fourscore”) (may also refer to an undefined large number)
ult. = abbreviation of “ultimo”; pertaining to, or occurring in, the month preceding the present month (from the Latin “ultimo mense”, meaning “in the last month”)
veiled Beyond = the afterlife (death), separated from the land of the living by “the veil of death”
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