HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1973-06-28, Page 43Section 2, Pogo 23 THE EXETER TIMES-ADVOCATE JUNE 28, 1973 Whatever the Era . . • Exeter Ladies Count on Us For Up-To-Date HAIR STYLES BETH ATTFIELD Make Your Next Hair Appointment An Appointment With BETH'S Hair Styling 438b Main St., Exeter 235-1452 PAT MILEiURN GYPSY QUEEN - Wearing rented costumes from London the James St. United Church choir posed before their performance of the operetta, "Gypsy Queen" in the late 1920's. The show was put on in the Exeter Opera House and once in the Henson town hall. The players are back row left: Hector Taylor, William Quinn, Mrs.Roy Goulding,Mrs.Doupe, Mrs. Lawson, Celia Christie (Mrs. Bill Thomson) Mrs. Sandy Elliot, Mrs. B.W.F. Beavers, and William Ford; third row left: Charlie Salter, Frank Sheere, Sam Sanders; Helen Penhale, Jean Sheere (Mrs. Creech),Roy Goulding, organist and choir leader, Betty Grant, Ed Lindenfield, Harry Carrie, Merv. Cudmore and Ed Shapton ; second row left: Verna Coates, Amy Shapton, Clarence Down, Sam Rennie, Pearl Wood (Mrs. Bill Mur- dock), Reta Rowe (Mrs. Jim Smith),Meta Salter, Mildred Rowe (Mrs. Bill Allison), Tom Woodward; front row left: Vera Essery, Mrs. Hockey, Ina Harding, Mrs. Ed lindenfield, Irene Stewart and Stella Southcott. Fire in 1923 claimed lives of six father was slightly burned, cut by glass and was almost overcome by suffocation. The glare of the fire could be seen for miles and many were 5 soon upon the scene but were powerless to help. The house was engulfed in flames and so intense was the heat that they could not get, within many feet of it, Withifr — a couple of hours, the frame house which had stood for over forty years and which was one of the landmarks on the Lake Road was a smouldering mass of ruins. The tall brick chimney stood erect but before the searchers commenced their grim task of finding the bodies, it was toppled over. The origin of the fire is a mystery. A smudge had been lit early in the evening for the purpose of driving away the mosquitoes. This, however, was away from where the fire originated, and had been put out by water before the family retired. The home was comfortably furnished and equipped with furnace and bath outfit and other conveniences. A victrola which had often entertained the family along with a piano were destroyed along with the rest of the furniture. The remains ,Of four of the bodies were taken out early Saturday morning while the embers were still hot and the fire still smouldering. The mother had her babe clasped in her arms while near her were the other three children, and it looked as if she had gathered them about her. Men with pails threw water upon the debris but the water supply was limited. All day long the searchers worked. The watering cart was sent out from Exeter in the afternoon. This Made the work of the searchers less dif- ficult and towards evening the remains of the other two were found. Coroner Dr. Hyndman Was on EXETER TIMES July 12,1923 "Exeter has witnessed a tragedy, the like of which has never been known in this com- munity. Fire which destroyed the home of Mr. Silas Stanlake, on the Lake Road, claimed as its victims, six, in the person of Mrs. Stanlake, aged 38; her four children, Clarence, six; Charlie, four; Wilfred, two; and a baby boy not quite three weeks old; also Albert Stanlake, aged 45. On Friday night shortly after eleven o'clock when the family were sound in their first sleep, the fire demon swept down upon the comfortable home that nestled among the trees a short distance from the road. The father was awakened by the crackling of the fire and the light that shone upon his bedroom window. Hastening down stairs he observed the flames creeping beneath the door which loads into the summer kitchen, On opening the door he was confronted with a seething mass of flames, which swept into the living room by a wind blowing in that direction. Returning upstairs he awakened the various members of the family and with some of them he started down stairs, the stairs opening into the kitchen. Escape through the kitchen door was cut off and Mr. Stanlake, his adopted daughter Beatrice, and his son Harry, aged 15, attempted to get out of the front door. This refused to yield as it had been closed up during the winter, and Mr. Stanlake turned to one of the windows which he broke and hurried the children through. It was too late to return. Mrs. Stanlake had remained to gather up the baby and possibly the younger children when her chance of escape was cut off. Albert also made a start for safety but returned upstairs and lost his chance of escape. The boy and the girl Who escaped were somewhat burned while the the scene early and took charge of the survivors and directed the activities. All day long autos visited the scene. This was repeated on Sunday when visitors came fbr miles and kept up until the shades of evening hid the surroundings. On Sunday the funeral was held, and never was such a crowd gathered at a funeral in the history of Exeter. The service was held in the Opera House over the undertaking parlors of M.E. Gardiner. The tragedy had cast a gloom over the entire community and the sympathy of everyone went to the bereaved. The hall was filled while many more remained outside. At the cemetery a large crowd had assembled. The charred remains of the six, who had met death together, were buried in a single coffin, Beautiful floral wreaths, tributes from loving friends covered the coffin. The funeral service was conducted by Rev. A.A. Trumper, of the Anglican church, in the absence of Rev. W.G. McAlister, Pastor of Main street Methodist church who was in Sarnia attending Conference, and to whose church the deceased belonged. Never in his history had he been called upon to per- form such a sad duty. It was a very impressive service. The husband and father, Beatrice and Harry were all present and bore up bravely under the strain. Exeter Times, June 2, 1881 A few nights since, a couple of men knocked at the door of the Mansion House and asked ad- mission which was refused owing to the late hour, whereupon they proceeded to the clothesline and helped themselves to a couple of fine shirts which happened to be hanging out. * * * Exeter Times, June 13, 1818 Should Bennett perish in the Arctic regions, would it be called a polecatastrophe? Between two and three hundred cars were in the line of procession, the first cars reaching the cemetery before the, last had left the undertaking, parlors. 4.• as vn 37