The Huron Expositor, 1994-12-21, Page 5Community
Seaforth remembers Harry Palin
It's hard to believe Harry is
gone.
Harry Palin, who never lost the
sparkle in his eye or the ability
to tell a good story even in his
90's, is gone but he will always
be remembered.
The veteran of the fust great
war was someone who could tell
a story at his own expense, or
manage an infectious chuckle
which belied his advanced years.
Harry
Palin was an avid
reader. A visitor to his home
would find several books opened
to various stages of comple-
tion...because he sometimes had
several books on the go at one
time.
He would lend out his books
but sometimes grow impatient
with those who had borrowed
them because they could never
seem to read them as fast as he
could.
As well as books Harry would
read newspapers and magazines,
often on challenging topics.
In recent years he was remem-
bered as a regular contributor to
The Iluron Expositor.
He was a prolific and insight-
ful writer who could sometimes
write diatribes against the fail-
ings of the day and yet at other
times make subtle observations
about life or record humorous
anecdotes from his past.
At home, he was constantly
writing down long stories or
essays about wartime, religion,
philosophy or any number of
topics.
He worried that people would
forget the lessons of history, that
discipline had been taken from
the schools and that there were
too many human beings in
Church and not enough Chris-
tians.
In his last column for The
Expositor he lamented that the
'Financiers' were making money
while others were poor. He was
critical of humanity's degrada-
tion of the earth, upset with
some decisions of the courts and
wondered why scientists were
looking for intelligent life on
other planets when it was so
scarce right here on Earth.
Not all his columns were seri-
ous, however. He wrote comical
stories of how he got• his first
driver's license and how a little
runt 'of 'a pig was adopted as a
house pet.
Even when he was saying
something very serious he could
say it in a clever, humorous
way.
He once recalled debates in old
nglish pubs where friends
would discuss if monkeys were
smarter than humans.
"After much arguing it was
decided that some monkeys were
smarter than some men, and
after a great deal of thought in
St. Columban
by Cecilia Ryan
345-2028
Harry Palin was a sol-
dier, farmer, avid reader
and church supporter.
1 �
4-H winners are
honoured
The St. Columban 4-H Achieve-
ment Night was held on Monday,
Dec. 12 in the St. Columban
Church hall with children, parents
and grandparents attending.
Three projects were completed
this fall. The projects were
'Breadbaking' with leaders, Jo Van
Loon and Colleen O'Rourke;
"Woodworking' with leader, Anne
Murray and 'Wearable Art' with
leader, Diane Elston.
Jane Muegge, Rural Community
Advisor from Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
(OMAFRA), Clinton was there to
present County Awards to the fol-
lowing members; for completing 12
clubs, Julie Volgels; six clubs,
Jonathon Elston, Julie O'Rourke,
Kelly Ryan, Jeanette Crowley and
Tricia Jansen; new members, Kyle
Murray, Rebecca Stott, Kari Cronin,
Melissa O'Rourke, Christie Medd
and Chrissy Ryan. Everyone
enjoyed some 'Breadbaking'
goodies, cookies and squares, juice
and coffee.
Sunday visitors with Francis and
Marie Hicknell were Joe and Mary
Ellen Hicknell, Traci, Adam and
Nicholas, Port Stanley; Teresa and
Martin Van Raay, Jessica, Dean,
Phillip and Stephanie, Dashwood;
John and Sheila Hicknell, Justine
and Brianne, Sebringville; Margaret
and Chris Rooney, Midland;
Stephen Hicknell, North Bay and
Joe Manley, Stratford.
If you have Christmas visitors or
family gatherings, please give me a
call at 345-2028.
May the peace and joy of this
Christmas season be with you now
and all through the New Year. Have
a safe holiday.
my 95 years, I have decided that
this is true."
Although not afraid to speak
his mind, he was not afraid to
admit that other people might
have opinions different than his
own.
"I am writing...not to tell what
I know but something to make
you think."
Although some people prob-
ably disagreed with what he had
to say, Harry was often a voice
of common sense.
He once noted that bad people
try to drag you down and good
people try to lift you up.
"The bad seem to have an
advantage as it is easier to go
downhill than top."
Some people who pass the age
of 90 might be tempted to look
back fondly on the 'good old
days.' Not Harry.
He wryly noted than when he
came from England to Canada,
the streets were not paved with
gold when he arrived.
If there is anything which
defined Harry as he is remem-
bered by this writer it was his
love for his wife Nell. He would
sometimes tell irreverent stories
about their lives together but he
never missed a chance to say
how lucky he had been to spend
his life with her and how much
he loved her.
Harry Palin once joked, in an
interview with reporter David
Scott, that he had nine lives. He
recalled a series of close calls
during his lifetime such as nar-
rowly escaping a falling ladder,
riding as a passenger in a truck
which almost went off a bridge,
escaping a bullet which whizzed
by the inside of his left knee
during military training ("I had a
bullet hole in my kilt!"), having
to lie on his stomach on the top
of a train to avoid colliding with
a low-lying bridge and running-
from
unningfrom a live grenade which 'a -
fellow soldier dropped on his
foot during training.
I don't know whether I was
born under a lucky star or not,"
he said.
Harry had a long memory. He
never let a local newspaper
Editor forget he had once (unin-
tentionally) slighted Winston
Churchill...but that didn't stop
Harry from inviting that same
young man over for a debate on
the day's events or a friendly
visit.
t'Enter
our
THE HURON EXPOSITOR, D•c.mbor 21, 1994-5
.CUT AND ENTER
FREE DRAW
5 DRAWS FOR '100°' Worth of Gas
Name
Address
Phone #
LFi11 in & dro, in at Archie's UCO. Draw date SatiDe_ 24j
PEACE
Be Wilh You
May joy follow wherever you go.
Season's Greetings
From
Ron & Bessie Broome
The Hobby Shop
Main St. Seaforth
,i�l�'�IN�INl111NIlIN1r1
GREAT CHRISTMAS
GIFT IDEA!
IrefA
04-14
send someone to
'FLORAL DESIGN CLASSES'
to be held at
FLOWER MAGIC BY JEAN
in Mitchell
(96 Ontario Rd.)
Tuesday, January 10
6 weeks/7.9 p.m.
for more information
call Darlene
522-0418
(Christmas Certificates Available)
•
4111:-
A Christmas Prayer
May the holy light of the Christmas Season shine o
us and bring peace to our hearts.
The Residents & Staff at
QUEENSWAY
NURSING
HOME
extend the greetings and
appreciation at this joy-
ous Christmas Season.
This picture shows a young Harry Palin as a member of the
Liverpool -Scottish Territorial 10th. After the Armistice he travelled
to Belgium where the soldiers loaded guns onto a boat to go back
to England.
Having missed out on the
trench warfare during World
War I most of Harry Palin's
anecdotes were somewhat nostal-
gic...but in a 1993 interview he
told a poignant story of the
horrors of war.— -
He recalled that when he was
in France in 1918 the soldiers
would see a cemetery behind a
hospital and jokingly ask if
R.I.P. mean 'Rest in Peace' or
'Rest in Pieces.'
The rest of the story is told
powerfully in Harry's own
words:
"A couple days after, we were
going through a battlefield and
there was one fellow who was
buried on the roadside. There
were two bamboards put up as a
cross with his name. I think it
was 'Smith' and he was a
Give a Gift that's
Merry and Right
'Tis the season to give. [Xi it in style with
Teletlora's exclusive bouquets. Beautiful
keepsake gifts come with fresh flowers
and stay long atter the holidays are
gone.
('n ad
Humiaou
[lawful
i
Holly Berry
Bad Bouquet
!jIi1debrand
jj1owers and lfetSgt
Main Si.. Seaforth
527-0555
Lance -Corporal. And there was
no joking about that. Everybody
thought 'I wonder how he got
his.' It was like Elijah in the
Bible when he wanted an answer
from God. He looked in the
storm and the storm didn't hold
-ep answer. And then there came
a still, small voice. I guess this
one fellow buried by the road-
side was the 'still, small voice.'
It kind of sobered us up, because
the 1,000 didn't."
9frfay the joys of Christmas
inspire you with new and
happy eXperiences. We
appreciate the opportunity
to know and serve you.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
and
HAVE A SAFE HOLIDAY!
SEAFORTH
FOOD MARKET
Main St.
Seaforth
527-1631
EGMONDVILLE
UNITED CHURCH
FAMILY
CHRISTMAS EVE
COMMUNION SERVICE
Saturday - 7:00 p.m.
No Service on
Christmas Day
May the celebration
of the Christ child's
birth fill you with
hope, peace, joy and
love!
O come,
let us
adore Him
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH Seaforth1�,
Come! Be one with us .,
in the Church during the - •
Festival Season • J, •-•
Holy Communion '• ' \s
Dec. 24 - 8:00 p.m.
CHRISTMAS EVE
CANDLELIGHT SERVICE
DEC.'4`.
25 - 11: 15
Christmas Day Service
Jan. 1 Service 11:15
"May the love Christ Jesus
gave fill every heart for you;
May the love Christ Jesus gave
fill you for everyone"
REV. JAMES SLOAN
ST. THOMAS
ANGLICAN DCHURCH
18
Lessons & Carols
9:45 a.m.
CHRISTMAS EVE (Dec. 24)
Service of Holy Communion
8:30 p.m.Evening
CHRISTMAS Al,*
DAY .--
Holy Communion � . `�.
11:00 a.m.
"May the Peace 1
& Joy of Christ , / ///,For
be yours this
Christmas'. (
Rev. Gordon Redden
ST. JAMES
ROMAN CATHOLIC
CHURCH._
CHRISTMAS EVE t�\ -e
St Columban 500 p m , ��1
St. James 7:30 p.m. I r4 ._
Mass `'1�'
10p m 1 `
at St. James 'F� �''^''
ll
CHRISTMAS DAY
St. James 9:30 a m
St. Columban 11 00 a m
more information call
527-0142 345-2411
FR. HARDY
CAVAN
UNITED CHURCH
WINTHROP
Christmas Eve
Candlelight
Service
7 p.m.IA.4e
Rev. Bruce_Qook
AIL WELCOME
NORTHSIDE
UNITED CHURCH
SEAFORTH
CHRISTMAS
DAY
Communion
Service
11 a.m.
Rev. BRUCE COOK,
MINISTER
BETHEL
BIBLE CHURCH
Sunday, Dec. 18
Children's
Christmas Program
3:00 p.m.
Christmas Eve
"Communion"
7 p.m. .11M1,4P.G, c...
CHRISTMAS
DAY ,PASTOR
SERVICE RICK LUCAS
11:00 a.m. 522-0070