SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. —
After six many years, three kids, a Chilly Warfare, a number of relocations, tragedies and numerous candy recollections Morris Gates stated goodbye to his spouse, Frances (Francie), for the final time in August 2019.
She was laid to relaxation within the crimson soil she beloved, within the city her ancestors helped construct and close to the household she cherished.
Gates, 88, lives in Trenton, Ontario. He has been unable to go to Francie’s grave in Summerside’s Individuals’s Cemetery since November of 2019. In his absence, he has trusted a nephew who lives in P.E.I. to put flowers on her tombstone for her birthday and a wreath at Christmas.
“However it isn’t sufficient for me,” he advised the Journal Pioneer.
“We had been married for 66 years, however I would really like one other lifetime together with her if that had been attainable.”
Shortly after Francie died, Gates determined to do one thing to honour her. After contemplating just a few choices, he settled on an outdated custom that has turn into comparatively unusual in latest occasions.
He contacted Summerside’s Anglican Parish of St. Mary and St. John and supplied to purchase two stained-glass home windows for St. Mary’s, a small red-brick church on the nook of Church and Summer time streets. One window could be in reminiscence of Francie and the opposite could be devoted to her dad and mom, Wilfred and Frances Lecky.
Rev. Colin Nicolle distinctly remembers seeing that first electronic mail from Gates land in his laptop’s inbox. Somebody providing to purchase new home windows for the church just isn’t an on a regular basis prevalence.
“It was a very beautiful factor,” stated Nicolle.
“And the way do I say it? We’re type of in an age when individuals are simply not placing stained glass into church buildings anymore. We’re attempting to warmth them and preserve the roof on. So, to have the ability to do that – I believe it’s vital, it’s artwork, it’s lovely and it provides to this area and folks’s expertise of it. It’s a beautiful reward, but it surely’s definitely a uncommon factor.”
5 information about St. Mary’s church
- Unique picket Church of St. Mary the Virgin opened on the nook of Summer time and Church streets opened for worship in 1861
- The unique construction burned down within the nice fireplace of 1906, which destroyed eight metropolis blocks
- The one objects to outlive the fireplace had been the baptismal font, the church bell and one kneeling pad
- A brand new Gothic fashion church was rebuilt on the positioning in 1909 by George E. Baker
- The parish corridor, adjoining to the church, was additionally designed by Baker and was in-built 1927
Younger love
Gates grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Power (RCAF) when the Korean Warfare broke out in 1950. He had graduated highschool that very same 12 months.
He was promptly despatched to P.E.I. to attend the RCAF Air Navigation Faculty in Summerside, graduating in 1951.
He met Francie that 12 months. They’d each been “dragged” to a dance corridor by associates.
“I noticed her there, requested her to bop and I danced together with her the entire night. I took her dwelling, bought her phone quantity and known as her the next week. We went to a film and the remainder was historical past. I by no means noticed anybody else ever once more – she was for me,” stated Gates.
Francie was born and raised in Summerside. Her household had been affluent enterprise folks, closely concerned within the profitable silver fox trade, Malpeque oysters and different entrepreneurial pursuits.
Although Gates was posted to 408 Squadron in Ottawa, he dutifully travelled to P.E.I. for nearly each depart and stayed with the Lecky household of their stately dwelling at 61 Granville Road in Summerside.
He made these journeys for 2 years till he and Francie had been married in 1953. They had been each 20 years outdated.
Connections
Gates stated he selected this donation for St. Mary’s due to how strongly Francie’s life was related to the constructing.
They had been married within the church and regardless of the place his profession within the RCAF took them, they returned there to christen all three of their kids.
The Lecky household all attended St. Mary’s, and Francie and her siblings had all been christened there.
Regardless that they lived all of their married life away from P.E.I., the Gates household nonetheless has a cottage on P.E.I. and would go to most years. Each time they had been on the Island, the couple would typically go to St. Mary’s for companies.
“Francie’s coronary heart by no means left P.E.I.,” stated Gates.
“Many occasions through the years I supplied to take her on vacation on a cruise or to different unique locations. She at all times stated her desire for holidays was to affix the household on P.E.I. or in Saskatchewan the place my household lived.”
5 information about stained-glass
- Earliest identified examples of human-made glass are Egyptian beads dated between 2,750 and a couple of,625 BC
- One of many oldest identified examples of multi-piece colored glass utilized in a window was unearthed at St. Paul’s Monastery in Jarrow, England, which was based in 686 AD
- Although primarily related to Christianity, stained-glass additionally has a protracted historical past in Islamic religion, beginning within the thirteenth century
- Seen as a primarily Catholic artwork kind, early Protestants initially shunned stained glass
- The earliest persevering with glass studio in North America, Robert McCausland Ltd., was based in 1850 in Toronto
Supply: Stained Glass Association of America
Particular presents
After making contact with Gates, Rev. Nicolle had to perform a little research to search out out precisely go about ordering a stained-glass window.
It was troublesome as a result of there aren’t that many studios able to doing the work, he stated, and fewer who do the fashion of glass that might match with the prevailing home windows in St. Mary’s.
He lastly landed on the doorstep of Sattler’s Stained Glass Studio Ltd., in West LaHave, N.S. and was impressed with the idea drawings its artist despatched again to him.
As soon as they’d a studio lined up, they labored collectively on the designs.
St. Mary’s just isn’t a big church and virtually all of its giant home windows are already stained glass. In order that left just a few smaller choices for them to work with.
They determined {that a} three-piece arched window immediately above the church’s principal entrance would honour Francie. It incorporates a Celtic trinity knot with the biblical scene of Jesus welcoming the kids beneath it.
The second window is in a slender choir room alcove and honours Francie’s dad and mom, Wilfred and Frances Lecky. It’s a nod to the Lecky household’s historical past and has a pastoral theme with a silver fox and kits, rabbits, birds and rolling farmland. On the pinnacle of the piece is an outline of the household’s 61 Granville Road dwelling, with a ribbon wrapped round it and the bible quote “In my father’s home there are numerous mansions.”
Gates stated he wished to honour his in-laws as a result of they confirmed him nice kindness all through their lives and Francie beloved them very a lot.
“They had been sort, considerate, individuals and excellent dad and mom for my part. It was a really completely happy and busy dwelling with the welcome mat out to many. My time with them gave me an instance of how individuals ought to stay and performance with others,” stated Gates.
Dedication
Supply of the home windows was delayed on account of COVID-19, however each had been lately put in at St. Mary’s by a volunteer from the congregation.
They’re an amazing addition to the church, stated Nicolle, and the parish is grateful for the chance to assist the Gates and Lecky households have fun their family members.
“That is meant to be a spot that you simply come to be lifted ultimately, so if now we have lovely art work that may do this for us that’s a very good factor,” stated Nicolle.
The parish is planning a ceremony to sanctify the art work however is ready till Gates and his kids can come to the Island earlier than they accomplish that.
Gates is anxiously awaiting the day he can see the home windows in particular person, although he has seen pictures of them.
Francie would have beloved them, he stated – so he loves them too.
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