The Tumut and Adelong Times 3 Oct 1944
OBITUARY MR. CHARLES RICHARDS As briefly announced in a recent issue, the death occurred at the Tumut and District Hospital of Mr. Charles Richards of Windowie, Gilmore. For the last 10 months prior to his demise his health and eyesight gradually failed. On August 10 he became very ill and was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where, in spite of skilled medical attention and care by the doctors and nursing staff, he gradually sank and passed peacefully away at 4 p.m. on September 21 at the great age of 85 years. The subject of this obituary was the eldest son of those worthy pioneers, the late John and Mary Ann Richards, who came from Wrexham, Wales, to Australia in 1858 to work for the original Mr. William Broughton at Gadara, and was born in 1859. Seven years later his parents took up land at Windowie, where they reared a family of two sons and five daughters. The late Charles Richards was a steady, industrious lad in his youth and after his schooling, which he received at Mr. Jones' old school at Windowie, he assisted his father in clearing the land of their property and in other pioneering work. In his prime he indulged in cricket, handball and footracing with his ex-schoolfellows. He was a great lover of horses and was responsible for the breaking-in of some of the best hacks in the district, and one of his proudest moments was when he won a race with one he called Lady Angler, which he himself had trained. He was an expert at handling stock and had an extensive knowledge of stock complaints and their remedies. On reaching manhood the late Mr. Richards had an urge to travel, and when the opportunity occurred he booked his passage to Queensland on H.M.S. Cahors, which grounded on a rock off the Queensland coast, the passengers having to be hauled ashore in coal-boats. From Rockhampton deceased worked his way up as far as Emerald Downs, where he met his future wife, an English girl, Mary Anne Badcock. Not long afterwards they were married in 1886 and returned to Windowie, where deceased resumed farming and grazing pursuits. In spite of droughts, pests and losses among his stock, he managed by perseverance and hard toil, with the assistance of his wife and daughters, to prosper. Deceased was a member of the Gilmore Progress Association, was one of the original directors of the Tumut Butter Factory and for many years was a member of Loyal Tumut Lodge of the M.U.I.O.O.F. He was of a kind and charitable nature, never refusing a helping hand to his neighbors and to any good cause and his good deeds were known through out the district. In 1940 his wife died and Mr. Richards sold his property to Messrs. Quilty Bros. and he went to reside with his daughter Marjorie (Mrs. A. J. Davis), of Gilmore, and later with Georgina (Mrs. H. Hartnett, Rockdale) and afterwards in Tumut. The last ten months of his life he spent with his son in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Davis, at Gilmore. Besides his two daughters, Mrs. Davis and Mrs. Hartnett, there are four sisters and one brother surviving, viz.: Cornelia (Mrs. Farthing, Sydney), Georgina (Mrs. Warburton, Hurstville), Emily (Mrs. E. Robson, Gilmore), Laura (Mrs. Webber, Rockdale) and Mr. George Alfred Richards of Tumut. One sister (Mrs. Ward) predeceased him. There are eleven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. The funeral took place on September 22, leaving from All Saints' Church for the C. of E. portion of the Tumut Cemetery. In the absence of the rector, Rev. S. Broadfoot, Mr. John French conducted the service at the church and at the graveside. An Oddfellows' ser vice was also conducted at the grave side by the District Deputy Grand Master, Bro. F. Johnson. The pall-bearers were Messrs. G. A. Richards (brother), E. Robson (brother in-law), A. J. Davis (son-in-law), A. W. Davis, A. Back and M. Quilty. |