This BLOG is sponsored
by “Misty Hollow
Carving”.
You are welcome to visit Misty Hollow and see all of my carvings.
My Web Site is a like a
Gallery – please drop in for a stroll through.
To help me promote my
Web Site please copy this URL address and email to someone today http://www.murraylincoln.com/
Gerald
Franklin Panter – who was he?
I couldn’t
stop looking at the plaque hanging just above my head on the East Wall of the
Park Street Baptist Church. Who was
Gerald Franklin Panter?
Oh I read what
was engraved on the Bronze Plaque… “and his body never recovered.” But what
happened to young Gerald?
Gerald was 7
years old when he was drowned. I imagine
that his body was likely in the river nearby where he was playing. But with high water flow which was likely in
April of 1939 it would have been washed away between where it entered the water
and where it likely was snagged on the bottom.
It is likely
that Gerald attended Sunday School at the Park Street Baptist Church where his
parents were faithful members.
So many
questions came with that plaque mounted above where I sat. So many…
Gerald would
have been 83 years old this past February 2012.
But he never made it past 7 years of age.
The plaque
states that it was “ERECTED BY HIS FATHER AND MOTHER”.
Mr. and Mrs.
Panter had to be of some stature to have been able to pay for something like
this plaque in 1936… or the congregation feeling their great grief and for that
matter every person in this small church feeling deeply the loss of this little
boy… must have all done their part so he would not be forgotten.
There was no
body… so there was not likely any grave either. There was no place for the
mother and father to stand beside and say their precious words to later in
their life.
Doing some
more digging I found… from the 1911 Census
Ancestry.ca
has 78 Panter surname census records, showing that the average Panter household
size in Canada was between 5 and 6 members. The average age of Panter children
in 1911 was 17, with a paternal average age of 49 and a maternal average age of
41. Common first names for Panter household fathers in 1911 included Edgar,
Jefferson, and Benjamin and common first names for mothers included Sarah,
Deliliah, and Clara. In 1911, approximately 22 Panter individuals were recorded
in the district of Peterborough West, 7 were recorded in the district of
Portage la Prairie, and 7 were recorded in the district of Elgin West, among
others. Common places of birth for Panter parents were noted as Ontario,
England, and United States Of America. Some common heritage designations for
the Panter surname were listed as English, German, and Scotch.
A bit more
digging and I found…
PANTER ALBERT .. ONTARIO
DEATH REGISTRATION
PANTER FREDERICK, TO ALICE
VASS, AT PETERBOROUGH .. NEWSPAPER NOTICE
PANTER GEORGE, TO MINNIE
CHAMBO, AT PETERBOROUGH .. NEWSPAPER NOTICE
PANTER JOHN .. COLLING
SUSAN .. ONTARIO MARRIAGE REGISTRATION
PANTER JOSEPH .. SURROGATE
COURT (WILL)
PANTER MARY .. ROSE ALBERT
.. ONTARIO MARRIAGE REGISTRATION
PANTER PHILIPPA .. BAKER
THOMAS .. ONTARIO MARRIAGE REGISTRATION
PANTER THOMAS .. ONTARIO
DEATH REGISTRATION
As you can
see, the third Panter down was named George and his wife was Minnie
Panter. Could this be the couple that
lost little Gerald?
Park Street
Baptist Church is located at `16 Park Street North in Peterborough, Ontario.
Checking
with Canada 411 I found there is a P.G. Panter at 49 Park Street South… less
than two blocks away from the Church.
Why did this
all come to light for me?
Today I was
sitting in the Park Street Baptist Church for the morning worship service. By chance I sat beside Gerald Franklin Panter’s
memorial plaque.
That was
when I started thinking – who was this family?
Many of the
folk that were in church this morning are likely around the age that Gerald would
have been if he was alive today. Many
likely were in the same Sunday School Class that he was. And the outside
possibility is that Gerald was playing with some of them when he slipped below
the surface of the water…
Ahhh… now it
makes sense.
Gerald will
never will be forgotten – by his friends and likely the Panters that live at 49
Park Street south. Could that be his
brother or sister?
I left the
Park Street Baptist Church many questions today.
I enjoyed
the service and the Pastor’s message was excellent!
But I am
still thinking about Gerald Franklin Panter…from so long ago…
I will not
forget you Gerald…
~ Murray Lincoln ~
No comments:
Post a Comment