The Random Guardian, April 1969

Transcribed by Wanda Garrett, December 2014

Page 33 – St.  Jones Within

• Lloyd Brown, son of Mr. and Mrs. Chesley Brown has left for Toronto where he hopes to find employment.
• Mrs. David Benson is presently in St. John’s visiting Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Ivany. On April 24^th she will be celebrating her 79^th birthday. Her many friends send their best wishes.
• Congratulations to Henry and Olive Robbins, Fortune on the birth of their daughter on March 4.
• Birthday greetings to Wilfred Robbins who celebrates a birthday on April 10 and to Vera Meadus who celebrates her birthday on April 17.
• Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Eliab Robbins who will celebrate their 14^th wedding anniversary on April 6^th. (Mrs. Robbin is the St. Jones correspondent) and to Mr. and Mrs. Harold Tucker who also celebrate their 14^th anniversary on April 14^th.
• Mr. and Mrs. Bert King and family, St. John’s have visited Mrs. Alice King recently.
• Mrs. Laura Miller who is now living in St. John’s will celebrate her birthday on April 4. Her many friends send her best wishes.
• Mr. and Mrs. Alphaeus King celebrate their 23^rd wedding anniversary on April 24.
• Several people have moved into their new bungalows here recently. They are Mr. and Mrs. Calvert Meadus and family, Mr. and Mrs. George Brown and son Russell, and Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Meadus and family.

Page 35 – Queen’s Cove

Uncle Cale

Most every edition of our local papers tell of some well known wartime hero that belongs to the Random area but so far no one has written on such a person from Queen’s Cove. After some enquiries, your correspondent found that in the area there are plenty of citizens who served their country well in wartime. This month let us salute a well known and well liked gentleman from our own community and known to us all as ‘Uncle Cale’.

Mr. Cooper enlisted in the Royal Navy at St. John’s on February 8, 1912 at the age of 18 and was called to active service on August 4, 1914 after spending two years on the Calypso. Leaving November 14 aboard the H.M. S. Frankonia, he landed in Liverpool and from there to Devonport. During the year of 1915 he served on the H.M.S. Ambrose and later on the 4 funnel cruiser H.M.S. Sutlej which carried him to action in Br. West Africa along with Gibraltar and other Mediterranean missions. Mr. Cooper has sailed 500 miles across the equator, spending 21 days in the land of the Midnight Sun – Iceland where he and the other crew members were relieved by the H.M.S. India which was sunk shortly after by an Austrian submarine.

After spending this lengthy time at sea he was given a well earned leave arriving in St. John’s June 24, 1917, He finally reached home on November 4 and sailed again on December 4 arriving in Halifax on the day of the explosion. He served here on the H.M.S. Gulf CD-20. Finally on the 23^rd of December he was discharged and returned to him home where he was later employed by the C.N.R. for 34 years.

Mr. Cooper had seen lots of action during the First World War and found himself close to Davey Jones’ Locker on several occasions for his ships were torpedoed three times. He remembers well arriving in Liverpool on war ships that were scarred with the marks of war. Despite all this Mr. Cooper says he was lucky as all five ships on which he served were sunk by enemy submarines after he had left them. He was decorated three times for his service and received the War for Civilization Medal, the King George Medal and the 1914-15 Star. Today, both Mr. and Mrs. Cooper are active members of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch # 27, Clarenville.

Mrs. Cooper is the daughter of the late Robert and Sarah Miller, St. Jones Within. She was born July 13, 1890. Mr. Cooper was born March 8, 1894. The Coopers were married in Cochrane Street United Church by Rev. H. Whitemarsh on October 30, 1912. The Coopers were the parents of 9 children, 2 of whom served in World War II.

We should all be proud of Mr. and Mrs. Cooper and we wish them many more years of continued good health and happiness.

• Mr. Cecil Spurrell, who has been ill for sometime, has returned to work at the C.N.R.
• Mrs. and Mrs. Ira Goobie and family visited St. John’s during February. Mrs. Goobie is the former Geraldine Murphy of St. John’s.
• Celebrating birthdays this month we have Mr. Caleb Cooper, Mr. William Cooper and Mr.Ern Avery.
• Visitors during February were Mr. Silas Gosse, Mrs. Jane Butt, Mrs. Priscilla Gregory, Melvon and Ruth Goobie, Harry and Evelyn Vey, Mrs. Russell Martin, and Edward and Ethel Blundon.
• The following members of the U.C.W. Mrs. John Goobie, Mrs. George Butt, and Mrs. Rex Goobie attended the Women’s World Day of Prayer held in Hillview United Church. The service was directed by Mrs. Clayton Frost with Mrs. Clarke as guest peacher.
• We are happy to report that Mr. Abraham Spurrell is feeling much better after spending a week at the Come by Chance Hospital and being rushed to the General in St. John’s.

Page 36 – Hatchet Cove

• On January 18, 1969 Sylvia Brown of Hatchet Cove, daughter of Mr. John and the late Deliah Brown, was married to Mr. Eric Peddle of Hodge’s Cove. Mr. Peddle is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Alex Peddle. The marriage took place in Toronto. Their many friends and relatives wish them many years of happiness.
• The AWA of Hatchet Cove held their annual meeting on March 4^th. Rev. Boutcher attended. Mrs. Alice Bishop was re-elected as President, Mrs. Nellis Bishop as 1^st Vice President, Loretta Lambert elected as 2^nd Vice President, Mrs. Velma Lambert elected secretary and Mrs. Sarah Jane Lambert re-elected as treasurer. Marie and Fanny Lambert were elected as assistants on the same evening.
• Having birthdays this month shall be:- Sylvia Peddle on the 10^th; Selina Lambert on the 17^th; and Wesley Lambert on the 20^th. Happy birthday to them all.

These transcriptions may contain human errors. As always, confirm these as you would any other source material.