4 Jul 1928
James William Currie
Well Known Union Street Man Died Suddenly Last Week – James William Curried, 57, of 111 Union street, died at Springfield hospital early Wednesday morning, July 4, after a short illness, following several months of failing health. The funeral was held at the late home Friday afternoon, July 6, at 3 o’clock with the Rev. Raymond A. Beardslee, officiating. Burial was in Oakland cemetery. The bearers were Ralph Parsons, Charles Winkler, Wallace Dodge, Hollis Wright, Carl Johnson and Frank L. Thayer, all of this town. Mr. Currie was born in Pictou, Nova Scotia, January 23, 1871, the son of Capt. Alex and Catherine (Campbell) Currie. His father was a sea captain of sturdy Scotch ancestry and when a young man Mr. Currie made several trips to foreign ports in his company. Later, deciding not to follow the sea as a vocation, he went to Montreal, Quebec where he was connected for some years with a wholesale grocery concern. Thirty-three years ago he came to Springfield, where he was employed in the store then operated by G.F. Leland and later in Stears Brother’s grocery. Later, he returned to Inverness, Nova Scotia, where he remained for four years, returning to Springfield at the end of that time. Eighteen years ago he entered the employ of the Fellows Gear Shaper Company, and since that time, up until a few weeks ago, when illness forced him to give up his work, he remained with that concern. At the time of his retirement and for a number of years, he had been a production foreman at the Fellows Gear Shaper plant. He married Elizabeth Janet McNair of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, December 6, 1892 and six children were born to them, all of whom are living. They are William C., Mrs. Isabelle Lee, Archie L., David H., Robert D., and Catherine, all of whom live in Springfield, with the exception of Robert, who is an insurance salesman in Norwalk, Conn. He leaves two sisters, Mrs. Walter Labaree and Mrs. Marcus Healy, both of Sudbury, Mass. Also six grandchildren. Mr. Currie was a member of St. John’s Lodge, No. 41, F.& A.M., the Odd Fellows and the First Congregational Church. He possessed a keen mind, being especially devoted to good literature and also to the out of doors. His was a friendly disposition and probably no man in town enjoyed a wider or more sincere acquaintance than did Mr. Currie. His home and family were the center of his special interest and the devotion of the family to one another was a mark of his character. The funeral was largely attended there being a large delegation present from the various lodges of which he was a member as well as the Fellow Gear Shaper plant, where he was employed. Rev. Raymond Beardslee paid a touching tribute to the worth of the man during the services. There was also a vast profusion of flowers. JamesL. Williamson, a brother shopmate sang one of Mr. Currie’s favorite songs, Harry Lauder’s “The End of the Road”. Those from out of town to attend the service were Mrs. Walter Labaree and Mrs. Marcus Healy of Sudbury, Mass., Mrs. Chester Whiting, Miss Mabel Lee, Gardner, Mass., Mrs. E. G. Severance, Mrs. Edwin Pratt, Mrs. Fred Tobey and Mrs. Lottie Greenough of Plymouth, N.H., Mrs. John Carroll and Leo Carroll of st. Johnsbury.
