EXERPTS FROM ROBERT CRAIK'S OBITUARY
"Robert Craik was universally respected and loved. His warm, generous heart, kind and friendly disposition, integrity and uprightness of heart and life endeared him to all who knew him. To him, many resorted for adivice, assistance, and consolation: and to him cases of difficulty and dispute were frequently submitted for settlement, which he invariably heard with due deliberation, and adjusted as fairly as possible, endeavouring at the same time to preserve that harmony and feeling which ought always to subsist between neighbours. It may be truthfully said of him, that he was a wise man and able to judge between his bretheren. 'Blessed are the peace makers, for they shall be called the children of God.'...For several years past he held the position of one of her Majesty's Justices of the Peace, and one year - the year 1861 - he was a member of the Legilative Assembly...The last 25 years of his life found him in the Wesleyan Church endeavouring to attend to his salvation, and endeavouring to lead others to the wounds of the crucified, to build up and strengthen the feeble, and to extend the interest of the Redeemer's Kingdom...His remains were followed to the burying ground in Putnamville, on the 25th of May, 1867"
JAMES FARQUHARSON CRAIK
J.F. Craik was born in 1874. As a young man he worked with his brother, George, as a carpenter, and for a period he worked as a salesman for the Pedlar company. He was active in the church, and one year, at I think, a Young People's Convention, he met Maria (pronounced Mariah) Rae. Jim and Maria were married in 1911, at Longwood, ON, and shortly afterwards moved to Saskatoon. For many years he was a partner in A.W. Cassidy and Co., a construction company for which he prepared estimates to tender for contracts. He also acted as Superintendent of construction on buildings from coast-to-coast in Canada. During the depression his work required him to be away from home much of the time. One year he was at home only on Christmas Day.
Maria raised 2 boys and 2 girls in a home where God was King, and where love spilled over into the church and the community. As a young girl she had spent a year in a darkened room, to save her eyesight which had been injured as a result of a communicable disease. That parly accounted for her spiritual strength; her's was a life spent under God's will.
Her home was always hospitable. She loved to get as many persons as possible around the big diningroom table, its white linen tablecloth laden with food. When a guest was present, one more than one occasion, the boys acted as if it was unusual to have a tablecloth, and as if they were used to having newsprint under their plates. "I was reading an article, right there!" They could get away with outrageous stunts if they made their mother laugh, and she loved it when the joke as on them.
Many Pastors and their families, passing through Saskatoon, had at least an overnight stay at the Craik's. One day when the Ben Gullison's were leaving, Dr. Gullison was checking the suitcases and bags into the car; "Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Joshua, Judges..." Helen interrupted, "Ruth's upstairs."
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