I HAD the privilege of meeting Mr. Lachlan Ross in the year 1912 when sent out to Winnipeg to take charge of the Mission there. He with his large family had emigrated to Canada a few years previous to that date. Mr. Ross was a native of Foindle, Scourie, Sutherland, and was a near relation of the late Captain Ross, Wick, who was also of that district.
In common with Adam’s family in general, Lachlan Ross showed in his early days that he was born in sin and that he was shapen in iniquity, but when he came of age, he came like Moses to refuse what the world gives for a season, in order that he might have the riches that Christ gives even in reproaches for time and without reproach for eternity. He was very free and open in telling about how he was convinced of his sinful and miserable state and how precious Christ came to be to him once the eyes of his understanding were enlightened and he was enabled to close in with Him as his personal Saviour. In his early years he had an extraordinary and saddening experience at sea. He was in a small boat towed by a larger on Loch Laxford between Foindle and Fanagmore when a sudden gust of wind struck the small boat and capsized it. Its four occupants were thrown into the sea and two of them were drowned. In the larger boat was the late Mr. Hector Morrison our esteemed missionary at Scourie. It fell to him to break the news of the sad occurrence to the wives of the young men who had been but recently married. Hector used to tell of the incident with great feeling as it made a very solemn impression on him as it did also on Lachlan Ross. The other young man saved was a namesake and a cousin who is still alive. Lachlan though in his heavy sea boots was an excellent swimmer and swam to a rock from which he was rescued.
Lachlan Ross became a member in full communion and also an elder in connection with our Scourie congregation. When he settled down in Manitoba in 1905, he fulfilled the duties of his eldership both in Winnipeg and at Moosehorn, where the family took up a homestead. When he became too frail for farm work, he took up his residence again in Winnipeg, where he ended his days on 3rd January, 1936. No one who knew Mr. Lachlan Ross doubted but that he was truly a man that feared the Lord. His whole life and conversation testified to the truth of his genuine piety. He was especially a man of prayer, lively and savoury, and always approached the throne of grace with awe and reverence. He seldom if ever prayed in public or in his family without using the petition that they might be kept in walk and talk.
Mr. Ross was one of the most guileless of men that we ever met. There was nothing of the man of the world about him. He seemed to be without duplicity; simple and single in his desire to serve Christ in everything and this caused him to be ready to accept any line of action which appeared to him to further the interests of Christ’s cause in the world, sometimes without that caution which otherwise might have guided him into different paths. We do not hold that our late friend was without imperfections. He would be the first to admit his own shortcomings, but we do not doubt but that according to his light and his ability to comprehend the matter at issue, Mr. Lachlan Ross had but one aim in life—to live for Him who died for all and rose again. We believe he has entered within the veil to behold the Face of Him who drew him with the cords of His love. May the Lord heal the breaches in the walls of Zion and raise up witnesses in connection with His cause in Manitoba. We desire to express our sympathy with his sons and daughters, bereaved of such a worthy parent and pray that they may be raised up as the children in the place of the fathers.—Malcolm Gillies.