Miss MacLeod was born at Eval, North Uist, where her father was a shepherd. She departed this life on July 27th, 1954, in her 87th year, at her home in Ose after a short illness.
So far as is known the first saving impression made on her was by a passage of Scripture written on the fly-leaf of her Sabbath School Bible by her teacher, Miss MacRae, at Clachan Sands School, North Uist. The passage was, “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me” (Prov. viii. 17). That verse she never forgot. She often repeated it in after life. This reminds us forcibly of Proverbs, chapter xxii. verse 6: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Shortly afterwards her family removed, first to Eynort, Skye, and then to Ose. When she grew up she eventually came to reside in Glasgow, where she set up a nursing home. There she laboured for some time before coming home to Skye to nurse her mother. Owing to temptations, doubts and fears, she had not been able hitherto to make a public profession of Christ, but shortly after finally coming to Skye she was given the needed strength, and was received as a member in full communion.
A steadfast Free Presbyterian, Miss MacLeod’s place in the public means of grace was seldom empty, even when failing health made it difficult for her to be present. She was much given to prayer, to reading the Bible, and many good religious books. She had a wide and most intelligent grasp of Gospel doctrine. She earnestly desired the prosperity of the Cause of Christ. Although strong in faith, she was no stranger to desertion, and consequently the spiritually distressed found in her a warm and helpful sympathiser. It was her practice to help the sick and infirm so long as she was able to do so.
A few days before the end of her earthly course she became very weak in body. While visiting her at that time, we heard her constantly repeating the words, “Lord Jesus, save me.” A friend said to her, “You have a good hope.” Her reply was, “I need it all.” It was evident that all her hope was laid on Him who is “able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him” (Hebrews vii. 25). Two days before she died she was heard repeating Psalm cxviii, verse 19:—”O set ye open unto me the gates of righteousness, then will I enter unto them, and I the Lord will bless.” The end was peaceful. She was taken home “as a shock of corn cometh in his season” (Job, v. 26). We would acknowledge the kindness of Nurse Macdonald and Mrs. Macdiarmid, who attended devotedly to her during her last illness.
To her surviving brothers—Ewen; the Rev. D. N. MacLeod, Ullapool; Malcolm (and his daughter) in New Zealand, and other friends,
we extend our sincerest sympathy. May we be enabled to bless a taking as well as a giving God. “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job i. 21).—M. MacS.