Miss Matheson was born at Stenscholl, a small village in the Staffin district at the North End of the Isle of Skye, on 28th May 1883. She received a good upbringing in her home where family worship was observed, the Sabbath kept, and the children taught regular attendance on the House of God. How few are such homes now becoming in Scotland and how tremendous the loss to all concerned! Miss Matheson’s parents were evidently attached to the Word of God and, when the Free Presbyterian Congregation was formed in Staffin under the leadership of the late Norman Munro, this was one of the families who joined the congregation. The father died while Miss Matheson was in her late teens and the burden of looking after her widowed mother and the three younger children fell upon Kate Maggie, who was the eldest of the family. In this respect she played the part of a very dutiful daughter. She followed the teaching profession and served in the following schools—Staffin; Lionel, Lewis; Vatten Bridge; Edinbane; and finally, Kensaleyre, where she taught for over 25 years. She was very fond of teaching and, from the time of her conversion, was an influence for good among the children.
Miss Matheson was of a very reserved turn of mind and did not speak much about her spiritual experiences. Prior to 1929, however, she gave no sign of any concern for the welfare of her soul. Like other worldly-minded women, she was extremely fond of vain companions, dances and such frivolities and where there is a love for such things there is no word about the soul. “She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.” (1 Tim. 5. 6). In April 1929 her mother died and this marked the turning point in Miss Matheson’s life. “It was a remark a friend made at my mother’s death-bed that made me think I had a soul,” she told an intimate friend. “The remark was, ‘This is before us all—It is appointed unto men once to die.'” The Holy Spirit blessed this portion to Miss Matheson giving her a true sense of sin which continued with her until the Lord granted her the liberty of the gospel. One Sabbath evening on her way home from the service in Portree as she came near the township of Borve these words spoke with such light and power that she had to sit on a wall of a bridge for a time saying to herself, “Can this be for me?” The portion was Matthew 28:6. “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” For some time after this she enjoyed much of the Lord’s favour and was in a very happy frame of mind. One dark night, she walked across the lonely moor between Uig and Staffin, something having gone wrong with her bicycle. This was a very happy time to her for the Lord was with her and like the two on the way to Emmaus, she could say that her heart burned within her while He talked with her by the way. On arriving home about 1 a.m., her friends were very sorry for her. “If they only knew,” she said, “what a happy time I had, they would not feel sorry for me.”
But Miss Matheson, like all who journey through the Valley of Baca, had seasons of darkness as well as times of light and liberty. During one of these times of temptation and trial she was very much cast down and brought very low in her mind. Her deliverance came from the application of these words, “Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.” (Luke. 13:12). On this and on other occasions she could truly say,
“This word of thine my comfort is
in mine affliction;
For in my straits I am revived
by this thy word alone.” (Ps. 119:50).
For some time her mind was exercised about making a public profession and obeying the command of her Lord, “This do in remembrance of Me.” She felt that the Lord was striving with her by His Word and Providence to undertake the duty yet she felt the matter to be so weighty that she hesitated again and again. On one occasion, when at a Communion season, she was so pressed by the Word and the sermon on the Friday evening that she felt she could no longer stay back. From that day onwards, she walked in the fear of God and brought no reproach on the Cause of the Master Who had done so much for her. She never regretted the step she took then in the strength of grace and it was through grace that she was kept until the end of her course.
Her favourite theme was the finished work of Christ. It was here the anchor of her hope lay and she had very obviously been taught that while there was nothing to be expected from the works of man, there was enough and to spare in Christ for all who come to Him. After her retirement, her health began to fail and her mind became confused about many things. When speaking of the Truth, however, there was no confusion but a relish for the Bread which came down from heaven. There was there the beginning of the hunger and thirst which is now being fully satisfied in that place where the Lamb in the midst of the throne doth feed them and lead them to living fountains of water. (Rev. 7. 17).
It was evident, however, even to herself that her course was drawing to a close. The winter before she died she said to an intimate friend, “I’ll not be long here whatever will happen to you.” The Sabbath before her death she was in Church and felt much favoured during the services, which she felt to be very precious to her. Others noticed that she was in a very broken frame being melted down with the Lord’s goodness. No doubt she could enter into the words of Asaph,
“Whom have I in the heavens high
but thee, O Lord alone?
And in the earth whom I desire
besides thee there is none.” (Ps. 73. 25).
She was removed to Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, the following day owing to a fall in which her leg was injured. From this injury she was destined never to recover and she passed away to be with Christ the next day being the 14th day of April 1959. Had she been spared to the end of May she would have been 76 years of age. Her removal leaves a blank which can be felt by all those who love Sion and Sion’s children. Our loss, we believe, to be her everlasting gain.
To her relatives in Staffin and elsewhere we extend our sincere sympathy.—Donald MacLean.