Mrs Norman MacCuish, Glasgow
Mrs MacCuish, the subject of this notice, was born in Cuaig on the Coast of Applecross on the 3rd day of March, 1906. Her maiden name was MacDonald and she was the second youngest daughter of a family of two sons and seven daughters. She left home at the age of 14 and went to work with an aunt in Nairn. When she was 18 years of age she came to Glasgow and, like so many girls from the Highlands at that time, entered into domestic service. In 1935, she married Norman MacCuish, who is left to mourn an affectionate and loving spouse after over 40 years of married life together.
Although she was a regular attendant at St. Jude’s Church under the ministry of Rev. Neil Cameron, Christina remained dead in trespasses and sins until the Lord’s time for favour came. Her mother’s death and a serious illness of her own made her conscious of her need of the prayers of God’s people, but the arrow which entered her heart was a portion of the Word of God quoted in prayer. The truth was:
“Till for the Lord a place I find,
where He may make abode:
A place of habitation
for Jacob’s mighty God.” (Ps. 132:5).
She felt such power with these words that she was convinced that she had no place for the God of Jacob in her heart. She was thus led to seek Him and to desire that He would take up His abode in that heart. She had discovered herself to be a lost sinner, who could find no peace but in the Son of Man who came to seek and to save that which was lost. The Sun of righteousness rose very gradually on the soul of Mrs MacCuish as, through the glorious gospel and by the power of the Holy Spirit, she came to embrace Christ in the Word of God. It was very evident to all who knew her that Christ had been made precious to her and that His presence had filled the empty place in her heart.
She and her husband went to live in Arrochar, about 40 miles from Glasgow, where her husband had obtained employment. She felt very much indeed her absence from the public means of grace and made every effort to come to Glasgow as often as possible so that she could hear the joyful sound of the gospel trumpet. Still, she felt Arrochar, in large measure, to be a wilderness relieved by her reading and meditating in the Scriptures. Letters from friends containing notes of sermons were valuable to her, although she often said that the Shorther Catechism was her minister during this time. Like all the children of the Covenant, Mrs MacCuish had her share of the tribulations of this world but the Lord, according to His promise, carried her through them all.
When her husband retired from work at the Torpedo Range in Arrochar, the family returned to Glasgow. Mrs MacCuish greatly rejoiced in being able to attend the public means of grace once more and in April, 1961, she came forward to the Lord’s Table for the first time. She was a most spiritually minded woman who loved the gates of Zion. We always thought that she exemplified the spirit of the psalmist in a remarkably way when he said:
“The habitation of thy house,
Lord I have loved well;
Yea, in that place I do delight
where doth thine honour dwell.” (Ps. 26:8).
In 1973, she and her husband went to live with their younger son in Inverness but her health began to deteriorate and in 1977, they both returned to Glasgow to stay with their married daughter. A portion of Truth which often afforded her comfort was Psalm 18:28. “The Lord will light my candle so that it shall shine full bright: The Lord my God will also make my darkness to be light.” Her health continued to cause concern but, after a spell in hospital, she came out and was able to attend the House of God once more. On the Thursday before she died, she had felt particularly refreshed in the prayer-meeting. A few hours before she passed away, she said that she had been troubled when thinking of the words, “Who shall roll us away the stone?” but she had got wonderful comfort the day before when reading some notes on a sermon preached from the words, “Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here for he is risen, as he said. Come see the place where the Lord lay” (Matt. 28:5,6). She was also comforted greatly by the words, “But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit our God” (I Cor. 6:11). On Sabbath, 21st August, 1977, she quietly passed away into the rest that remaineth for the people of God, to enter that Sabbath upon which the shades of evening shall never fall and to join the Church above in singing the praises of the Lamb.
To her likeminded husband and her family of two sons and daughter we extend our sincere sympathy, and pray that the empty place left in heart and home may be filled with the blessing of the God of all comfort.
When the Lord is taking away His people, whose presence in the sanctuary was such an encouragement and strength, may He raise up loving and faithful witnesses to follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth.
D.M., Glasgow
Mrs Bella Ross, Vancouver
Mrs Bella Ross passed on to her eternal rest on 7th August, 1977, at the age of eighty-four.
She was born in Applecross in 1892 and came to Canada in 1916, settling in the city of Winnipeg. Mr John Ross arrived in Winnipeg in 1920 and they were married in 1923. Until his retirement, Mr Ross was employed in the fire service, a hazardous occupation.
Many of the church deputies were acquainted with Mr and Mrs Ross. From 1924 their home was a sanctuary for many of the ministers who visited the Canadian mission field. Among the deputies in the earlier years were Rev. D. Beaton, Rev. M. Morrison, Rev. James Tallach, Rev. James Macleod, Rev. E. MacQueen and Rev. F. Macleod.
In 1934 Mrs Ross became a member in full communion. The words that seem to have been made a special blessing are found in Deuteronomy, chapter thirty-three, verse twenty-nine:
“Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency!”
In 1957 when Mr Ross retired from the fire service they both came to settle in Vancouver where she bore witness to Christ as the Way, the Truth and the Life until her departure from this earthly scene. She often mourned over the low state of religion in this country and many times her thoughts were in Winnipeg where the Cause apparently diminished greatly. Old friends departed from this world and the congregation in Winnipeg decreased considerably. Her great desire was that the Holy Spirit would raise up a people in that city and although it has not yet come to pass, her petitions may yet be answered according to her desires.
In her home Mrs Ross showed great kindness and charity to any who visited and seemed delighted to discuss portions of Scriptures. She was very conscious of her sinful nature and gave every indication of being deeply taught by the Holy Spirit, not only with respect to her sins, but also perceiving that Christ was her only hope for eternity.
A further mark of her godliness was her attendance upon the public means of grace. She was always punctual in her attendance and listened with rapt attention to the preaching of the Word. At times we were surprised to find her in her pew, waiting upon the Lord, even while suffering to some degree. She often remarked that seeking the Lord first was surely the most important duty to perform. The sanctity of the Sabbath had a high priority in their home and if present at morning worship on the Sabbath one would often hear the words of the Psalmist being sung:
“O set ye open unto me
the gates of righteousness;
Then will I enter into them,
and I the Lord will bless.”
So often “the righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart” b the congregation feels the loss with the removal of Bella from its midst. To her sorrowing husband and other relatives so far away we extend our sympathy and commend them to God who is gracious and merciful and full of compassion.
D.B.