1943, Thursday August 5, The Almonte Gazette page 3
Mrs Agnes Wilson Wilkie
For nearly half-a-century a missionary in India under the Presbyterian Church in Canada, Mrs Agnes Wilson Wilkie, widow of Rev Dr Jno Wilkie, died July 16th, at the home of her daughter, Mrs J.A. Brown, 67 Chaplin Crescent, Toronto, in her 96th year. Following her husband's retirement 15 years ago, Dr and Mrs Wilkie left India to make their home in Canada. Dr Wilkie died on the journey and was buried in the Red Sea. Mrs Wilkie, then 80 years of age, continue her journey to Toronto, where she had lived since with her daughter. Mrs Wilkie was born in Almonte and taught school here for a number of years prior to her marriage to Dr Wilkie who was teaching at the same time in Almonte High School. It was some remark of Rev McKenzie, then Presbyterian minister in Almonte, which caused Dr Wilkie to take up foreign mission work. Following their marriage, Dr. and Mrs Wilkie went at one to India, where they served as pioneer missionaries in Indore and Jhansi. Dr Wilkie, from funds collected by himself, built Indore College now affiliated wit Calcutta University, as he believed the best results could be obtained by Christianizing the youth of India. Bible study was a essential part of every student's program. After establishing a great plant at Indore, Dr and Mrs Wilkie went to Jhansi and began educational work there, Boys' and Girls' Boarding Schools were built and an industrial school and Model Farm were established. Massy Harris and Australian plows were shipped out and also other agricultural machinery and farming was carried out, under an expert, on progressive, modern lines. The converts were then placed on these farms. Failing health forced Dr Wilkie's retirement to Canada 15 years ago, but he ever reached his homeland. Since coming to Toronto, Mrs Wilkie has retained her interest in missionary work and corresponded extensively until two years ago, with missionaries all over the world, whom she had met on her journey back and forth. In spite of travelling over most of the world, she loved above all places, her home town Almonte and was heard to say, when she arrived in Canada "Now I shall die happy, because I can be buried in Almonte." It was there she was laid to rest on July 19th in the Auld Kirk Cemetery. She is survived by her sister, Miss Jessie Neilson, Almonte and one son and two daughters, Mrs T. Graham Mitchell, Australia; Rev J. H. Wilkie, Cawnpore, India, and Mrs J.A. Brown, Toronto. Also surviving are two grandsons, Spencer Wilkie in the American Army and Neilson Wilkie in the American Navy; two grand-daughters Janet and Joan Wilkie, Toronto, one grandson Donald Mitchell and a granddaughter Helen Mitchell in Australia. The late Mrs Wilkie had a very charming and gracious personality and made friends easily among all classes of people. In India she was called "The Angel of Jhansi."