VETERAN WRITES HIS OBITUARY and DIES
Charles Joseph Harling, lying on his bed in Shaughnessy Military Hospital, and having passed his three score years and ten, knew that his time was short.He knew they would be asking, when he died, who was he, where was he born, what did he do? So he called for a pen and bit of paper, and wrote it down, just catching the highlights of the years. When he was through, he gave the paper to his son, Earnest Charles, and smiled and said, "There's my history, boy, in case anyone should ask," and two days later, on Saturday at high noon, he died.
And this is what he wrote:
"C. J. Harling, born August 1, 1897, East Ham, London.
"1887 - Came to Canada, SS Lake Ontario. Worked at Windsor Hotel, Montreal. 1888 - Came West. Worked for McDonald Bros., Winnepeg. Moved west, Calgary, worked for McDonald Bros. West yet. Vancouver 1889. Worked for Hudson Bay Co. under three managers, Robson, Thompson and Lockyer. 1904 - Opened Empire Hotel, Hastings East. 1905 - Took over Yale Hotel, Granville Street. 1906 - Took over Star Hotel, Steveston. 1914 - Wife died in February. Enlisted C.A.M.C. 1915 - Secret service work. 1916 - Overseas. 1919 - Home once more, Okanagan S.S.B. 1923 - 'Bust' Vancouver again. 1936 - Granthams Landing, happy. 1938 - Shaughnessy Hospital, still happy. ? - Finis." That's the biography of Charles Joseph Harling, and they bury him today in the returned soldiers plot, Mountain View Cemetery, with Lieut. Col. Rev. C.C. Owen, officiating from the chapel of GW Hamilton & Co. Kingsway and Main at Seventh Ave.
He is survived by his wife, two sons, Percival Edward and Earnest Charles; two daughters, Mrs. A. Leonard of San Bernardino and Mrs. J.G. West of Vernon; two step-sons and three step-daughter, James, Walter, Agnes and Mary of B.C. and Elizabeth of Scotland.
Charles Joseph Harling, lying on his bed in Shaughnessy Military Hospital, and having passed his three score years and ten, knew that his time was short.He knew they would be asking, when he died, who was he, where was he born, what did he do? So he called for a pen and bit of paper, and wrote it down, just catching the highlights of the years. When he was through, he gave the paper to his son, Earnest Charles, and smiled and said, "There's my history, boy, in case anyone should ask," and two days later, on Saturday at high noon, he died.
And this is what he wrote:
"C. J. Harling, born August 1, 1897, East Ham, London.
"1887 - Came to Canada, SS Lake Ontario. Worked at Windsor Hotel, Montreal. 1888 - Came West. Worked for McDonald Bros., Winnepeg. Moved west, Calgary, worked for McDonald Bros. West yet. Vancouver 1889. Worked for Hudson Bay Co. under three managers, Robson, Thompson and Lockyer. 1904 - Opened Empire Hotel, Hastings East. 1905 - Took over Yale Hotel, Granville Street. 1906 - Took over Star Hotel, Steveston. 1914 - Wife died in February. Enlisted C.A.M.C. 1915 - Secret service work. 1916 - Overseas. 1919 - Home once more, Okanagan S.S.B. 1923 - 'Bust' Vancouver again. 1936 - Granthams Landing, happy. 1938 - Shaughnessy Hospital, still happy. ? - Finis." That's the biography of Charles Joseph Harling, and they bury him today in the returned soldiers plot, Mountain View Cemetery, with Lieut. Col. Rev. C.C. Owen, officiating from the chapel of GW Hamilton & Co. Kingsway and Main at Seventh Ave.
He is survived by his wife, two sons, Percival Edward and Earnest Charles; two daughters, Mrs. A. Leonard of San Bernardino and Mrs. J.G. West of Vernon; two step-sons and three step-daughter, James, Walter, Agnes and Mary of B.C. and Elizabeth of Scotland.
VETERAN WRITES HIS OBITUARY and DIES
Charles Joseph Harling, lying on his bed in Shaughnessy Military Hospital, and having passed his three score years and ten, knew that his time was short.He knew they would be asking, when he died, who was he, where was he born, what did he do? So he called for a pen and bit of paper, and wrote it down, just catching the highlights of the years. When he was through, he gave the paper to his son, Earnest Charles, and smiled and said, "There's my history, boy, in case anyone should ask," and two days later, on Saturday at high noon, he died.
And this is what he wrote:
"C. J. Harling, born August 1, 1897, East Ham, London.
"1887 - Came to Canada, SS Lake Ontario. Worked at Windsor Hotel, Montreal. 1888 - Came West. Worked for McDonald Bros., Winnepeg. Moved west, Calgary, worked for McDonald Bros. West yet. Vancouver 1889. Worked for Hudson Bay Co. under three managers, Robson, Thompson and Lockyer. 1904 - Opened Empire Hotel, Hastings East. 1905 - Took over Yale Hotel, Granville Street. 1906 - Took over Star Hotel, Steveston. 1914 - Wife died in February. Enlisted C.A.M.C. 1915 - Secret service work. 1916 - Overseas. 1919 - Home once more, Okanagan S.S.B. 1923 - 'Bust' Vancouver again. 1936 - Granthams Landing, happy. 1938 - Shaughnessy Hospital, still happy. ? - Finis." That's the biography of Charles Joseph Harling, and they bury him today in the returned soldiers plot, Mountain View Cemetery, with Lieut. Col. Rev. C.C. Owen, officiating from the chapel of GW Hamilton & Co. Kingsway and Main at Seventh Ave.
He is survived by his wife, two sons, Percival Edward and Earnest Charles; two daughters, Mrs. A. Leonard of San Bernardino and Mrs. J.G. West of Vernon; two step-sons and three step-daughter, James, Walter, Agnes and Mary of B.C. and Elizabeth of Scotland.
Charles Joseph Harling, lying on his bed in Shaughnessy Military Hospital, and having passed his three score years and ten, knew that his time was short.He knew they would be asking, when he died, who was he, where was he born, what did he do? So he called for a pen and bit of paper, and wrote it down, just catching the highlights of the years. When he was through, he gave the paper to his son, Earnest Charles, and smiled and said, "There's my history, boy, in case anyone should ask," and two days later, on Saturday at high noon, he died.
And this is what he wrote:
"C. J. Harling, born August 1, 1897, East Ham, London.
"1887 - Came to Canada, SS Lake Ontario. Worked at Windsor Hotel, Montreal. 1888 - Came West. Worked for McDonald Bros., Winnepeg. Moved west, Calgary, worked for McDonald Bros. West yet. Vancouver 1889. Worked for Hudson Bay Co. under three managers, Robson, Thompson and Lockyer. 1904 - Opened Empire Hotel, Hastings East. 1905 - Took over Yale Hotel, Granville Street. 1906 - Took over Star Hotel, Steveston. 1914 - Wife died in February. Enlisted C.A.M.C. 1915 - Secret service work. 1916 - Overseas. 1919 - Home once more, Okanagan S.S.B. 1923 - 'Bust' Vancouver again. 1936 - Granthams Landing, happy. 1938 - Shaughnessy Hospital, still happy. ? - Finis." That's the biography of Charles Joseph Harling, and they bury him today in the returned soldiers plot, Mountain View Cemetery, with Lieut. Col. Rev. C.C. Owen, officiating from the chapel of GW Hamilton & Co. Kingsway and Main at Seventh Ave.
He is survived by his wife, two sons, Percival Edward and Earnest Charles; two daughters, Mrs. A. Leonard of San Bernardino and Mrs. J.G. West of Vernon; two step-sons and three step-daughter, James, Walter, Agnes and Mary of B.C. and Elizabeth of Scotland.
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