Clara Fynmore, (1845-13/7/1923). "cheered many a sad life"

MRS CHARLES FYNMORE

AN APPRECIATION.

[Bx. One Who Loved Her.]

A familiar little figure passed away last week, known chiefly to those connected with hospital work. I allude to Mrs Fynmore. One of the outstanding features of her character was her great love of and interest in all children, this, and the losing of her elder son in 1890, led her to take up visiting one day each week the children’s ward in the Dunedin Hospital, and her visiting continued for thirty-two years. Her last visit was to the children on December 23 of last year. She never went, empty-handed. There was some little gift in her capacious black bag for every child. As years went by she became known to the children as “The Toy Lady,” and it was great happiness to her to hear the little ones call out, ‘‘Toy Lady!” ‘‘Toy Lady!” clapping their hands as they saw her entering the ward, at 10.30 a.m., usually on Monday, providing the weather was suitable for her, as she was frail. If many children were not in the ward she made her way to the women’s ward, and cheered many a sad life by her brightness and chatty conversation. In 1915, when our boys began to return from the war, she spent an extra day in the Alexandra ward weekly, and her black bag held magazines and newspapers which friends, knowing her little mission, would save up and give her for the purpose. Her great tact always enabled her to distinguish those who were too ill to be talked to, and then she would leave the book or paper and pass on to the next bed. About twenty years ago the board conferred on her the honor of making her an official visitor. This delighted her heart, as it enabled her to visit at any time. One soldier whom she met could not believe that the little old lady was still going strong. He remembered her as a child himself in the hospital, and when he recognised her he was a married man with children of his own. Lieutenant Espiner, of Bunnythorpe, wrote weekly letters to her from Poitiers, France, This soldier, after fighting in that vicinity, returned to New Zealand, met her at the ward as a patient, and when ho gained a travelling scholarship at Victoria College, Wellington, nine months ago, came to Dunedin to see her before returning to study, strangely enough in Poitiers. She received a weekly letter from him ever since. She loved life, she loved her Church, and she kept the faith, looking to God to help her through the troubles which she had, as have all who face the duties of life. She contributed every year, in memory of her elder son, to Dr Barnardo’s Homes, and received personal letters from the late Dr Barnardo, the late Mr Baker, and Admiral Sir Harry Stillman, the present director of the homes. She had the joy of celebrating her golden wedding in February last. Her husband is left with her youngest son (married and settled in Nelson) and two daughters. She herself was the youngest daughter of the late Mr John Lovell, of Lovell’s Flat.  -Evening Star, 16/7/1923.

Northern Cemetery, Dunedin.