Newspaper Article 1953 – Charles Griffiths Obituary

In the early morning of August 17 Charles Griffiths, of Hastings, passed suddenly to his rest. He had come to church the previous evening but, feeling unwell, had left before the service. Coming to NZ from Wales in 1909 he, with his wife and child, lived at Westport for five years before going to Hastings to establish a business. An elder at St. Andrew’s for 36 years and session clerk for the last four years, he had also superintended the Sunday School for 28 years (after serving Mahora branch SS) and been General Superintendent of all the parish SSs for the last four years. In 1943 he received a Long Service Diploma for 50 years SS teaching, and St. Andrew’s gave a banquet in his honour. He was loved by little children because he was one of them, and loved and respected by older people for his simplicity of purpose and singleness of heart. He served his church as Presbytery elder and seldom missed an Assembly. He had wide community interests and all sections were represented in one of Hastings’ largest funerals. Like Enoch, he “walked with God; and he was not; for God took him”.