ROSS, THEODORE (1876-1959)

ROSS, THEODORE, United Church minister, Black River and Napan, 1939-42, and Douglastown and Nelson, 1942-47; b. North Bedeque, P.E.I., 6 May 1876, s/o Murdoch Ross and Margaret Carruthers; m. 1908, Florence Annear, of Lower Montague, P.E.I.; d. Summerside, P.E.I., 19 Feb 1959.

Theodore Ross was educated at Prince of Wales College, the Guelph Agricultural College, and Dalhousie University (BA 1899). He was a teacher and school principal on the Island, as well as secretary of agriculture for eight years, before he enrolled in the Presbyterian College in Halifax to train for the ministry. Ordained in 1921, he had a number of Presbyterian and United Church pastorates in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

In 1939 Ross was called to Black River and Napan. After three years he transferred to Douglastown and Nelson, where he remained until 1947. Besides attending to his pastoral duties in these communities he taught gardening and farming techniques to the residents. In spite of the fact that he was past seventy he did not retire as planned when he left the Miramichi but became pastor of the church at Richmond Bay East, P.E.I. He ministered there until 1952.

Ross was "a great fund raiser," both for the church and for his alma mater, Dalhousie University. He was survived in 1959 by his wife, Florence Annear, a son, and two daughters.