Rev Whidden

Rev William Arthur Whidden was the son of Charles Whidden & Mary Ellis - Charles being the son of Samuel Whidden & Sophia Vincent.  He was born in 1888 at Brookfield, Nova Scotia and may have started his life helping his father on the farm but he heard the call of God and pursued his studies at the University of Dalhouise - graduating in 1910

By the summer of 1912, William had met and married the other apple of his eye, Mary Louise Hamilton and they had 4 children that lived; a son died in 1920.

Travelling to various sections of Canada for the Church, the family moved to Ottawa when he was inducted into the Westminster Church in 1923.  Before that, they were in Radisson, Saskatchewan.

10 years later, the family had moved to Sudbury, Ontario and a simple cat hunt ended in tragedy...

courtesy of Jody Marie MacKeil

Winnipeg Evening Tribune, Tues, 9 May 1933
Pastor, Shot Accidentally By His Son, Dies - Rev W A Whidden Victim of Unusual Mishap at Sudbury, Ont
SUDBURY, Ont - May 9 - Rev W A Whidden, accidentally shot by his eight-year-old son, Morris, died early today in hospital here.  An older son, George, had loaded a small-caliber rifle to shoot at a stray cat and left the gun in the room.  Morris grasped the weapon and pulled the trigger just as his father entered, the bullet striking the minister in the stomach.  Late last night a blood transfusion was given the injured man but Mr Whidden failed to recover.  He was born at Brookfield, NS and in 1910, graduated from Dalhousie University.  At one time he was pastor of Zion United Church, Radison, Sask.  Last week the degree of bachelor of divinity was conferred upon him by the Union Theological Seminary of Chicago.  He was one of the most popular ministers in the city.  Keenly interested in young people's work in all its phases, he organized a strong YP society in his church and had a very active Sunday school.