Glover, Clara

Clara ( ) Glover was born in Kenyon, Lancashire, England on September 12, 1877. She married Francis Glover. She died in Coquitlam, BC, on June 29, 1975.

After moving to Princeton with her husband, Francis (superintendent of the Princeton Land and Coal Company) in the spring of 1913, Clara quickly became involved in the Princeton community.

She was part of the Women’s Auxiliary of St. Cuthbert’s Anglican Church and participating in a fundraising tea on November 13, 1913. She was a member of the Ladies’ Hospital Auxiliary in May 1914 and elected president in November 5, 1914. She was then elected vice-President in November 1915 and 1917. In December 1918, she was elected President of the Princeton branch of the Red Cross.

Both Clara and Francis Glover were active in the St. Cuthbert’s Church community. She was elected president of the Ladies’ Auxiliary of the Church of England in January 1918 and temporary secretary-treasurer of the Women’s Auxiliary of St. Cuthbert’s Church in July 1918. In January 1921, Clara and Francis were both elected officers of the church.

Clara Glover participated in many community fund-raising events and efforts as well: hospital (August 1914); Skating Carnival Committee – proceeds “devoted to relieving distressed families in Princeton” (1915) donations of jam to be sent to the front (1915; Red Cross fundraising tea (1916); music committee for the New year’s masquerade ball, a fundraiser for the Ladies’ Auxiliary of the Princeton General Hospital; publicity for Hospital Ball (with Mrs. Waterman) (1917); Red Cross fundraiser – Easter dance (1917); raffled a purebred Persian Kitten – $16 proceeds to the Red Cross (1917); donated grapes to Princeton General Hospital (1918); “head of the list” (with Miss Freeman) for the number of Victory Loan subscriptions (1918).

She kept an “at home” day on the third Tuesday of the month in 1914, although, several times, she published that she would not be receiving. A handwritten note on the newspaper notes that “They receive every night!” (May 14, 1915).

In April 1916, Clara and Francis took their 10-year-old daughter, Dorothy, to reside at, and attend, school at Braemar College in Vancouver, BC. Braemar had an attendance of about 100 girls, as residence and day pupils. Subject areas were music, athletics, and academics. When her parents visited, they stayed at Glencoe Lodge, an exclusive residential hotel built by B.T. Rogers in 1906.

She raised purebred Persian cats and in August 1917, won first prize in the Vancouver Exhibition (in a field of ninety) for “Molly” and her kitten.

She was awarded a life-saving medal from the Royal Canadian Humane Association in November 1917 for saving “Bunty” Waterman, who was three years old, from drowning in the Similkameen River. She herself was nearly drowned.

After the war ended, Clara and her daughter, Dorothy, left on an extended visit to England via New York, sailing on White Star Liner, Baltic (April 1919). She went back to England to visit in July 1922. Given that Dorothy was living in London in December 1923, it is possible that she was getting her daughter settled in a new country.

Clara Glover is only mentioned in connection with her husband after 1923. Whether she retreated from community life or the newspaper simply wasn’t reporting her activities is unclear.