Helen Deans^[1]

1847 - 1898  (51 years)

• Name	Helen Deans
  Born	1847	North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
  Gender	Female
  Name	Ellen Deans  [8]
  Name	Helen Telfer
  Residence	1861	North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Free Church
  Residence	1871	North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [5]
  	C. Presb.
  Residence	1891	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  	Presbyterian
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-105077
  Died	24 Feb 1898  [9, 10]
  	Cause: Cancer (20 months)
  Buried	Mount View Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [9]
  Person ID	I105077	Generations
  Last Modified	3 Mar 2025

  
  

  Father	James Deans,   b. CALC 17 Jul 1806, , Scotland ,   d. 17 Apr 1896, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age ~ 89 years)
  Mother	Janet Brydon,   b. 1817, , Scotland ,   d. 15 Feb 1851  (Age 34 years)
  Family ID	F6374	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	John Telfer,   b. 1838, North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 4 Sep 1884, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 46 years)
  Married	25 Dec 1873	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3, 7]
  Children	1. Jessie Brydon Telfer,   b. 9 May 1874, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 3 May 1923, East Zorra Twp., Oxford Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 48 years)   2. Helen Margaret "Nellie" Telfer,   b. 21 Oct 1875, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 28 Oct 1951  (Age 76 years)   3. Mary Deans Telfer,   b. 13 Dec 1878, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   4. Telfer,   b. 5 Feb 1884, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 7 Feb 1884, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 0 years)
  Last Modified	4 Mar 2025
  Family ID	F26870	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  MRS. HELEN TELFER was the daughter of Mr. James Deans, and inherited many of his qualities. She was quiet and retiring, shunning publicity, and loving most the peaceful seclusion of her own fireside. She answered to the Apostle s injunction to the young women: " To love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home." She was deeply religious, devoted to the truth, seeking always to exemplify the obedience of the faith. She fed upon the hidden manna, and bore abroad in the kindliness of her spirit, and in the sweet charity of her disposition, a benediction wherever she went. Her children rose up to call her blessed. Her life made no great stir, but, like the movement of the silent sunbeam, and the refreshing dewdrop stealing down upon the thirsty plant, it made impressions that abide, and that nourish the higher and better life of the soul. She sought constantly and earnestly to approve herself to God, and she and her children lived in the fear of God. She suffered long from a malignant disease, which eventually ended her pilgrimage. But all through it she was patient, and endured what God sent her without a murmur. When I called to see her she would ask me to sing for her, which I did. One day I asked her if there was any hymn she would like, and she said: " Sing Rock of Ages, cleft for me. " I sang it, and when I came to the last verse, and to this line, " When I soar to worlds unknown," etc., I shall never forget her look. She was near her end, and I realized the thorough unscripturalness of the thought here, and how unsuitable it was, because untrue. We go not to " worlds unknown," but to our Father s House, where a place is prepared for us; and we go not unattended. Jesus says: " I will come again, and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there ye may be also." That is not soaring to worlds unknown. No! No! It is going home to a loving heart, and a sweet fellowship, and unspeakable joy. Taking Christ s own representation, of which Paul s is just the echo, " Absent from the body, present with the Lord," there is in it warmth and comfort and upholding, just what the parting soul needs. When our feet are crossing the threshold the Lord comes to meet us and give us welcome. Ever since singing that verse at that time I have had a feeling much averse to it, and would never again sing it in like circum stances. We should sustain the heart with truth at that trying time. At the extremity of her suffering she was full of blessed confidence and sweet peace, and died as she had lived, trusting in the mercy of God through her Saviour, Jesus Christ. She loved all good things, the Word of God, the house of God, the place of prayer, the fellowship of Christian hearts, and the blessed hope, and now, in the faithfulness of God, she is enjoying to the full the Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. 1aEbenezer: A History of the Central Presbyterian Church, Galt, Ontario, with brief sketches of some of its members who have passed on the the other side, The Rev. James A. R. Dickson. pg 256-158

  
  

• Sources

  [S4] Vit - ON - Marriage Registration, 017037-1902. Donald Alexander Murray, 32, Farmer, b. East Zorra, Res. same, son of George Murray and Elizabeth Sutherland, married Jessie Bryden Telfer, 28, b. Galt, Res. same, daughter of John Telfer and Helen Deans, Witnessed by: J.E. Murray of East Zorra and Helen M. Telfer of Belleville, 18 June 1902 at Galt [S336] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1881, Galt Division 2 Page 37. [S4] Vit - ON - Marriage Registration. John Telfer Born: North Dumfries Age: 35 Born: abt 1839 Father: George Telfer Mother: Ellen Telfer Spouse: Ellen Deans Age: 25 Born: abt 1849 born: North Dumfries Father: James Deans Mother: Janet Deans married 25 Dec 1874 married: Waterloo, Galt [S1778] Census - ON, Waterloo, North Dumfries - 1861, Div 6 Page 45. [S355] Census - ON, Waterloo, North Dumfries - 1871, Div. 2, Page 51. [S1800] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1891, Sec. 1 Page 62. [S4] Vit - ON - Marriage Registration, 9909-74. John Telfer, 35, occ. Yeoman, b. North Dumfries, res. same, son of George and Ellen, married Ellen Deans, 25, b. North Dumfries, res. same, daughter of James and Janet, witnessed by: James Deans, Thomas Telfer and Walter Murray, All of Galt, 25 Dec 1873 at Galt [S57] Vit - ON - Birth Registration. Jessie Telfer Born: 9 May 1874 County: Waterloo Father: John Telfer Mother: Ellen Deans [S122] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Cambridge - Mount View CC#4495 Internet Link . In/ memory of/ John Telfer/ who died/ Sept. 4, 1884;/ in his 46th year/ his wife/ Helen Deans/ died Feb 24, 1898/ in her 50th year/ their infant dau./ died Feb. 7, 1884/ aged 2 days [S713] Vit - ON - Death Registration, death certificate 021327 (1898). Mrs John Telfer Gender: Female Age: 49 Birth Date: abt 1849 Birth Place: Durspier Death Date: 24 Feb 1898 Death Place: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Cause of Death: Cancer

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 1847 - North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Free Church - 1861 - North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - C. Presb. - 1871 - North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Married - 25 Dec 1873 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Presbyterian - 1891 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - Mount View Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth