Source: Beaudesert Times (Qld. : 1908 – 1954), Friday 16 April 1943, page 2.
The death occurred at Beaudesert Hospital on Monday of Mr. Charles Crum Fenton, only four hours after he had been admitted. Mr. Fenton had that morning been proceeding to his work at the railway pumping station on a rail trolley, when the rail motor, bound from Beaudesert to Brisbane, struck the machine on which Mr. Fenton was riding.
The late gentleman, who was the eldest of eight sons and three daughters of the late Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Fenton, who were well known on the Darling Downs, was born at Nanango 66 years ago. His young days were spent at Rosalie Plains and Jondaryan, and after leaving school he
worked with his father on pastoral properties.
Later he went into shearing and experting and became noted as a shearer. It is recorded that one day, at Comrith Downs, in the Surat district, he shore 210 sheep, which was a record for the district. Later he performed the remarkable feat of shearing six sheep in five minutes, and he repeated this performance at WyambinC, Beaudesert, many years after he had given up shearing.
In his young days, the late Mr. Fenton was a cyclist of remarkable stamina, and on one occasion he cycled from Deepwater to Toowoomba, a distance of over two hundred miles, over rough bush roads, and carrying a heavy pack, in two days.
In 1901, at Jondaryan, he married Miss Bridget O’Shea, the daughter of a well-known Ackland family. It was in 1910 that he relinquished his pastoral pursuits, and entered the employ of the Railway Department, with which he remained until the day of his death. For a number of years, he was stationed on various parts of the Darling Downs, and in 1920 was transferred to Beaudesert, where he was placed in charge of the pumping station.
When he lived on the Downs, he always interested himself In public bodies, and several times served on school committees. Equal with sheep he loved horses, and for many years he was a successful amateur rider. He was a keen follower of cricket and football, and for a long time he acted as umpire for the Beaudesert Cricket Association. He was a past president and life member of the Australian Natives’ Association.
Whilst in the Railway Department he interested himself in ambulance work and won all the certificates issued by the Railway Ambulance. A member of the Roman Catholic faith, he was always a practical worker, for the Church; he could be thoroughly relied upon when there was any hard work to be done. In politics he was a lifelong adherent to the Labour cause, and he assisted many candidates in their election campaigns.
His knowledge of sheep was put to good use in the interests of the Beaudesert Show Society, and he was for many years steward in the sheep section. With a number of others, he prepared himself for a war emergency, for he was an air raid warden. The late gentleman was one who would always do one a good turn if he could, and he would do it quietly, without a thought of reward.
In recent years he had one or two serious illnesses which necessitated major operations, but not withstanding the extreme pain he suffered, he returned each time his old cheerful self. His cheerful outlook on life, and his smile always made it a pleasure for one to meet him.
The late Mr. Fenton will be sadly missed by a large circle of friends who counted themselves fortunate in his friendship. The late gentleman is survived by his widow, three sons (Mr. Jack Fenton, Beaudesert, Capt. Charles J. Fenton, A.I.F. , and Sergt. Andrew Fenton), and three daughters, Mrs. S. Dauth, Mrs. L. J. Stretton, and Mrs. Ron. Zielke, all of Beaudesert, He is also survived by all of his brothers and sisters. The funeral, which was directed by Mr. J. C. Barrett, took place to the Gleneagle cemetery on Tuesday, following a service in St. Mary’s Church, which was conducted by Rev. Fr. Carroll.
