[99] Joining Gordon on the journey to Equatoria was his old friend Romolo Gessi and a former US Army officer, Charles Chaill-Long, who did not get along well with Gordon. [96], A tense stand-off ensued, and though the rebels could have easily killed Gordon and his party, as Gordon wrote in a letter to his sister, the rebels were all "dumbfounded at my coming among them". The wave of mourning was not just confined to Britain. Add a photo or a video There is no photo or video of George Gordon. Liberal government delivered on Friday $3 million to the Omineca Beetle Action Coalition to be used during the next three years to implement a . If you wish to make a donation, please consider one of the charities listed below. He was first and foremost a passionate follower of Jesus Christ and lived his life in humble but firm faith, pressing on towards the upward call he felt from a young age. He will be much missed at work. He was an amazing man and co-worker and I'm praying for all to have comfort during this difficult time. A cornor [i.e., corner] in palace hall. He was a wonderful man and its such a tragedy to lose him so young. Mac Gordon: Governors that might have been. [175] Gordon had a garrison of about 8,000 soldiers armed with Remington rifles, together with a colossal ammunition dump containing millions of rounds. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. Those wishing to make a donation in memory of George are asked to consider Compassion Canada. Cremation has taken place. After his conversation with Baring, Churchill wrote: "Of course there is no doubt that Gordon as a political figure was absolutely hopeless. [202], The note read "Khartoum all right. [172] Gordon was well-received by a crowd of about 9,000 during his return to Khartoum where the crowd continually chanted, "Father!" As late as 1933, the French historian Pierre Crabits wrote in his book Gordon, le Soudan et l'esclavage (Gordon, the Sudan and Slavery) that as a Frenchman, the Gordon legend had meant nothing to him when he began researching his book, but after examining all of the historical evidence, he could not help but admire Gordon, who "died as he lived, a Christian, a gentleman, and a soldier". Staveley selected Gordon, who had been made a brevet major in December 1862 and the nomination was approved by the British government. [146] On the island of Praslin in the Valle de Mai, Gordon believed that he found the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the form of a coco de mer tree which fruit bore a close resemblance to a woman's body. [56] Gordon also gained the popular nickname, "Chinese" Gordon. As a toddler he moved to Basking Ridge, NJ. Gordon, seeing that the Abyssinian difficulty could wait, proceeded to Khartoum. whatever God wants will be). Condolences to George's family. [254] Even more devastatingly, Strachey depicted Gordon as a monumental hypocrite, noting the contrast between Gordon's lofty Christian ideas of love, compassion, charity, grace, and hope vs. a career full of hate, war, carnage, death, and destruction. Would not the right honorable Gentleman consider whether this statue [] might not receive special consideration []? [139], Gordon went to Beijing and used all his influence to ensure peace. I would feel so bad but he was always so patient and easy going. This man's activity with the scientific knowledge which he possesses is doubtless able to achieve much, but unfortunately, no one backs him up and his orders are badly carried out or altered in such a way as to render them without effect. [204] On arriving at Khartoum on 28 January, the reconnaissance gunboats found that the city had been captured and Gordon had been killed just two days before, coincidentally, two days before his 52nd birthday. During his time in Milford Haven, Gordon was befriended by a young couple, Francis and Anne Drew, who introduced him to evangelical Protestantism. [31] When Gordon arrived at Hong Kong, he was disappointed to learn he was "just too late for the fighting". During peak periods such as Valentines Day, Memorial Day and most holidays, florists are not always able to keep up to demand. [40], The mercenaries of the Ever Victorious Army, comprising some of the worst social elements of Chinese society, were notorious for their practice, whenever they marched into a new district, of stealing everything while raping all of the women, leading Gordon to impose harsh discipline, with those soldiers accused of looting or rape being summarily shot. Share Obituary. Messages run for up to one year and you [39] Li was impressed with Gordon, writing: It is a direct blessing from Heaven, the coming of this British Gordon. Matters then remained quiet until March 1877, when Gordon proceeded to Massawa, hoping to make peace with the Abyssinians. [170], Gladstone felt that this was a deft political move. Add a Memory. [90] During the American Civil War, when the Union blockade had cut off the American South from the world economy, the price of Egyptian cotton, known as "white gold" had skyrocketed as British textile mills turned to Egypt as an alternative source of cotton, causing an economic blossoming of Egypt that ended abruptly in 1865. Words cannot express how saddened we are to learn of George's sudden loss. Laurence Olivier played Muhammad Ahmad. [51], Gordon refused all these gifts and wrote on the Emperor's silk message: "Major Gordon receives the approbation of His Majesty the Emperor with every gratification, but regrets most sincerely that owing to the circumstances which occurred since the capture of Soochow, he is unable to receive any mark of His Majesty the Emperor's recognition". He was always professional, approachable, kind, helpful and had an easy smile. [56], In a leader in August 1864, The Times wrote about Gordon: "the part of the soldier of fortune is in these days very difficult to play with honourbut if ever the actions of a soldier fighting in foreign service ought to be viewed with indulgence, and even with admiration, this exceptional tribute is due to Colonel Gordon". [237], An identical statue by Thornycroftbut with the pedestal intactis located in a small park called Gordon Reserve, near Parliament House in Melbourne, Australia. [72] Gordon's parents expected him to marry and were disappointed about his lifelong bachelorhood. Goodness become to me, through Gordon, the most desirable of ideasWe were under the spell of Gordon's personality. The clash led to Gordon informing the Khedive that he did not wish to return to the Sudan, and he left for London. ", "Ghosts of Empire by Kwasi Kwarteng review", "General Charles "Chinese" Gordon Reveals He is Going to Palestine", "Intended burning of Berber and surrender of Soudan", "Gordon, Charles George (18331885) Major General", "A Self-declared Pasha and African Explorer Is Killed", "Viewing Violence in the British Empire: Images of Atrocity from the Battle of Omdurman, 1898", "21 February 1899: Treatment of the Mahdi's body condemned", "Gordon Hospital: Vincent Ward, Ebury Ward, Gerrard Ward CNWL NHS", "Statue of General Gordon, Victoria Embankment Gardens", "Memorial to General Gordon, Brompton Barracks, Gillingham", "Tomb of General Gordon by Frederick William Pomeroy (18571924)", "Sudan. 22/01/2023 Gordon was a valued member of the West Michigan community and made a tremendous impact on Grand Valley. [177], The novelist John Buchan wrote that Gordon was so "unlike other men that he readily acquired a spiritual ascendency over all who knew him well and many who did not", but at the same time, Gordon had a "dualism", in that "the impression of single-heartedness was an illusion, for all his life his soul was the stage of conflict". Grief Support. [12] Even an observer as sympathetic as Winston Churchill wrote about Gordon: "Mercury uncontrolled by the force of gravity was not on several occasions more unstable than Charles Gordon. When he moved to Boise, Idaho, George started a furniture factory and designed and manufactured bedroom furniture which was sold nationwide. This Gordon would later use as a reason for staying in Khartoum. [84], Gordon was promoted to colonel on 16 February 1872. Amanda. Those wishing to make a donation in memory of George are asked to consider Compassion Canada. [172], Urban wrote that Gordon's "most stupid mistake" occurred when he revealed his secret orders at a meeting of tribal leaders on 12 February at Berber, explaining that the Egyptians were pulling out, leading to almost all of the Arab tribes of northern Sudan declaring their loyalty to the Mahdi. Nephew to John and Delcie Moriarty, Jim Moriarty (late Brenda), Lorraine Hatley (late Bill). (for "Murderer of Gordon"). I shared a busride home with him a long time ago and we had the most pleasant conversation. [187] In a letter that reached Cairo in December, Gordon wrote: "Farewell. Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. In his 62nd year, George Gordon passed unexpectedly into the presence of his Lord and Saviour. 1 Still Hopes Dr, West Columbia, SC 29171. Notably, Strachey emphasises the claims of Charles Chaill-Long that Gordon was an alcoholic, an accusation dismissed by later writers like Alan Moorehead[252] and Charles Chenevix Trench. Telephone: 417-273-4967 "[198], Among the papers captured on the Abbas was the cipher key Gordon used to code his messages in and out of Khartoum, which meant he could no longer read the messages he received, leading him to write in his diary: "I think cipher-messages are in some countries, like this, a mistake". He was warm, steadfast, and peaceable. An insurrection had broken out in Darfur province led by associates of Zobeir and Gordon went to deal with it. [134], Hardly had Gordon resigned when he was invited to Beijing by Sir Robert Hart, inspector-general of customs in China, saying his services were urgently needed in China as Russia and China were on the verge of war. Before I heard of our defeat I heard of this, and I thought, 'THAT will not pass unavenged'. Always giving Share Obituary. The wound was only slight and Gordon was soon back in action, fighting his last battle at Chang-chou in May 1864. [172] Baring disapproved of sending Gordon to the Sudan, writing in a report to London that: "A man who habitually consults the Prophet Isaiah when he is in a difficulty is not apt to obey the orders of anyone". I wish his family peace and beautiful memories. [65], Octavia Freese published a book in 1894 about his charity work and Christian beliefs. The Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 AM, on Saturday, November 5, 2022 in THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS- KNIGHT STREET CHAPEL, 206E 200N. One observer noted that whenever he left and entered the Governor's Palace in Khartoum: "Government officials, consular agents, and native people awaited him in large numbers. [58], The traders of Shanghai offered Gordon huge sums of money to thank him for his work commanding the Ever Victorious Army. With Egypt bankrupt, the money to carry out the reforms Gordon wanted was not there. We will strive to make you proud, and continue the Gordon legacy of faith you began. Obituaries act as quiet reminders of the finite nature of our lives. [51], Gordon believed this approach was militarily counterproductive, as it encouraged the Taipings to fight to the death, which Gordon felt to be very unwise as the Taiping leader Hong Xiuquan, had become murderously paranoid, conducting bloody purges of his followers. A memorial service will be held in Isabella during the feast of Tabernacles in October for both Dirk and George. [46] After the battle, Gordon was hailed as a liberator from the Taipings by the ordinary Chinese people. George graduated from Arsenal Technical High School in 1960 and went on to graduate from Purdue University in 1965, majoring in Electrical Engineering. The Foreign Secretary, Lord Grenville, wondered if they had just committed a "gigantic folly". Gordon was sickened by the poverty of the Irish farmers, which led him to write a six-page memo to the Prime Minister, William Gladstone, urging land reforms in Ireland. [40] In Sudan, Sudanese historians have traditionally focused on the Mahdi and his rebellion, with Gordon only being relevant as the enemy general during the Siege of Khartoum, and his abolitionist work largely ignored. He devoted himself fully to being a wonderful father to his three sons, Thomas, Greg, and Curtis, raising them up to be men of strong faith and good character. Gordon accepted the offer, but shortly after arriving in India, he resigned. In the article, Stallard pointed to the egalitarianistic attitudes displayed by Gordon towards the Chinese, and argued that if Chinese historians paid closer attention to the activities of Gordon in China, it would improve Anglo-Chinese relations. It's a great pity!" George was predeceased by his father, and is survived by his mother. [142], Gordon was ordered home by London as the Foreign Office was not comfortable with the idea of him commanding the Chinese Army against Russia if war should break out, believing that this would cause an Anglo-Russian war and Gordon was told that he would be dishonorably discharged if he remained in China. George was a wise, strong, hardworking, and unfailingly kind man. George was born August 4, 1948 in Chicago, Illinois to George and Sophie Gordon. George was many things, most of which I did not know, but he was above all a good and honest man. He was born January 1, 1942 in Indianapolis to the late Lester Gordon and Helen Waldron Gordon. Ward was killed in the Battle of Cixi and his successor H. A. Burgevine, an American, was disliked by the Imperial Chinese authorities. [187] The merchant recalled Gordon's response: "He called up the guard and gave the orders to shoot me if I moved" and ordered all of the lamps in the palace to be lit up as brightly as possible. He was a treasured and beloved uncle to many, and his favourite place was anywhere his family was, with a cup of good black coffee in his hand. Nutting's book was noteworthy as the first book to argue that Gordon had a death wish. [96] The other force for law and order were the much-feared bashi-bazouks, irregulars who were not paid a salary, but were expected to support themselves by looting. Second only to his faith, was the great joy George found in his family. Gordon agreed with Lord Elgin that after the Chinese authorities had murdered a group of British and French officers travelling under a white flag to parley that a reprisal was in order, but called the burning of the Summer Palace "vandal-like" and informed his sister in a letter that "it made one's heart sore" to burn it. [258], More balanced biographies are Charley Gordon: An Eminent Victorian Reassessed (1978) by Charles Chenevix Trench and Gordon: The Man Behind the Legend (1993) by John Pollock. To plant a tree in memory of George GORDON, please visit. [176], Gordon's abrupt mood swings and contradictory advice confirmed the Cabinet's view of him as mercurial and unstable. The Reverend Reginald Barnes, who knew him well, describes him as "of the middle height, very strongly built". Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. December 10, 1933 - Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. George E. Harrington, 86 of Oswego. [112] Gordon agreed to return to Cairo, and was asked to take the position of Governor-General of the entire Sudan, which he accepted. [25] As the maps that delineated the Russian-Ottoman frontier were all old and inaccurate, Gordon spent much time clashing with his Russian counterparts about where precisely the frontier was and soon discovered that the Russians were very keen to have the frontier on the Danube, which Gordon had orders from London to prevent. The importance of saying "I love you" during COVID-19, Effective ways of dealing with the grieving process, Solutions to show your sympathy safely during the Covid-19 pandemic. A group of European financial commissioners led by Evelyn Baring took charge of the Egyptian finances in an attempt to pay off the European banks who had lent so much money to Egypt. [172], Due to public opinion, the government dared not sack Gordon, but the Cabinet was extremely angry about Gordon's insubordination, with many privately saying if Gordon wanted to defy orders by holding Khartoum, then he only deserved what he was going to get. He will also be lovingly remembered by his stepchildren, Sue (Delon) Shurtz of Raymond, Roy (Shannon) West of Hamilton, Ont., Paul (Mary) West of Lacombe, and Beth (Milo) Holthe of Glenwood. [21], Following the peace, he was attached to an international commission to mark the new border between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire in Bessarabia. [93], Gordon remained in the Equatoria province until October 1876. I am the successor of God's Prophet and I have no need of any sultanate of Kordofan or anywhere else! [4], In 1843, Gordon was devastated when his favourite sibling, his sister Emily, died of tuberculosis, writing years later, "humanly speaking it changed my life, it was never the same since". Critics inverted his acronym, "G.O.M." The men of the Gordon family had served as officers in the British Army for four generations, and as a son of a general, Gordon was raised to be the fifth generation; the possibility that Gordon would pursue anything other than a military career seems never to have been considered by his parents. [159] The Ansar captured a large number of Remington rifles and ammunition cases together with many Krupp artillery guns and their shells. George married Lola Shafer and they divorced. My condolences to all of George's family, and may they be comforted that George is in heaven with Jesus, looking after us all. Fri,03/03/23-11:56AM, 38 Reads. William Gordon, minister of Glenlivet, he entered Marischal College, Sending you my love. [116] Faught wrote that Gordon's plans were "farsighted and humane", but Baring had no interest in Gordon's plans to suspend the interest payments. [241][242], The Church Missionary Society (CMS) work in Sudan was undertaken under the name of the Gordon Memorial Mission. He loved their wives, Chelsea, Janine, and Samantha as if they were his own, a trait learned from the great and limitless love he received from his parents-in-law, Tom and Edna Lewis. [201] However, Faught wrote that there was a fundamental difference between Gordon and the Mahdi in that Gordon never tried to convert the Muslims of the Sudan to Christianity whereas the Mahdi was an "Islamic extremist" who believed he would establish a worldwide caliphate, looking forward to the day when he would "see the world bow before him". [188] The Turkish troops at Khartoum were not part of the Ottoman Army, but rather bashi-bazouks, irregulars whom Gordon commented were good for raids, but useless for battle. A. [211] The orders were not obeyed. [169] Gladstone had gone to his estate at Hawarden to recover from illness and thus was not present at the meeting on 18 January where Gordon was given the Sudan command, but he was under the impression that Gordon's mission was advisory, whereas the four ministers present at the meeting had given Gordon the impression that his mission was executive in nature. So sorry and in shock! An interment will take place in Raymond at the Temple Hill Cemetery following the service. [152] The Spaffords had lost their home and much of their fortune in the Great Chicago Fire and then had seen one of their sons die of scarlet fever, four of their daughters drowned in a shipwreck, followed by the death of another son from scarlet fever, causing them to turn to religion as consolation for unbearable tragedy, making them very congenial company for Gordon during his stay in Jerusalem. [171] Gordon made a short trip to Brussels to tell King Leopold that he would not be going to the Congo after all, news that enraged the King. Your search results for obituary: 24 newspaper articles contained information about obituary filtered by: Newspaper title: Wishaw Press Date from: 1st Jan 1947 - Date to: 31st Dec 1947 Gordon passed away peacefully Monday, October 31 at the glorious age of 91, at Good Samaritan Prairie Ridge in Raymond. I repeat to you the words of Allah, Do not destroy yourself. In New York, Paris, and Berlin, pictures of Gordon appeared in shop windows with black lining as all over the West, the fallen general was seen as a Christ-like man who sacrificed himself resisting the advance of Islam. [187] In one of the last letters Gordon had smuggled out, he wrote: "I expect Her Majesty's Government are in a precious rage with me for holding out, and so forcing their hands". Proceeding him in death was his legal partner and beloved step-son Dirk DeJong and the family's special friend U.S Representive Helen Chenowith. I'm thinking of the entire family as you're celebrating the life of our beloved George. In 1982 disgusted with "Big Brother" encroaching on his business, he educated himself and others on law and courtroom procedure, and established a law school in Boise, Barristers Inn, which name was changed to George Gordon's School of Common Law when he moved to Isabella, Mo in 1984 following his patriarchal marriage to Jacqueline. Their wishes for cremation have been honored. [33] The Anglo-French force remained in northern China until April 1862, then, under General Charles William Dunbar Staveley, withdrew to Shanghai to protect the European settlement from the rebel Taiping army. In 1902, it was placed at the junction of St Martin's Lane and Charing Cross Road in London. It is with heavy hearts the family of Don Bowen announce his passing at the Northumberland Hills Hospital Thursday, March 2, 2023, at the age of 79. Sincere sympathy Edna & Tom in the loss of your beloved son-in-law. [173] Gordon immediately confirmed Baring's fears as he started to issue press statements attacking the rebels as "a feeble lot of stinking Dervishes" and demanded he be allowed to "smash up the Mahdi". You will receive email notifications when changes are made to the online memorial, including when family and friends post to the Guestbook. In the months before the fall of Khartoum, Gordon and the Mahdi corresponded; Gordon offered him the Sultanate of Kordofan and the Mahdi requested Gordon to convert to his religion and join him, to which Gordon replied abruptly: "No! Around the base is an inscription referring to Gordon as a soldier, philanthropist, and administrator and mentions those parts of the world in which he served, closing with a quotation from his last letter to his sisters: "I am quite happy, thank God! In 1878, Gordon fired the governor of Equatoria for corruption and replaced him with his former chief medical officer from his time in Equatoria, Dr. Emin Pasha, who had earned Gordon's respect. [86] In 1873, Gordon received a definite offer from the Khedive, which he accepted with the consent of the British government, and proceeded to Egypt early in 1874. [181], The advance of the rebels against Khartoum was combined with a revolt in the eastern Sudan. As to who tipped him off that the general would be staying here for just a couple of nights, we can only speculate". Gordon made a point of treating POWs well to encourage the Taipings to surrender, and many of his men were former Taipings who chose to enlist in the Ever Victorious Army. [12] The Romanian historian Eric Tappe described Gordon as a man who developed his own "very personal peculiar variety of Protestantism". George, an entrepreneur, piloted his own plane at the age of 18 and created a construction company specializing in the restoration of San Francisco's "painted ladies.". [105] Gordon's attempts to establish an Egyptian garrison in the Buganda had been stymied by the cunning Muteesa, who forced the Egyptians to build their fort at his capital of Lubaga, making the 140 or so Egyptian soldiers his virtual hostages. . He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and has been regarded as among the greatest of English poets. "Death is swallowed up in victory." Many of Gordon's papers were saved and collected by his two sisters, Helen Clark Gordon, who married Gordon's medical colleague in China, Dr. Moffit, and Mary Augusta, and possibly his niece Augusta, who married Gerald Henry Blunt. [12], Reference is made to an 1889 account of the General surrendering his sword to a senior Mahdist officer, then being struck and subsequently speared in the side as he rolled down the staircase. The Cabinet felt highly uncomfortable with the appointment, as they had been pressured by the press to send a man who was opposed to their Sudan policy to take command there. [159], With public opinion demanding that Gordon be sent to the Sudan, on 16 January 1884, the Gladstone government decided to send him there, albeit with the very limited mandate to report on the situation and advise on the best means of carrying out the evacuation. He devoted himself fully to being a wonderful father to his three sons, Thomas, Greg, and Curtis, raising them up to be men of strong faith and good character. [121] After several months of chasing Zobeir, Gessi and Gordon met at the village of Shaka in June 1879 when it was agreed that Gessi would continue the hunt while Gordon would return to Khartoum. Always kind A visitation will be held on Wednesday, September 7, 2022 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Northview Funeral Chapel and Cremation Centre, 1490 Highbury Avenue North, London, where George's Life will be celebrated on Thursday, September 8 at 11:00 a.m. Interment of cremated remains at Pond Mills Cemetery. Tribute will contact you if there are any issues. [19] It was said at the British HQ that, "If you want to know what the Russians are up to, send for Charlie Gordon. In all the cities of Egypt, it will be felt that what the Mahdi has done, they may do; and, as he has driven out the intruder, they may do the same. [259] In Khartoum The Ultimate Imperial Adventure (2005), Michael Asher puts Gordon's works in the Sudan in a broad context. For the family, Your Grief will run deep in the months to come. [106], Moreover, considerable progress was made in the suppression of the slave trade. During his time in Anatolia, Gordon embraced the new technology of the camera to take what the Canadian historian C. Brad Faught called a series of "evocative photographs" of the people and landscape of Armenia. [93], Reflecting these realities, Gordon had to undertake much of the administrative work himself, travelling ceaselessly and constantly all over the Sudan via camel in attempts to make the bureaucracy actually obey his orders, something that occurred when he was present, but stopped as soon as he left. We will remember him forever. Gordon was summoned to Cairo, and arrived in March to be appointed president of a commission. [201] About half of the population took up his offer to promptly leave the city. GEORGE GORDON OBITUARY GORDON, George Colburn. Find the obituary of Gordon L. Arnold (1982 - 2023) from Batesville, IN. He attended schools in Ferndale and Eureka, CA. George Leslie Gordon July 18, 1939 - March 12, 2022 George Leslie Gordon, 82, of Pynn's Brook, NL, passed away peacefully on March 12, 2022, at the Corner Brook Long-term Care Home. He remained in Mauritius until March 1882. Many have seen the attempt to save Emin Pasha, a German doctor-biologist-botanist who had converted from Judaism first to Lutheranism and then (possibly) to Islam, and who had not been particularly famous in Europe until then, as a consolation prize for Gordon. [51], On 1 January 1864, Gordon was informed that a messenger from the Tongzhi Emperor was coming to see him and that he should put on his finest uniform. [92] Urban wrote that most of the Westerners in Egyptian pay were "misfits" who took up Egyptian service because they were unable to get ahead in their own nations. Baker met with great difficulties and managed little beyond establishing a few posts along the Nile.