St. Mark’s Anglican Church, Minnedosa, was packed with a reverent congregation. To the singing of a hymn the rector, the Rev. Mr. Powell, led the processional down the aisle and opened the simple funeral service of the Church of England. After prayers, Scripture, and singing led by the choir, Bishop Thomas of Brandon moved to the head of the coffin.
An old friend of the deceased, he spoke briefly and feelingly of his life, and the funeral procession afterwards proceeded to the beautiful cemetery on the hilltop overlooking the town. These were the obsequies for the pioneer home steader, active supporter of community enterprises and beyond, and the gallant soldier who had been honored by his king, Brigadier General Hugh M. Dyer.
While the family was of English origin, Hugh Dyer was born at Kingston, Ireland, on January 28, 1861. His father, Captain Hugh Dyer, had seen service in the royal navy in the Baltic, the Chinese war, and against the slave trade on the west coast of Africa. On retiring from the service he was appointed governor of Kilmainham jail. He died when his son Hugh was only five years old.
The lad was also destined for the navy but was taken ill at examination time, and was afterwards too old. His brother Harry trained as a midshipman, however, with Prince George, later King George V. Hugh taught school for a time and was active in athletic sports, but at the age of 20 came out to Manitoba with three other youths. His mother had been Marion Lozzin, a cousin of Prime Minister Asquith, and one of the three lads was a Lozzin. That summer they worked for Edward Lozzin, an uncle, harvesting the crop with a scythe and cradle, and tying the sheaves by hand.
Hugh homesteaded in the Glendale district, built a small house, and returned that winter to England where he married Helen May Pearson.
Next spring the young couple came out to the homestead, where Hugh started farming with a yolk of oxen. That spring of 1882 he broadcast his first crop by hand. The wheat from that crop was hauled to Carberry, which trip took two days. When the railway later came through they were 17 miles to Minnedosa, but only eight miles from Neepawa.
Hugh filed on another quarter - a section as a preemption, which increased his holding to 320 acres. It was mostly scrub and bushland, but by hard and unremitting labor he developed it into a fine farm. Three sons were born there, Rex in 1883, Jack in 1885, and Harry in 1891.
In the fall of 1900 the Dyers moved to a farm northeast of Minnedosa in the Westhope district, where in 1907 William was born. Hugh Dyer was not only a progressive farmer, taking advantage of new methods of working such as the self-binder, and building an attractive home and commodious barns, but he was an active man in community enterprises. He was in constant demand to judge horses at the summer fairs, and his own splendid horses and cattle showed his interest in fine stock and took many prizes.
When the Lady Minto Hospital was organized in 1908 Mr. Dyer served on the board. The Minnedosa Agricultural Society enlisted his services as a director, and for one term he served as president. He also became a director and vice-president of the Western Empire Life Association. He and a brother-in-law, Edward Pearson, managed three elevators located at Bethany, Minnedosa and Basswood.
Reaching out to provincial activities Hugh Dyer became one of the founders of the Manitoba Agricultural College, and from 1908 to 1914 he was chairman of the board. On the recreational side of life he was fond of riding, cricket, then more popular in Manitoba with many settlers from the old country, and was a fine billiard player.
Hugh Dyer was to make his greatest mark as a soldier. When a unit of the Manitoba Dragoons was organized in Minnedosa in 1903 he became a lieutenant and then a major. At the outbreak of war in 1914 he became second in command of the "Fighting Fifth," of which battalion the Dragoons were a part. Proceeding overseas and then to France, he was badly wounded in 1915 at the second battle of Ypres. In July he was able to rejoin his regiment and was placed in command as colonel. Two of his sons were at the front, Harry in the Fifth and Rex in the Engineers, and both were badly wounded.
In 1917 Colonel Dyer became Commander of the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade, which included the Princess Pats, succeeding General McDonnell. He was a true father to his men by whom he was greatly beloved and was known as "Daddy Dyer." Nor did he forget those back home, for he wrote hundreds of letters of comfort to the parents of lads who had been killed or wounded in action. In 1918 he was given command of the Seaford Area in southeast England, and was there until after the armistice.
General Dyer’s outstanding services did not go unrecognized. Five times he was mentioned in dispatches. He was awarded the DSO and Bar. Later he was appointed Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George, and was also made Companion of the Order of the Bath. Such honors were not often awarded to Canadian soldiers, and indicated the high esteem in which he was held at headquarters.
The citizens of the district in which he had lived for 50 years in 1931 presented him with a painting of himself. It hangs, fittingly enough, where it can be seen daily by any who enter the Minnedosa post office. The presentation was made to the honored veteran in the Armoury by Premier John Bracken, who was assisted by Bishop Thomas of Brandon. A crowd of some 1,000 of his fellow citizens thronged the armoury to honor one who had brought distinction to Canada and the district in which he had chosen to make his home.
After over half a century of married life, during which she had shared in the hardships, anxieties and triumphs of her husband, Mrs. Dyer passed away in 1934. On Christmas Day, 1938, General Dyer also died, and was buried with full military honors.
St. Mark’s Church, Minnedosa, has a permanent memorial to his memory. The gift of units of old comrades, it was dedicated by Bishop Thomas and unveiled by F. B. Bagshaw, KC, of Regina, Sask., an old officer of the Fifth Battalion. The stained glass bears the inscription:
"To the Glory of God and sacred to the memory of Brigadier General H.M. Dyer, CB, CMG, DSO, of this parish and Officer Commanding the 5th Battalion and the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade, CEFD."
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