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Note: The following Obituary and Card of Thanks appeared in the December 14, 1973 Quoddy Tides Paper:
"Joseph H. Worthen, 61, passed away November 17, 1973 in the Halifax Civic Hospital. He was born at North Head, Grand Manan, a son of the late Sydney and Addie (Stanley) Worthen.
He was a naval veteran of the Second World War and was second officer in yardcraft at Halifax Dockyard for 21 years until his retirement last month.
Survivors include his wife, the former Joan Wilson; two brothers, Earl of North Head and Douglas of Manchester, Mass.; and a half-brother, Lloyd Miller of North Head.
Funeral Services were held at the Church of the Ascension, North Head, Grand Manan, with the Rev. Dorman officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery. The legion held a service at the graveside.
Card of Thanks
The family of the late Joseph Worthen of Grand Manan wish to express their sincere appreciation during our sad bereavement for the many sympathy cards, floral tributes and donations made to the cancer society, heart fund, Church of the Ascension Restoration Fund and gifts of money.
A special thanks to those who sent in food and to Rev. Dorman for his services and the pallbearers.
A very special thanks to George Munroe for his services.
Wife, Joan
Brothers, Earl, Doug and Lloyd
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The following story was published in "The Island Times", a local Grand Manan Newsletter.
Dec 1932 A Narrow Escape - Bud Lambert; Don Hatt and Joe Worthen
As a young man of 19 or 20, two other young men, Bud Lambert and Joe Worthen and I left Grand Manan for Wilson’s Beach.
We were to bring back a load of herring that Ted Griffin wanted for bait for the fishermen doing line fishing at the time. Being a cool December day and calm, we made Wilson’s Beach late in the day without mishap. The boat we went in was Bud’s father’s boat, approximately 30 feet in length and 9 or 10 feet wide, that would carry 2 to 4 hogsheads in the after part of the boat. On the forward part of the boat there was a sit on house for a place to eat and be warm. It also had a small book stove for heat and for power it had a 6 cylinder Chrysler engine.
The herring was aught the night before by a small boat or dory using a torch for light by putting oil bats tossed in a wire dragon, and a man or two rowing the boat and a man in the bow with a dip net as the herring came to the surface. We loaded the after part of the boat.
The day was getting on by the time we left for Lubec, Maine to purchase a used car engine to take along with us. Having purchased the motor, we had room for it along with the herring and the boat was loaded. By this time it was 5 pm. It was a perfect day when we left Grand Manan but the sky turned black and the wind started to pick up. I tried to get the boys to stay the night but they gave me no choice. We were going home regardless. Wind or no wind!
We had no problems until we were half way across the channel…when the engine stopped. Along with the wind, it started snowing and we lost visibility. Having a small sail on the after part of the boat plays a big part in my story. We managed to get the engine running again and had to keep the choke half way closed in order to keep it going. We made the back of Grand Manan close to Indian Beach about 6:30 when the engine stopped for good.
We used up what gas we had with us. The wind and snow were coming from the northwest and we were headed for the rocks on the shore. We tied the anchor to the line and tossed it overboard. Who was going to be the brave man and crawl to the bow and put two half hitches over the stem?
Joe was the brave one. We tied a rope around his middle just in case he was washed overboard. That way we would be able to haul him back aboard the boat. By this time, we were in the breakers, very close to the shore but the anchor held and the sail I mentioned kept the boat steady. The seas were covering the boat. We had a hand pump and we spent the night taking turns pumping to keep afloat. As I mentioned the cod stove we had was very small and we had no fuel with us so to have some wood that would fit the stove we smashed the engine box and the boards we had to sit on, and with one match to light the fire we managed to find a piece of cardboard. It was damp but we did get a fire started., though it didn’t give us much heat. We had no place to sit and to keep from freezing, we had to keep pumping through the night. It didn’t help our situation along with not knowing what minute the line would break. I, for one, was doing some praying that the Lord would spare us from going on the rocks ashore and He did. When daylight came the vapor was sky high and when the GM ferry went by the North Head Whistle, we could see only enough of the ferry to know what it was that we wee seeing.
I didn’t mention it before but nearly two feet of snow fell by midnight. It was noontime before the wind had dropped out so that we could head the bow of the boat for shore. When the boat was as close to the shoe without hitting the rocks, I jumped overboard, and, soaking wet, started walking for the Whistle House hoping someone would be there.
When I finally reached there, Chester Tatton thought he had seen a ghost and couldn’t believe that we had survived the night in such a storm. He took me to his house and called for a boat to come and tow us home. He gave me a hearty meal before I started walking home through the snow from the night before. A boat came and towed our boat home and I met the other boys walking home. It took me that long to get there. For now, I’m not telling everything that took place but will mention what we had for breakfast. Not having had anything to eat since we left home. Joe asked us what we were going to have for breakfast.
Bud said, “Have you lost your mind?”
Joe found a cover from a can and put it on the stove to warm up, went out and brought back some small herring and put them on the cover. No salt or pepper or butter. They sure tasted good. Try it sometime if you’re hungry enough and we were.
That’s one of my narrow escapes and several more in my life time could be told.
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