New Britain herald., 1928-07-21
HELEN TERRY DIES AT AGE OF 80 YEARS
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winter, until last year, she came to her London flat in the heart of the land of the theater and saw as many plays as she had strength for.
 Was First Nighter"
 Until two years ago Miss Terry never failed to appear at first nights in London and the tall queenly old lady in black with a black lace scarf draped over her silver hair was al- ways rapturously applauded when she entered her box.
 Miss Terry's daughter. Edith Craig, who gave up her career as a theatrical producer to be with her mother in retirement and has left her mothers room for only brief snatches of rest during the last four days. was at the bedside. The act ress' son. Charles Terry; her favor ite niece. Miss Olive Terry. and her companion, Miss Barnes, were also present.
 Miss Terry kept constantly at hand for daily reading a little worn copy of limitation of Christ" by Thomas A. kempis. Not long before she died the following lines of verse in her own firm hand were found written across the fly leaf: No funeral gloom my dears when I am gone.
 "Corpse-gazings tears. black rai- ment. graveyard Erimness
 Think of me as withdrawn into the dimness.
 Yours still. you mine.
 Remember all the best of our past moments and forget the rest.
 And so to where I wait come gently on,'
 Below was written: T should wish my children. relatives and friends to observe this when die.' A copy of these lines headed Dame Ellen Terry's last wish" was posted in the village church and the village institute today A Great Actress Sarah Bernhardt called Ellen Ter, " ''the greatest actress in the world !" Her artistic partnership over a period of 24 years with Sir Henry Irving constituted one of the most brilliant periods of the English st;~ge
 She was almost as well known in i the United States where she was presented by Charles Frohman as in her native Britain, having toured it ten times and considering 1t her sec ond home. In her tours of Ameri- ca she was greeted as a queen and a monster jubilee in 19o5 was cele- hrated in honor of the half century of her connection with the stage. She was married three times. She was personally acquainted 1 with many of the great personages of the Victorian era. including Dis raeh. Gladstone and Tennyson.
 Autograph hunters pursued her everywhere and she finally capi- tallzed the situation for the sake of charity by charging shilling for each autograph and turning the money into malntenance of cot in chlldrens hospital
 Queen Victoria witnessed Miss Terrv's stage debut at the age of eisht and thought so much of her hlstrionlc ability that years later she commanded" her presence at Sand ringham palace where she per formed for the queen and the fu- ture King Edward VII
 klns George ' created Miss Ter " } Dame Grand Cross of the Brit lsh enapire " 1923 St Andrews university horored her with the de gree of doctor Of laws Miss Ter-y's outstanding roles though she made remarkable DOT travals of Juliet. Beatrice. Desde- mona. Margaret. Lady Macbeth, Posamund Guinevere Imosen Olivia and Madam Sans Gene Her great triumph came in 1875 as Por- tia under the management Of the Bancrofts and her fame was firmly founded three years later when she played Ophelia to the Hamlet of Sir Henry Irving.
 Her Last Appearance Her last stage appearance was in l the aid of charity when on January Is. 1923 she spoke the prologue fc The York Nativity Play" at the League Of Arts Clubhouse. London After that she virtually retired to ! her home at Burleigh Manslpns 1 London, where she spent the declin- ing years of her life surrounded by ! her friends and loved ones and hask- ing in the glory of her dramatic honors.
 Miss Terry vas born February 27, 1S4S at Coventry Tn WarwickshIre. almost in the heart of the Shake speare country she was destined to represent so well.
 Ipr n rInfS ere Fen Ter