B. Fryer, superintendent of the Institution for the Chinese Blind, is a loss which will be widely felt not only in Shanghai but wherever the helpful influence of her friendly, efficient personality has extended. Born in San Francisco, on September 6, 1879, of one of the older California families, faulty eyesight interfered with her education when she was about twelve, but after an operation she was enabled some three years later to resume her studies at Denham School and Mills College, now Mills Seminary, the interruption to her schooling giving her that sympathy for the blind which later resulted in her many years of service for them.
Miss Smith took up the study of nursing and graduated from the qeu PIN, volun Meri. bet services during the Spanish War of 1898, doing private work and later rendering distinguished service after ihe San Francisco Fire when she worked for three months in the Emergency Camp at the Ferry. After adding to her experience by work in various orphanages and similar institutions she eventually took up special work in the Institution for the Deaf and Blind of Ber-kelly, California where she met Mr. Fryer who was also studying there. They married on July 4, 1912, by Bishop J. W. Nichols of California and came out to Shanghai to open the Institution for the Chinese Blind just twenty-five years ago this week, an anniversary which would have been fittingly celebrated had times been. happier, Although Mrs. Fryer held no official position in the Institution she worked hand in hand with her husband devoting herself especially io organizing the work of the Blindart Shop and in the nursing service of the school being never too busy or tired to sit by the bedside of a sick child or to sell a chair that would give a blind boy work to do.
Her work in other of Shanghai's activities is witnessed to by her membership in varied societies and the offices held in many of them, such as the Union Church Ladies' Society, thes B.W.A, American Women's Club, National Child's Welfare Society, Foreign Women's Home, Shanghai Horticultural Society, the Quest Society, the Service League of the Cathedral and others. Devoted to her work at the school, always willing to help in any good cause and to offer assistance to her many friends, Mrs, Fryer had overworked during the spring and the strain of being obliged to leave her home In Hungjao Road because of the hostilities and the interrupt tion of the work of the Institution so undermined her constitution that she was not strong enough to throw off the infection of the acute dysentery from which she died.
Besides her husband, Mrs. Fryer leaves a daughter, Roberta, who is at present near Birmingham, England taking a nurse's course; one sister, Miss Juliette Smith, of San Francisco, who visited her in Shanghai this summer, and five brothers who are all in responsible positions en the West Coast of America. Mr. end Mrs. Fryer were planning to go on furlough early next year.
The funeral (cremation) will take place this afternoon in the Bubbling Well Chapel, at four o'clock, with Dean Trivett and the Reverend W. P. Roberts officiating. Friends are specially requested not to send flowers but donations may be made to the Institution for the Chinese Blind which will form a memorial fund.
Never wearied in good works, executive, efficient, cheery, a loyal friend, an ideal wife and mother, Mrs. Fryer will be mourned by a host of friends amongst Chinese and foreigners alike.
The range of Mrs. Fryer's interests was strikingly shown at a gathering of international women's organizations where she seemed to have good friends amongst all of Shanghai's different nationalities.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.