Herald of Truth
Volume I, No. 2, February 1864
Page 8


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Transcribed Text:

On July 19th, 1863, in Allen County, Ohio, with dropsy of the heart, Daniel Beery, age 63 yrs. 5 mo. and 1 day. He died, leaving no family, having never been married.

On June 27th, 1863, in the same place, George F. Beery, brother to the above, aged 55 yrs. 9 mo. and 28 days. On Sept. 5th, Elizabeth, his wife, aged 50 yrs. 4 mo. and 14 days. On May 1st, their son Christian, aged 26 yrs. 7 mo. and 3 days, leaving a widow to mourn his loss. On Sept. 8th, their son John, aged 22 yrs. 7 mo. and 17 days. On July 9th, their son George, aged 20 yrs. 3 mo. and 26 days. On March 3d, their daughter Catharine, aged 19 yrs. 3 mo. and 25 days; and on Sept. 18th, their daughter Elizabeth, aged 14 yrs. 6 mo. and 10 days, all of Typhoid fever except the first, and all out of the same house except one, in a period of a little over six months time. Five children, three sons and two daughters are left to mourn the loss of their parents, brothers and sisters. The four first named were members of the Mennonite Church.
Thus "Man dieth and wasteth away; yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?" Job. 14: 10. "The voice said cry, and he said what shall I cry? all flesh is as grass and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field; the grass withereth, the flower fadeth; because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it; surely the people is grass." Isa. 40: 6, 7. "Verily every man at his best state is althogether(sic) vanity," (Ps. 39: 5) "and we all do fade as a leaf.) Is. 64: 6.

Thus man must die and waste away,
This is God's just decree:
The soul soon leaves this house of clay
And oh! then, where is he?

He still exists somewhere, we know;
But where we cannot tell;
But this we know we all must go,
With Christ, or friends to dwell.

We as a leaf all fade away,
To dust beneath the clod;
Then let us all without delay,
Prepare to meet our God.

On December 16th, 1863 in Allen Co., Ohio, Elizabeth, widow of Peter Wealer, deceased, formerly from Rockingham Co., Virginia, in the 89th year of her age. She was buried on the 18th, on which occasion the writer delivered a funeral discourse from Rev. 14: 13. She was a faithful member of the Mennonite Church for many years, and set forth a good example, well worthy of imitation. We hope she now rests from her labors, and her works do follow her.

"Bless'd are the dead," the Spirit saith
Who die in Christ, the Lord-
They from their labors wrought in faith
Shall rest, as their reward.

Their good works too, do follow them,
Which they have wrought in love -
Through tribulation great they came
To their sweet rest above.
J. M. B.

* On Jan. 5th, in Plumstead Township, Bucks Pa., out beloved brother John Gross, aged 77 years, 1 month and 8 days. He was buried on the 8th inst. at Deep-Run Mennonite burying ground, on which occasion Bros. Isaac Overholt and Samuel Godshalk preached at the house from Heb. 13; 7. and Bro. Isaac Moyer at the meeting-house from the 17th verse of the same chapter. Bro. Gross was for many years a faithful member of the Church--33 years he served as a minister of the Gospel, declaring the word of God with all faithfulness and sincerity of heart, leading a consistent, and an exemplary Christian life--charitable, benevolent,--kind to all, enjoying the good will of all, he has gone to his reward in peace. J. F. F.
(* Transcriber's note: the second line of this obit, "77 years, 1 month and 8 days" - number of days is undecipherable, could be an 8 or 3.)

Died, very suddenly, without any previous illness, on the night of Dec. 28th, at her residence in Perry Co., Ohio, our sister Elizabeth Huber, aged 60 years, 10 months, and 14 days. She was a member of the church about 30 years. Although the Master came suddenly in the silent hours of the night, perhaps unexpectedly to her, yet we have every reason to believe that He found her in readiness and watching,--That she felt deeply concerned in regard to her eternal interest was clearly evinced by her faithful attendance at the sanctury(sic), and also by her godly walk and conduct.

In consideration of her speedy removal out of time into eternity, our Saviour's language as recorded by St. Mark 13th chap. 37th verse, was selected as a foundation for a funeral discourse in the German Language and a discourse in English was delivered from Psalm 17:15.

Be watchful, ye mortals, the Master may come
When least ye expect him, to summon you home;
Oh then be ye ready, be watchful and pray:
Think not that his coming your Lord will delay.

He surely will come, but just when, none can say:
Perhaps 'twill be midnight, perhaps break of day,
Perhaps in the evening, 'tis not certain when:
But this we do know, that He will come again.

Oh blessed that servant who, when He shall come,
Is waiting, and watching to see him return:
The joys of that servant no language can tell,
When he with the Master is suffered to dwell.
D. B.

Transcribed by Ron Garber, Kansas


Copyright 1999 - All rights reserved - Mennonite Publishing House, Scottdale, PA Used with permission by the Archives of the Mennonite Church, Goshen, IN Permission granted to private family researchers to use selected portions of these images to tell their family stories. May not be mass-produced in any form for commercial purposes.