Herald of Truth Obituaries - January, 1881


Herald of Truth - Volume XVIII, Number 1 - January, 1881

Died in Westmoreland county, Pa., of palsy, Sister Sarah, wife of Brother John Loucks. She was born October 19th, 1805, and died October 19th, 1880, aged 75 years. She was buried on the 21st at Stonerville, in the Mennonite cemetery. The funeral was largely attended; many relatives and friends were present. She leaves a bereaved husband and three children to mourn the loss but they sorrow not as those who have no hope. Her loss is deeply felt in the church, where she was a consistent member for many years. She was much beloved by all who knew her. On the morning of her death Sister Loucks was apparently in good health, and went to visit one of her daughters who lived but a short distance from her home. In the evening she started for home alone feeling well, but on the way she was stricken down, and when found by the family late in the evening, she was unable to speak; she died the next morning. How uncertain is life, and how certain is death! O, friends, let us prepare to meet our fast approaching end, that we may be permitted to enter in through the gates into the city. Services by John N. Durr and ____ Hickernell, from 2 Tim. 4: 6-7.

Correction.-December No., in the death notice of Bro. Jacob Frank it should be 38 years in place of 20 years.

October 6th, in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, Frances, daughter of Ephraim N., and Mary Nissley, aged 5 years and 12 days.

October 31st, in Hawpatch church, La Grange county, Indiana, Bro. James Morrell, aged 73 years, 6 months and 6 days. He was buried on the 2d of November, followed to his last resting place by a very large concourse of relatives and friends. Services were held in German by Isaac Schmucker, and in the English by John F. Funk, of Elkhart, from John 5: 24-29. Bro. Morrell was a member of the Amish Mennonite church. He bore his affliction with calmness, patience and resignation, keeping his trials and troubles, in a large measure to himself, and took pains to make as little trouble as possible for those who waited on him. He was rational to the last, and the last he was understood to say was something about traveling. We trust he has gone to meet those who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, and to dwell forever there "where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest."

"Dear father, thou art gone to rest,
Thy toil and care are o,er.
And sorrow, pain, and suffering, now,
Shall ne,er distress thee more."

Farewell, my children dear,
I am not dead, but sleeping here:
Prepare for death, for die you must,
And with me slumber in the dust.

November 9th, near Shanesville, Tuscarawas county, Ohio, Benjamin Hochstettler, aged 60 years, 11 months and 6 days.

November 13th, in La Grange county, Indiana, of cholera infantum, infant daughter of Homer and Alice Truesdale, aged 4 weeks. Services by J. J. Weaver.

November 13th, in Snyder county, Pennsylvania, infant daughter of John G. And Susan Winey, aged 8 days. Buried the 15th. Services by Thomas Graybill and David H. Kauffman, from Matt. 1: 14.

November 13th, in Snyder county, Pa., Rebecca, wife of John Klueck, aged 69 years, 9 months, and 12 days. Buried the 15th at Arlogast church. Services by Thomas Graybill and Jacob Wambold. Text, Psalm 39: 5.

November 23d, in Washington county, Md., Sister ____ Summer, aged 77 years, 8 months and 18 days. She was unmarried. A large concourse followed her remains to the place of interment. Services by Adam Bear, Daniel Roth, and Josiah Brewer, from Isaiah 38: 1, last clause.

November 24th, near Stanford, Ontario, Catharine Nafziger. She was a faithful Christian, and looked to her Savior even unto her end. She suffered with patience, and died in a blessed hope in her Redeemer.

November 29th, near Morgantown, Berks county, Pennsylvania, fell asleep in Jesus, Sister Sarah Kurtz, wife of Jacob Kurtz, sen., aged 65 years and 17 days. Buried Dec. 2d, in the presence of a great number of relatives and friends. Discourses appropriate to the occasion were made by John P. Mast in German, and by Isaac Eby in English, from John 11: 24, 25.
"We yield her, Savior, to thy love,--
Thy love so full and free -
That drew her tenderly away,
To find a home with thee."

December 2d, in Mahoning county, Ohio, Hannah, wife of Noah M, Blossrr*, aged 38 years and 20 days. She leaves a bereaved husband and an adopted child. She was a zealous sister in the church, and her last words to her husband were to hold out faithful to the end, and she prayed that God would lead her parents and brothers to seek the Savior. Buried at Bixler's meeting-house. Appropriate remarks were made on the funeral occasion form Rev. 14: 13.

December 2d, in Hancock county, O., Mary, daughter of Samuel and Maria Ream, aged 8 years, 1 month and 17 days. Buried on the 5th, followed to the grave by many weeping relatives and friends. Funeral services by C. B. Brenneman.

December 3d, in Marion county, Kansas, of diphtheria, Anna May, daughter of Bro. Benjamin F. Hamilton, aged 4 years, 3 months and 7 days. Funeral services by Bro. Jacob Holdeman in English, and Bro. Daniel Wismer in German, from 1 Peter 1: 24, 25, "For all flesh is as grass, and the glory of man as the flower of grass; the grass withereth and the flower thereof falleth away: but the word of the Lord endureth forever; and this is the word by which the gospel is preached unto you."

December 4th, in Snyder county, Pennsylvania, of typhoid pneumonia, Bro. Benjamin Snyder, aged 63 years, 1 month and 19 days. Buried the 7th. Services by S. Winey. Wm. Graybill and Wm. Auker. Text" 2 Samuel 15: 32.

Dec. 4th, in Elkhart, Ind., of congestive chills, Nettie May, daughter of Myron Eddy, aged 1 year, 9 months and 19 days. Services by J. F. Funk, assisted by Rev. Jas. Wales.

December 7th, on Pretty Prairie, La Grange county. Indiana, Sister Polly Hooley, wife of Jacob P. Hooley. She was a kind and affectionate mother and wife, and a faithful sister in the Amish church. She has gone, with a hope of receiving an everlasting crown in heaven. Funeral discourse by Peter Long and Christian Werey, from 2 Tim. 4: 6-8.

December 8th, in Elkhart county, Indiana, Daniel F., son of Josephus and Elisabeth Wallace, aged 1 month and 8 days. Funeral services by Benjamin Berket and C. Christophel. Text: Job 14: 1, 2.

December 11th, in Holmes county, Ohio, Isaac Yoder, aged 70 years, 10 months, and 17 days.

December 12th, in Juniata county, Pennsylvania, of consumption. Bro. David Shelley, son of Jacob and Lydia Shelley, aged 25 years and 1 day. Buried the 14th at Shelley's meeting-house. Discourses by S. Winey, Thomas and Sol. S. Graybill, from John 16: 22.

December 19th, near Canton, Ohio, of lung fever, Elmer, son of Peter and Mary Grabill, aged 8 years and 19 days.

Buried November 15th, near Goodville, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, infant of John Neuswanger.

December 6th, in Jewell county, Kansas, very suddenly, Mary, wife of George Brick, aged 30 years. Her husband is a painter by trade and was not at home at the time of her death. There are six children in the family, one of which was sick at the time of its mother's death. She had been complaining for some weeks but went to bed apparently as well as usual. In the night the sick child called a number of times and received no answer. At two o,clock in the morning one of the older children was awakened, and their mother was found to be dead and cold. She was buried on the 8th at Pleasant Hill burying-ground. Services were held at the house by John Snyder, at the schoolhouse by Pre. Sellers. The funeral was largely attended. Be ready to meet your God.

In November, in Montgomery county, Pa., only son of Bro. Jacob Gander. He leaves a wife and one child to mourn his death. He was sick ten weeks, and we hope he made peace with God.

November 28th, in Markham, York county, Ontario, after several years severe suffering with cancer, Samuel Weidman, aged 60 years His lifeless body was laid to rest in Weidman's burying-ground, on which occasion many people were assembled , and Joseph Berkey made some introductory remarks from St. John 14: 13, and was followed by Samuel Huber from 1 Cor. 15. Bor. Samuel Weidman was the last son of our aged brother deacon Christian Weidman. He leaves a widow, three sons, and three daughters to mourn their loss.

December 17th, in Mifflin county, Pennsylvania, Bro. Shem Zook, aged 82 years, 2 months, and 21 days. Early in life the deceased united with the Amish Mennonite church, and remained through his long life a faithful and useful member. He was a man of more than ordinary intelligence and sociability, hence the circle of his acquaintance was very large. Although strongly attached to the church in his neighborhood where he spent his later years, his religious sympathies extended to the Mennonite brotherhood in general. He greatly deplored the separations which have taken place. He was acquainted with the history of the church, and in 1849 he published an edition of the Martyrs, Mirror in the German language. Brother Zook was a friend to Sunday schools, and attended the one held in his church as long as health and strength permitted. He was also a warm friend and supporter of the Herald of Truth, and an active correspondent of the same as long as mind and health enabled him. Our acquaintance with him was very pleasant. He has been indeed a pillar in the church for many years and we trust he has his reward with those who have been faithful unto death. [Ed.

October 26th, in Whiteside county, Ill, Anna S. Stafinoske, at the advanced age of 90 years, 9 months and 10 days. Buried the 28th. Funeral services by Henry Nice and John Kornhaus, from Isaiah 38: 1, last sentence.

November 8th, in Whiteside county, Illinois, Jacob Snavely, aged 56 years and 27 days. Funeral on the 10th, in the Mennonite burying-ground at Sterling. He leaves a bereaved widow and two children to mourn their loss. Funeral services by Henry Nice in German and Joseph Steiner in English. Text: Isaiah 38: 1, last part,

December 2d, in Whiteside county, Illinois, Rachel Mohler, aged 83 years, 9 months and 21 days. Her remains were placed in the Mennonite grave yard at Sterling, on the 4th, when appropriate remarks were made by Henry Nice, from Philippians 1: 1, 2, 23.

* Transcriber's note: as written

Transcribed by Sandra Poulton, Ontario


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