HERALD OF TRUTH - Volume IV, Number 8 - August 1867 pages 115, 116

An affecting Incident

On the 26th of April last, the following sad incident occurred. Two sons of Abraham Clemmer, one aged 16 years, 7 months, and 11 days, the other 14 years, 7 months, and 21 days, were at work in the field. The younger had just gone home to get a piece to eat, when his sister requested him to assist her a little at cleaning up the yard, a service which he was usually willing to do, but on this occasion declined, saying, that he must hasten to the field again. On reaching the field he found a fresh, tender plant, which the physician called wild parsley (others call it wild parsnip), and relishing its (as he imagined) agreeable taste, he ate the greater part of it, and told his brother about the deliciousness of the plant he had eaten. The elder brother desirous of partaking of the same ate the balance of it, and within an hour and a half both brothers were corpses. " The poison soon deprived them of their senses, and had so violent an effect on them, that they were immediately seized with convulsions, the blood meanwhile being forced from their noses, mouths, and ears. Their sister and another young woman who was present at the time, and after the corpses were laid out, went into a private room, and each taking up a hymn book, sought to derive comfort from the first words that might be presented to their minds after witnessing so distressing a scene, and strange to say the same hymn was presented, at the same time, to each, as they opened their books, commencing,
"Wenn ich es recht betracht'
Und sehe Tag und Nacht,
Ja Stund und Zeite,
Hingehen so geschwind,
Geschwinder als der Wind,
Zur Ewigkeite", &c.
At the same time while these boys were in their sufferings, a funeral was taking place at Eby's Meeting-house, where a good many people and ministers were present attending the funeral, when several of the ministers, and probably others, saw as it were a flash of lightning over the place where the young people were sitting, though the sky was entirely clear. These remarkable events have no doubt, if considered with their whole bearing, important claims on the attention of the young; who, no doubt, are poisoned by the poisonous plants of sin, such as the lusts of the eyes, the lusts of the flesh, the pride of life, which were not planted by the Father, but my world whose god is Satan, 1 John 2:16, Math. 15:13. Hence the world is a great sinner and under condemnation (1 Cor 11:32); and all that have given their affections to the world, have become poisoned and are in danger of perishing, being under condemnation. On the other hand, he that does the will of God, shall escape unhurt for ever. As the physicians assert in the case of the above-mentioned youths, the effect of the poison was, to force the blood to the head so as to deprive them of their senses, and thus hurry them to a premature death; so also in the case of the young persons who indulge in forbidden lusts, the effect of their deeds is to deprive them of their spiritual senses and hurry them to an eternal death.
Of the creation it is said, "And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And evening and the morning were the sixth day." And again (Gen 1:29), "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat; and it was so." Then there was evidently yet no deadly plant. This was the result of the curse in the things of nature in consequence of the transgression of man. Paul says (Rom 8:20), "The creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope." In consequence of the fall of man the earth was cursed (Gen 3:13); not only the field, but death came upon all nature. Hence a great change took place in the entire creation. The heavenly harmony which prevailed in every department of creation was marred. The powers of life which had been diffused through the works of God, continued not. Peace then gave way to strife and contention. Decay and death took the place of the life that through the power of God faded not away. This came to pass without any fault in creation, and is opposed to its own existence. It shrinks back from death. Vegetation forces its way to the light; animals seek their food and with surprising instinct avoid that which is injurious. How affecting oftentimes the distressful cries and groans of ill-treated creatures of the animal world fall on our ears! All things desire life, are glad of their existence, and aspire after a better and higher state of life.
No animal would have touched, much less eaten, the poisonous plant above mentioned. Alas! What a noble treasure has man lost by the fall! Though as the creation man was to have dominion over the creatures, yet in this case, as in many others, we see man occupying a lower rank than the brute creation. O man! whosoever you are, whether old or young, struggle and groan with the rest of creation for redemption. Paul says "the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now." With the pains of travail is joined the hope of giving life to a new being. So all creation is not groaning and travailing in pain.
The funeral services of the above-said youth took place on Sunday the 28th, at Schneider's Burying-ground, where a short sermon was preached from Gen. 3. concerning indulgence in forbidden enjoyments, and from Luke 21:36. The funeral was preached in the church-yard, as there was not room in the church for the great numbers that were present. Waterloo, C. W.
J.B.

Transcriber's note: see also June, 1867 for the obituary of these boys.

Page 127.
On the 24th of June, 1867, in Berlin Township, Holmes Co., Ohio, MAGDALENA, wife of Emanuel BITSCHY, and daughter of John Gerber, aged 21 years and 6 months. She was buried on the 25th in the family graveyard of Abraham B. Bitschy. Funeral sermons were delivered by Christian Yoder and Moses Miller, from Jn. 5:20-29 and 1 Thess. 4:13-18. She had been married only a short time, and leaves a husband and one child to mourn their loss; but we hope their loss will be her eternal gain. She was a faithful member of the Omish Mennonite Church.

On the 14th of July, 1867, in German Township, Holmes Co., Ohio, of apoplexy, PETER HERSHBERGER, aged 50 years, 2 months, and 16 days."He was buried in the family grave-yard, on the 15th, upon which occasion a funeral sermon was preached by Shem Miller from Jn. 5:21-29 and Levi Miller from I Cor. 15:51-58, and 2 Thess. 2:1-3. He leaves a wife and twelve children to mourn their loss. We hope their loss will be his eternal gain. He was a faithful brother in the Omish Mennonite Church.
BENJAMIN HELMUTH

On the 7th of June, in Richland Township, Cambria Co., Pa., of cancer from which he suffered severely, DANIEL EASH, aged 48 years, 6 months, and 22 days. He was buried on the 9th, upon which occasion Moses B. Miller preached an appropriate discourse. He was a faithful member of the Omish Mennonite Church.

On the 10th of June, in Conemaugh township, Sumerset Co., Pa., of dropsy, at the honse (sic) of his daughter, Bro. PETER MILLER, aged 70 years, 10 months, and 4 days. He was buried on the 12th at Faust's Meeting-house, where a discourse was delivered by the writer from Jn. 11:2526, and also an earnest exhortation by the aged bishop Samuel Blough. Bro Miller was a faithful member of our society many years. We hope our loss is his eternal gain.
SAMUEL BLOUGH

On the 15th of July, 1867, in Lagrange Co., Ind., ELIZABETH, wife of John HOCHSTETLER, aged 30 years, 6 months, and some days. Funeral sermon was preached by David Miller and Joseph Miller. She leaves a husband and five children.

On the 29th of June, in Manor Township, Lancaster Co., Pa., of sunstroke, ABRAHAM KAUFFMAN, aged 72 years, 3 months, and 18 days. He was unmarried. He was a son of Christian Kauffman, who was a minister of the Mennonite Church. He enjoyed usual good health until a few hours previous to his death, when he complained of weakness, though he did not feel alarmed, and walked out into the meadow near by and talked a few words with the men at work there. David says: "As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth: for the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more." He fell down amid the withered grass, giving signs of life a few minutes, and was no more. He was buried on the first of July in the family graveyard. A funeral sermon was preached by Benj. Lehman and Abraham Witmer. He was a faithful member of the Mennonite Church.
A. M. K.

Page 128.
On the 6th of July, in Lebanon Co., Pa., of palsy, Bro. JOHN BACHMAN, Sen. aged 83 years, 8 months, and 24 days. His funeral discourses were preached by the brethren John Risser, Isaac Gingerich, Jacob Dohner and John Brubaker.
JOHN NISSLEY, SEN.

On the 4th of July, in Roanoke Township, Woodford Co., Ill., BARBARA GROVE wife of Samuel Grove, aged 38 years, 7 months, and 24 days. Her maiden name was Brubaker. Funeral sermons were preached by the writer from Isaiah 40:6-8, and by John Gish from Jn. 11:20-25. The deceased was born in Virginia. She joined the church thirteen years ago, and bore her sickness with entire resignation to the Father's will. She leaves a husband and two children to mourn their loss. JOST BALLY.

On the 24th of June, at the residence of her bother Jacob Eshleman; in Providence Township, Lancaster Co., Pa., ELIZABETH ESHLEMAN, aged 67 years, 10 months, 27 days. She was buried at Huber's Meeting-house. A funeral discourse was delivered by Amos Herr from Matt. 24:42. She was a member of the Mennonite Church, and we hope our loss is her gain.
A FRIEND.

On the 13th of June, in Warwick Township, Lancaster Co., Pa., after an illness of 8 days, Bro. HENRY HESS Sen., aged 73 years, 4 months, and 27 days. He was buried on Sunday the 16th upon which occasion John Brubaker, Christian Bomberger, and John Landis preached funeral discourses, from Rev. 20:6. He was married and lived with his wife over 52 years.

On the 16th of June, at his residence in Augusta Co., Virginia, MICHAEL HILDEBRAND, aged 83 years, eight months, and 11 days. He was buried on the 18th. Funeral discourses were delivered by Peter J. Shumaker and Daniel Brower from 1 Cor. 13:5558. He was born in Lancaster Co., Pa, and while he was yet in his early youth his father, Henry Hildebrand, removed from there to Virginia. He became a member of the Church in his early years, and continued in the faith to the last.
JACOB HILDEBRAND.

On the 11th of July, near Rohrerstown, Lancaster Co., Pa., EMMA SEITZ, aged 7 years, 6 months, and 21 days. Funeral discourses were preached by Christian Herr and John Landis, from Phil. 1:21. She was sick about three weeks and at times suffered severely, but death has put an end to her sorrows here, and she has gone to angel throngs above. " Weep not, mourning friends, she has only "gone before." Of late she often sang,
"My home is in heaven,
My rest is not here."
JOHN D. HERSHEY.

On the 26th of May, in Spruce Hill Township, Juniata Co., Pa., JOHN H. YODER, aged 67 years, 4 months, and 4 days. Funeral sermon was preached by Christian Peachey Mifflin Co. He was sick about 6 months. He leaves a wife and eleven children to mourn their loss.
DAVID A. YODER.

On the first of July, 1867, in Waterloo Township, C. W., Br. JACOB SHANTZ, aged 85 years, 8 months, and 20 days. He was a native of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and removed to Canada with his family in the year 1810. He lived in wedlock sixty-two years, and leaves eight children, eighty-four grand-children, and fifty-six great-grand-children. He took an active part in converting the wilderness of Waterloo Township into fruitful country. He was energetic and courageous in what he did, and is his works were according to the will of God, he is now at rest.
DAVID SHERK.

Transcribed by: Mona and David Mann, Arizona