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Herald of Truth - Volume IX, Number 10 - October, 1872, page 158, 159

By request I will give the readers of the Herald an account of the untimely death of our esteemed friend, JOSEPH M FRETS, near Winesburg, Holmes County, Ohio, which was occasioned by drowning. This took place on Tuesday evening, June the 25th, and was, as near as I could learn through eye witnesses, as follows.
He had been helping one of his neighbors, John Bixler, to raise a dwelling house. After supper he, with a number of young men, went to a mill-dam near by, owned by Cornelius Lowe. Just below one of the gates there was a deep place which had an offset in its bed a few steps from the edge of the water, and was about ten feet deep. There some of the young men went in, asking Joseph to go along; at first he refused to do so, but yielded at length to their request, telling them that they must not let him drown. He waded in till he came to the offset, and stepping forward he went beyond his depth, and al1 the efforts of his frightened companions to rescue him were of no avail until he had sunk for the last time. Many others soon came to the place, and efforts were made to restore life, but it was too late--the soul had taken its flight.
He was 23 years, 1 month, and 20 days old, and was the only son of Andrew Frets, who formerly lived in Bucks Co., Pa. He was a member of the M. E. Church, and we have reason to believe that in the morning of the resurrection he will come forth to receive a crown of eternal life.
An unusually large concourse of people followed his remains to their last resting place. Funeral sermon by Rev. T. H. D. Bell of Middletown, O., from the words, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith," 2 Tim. 3 7.
Winesburg, Ohio. H. A. MUMAW.

On the 27th of May, in Markham, York Co., Ontario, of inflammation of the lungs, David A, only son of John F. and Martha Reesor, aged 24 yrs., 4 mos., and 14 days. On the 29th the funeral took place, when a sorrowful wife, two sisters, and parents, together with a large concourse of friends and relatives followed him to the grave (Wideman's grave-yard), where services were held in German and English, from the text selected by the deceased on his death-bed, Rev. 14:13. He was respected and beloved by all who were acquainted with him. During the time of his severe illness of about two weeks, he was led by the grace of God to sense of his hopeless condition without Christ, which caused him, through earnest prayer, to seek for mercy, which was not in vain, but also found that blessing, which could enable him to say, I know that Jesus is mine, and thus resigned to the will of God; he made choice of the above text and departed, we trust in peace.

On the 6th of June, in Lagrange Co., Ind., at the residence of his son-in-law, Christian Borntreger, from the effects of a cold, Peter Baumgardner, aged about 70 years. Sermon by John Nusbaum and H. Miller.

On the 8th of July, in Lancaster Co., Pa., of consumption, Daniel Brenneman, aged 51 years, 6 months, and 28 days. He was a brother in the Mennonite church. Before his death he said he was ready to die. He leaves a widow and four children to mourn their loss. He was buried the 10th, on which occasion appropriate remarks were made by Amos Herr, in English, and by Joseph Burkholder in German.

On the 29th of August, in Lancaster Co., Pa., Catharine Warfel (widow), at the advanced age of 82 years, 2 months, and 10 days. She was a member of the Mennonite church, and said she had a hope in her Redeemer, and had a desire to depart and be with him. She was buried on the 21st. Funeral discourse by Martin Miller, sr., in German, and Amos Herr, in English, from Rev 7; 16, 17.

On the 18th of August, in Shelby Co., Mo., of brain fever, Emmanuel Joseph, son of Jacob and Sarah Gsell, aged 1 month and 15 days. Sermon by Benjamin Hershey and Abm. Lapp, from Luke 18: 15-17

On the 27th of August, in Fayette Co., Pa., Jacob D. Overholt, at the age of 68 years, and 24 days. He was sick but a few days. He leaves a widow and five children to mourn their loss but they need not mourn as those who have no hope. He was a faithful brother in the Mennonite church for a long time. Sermon by ______ Garet, in English, and Jonas Blough in German.

On the 22nd of August, in Medina Co., Ohio, of dysentery, Alpheus, son of John, and Hannah Koppes, aged 3 years, 2 months, and 7 days. Sermon by Henry Beery from Mark 10: 13-l5.

On the 20th of August, in Wayne Co., Ohio of the infirmities of old age, Mary Hyde, aged 83 years, 7 months, and 7 days. She was a sister in the Mennonite church for many years. Appropriate remarks on the occasion were made by Henry Beery in German and by F. R. Kratz in English, from Rev. 14:13.

On the 25th of August, in Hamilton Co., Ind., of inflammation of the bowels, Flora A., daughter of John and Elizabeth Kauffman, aged 2 years, 2 months, and 4 days. Sermon by Elias Caylor from Job 14: 14.

In Concord township, Elkhart Co., Ind, on the 27th of August, of consumption, Daniel Vandlen, aged 45 years, 3 months, and 6 days. He was buried on the 29th. Funeral discourse by J. F. Funk, from Eph. 5:15, 16. He leaves a deeply afflicted widow and four children to mourn their loss.

On the 18th of August, in Whiteside Co., Ill., Bro. Henry Schnavely, aged 43 years, 8 months, and 6 days. Funeral discourse by Henry Nice, John Kornhaus, and Abm. Ebersole.

On the 24th of August, of the same place, a daughter of Henry Schnavely decd., aged about 10 months.

On the 15th of September, of the same place, Barbara Ebersole, aged 15 years, 7 months, and 28 days. Sermon by Henry Nice, and Abraham Ebersole.

In Elkhart Co., Ind., on the 13th of September, of cholera infantum, Margaret, daughter of Jacob and Barbara Yoder, aged 1 year, 3 months, and 10 days. Buried at Yellow Creek on the following Sunday, where discourses appropriate to the occasion were delivered by Daniel Brenneman and J. F. Funk, from Rev. 21: 4.

On the 9th of September, on Pretty Prairie, Lagrange Co., Ind., Sarah, daughter of Samuel K. Yoder, aged 6 months, and 15 days. Funeral discourse by Peter Long in English, from 1 Cor. 15: 26; and by C. Werry, from Matt. 19: 14.

Fell asleep in Jesus, on the 14th of August, in Dumphries township, Waterloo county, Ontario, Solomon Gehman, aged 71 years, 10 months, and 12 days. He was afflicted for over a year with dropsy, which finally settled on his heart. He was confined to his bed only three days, during which time he suffered great pain, which he bore with christian patience. He was buried on the 17th, followed to the grave by a large concourse of friends and relatives, upon which occasion Daniel High preached a discourse in German, from 2 Tim. 4: 7, 5, and John McNelly in the English language.
The deceased was born in Herford township, Berks county, Pa., and his father John Gehman was a minister in the Mennonite church 38 years, in Upper Milford, Lehigh county, Pa. In his youth Solomon emigrated(sic) to Canada, in the year 1822, where his neighbors at that time were Indians. He was married to Catharine Bechtel in 1827. In 1815 (???) his first wife died and in 1849 he was married a second time to widow Magdalena Weber, whose maiden name was Good. With his first wife he had 10 children, two of whom are dead. With his last wife he had 3 children of whom also one died. He leaves a deeply afflicted widow and ten children to mourn their loss. May God grant them grace, and though it be through many tears and much tribulation, to fit and prepare themselves for the home of the blessed in his eternal kingdom.

"Weep not around my bier.
When I am dead.
Nor drop the friendly tear
Upon my head.
Afar in yonder sky
I'll find my home,
And wait in realms of light
For you to come."

Transcribed by: Ron Garber, Kansas