Herald of Truth - Volume IX, Number 11 - November, 1872, page 174, 175

A Sudden Death

I will give you a short account of a very sad event that took place recently. A man by the name of Daniel Lanerd, had moved to McPherson Co., Kansas, about 25 miles north of here, and he and his daughter started to go back to Peabody to bring their goods, when they camped about three miles north of here. It rained very hard that night and in the morning they started to go to a house, and when they came to within about fifteen or twenty rods of the house the father was struck by the lightning and fell back dead into the arms of his daughter, without another breath. His daughter then drove on to the house with her dead father in her arms. It was indeed a sad event for the daughter, and what a powerful lesson it should be to us all, teaching us how very uncertain our lives are. How carefully we should live and try to obey the Lord, for we know not the day nor the hour when the Son of man will come. MICHAEL KILMER.

CORRECTION.___ In the death notice of Peter Baumgartner, in the October number his age was stated incorrectly. It should have been 89 years, and 6 months.

On the 25th of June, near Sporting Hill, Lancaster Co., Pa., Bro. Martin Nissley, aged 83 years, 7 months, and 18 days. His mortal remains were followed to the grave by a large concourse of relatives and friends. He lived in matrimony 62 years, and was a faithful member of the Mennonite church from his young days.

On the 24th of August, in Champaign Co., Ill., Jesse Hoover, infant son of Christian and Elizabeth Shantz, aged l year and 7 days.

Dearest Jesse, thou hast left us.
Here thy loss we deeply feel;
But 'tis God that hath bereft us,
He can all our sorrows heal.

On the 2nd of Sep., in Lagrange Co., Ind., of dropsy, David Gerber, aged 71 years, 3 months and 28 days. He bore his affliction with patience and christian resignation. He was a faithful brother in the Amish Mennonite church. Service by Isaac Schmucker in German, and by David Truby in English.

On the 14th of Sep., in Branch Co., Mich., Matilda Catherine, infant daughter of Jacob and Mary Davis, aged 5 months. Services by C. D. Beery and John Krupp.

Sleep, little Matilda, sleep
Here beneath the sod.
With many a tear, and many a sigh,
We give thee up to God.

On the 15th of Sep., in Putnam Co., Ohio, of *----, Albert, son of Scott and Christiana Dangler, aged 1 year, 6 months and 10 days. Funeral service by George Brenneman.

*transcriber's note: undecipherable in the original text

How soon little Albert has taken his flight,
With angels to dwell in everlasting light;
Christ, for all the children, a blessing hath given,
And said, "For of such is the kingdom of heaven."

On the 9th of Sep., in Wayne Co., Ohio, of dropsy and inflammation of the bowels, Bro. Jacob Zook, aged 43 years, 2 months and 20 days. He leaves a wife and 4 children to mourn their loss. He suffered much, which he endured with Christian forbearance. He was a faithful member of the Amish Mennonite church. Funeral discourses by John K. Yoder and Jonathan Schmoker, from John 5: 24, 25.

0 what bath Jesus bought for me!
Before my ravish'd eyes,
Rivers of life divine I see,
And trees of Paradise.

I see a world of spirits bright,
Who taste the pleasure there;
They all are robed in spotless white,
And conq'ring palms they bear.

On the 19th of Sep., in Lagrange Co., Ind., John Franklin, son of Henry and Philantha Hostetler, aged 7 months and 12 days. Sermon by Henry A. Miller in German, and Jacob Weaver in English, from Matt. 19: 13, 14.

On the 22nd of Sep., in Elkhart Co., Ind., infant daughter of William and Christiana Weaver, aged 10 months and 4 days. Sermon by Henry A. Miller and Jacob Weaver.

On the 22nd of Sep., in Petersburg, Lancaster Co., Pa., Jacob Reist, in his 82nd year. His bereft widow and children selected the text, 2 Tim. 4: 7, 8, from which the brethren, C. Bomberger, J. N. Brubaker, and J. B. Landis, made some impressive remarks.

On the 24th of Sep., near Landisville, Lancaster Co., Pa., Bro. Joseph Sprout, aged 54 years, 8 months and 4 days. He was a beloved and faithful brother in the Mennonite church.

On the 6th of Sep., in East Donegal, Lancaster Co., Pa., Bro. Christian Herr, aged 53 years and 10 days. He leaves a wife and 4 children; the widow and 3 children are sick with Typhoid fever.

Funeral sermon of Henry A. Brenneman was delivered on the 29th of Sep., by the brethren, C. Steiner, J. M. Greider, and S. Near, from Matt 24:42-46; Rev. 22:12-14 and 1 Cor.15: 22, 23 to a large and attentive audience.

On the 25th of Sep., in Montgomery Co., Pa., Catharine Rosenberger, aged 43 years, 3 months and 8 days. She was buried at Line Lexington. She had been confined to her bed about 12 years, and was a sister in the Mennonite church. Funeral discourses by Isaac Rickert, Josiah Clemmer, and J. M. Haldeman.

On the 17th of August, in Montgomery Co, Pa., Catharine, daughter of Jonathan Krupp, aged 10 months and 17 days. Funeral services by J. M. Haldeman in English, and Jacob Loux in German.

On the 29th of Sep., in Elkhart Co., Ind, of scalding with hot water, Warren, son of George and _____ Morris, aged 2 years and 5 days. He is not lost, but only gone before. Funeral services by J. F. Funk, from Matt. 18: 2, 3.

On the 3rd of October, in Elkhart Co., Ind., of cholera infantum, Allen Thomas, son of Thomas and _____ Moore, aged 10 months and 8 days. Buried on the 4th. Funeral services by J. F. Funk, H. Shaum, and J. Beidler, from Eccl. 12: 7.
Only gone before.

On the 5th of October, in Mahoning Co., Ohio, Peter Blosser, aged 85 years, 8 months and 2 days. He was buried the 8th, in Oberholtzer's burying-ground. Discourses by J. Kolb and Joseph Bixler, from Ps. 90: 1-12.

On the 6th of October, in Locke, Elkhart Co., Ind., of cholera infantum, Valentine James Baumgartner, aged 1 year, 4 months and 8 days. Funeral discourse by J. F. Funk, from Matt. 18: 2, 3.

On the 9th of October, in Lagrange Co., Ind., of gangrene, David Franklin, son of Abraham and Margaret Gerber, aged 23 years, 3 months and 6 days. Funeral services by Isaac Schmucker in German, and David Truby in English, from John 16: 16.

No tranquil joys on earth I know,
No peaceful, shelt'ring dome;
This world's a wilderness of woe-
This world is not my home.

To Jesus Christ I sought for rest,
He bid me cease to roam,
And fly for refuge to his breast,
And he'd conduct me home.

On the 8th of October, near Locke, Elkhart Co., Ind., after a brief illness, Frederick Holderrieth, aged 65 years, 7 months and 1 day. He was buried on the 10th. He leaves a deeply afflicted widow and a number of children to mourn their loss.

On the 15th of October, in Bremen, Marshall Co., Ind., of typhoid fever, of which she suffered severely several weeks, Cora Ellen, daughter of Samuel and Barbara Mann, aged 5 years 10 months and 7 days. She was an intelligent, kind and affectionate child, and was beloved by all who knew her. She had a desire to depart and be with Jesus. On one occasion she said to her mother, "I wish I could die and die happy." Her mother said, "O, you are not going to die, Cora." "0 yes," she replied, "I want to die." She gave direction as to who should make her coffin. It was her habit every evening before going to bed to kneel down and repeat her prayers, and when once she had forgotten to do so, she was greatly concerned about the matter, and seemed to feel very sad on account of it. She was buried on the 17th. Funeral services by J. F. Funk.

On the 16th of October, in Chillicothe Mo., of croup, Emma Laura, daughter of Jacob S. and Annie K. Funk, aged 1 year, 6 months and 17 days. Buried on the 17th. Jesus loves the little children, and little Emma Laura has found a home where childhood never grows old, where the flowers never fade, and where there is fullness of joy forever. --There she is waiting for you---there she is waiting for us all.

On the 23rd of Sep., in Medina Co., Ohio, Abraham D. Koppes, aged 51 years, 10 months and 15 days. He leaves a widow and 8 children to mourn their loss, which we trust is his eternal gain. Brother Koppes was a member of the Mennonite church while here on earth, and we trust he is now a member of the church triumphant. But a few days before his death he desired once more to partake of the broken body and shed blood of our Redeemer; afterwards he said that the hour of death could not come too soon. He was beloved by all who knew him, so that he leaves many kind friends to weep with his sorrowing family, but they sorrow not as those having no hope.

Farewell dear brother, death has called
Thee from our family circle here;
But may we all, through faith in Christ,
Around the heavenly throne appear.

On the 12th of Oct. in East Donegal, Lancaster Co, Pa., of consumption, Mary Herr, aged 52 years, 7 months, and 17 days. She bore her sickness with christian fortitude. She was a faithful sister in the Mennonite church. She was a widow only five weeks, her husband, Christian E. Herr, died five weeks previous with the typhoid fever; the whole family, one son and two daughters, were prostrated with the same fever. She was buried on the 15th, at Donegal church, where a large concourse of relatives and friends followed her remains to their final resting place, where appropriate addresses were delivered by Peter Nissly, John Landis and C. Nissly.

I would not live alway-no, welcome the tomb,
Since Jesus has lain there, I'll enter its gloom;
There sweet be my rest, till he bid me arise,
To hail him in triumph descending the skies.

On the 19th of October, in Marietta, Lancaster Co., Pa., Mary, wife of Christian Hersh, aged 62 years, 10 months and 21 days. She was afflicted over two years with dropsy, which she bore with christian fortitude. She was a sister in the, Mennonite church. On the 22nd her remains were followed by a number of friends and relatives to Donegal church for interment, upon which occasion Henry Shank and J. N. Brubaker officiated at the house, and P. Nissly at the grave.

Transcribed by: Ron Garber, Kansas