Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1873-02-25
OBITUARY,

DIED-At her residence, in the
town of Ionesboro, e. Tenn, Deem
Der 2Uth, 1872, Mrs. MARY CATE, in
the SD year of her age.
She had enjoyed usual good health
up to about TO- clock on Thursday, p.
M, when she was suddenly stricken
| with congestion of the brain and re-
manned entirely insensible and speech
less until the following Friday at 9
| o'clock, z. NJ, when her spirit passed
to the spirit world, as it were, without
a struggle.
She was the daughter of Richard
ThornbuIg, Esq, of Jefferson county,
| East Tenn. Was bOrh June the 10Th,
1903; was married to Elder William
| Cate January 18th, 1889. On the 18th
of Nov, 1887, both she and her hus-
band were baptized on a profession of
| their faith in Christ and united with
the Baptist church in Rocky Valley,
Jefferson county, the county and state
of their nativity. In the year of 1912
! they permanently located in the town
of JOnesboro, where they remained up
to the day of their deaths, where as
| well as throughout this entire cOun-
try, the fruits of their labOrs are abun>
| dant. AS friend, our sister was kind
and true; as neighbor, faithful in
all her relations and intercourse as a
christian, devoted to the works of her
Redcemer; as a wife she was kind
and affectiOnate, and devoted to her
husband +; always ready 10 minister TO
his wants, and assist and sympathyze
with him in all his trials and tempta-
| tiOns of life. She was emphatically a
minister's wife. She had large cir
Gle of friends, but to say she lived and
died without an enemy would fail to
do justice to her memory. But / will
here assert that her enemies were of
that class that were opposed to the
cause of Christ. His cause has ever
been hated and despised, and we who
espOuse his cause cannot expect to live
in this world without an enemy, Yet
she was so pure and so good she rose
above the slang Of earth, while the
arrows of her enemies would fall harm
less at her feet.
But enough she has gone from a
world of toll and troubles and yexa-
ton to reap her reward in a world of
JOY and sunshine, where the wicked
cease from troubling and the weary
are at rest. She will be no more seen
among the walks of earth, her voice
will be heard no more in the social
circle, she will be no more seen in that
familiar seat at church /; she has pass
ed the Jordan of death and her works
do follow her. We mourn our loss.
yet we mourn not as those who have
no hope. We feel satisfied that our
loss is her eternal gain. She was too
good for earth. She has fought the
good fight, has finished her course, has
kept the faith and she has the promise
of crown of glory at Gods right
hand.
She stands, now, numbered with
that mighty host who came up through
great tribulation, whose robes have
been washed and made white in the
blood of the Lamb. And she is again
permitted to go and see that sainted
husband and deVout servant of God,
who travelled the same road some thir-
teen years in advance, and where they
will be permitted to see and know
each other as they knew each other
here. Oh, what a consoling thought,
when our friends die and leave us they
cannot return To Us, yet We can go to
them.
The writer first made the acquaint-
ance of Elder VIM. Cate and his good
lady, Mary G. Cate, in 1872 and was
intimately acquainted with them, and
fast friends up to the day of their
deaths, and can say of a truth, few
men have lived who has done SO much
tor the cause of our Redeemer His
works can now be seen and felt. |
and will reach down TO generations |
yet unborn, and be felt throughout |
eternity. During 1912 Elder VIM. |
Cate was sent by what was then called |
the Southern Baptist Convention, in I
Upper T.. Tenn. to labor. During that I
year he held twenty-three protracted |
meetings, preached two hundred ser
mons and delivered about the same 1
number of lectures, and about FIVE /
hundred souls were converted under
his ministry. He also founded the |
Baptist Chu ehes at Jonesboro, Eliza
bethton, New Salem, Rogersville,
Blountyille aid Bristol, and probably |
others the writer does not now remem-
Der. During his iife-iiIne the writer
has often conversed with him on the
subject of life, death and eternity, and
has often heard him say that he de-
sired his last moments tn be calm and
silent. In this request it seems that
both he and his wife were grstified,
although some thirteen years had in
between their Deaths 1t is
aid that the closing scenes of their !
ives were similarly beautiful and i'm
lressive, for both were calm and silent
md died without a struggle.
The writer would say, in conclusion,