The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1891-11-27
FAITHFUL AFTER DEATH.
A WOMAN PERFORMS THE LAST
OFFICES FOR HER HUSBAND.

vi tS-S FSn TIN F1oOOftINOs
A Pathetic Story of Frontier Life-How
Wife and Mother Hesitated Not to
Spend Her Strength for the Sake of the
Man She Loved to tho Last.
The story of Mrs. U. J. Wenner's life
on Fremont island is about the most
pathetic story ever told on the frontier.
She was born and bred in luxury; she
came to this city a bride eleven years
ago. When, five years ago, her husband
decided to move to Fremont island, she
cheerfully gave up her luxurious home
in this city and went with him. Of
course she had no neighbors. With no
one but her husband and her little family
around her, with hired man and girl
to assist, she lived there five years. At
one time she was there two years and a
half without leaving the island.
When, two years ago, her husband be-
came too weak to ride on horseback, she
looked after the stock herself, she at
tended to her house, she taught her chill
dren, she nursed her husband, and in
these occupations she was busy every
moment of her time. She says she was
happy and we do not doubt it. Her hus-
band was failing all the time, but he had
been a long time i'll and she would not
permit the thought of the possibility of
his dying to enter her mind. So it went
on until two weeks ago Wednesday,
when her husband had severe hem
orrhage of the lungs. 1t was stopped,
and he said he felt more relieved than
he had for months before.
OF course great prostration always fol-
lows hemorrhage of the lungs, and SO
he lay very weak, but cheerful. Thurs
day he wanted the man who had been
their faithful employee so long to take
the boat, go over to Hooper and get the
mail, as he said he wanted his papers
and magazines. The man, however, did
not go until Friday morning. Through
the day Friday Judge Wenner was COM
paratively easy. He asked his wife to
read to him from their favorite books,
and also to repeat to him whole poems
which she knew by heart, and so the
day and night passed away.
A FEARFUL ORDEAL.
Saturday morning he told her what to
cook for his breakfast, saying he wanted
a good breakfast, but while this was in
preparation she heard the signal which
she had prepared for him to make in case
he needed her. When she got to his side
the fatal hemorrhage was on his lips,
and when she hastened to give him the
medicine that wa always given him at
such time he motioned it away. She
put her arm around his neck, drew his
head on her bosom and asked him if he
loved her; he answered, Eyes," and
asked her if she loved him. At her eyes,"
he smiled, and in an instant, without a
spasm, that smile was transfxed and his
soul had fled.
She was there all alone; with her own
hands she washed and dressed her hus-
bands body, went outside and got the
board herself, and stretched it upon the
chairs beside the bed; the girl had such
a horror of death that she could not be
induced to come into the room to help
her lay her husband on the plank. She
did it all alone, and when all was COM
posed she went to her children, told
them that their father was dead, ex-
planned to them as well as she could
what death meant, took them in and
showed them their fathers face; they
all kissed him, and knelt and prayed be-
eide him. The day wore along and a
great storm came upon the lake, so that
itwas impossible for the man to return.
1t had always been understood that two
signal fires meant that she needed help,
SO as the night came down she went and
lighted those fires and then took up her
watch beside her dead. At intervals
fha ioL4 cba
plenish the fires, and so the watch went
on till daylight. All that day passed
away. At night she renewed the fires;
and finally, at great peril, the man
reached the island at 10 o'clock at night.
A PATHETIC BURIAL.
There was no possibility to return to
get casket, SO the poor woman told the
man that he must from the boards on the
place make the best box he could. The
man helplessly said he could not, but she
encouraged him and told him she would
help him. So the box was made. From
the best material she had in the house
she with her own hands lined the box
and fixed pillow for the sleeper's head.
That completed, the man dug grave.
The only services for the dead was by
the wife and little children kneeling
around the coffin before it was moved
from the house and praying. But then
what other service was needed?
As best they could they got the box to
the grave, the man drove stakes on one
side of the grave and tied ropes to them,
and that woman and that man lowered
the body into the grave. Then she went
back to take care of her children. The
storm was so furious on the lake that it
was week before she could take her
children and leave the island.
What she endured through that Satur-
day and Saturday night, that Sunday
and that Sunday night no one knows,
and no one can imagine She did not
shed tear. She has not shed a tear
since. She says calmly that she never
anticipated life without her husband,
but that now her children need what
strength she has got. And she speaks Of
what she did as nothing at all. She
says it was pleasure to her to do the
: last Office; it is very much sweeter for
her to think of than it would be to think
that 1t was performed by some one who
might have been less tender in his touch
than she.
And that yyls by little woman who
never knew what work was or what iso-
lation meant, who knew nothing at all
about the rougher side of life until she
gave her heart up to her husband and
thenceforth lived only for him.-Salt
Lake Tribune.