Telegram-herald., 1891-02-07
A CENTURY OF LIFE
AFTER lavins Through the Exciting
Events Of . Hundred Years.
MRS. SlLLIE HuRD ROBERTS DIES
Her life WAs Ons Of the sw~<tess frag
Taaes is " hieh . Gsasias ShststsAn
spirit 6isss 80 with = stsAay . err
vera skessh ef Her Hsstery.
'Ths yoang may die. the old mus

A< sbSlk Aie3 SSs ttS S3N hAAss
die
The measure Of an individual life Is
not 50 well taken by its effects upon
lifelong friends as upon total strangers.
Friends are partial; strangers are strict
ly judicial. step, then, into the health
Office. where all sorts OF eyes are con-
stantly scanning the records The
names are not specially attractive.
The dates of births have wide range,
and some go back almost TO the begin
ning OF the century. But here Is one
that calls everybody TO q pause aud a
more careful scrutny: sallie Hufd
Roberts, born July 5, 1870. The oeto-
genarlan and the smart young school
boy. the undertaken aud the newspansr
reporter, glance up at the clerk, who,
IN his turn, siances down solidiy upon
his work, RS much rs TO say: NO,
there IS no mistake" And this is the
unassaIlable record that. IN the year
when Alexander Hamilton was holding
the United States of America IA the
very palm of his hand, Grandma Rob
erts came into the world TO bring down
through every year OF this Nations s
career her own gathered mementoes
OF the greatest that has occurred III the
greatest history that iias yet been made.
The unusual always creates profound
emotions, and the longevity OF TINS one
life, the half OF which has been passed
III Grand Rapids, takes it away from
the jurisdiction. ''of 1.-The old settlers
and makes II kin with all who now
dwell within the borders Of Kent
county. A sermon is preached in every
heart by the simple announcement
that one OF our community has bern
called TO another life.
Sallie Hurd was born at Middle Had
dam, Connecticut, July 8, 1890. She
sea-taring man. Nineteen years Of the
quiet characteristic OF the New England
country life OF that day were spent
under her fathers roof. Then she was
marrld, December %, 1909, TO Amos
Roberts, and she bore the name Of the
man of her first and only live through
more thau three-quarters of century.
Her sister Caroline, now In her SSth
year, still survives her.
The young married people embarked
IN lite very much as embarkations OF
the like sort are made today. They
removed from one place to another un-
til they found home TO their liking
always striking westward with the star
of empire. From the childhood home
the young people went to the far west
in New York, then again to the far west
in Western New York, and lastly again
to the far west in Western Michigan,
coming TO Grand Rapids in 1888. For
thirty years they had lived in house
that stood upon the present site OF
the Peninsular Club house, at the
corner of Ottawa and Fountain-sts. Six
children were born to them, four sons
and two daughters. At the home of
the only one CT her surviving children,
Mrs. Roberts spent her last years. Mrs.
John w. Pierce, lS6 Ottawa-st., is the
only living child.
The beauty of the Christian cnarac-
ter of "Grandma" Roberts cannot be
exaggerated. 1t was so rich IN purity
OF sentiment and goodness of works
that volumes would not exhaust the re-
cital of them. Her departure is as the
removal of a land mark from the city
IN a hundred different senses. To hun.
dreds OF acquaintances, ties of genuine
affection Will be broken; to thousands
of others: who never enjoyed the sweet
vision of her eugeric face, but who
knew her as Grandma Roberts, the GEN.
tennarian, it will be as the taking away
of their pride.
Marvellous to tell, it was not sold
age" nor ''inanition" that bore her
away, but q disease that attacks all
ages, pneumonia. Her earthly life
went out peacefully, yesterday morn
ing at O'Clock.