Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-05-26
SUMMONED!
Mrs, Marguerite Heller YOrtrie-
de Passes From Earthly
Abode.
Death and Burial of a Promi-
nent and Popular Lady.

Mrs. Margarite Vortriede, nee Heller, died
at the home of her parents the Hon. and
Mrs. S. NJ. Heller, last Wednesday after
noon at 2:30 o'clock p. m. aged 81 years and
5 days.
For two weeks she was i'll with the great
destroyer, peritonitis, and at no time during
her sickness. even from the first, were hopes
entertained for her recovery until Monday,
the 10th, when the veil of gloom that en-
shrouded the household and town lifted
little at the words of the attending physi-
clans wherein hope-though very meager--
was held out for recovery.
But only momentarilly was this ray of
sunshine permitted to dispel blackness. On
Wednesday the glad report was quickly fol-
lowed by intelligence that the sufferer could
not live the day. Slowly but with appalling
certainty she sank and when two O'clock and
thirty minutes arrived in the afternoon, the
faint and Pickering lamp went out--the
bony spectre called Death, onl whom we all
reflect with horror, entered, reached out his
tapering fingers and touched her. That was
join the long caravan of young lives that
have departed this sphere when life seemed
at its acme of living.
A feeling of intense gloom and oppression
dropped over Napoleon at the thought that
"Madge Vortriede" (familarly called) was
dead. Nor did grief fnd its way to Napo-
leon alone, for the deceased had lived in To-
ledo the past several years and the near
metropolis bowed its head in deep sorrow
at the sad news. There, as here in the town
where she was born and grew to woman's
estate, her friends numbered many.
The funeral ceremony was held at the
Daniels ofiIndianapolis in charge, assisted
by Reverends Donahey and Balmer. After
the rites at the house the remains were con-
veyed to Toledo by special car and tempor-
arilly laid at rest in the public vault of
Wood!awn cemetery awaiting the erection
of vault in Glenwood at this place.
As mute expression of grief and
respect, costly floral tributes of the
rarest flowers arrived before the funeral
from friends in the city. Among others was
an open floral book from the employees of
the Toledo Express with Like Poem" in
raised letters of fragrant flowers on one
page, while the other bore the too sLgges-
tive phrase, "Gone too Soon;" boquet of "a
roses representing age of deceased, lovers
knot of carnations and roses, wreaths of Ill
lies. baskets of roses, lilies and Marguer-
ties, all we're arranged in bower of beauty
near the casket, and strewn over the de-
parted as she lay dressedAin burial robe of
fine texture, the whole sad and beautiful
scene lending ccgency to the old expression,
"Death indeed loves shining mark"
The subtle meaning of the old proverb de
mortuis nil nisi bonunl cannot apply to Mrs.
Vortriede, for a correct delineation of her
character is nought but good. Right appro-
pirate then was it for the Reverend Daniels
to say:
She was one of those airy, genial natures
which seem like the fresh breeze or the
morning sunshine wherever they come. She
lived her life, pure and natural as the run
ming prook and the result was popularity
with all classes. We do not say that she was
perfect or without fault. None are perfect
here. Evsn the brook contains decayed
turf and other waiste matter, but as a whole
it is beautiful
She never had wish ungratiHed yet she
ruled by love, and while it was hers to
enjoy the blessings of life, her enjoy yment
of them was such that it did not inspire envy
or spite She was closely and
without any interruption, bound up in her
husband, her parents and other relatives.
But the trait which has impressed
me more than all others. is that she always
saw some good in every one, no matter how
degraded. While others could see the evil,
she was always looking for the good.
Innocence was another prominent trait
belonging to the character of the departed.
Things that would harm others did not seem
to have any effect upon her. She seemed
more in selfish world unconscious as a
child of its selfishness.