The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1895-04-03
DIED.


Hickory, Forest county, Pa, March %,
1895, aged go years and months. He
was born at Edenburg, Clarion county,
Jan. IL, 1885.
On July 4th, 1861, he was married to
Mary Jane Stewart of Centreville, We
mango county, Pa. Their union was a
happy one each gladly sharing in the
others joys, sorrows and labors. Eight
children blessed this union; three, Blon-
dell, Wales X. and Lewis have gone to
heaven. Mrs. Emma Miller of East
Hickory, Mrs. Saville J. Shipe OF Ma
rienville, Mrs. Mary Connely OF Leud-
low, Pa, Augusta NJ. and Blanche G.
Keister remain with the widow to mourn
his loss.
The family have lived at East Hickory
for nearly 35 years. Lewis Keister was
known from Olean to Pittsburg on the
Allegheny, as a contractor for Mr.. Hol-
brook and Wheeler & Dusenbury He
gave excellent satisfaction.
Bro. Keister was no ordinary man, but
was able to carry himself with dignity
and to command the respect of all he
came in contact with-the nearer you got
TO his heart, the more you loved him.
His integrity was fully tested and the es-
innate of his character was shown by the
large attendance at his funeral of his
friends and neighbors. He was not with
out defects, but he nevertheless chal-
lenged admiration, and exacted from his
friends less charitable explanation of mis-
understood conduct than most men We
honor his memory and sincerely mourn
his departure. He was a man of con-
victions. When he came to apprehend
the realities of life illuminated by the
realities of divine truth, it was in no
negative mood, but was a vivid exper-
ience that made them his own. He was
not rover or a shiiter, playing fast and
loose with duty, but an earnest man,
who having found truth, planted himself
on it, with firmness immovable. He
could no more bear sham than be a
sham himself; he had no hiding place
even for his own faults. This made him
express himself sometimes in vigorous
words and actions, which were mistaken
for anger by men of shallow minds, who
could not understand the depth of his
righteous Indignation at a sham or a
fraud. When he met those things he
thought was wrong, either in or out of
the church, his testimony was against it,.
Although man of deep feeling and
earnestness, he sympathized with human
life in every stage and experience. The
sorrows and struggles of others became
his own. His consultations were swift to
offer all his resources. Whenever his
name was mentioned you seemed to hear
the beat of big heart, as one upon a
steamers deck feels the throb of the en-
gine and knows he is near force that
helps him over the waves. He was a strong
man. He did not at once make up his
mind on any subject, but after full inves-
tgation and reading of the truth, he did
not change. His judgement was slow,
but very good. The beauty of his char
acter was he believed in cheeriulness.
To stranger he appeared very sober and
thoughtful, yet he was full of joy.
Heaven was his goal and he has reached
it. He was taken down last October
with cough and heart trouble which
gradually grew worse; the bed of pain,
the long hours of wasting sickness, the
sorrowing friends that gathered around,
will doubtless appear before him in sharp
contrast with the rest and peace into
which he has entered. The end was very
sad. He suffered intense agony. He
wanted tu depart, but before his death he
made every preparation; forgiving every
one who had ever wronged him, and ask
ing forgiveness in return. Exorting his
family and all whom he saw to meet him
in Heaven. Whine awaiting the last mo-
ment he seemed to give expression to
the plaintive wall:
1t is weary way and am faint;
l pant for purer air, and fresher springs,
Oh, Father, take me home. There is a
taiDt,
A shadow on earth's purest, brightest
things.
This world is but wilderness to me;
There is no rest my God, no peace
apart from thee.
The body, with all its fever, pain and
fatigue has been left behind but it is
left only that at the resurrection, puri-
fed, glorified and spiritualized, it may
rise again to be the home of the spirit for
ever.
Farewell, husband, father, brother,
friend; the day of our grief is the day of
your glory and your triumph. Thou
hast gone to meet Blondella, Wales
and Lewis, and if as we hope, the
sanctty and uprightness of your inten-
tions, have made good before God that
which during the course of your lite was
wanting in the merit of your work, then
from your home in II saven watch over
us.
Revs. Richards and Whippo laid the
precious remains away to await the call
of God, at East Hick ory, on Sabbath, the
oath. when large concourse of friends
and neighbors assembled 10 pay their re-
spects to the departed. We tried to
improve the occasion by preaching from
Rev. 2l; 25 "For there shall be no night
there. -