Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-01-31
MRS. BETsEY MOODY.
Death of theINIother OF the Noted Evan
Gelist at the Age of Oh.

GeIist ut the Age of Oh.
Mrs. Betsey Holton Moody, 81, mother
of Evangelist Dwight L. Moody, died at
her home in Mortified, Mass, Sunday.
She had been i'll for a week with a cold,
which developed into grip on Saturday,
and for the last 80 hours she was in a semi
conscious condition. d. l.. Moody, who
had been holding meetings in Philadelphia
for a fortnight, arrived in Mortified Satur-
day night. His mother recognized him
during the night and said few words.
Mrs. Moody was born in Mortified in
1905. She was brought up on the Holton
farm, aud married Edwin Moody when %
years old, and had since lived in the same
house in which she died. She had fam
lily of seven sons and two daughters. Her
husband died before her last two children,
twins, were born, and although the house
was mortgaged and there was no income,
she brought up her whole family with only
the assistance of her eldest son, George.
Her life was one of hard labor while her
children were young, for she was very
poor and had no helping friends, but she
struggled through, and had a happy old
age. She rejoiced especially in the fame
of her son, the evangelist, and always had
keen interest in his work. Many we'll
known persons who have attended the
summer meetings at Mortified have met
her, and the simplicity and beauty of her
character and the story of her successful
life work, accomplished in the face of
grea. obstacles, always awakened admira-
ton and respect. Her surviving children
are Isaiah, George, Dwight l.. and Edwin,
all of Mortified, Mis-. Cornelia Walker of
Mortified and Mrs. Lizzie Washburn of
Racine, Wis. One of her sons died in
Kansas City, Mo, only three weeks ago.
One writer says that since 1872, when
d. l.. Moody made his first start in North
field in educational work, the mother had
seen what was then pasture and tilage land
become dotted with buildings that have
cost 81, 200, 600, and attended by hundreds
OF scholars in winter and visited by thOus-
ands of religious workers in the summer
All the buildings, with the exception of
those at Mt Hermon, are within easy sight
of Mrs. Moody's home. One of the earli
est buildings of those erected for the use
of the young ladies' seminary was the Bet
sey Moody cottage, given that name by
Dwight l.. Moody in honor of his mother.
The funeral was held in the Congrega-
tional church, of which Mrs. Moody was a
member, on Wednesday, the pastor, Rev.
G. |. Scofeld officiating. The body was
escorted to the church by the members of
Mortified Seminary, six grandsons bear
ing the body into the church. The casket
rested in front of the altar, being covered
and surrounded by floral tributes from low
ing relatives and friends, one, pillow of
roses, bearing the inscription "Grandma."
After the students of the three schools and
citizens present had viewed the remains,
the immediate friends were escorted in
and most impressive services held, inter-
spersed by appropriate music from the
schools, Miss Philips and Mrs. w. r.
Moody.
At the close of the sermon preached by
DR.. Scofield, d. l.. Moody rose and said he
wished to pay a tribute TO his dear mother,
and in the most tender manner euogized
her as the epitome of all that was good
and noble and Christian in woman, recit-
ing many instances of her sagacity and
| loving service for her children.
At the close of these exercises the stu
dents from Mount Hermon formed in line
and escorted the body and the mourners to
the cemetery. Here a short service was
held VIII, n each grandson threw a shovel
full of earth into the grave followed by each
student from Mount Hermon until the
grave was full. Thus was laid at rest a
typical New England mother, one who by
four score and ten years of noble service
has well earned the plaudit: "Well done,
thou good and faithful servant, enter thou
into thy JOY of the Lord"