The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-10
IN MEMORIAAi.
MRS. MARY A. PRENDERGAST.

"A. l.
When Mrs. Mary a. Prendergast left
this world on the ed day Of last month.
a beautiful useful and eyentful life closed
It's earthly record. | cannot forbear a no
tlce Of its striking features.
Form in Ireland. on the sth day of March,
| 1871, she came to Savannah in 1918, when
little girl. and remained continuously
resident Of our City for nearly seventy
nine years. She was. therefore, among
the oldest residents. She knew Savannah
as a struggling town, through many
! changes and vicissitudes. and could not
have loved It more had this been the place
Of her nativity. It has been the lot of
very few to live so long in one place.
Mrs. Prendergast passed through four
epidemlcs Of Yellow Fever in Savannah,
those of 1890, 1854 1858 and 1876. All of
them, except that of 1858, were severe pes
tilences. She remained in the City as a
matter Of choice, to do what good she
could, and no clergyman. or Sister of
Charity. was more devoted to the cause
Of the sick and suffering, or more ready to
spend and be spent in their behalf. Dur
ing these trying times. she. like her Mas
,Ar whose she was and whom she served,
went about doing good" and the dan
gers and sights of pestilences caused
neither hesitation nor pause. Many
stricken home blessed her entrance, and
many a discouraged heart found light and
comfort in her minlstrations. Times like
these brought out with special clearness
the charity and self-sacrifice for which
her whole life was distinguished, and help
ed TO demonstrate the purity and potency
of that life.
But her good deeds were not reserved for
special occasions, or confined to times OF
pestilence and war, although these made
special requsition upon them. All of her
iong life, she was ever among the most
charitable and beneficent Our City has
perhaps never known man, or a woman,
more unselfsh, more anxious to help 9TH
ers. Ito scatter the seeds of kindness
and to aid the stricken and the oppressed.
It could always be truly said of her. "she
stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea
she reacheth forth her hands. to the
needy"
Mrs. Prendergast was a patriotic wo-
man. She loved her country. She had TO
sympathy with the disposition. displayed
by some foreign born citizens, 10 ootrude
their nationality into notice and to iden-
tlfy themselves with factions or ele-
ments, based upon foreign birth. While
the land of her nativity had always ten
der place in her heart and she ardently
desired the regeneration Of Ireland yet
she recognized always and gladly, that
America was her country and her chill
drens' country, and to America her first
allegiance and best love were due. The
accident Of her birth in another land did
not weaken, or impair, her ardent devo-
ton to this country and its institutions
She loved the South and Georgia. When
the sections were arrayed against each
other in the war for Southern Indepen-
dence. no Confederate Soldier was more
devoted to the cause of the South than
she. more cordially believed in its justice,
or was more ready to suffer in Its behalf
With her fun appreciation, three of her
sons volunteered for active service. one of
them being only a boy in his fifteenth
wear. and 1t need not be added that the
sons of such a mother were gallant 0nd
faithful soldiers. They would rot nave
returned home except in honor. One of
these sons was shot while on scout and
died of his wound. When in fun view Of
approaching dissolution this young SOL
iier nobly asserted, that If he had dozen
ives he would gladly give them all to his
ountry He had a spirit worthy of his
mother and illustrated the patriotism
learned at her knee. During those four
terrible years of war, she spent ner time
doing what she could for the soldiers on
the field and their families at home. Her
warm sympathies, ready hands and will
ng feet were taxed to their utmost. But
hey knew no rest nor halting and were
4ver employed for the good of others.
She was a consecrated Christian woman,
| knew and loved the Man Of Galilee," the
| Elder Brother" the infinite Saviour. She
had caught His spirit. drew from Him the
! inspiration of her life, and endeavoured
to follow in His footsteps. She loved her
| hurch. loyalty sustained 1t. accepted its
teachings, and gladly supported its chart
ties And yet. neither her friendships,
sympathies. nor good deeds knew any
/ Church distinctions or limitations. Big
otry and mere sectarianism we're foreign
to her. Although she never held slack al
legiance to her own Church, she was al
ways tolerant and charitable as to the
views Of others. Many of her warmest
/ friends were Protestants. and Protestants
we're very often the benehciaries of her
| kindness In short. her entire life fully
demonstrated the truth Of the saying. "a
true woman is a fountain of goodness"
! Mrs. Prendergast was remarkably en-
dowed intellectually. She had clear.
acute. active intellect. She reasoned well,
saw clearly: had decided convictions, and
could always sustain them cogently. She
had cultivated her intellect by reading
| and exercise. II remained with her to the
last, despite her advanced age. undated
| and vigorous. She was a most agreeable
companion. even to young people, be-
cause she retained her freshness and
! sprighuiness of mind and charm and
grace of manner. She never lost, in any
way, her interest in people. or in the