Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1898-12-01

their strength labor and sorrow for
we are soon cut off and we flee away. >
| We sing as an impressive funeral
hymn, Pm a pilgrim, I'm a stra 1ger.
can tarry. / can tarry but night. -
But the sacred writer ages ago gave
more emphatic utterauce to the
thought in these words. "For we are
pilgrims and soiourrers as all our
fathers were. We are all pilgrims
and travellers. Wherever born we
have come from a Tar country. The
near country is the realm we are APP
preaching.
Mr.. Meyer was born in Germany
MAY 80, 1917, received several years
schooling at Ham burg. served a seven
years apprenticeship with mercantile
] firm in Libau, Russia, remaining I'M
I the service of the firm five wears long
er. At ST. Petersburg he was en-
ployed six years, after which he re-
moved to the United States, locating
in Philadelphia in the year 1851. At
ter q residence of five years he came
to Lancaster, Wis, and resided there
till the close of his life. He was mar
ried July 27, 1858, to Martha Phelps
of Beekmantown, N. Y. After several
years Of falling health he passed
quietly and painlessly away, aged 81
years, months and Is days.
The foregoing sketch furnishes the
outlines or principal points of an UNI
usually active and successful life.
That portion spent in Lancaster, lit
tie more than half OF his four score
and one years, is familiar to the cider
citizens, but as a late resident | can
only speak of it from hearsav, and the
testimonE of those who knew him
longest and best shows him to have
been an upright and honorable man of
remarkable business ability, untiring
in the prosecution of the mercantile
and banking enterprises in which he
was engaged That he was methodi-
cal and exact in the details of his work
is attested alike by the success he
achieved, and the respect in which he
was held in the community. But he was
far more than a mere business man.
He was public spirited as citizen and
gave his aid to all worthy public en-
terprises. Especially was he an ar
dent supporter of education, and to no
one else is Lancaster so much indebted
for the eXcellency of its schools and
the sound basis on which they were
originally placed. He also took an
active interest in the welfare of the
| churches and did much to aid in es-
tablishing them. Though not a COM
municant of the Episcopal church he
gave much to its material support and
served some wears as its first junior
warden for which the mem bers of that
church today express their gratitude
Mr.. Meyer was baptised in infancy
and later confirmed as a member Of
the Lutheran church but in his later
years identified himself with no relig-
ious organization but was known to
| be liberal and Catholic in his views.
/ Ii allowed to sum up briefly his char
aeteristics as a man we would say that
in addition to his business tact and
energy he was public spirited, firm
supporter OF all worthy public enter
| prises and charitable without osten-
tation. As man he was genial aud
companionable. He had read much
and been a close observer and had fine
tastes in literature and art and the
! practice of the latter in the privacy of
his own home was to him in his leisure
hours a recreation and source of de-
light. His mind was a store house of
rich and varied information. He was,
in brief, good friend, good citizen,
a devoted husband and father and a
true lover of his adopted country. In
his last years he was much afflicted by
the intirmities Of age, and in conse-
quence had retired from active bust
ness life and was calmly awaiting the
end which came Nov. 10. His exit
was painless as he had hoped it would
be.
The busy life is ended at last, but
he yet lives, not alone in the clear, un-
clouded realm to which he has gone,
but in the lives and characters of
those he has left behind him and in
the memory of all that knew him.