The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1898-08-04
Rev. Myra Kingsbury.

After a long and trying illness Myra Kings
bury quietly passed to be with God, on the
afternoon of July IL, 1898, from her home in
Sheshequin, Pa.
This dear sister in G od's work was born
in Sheshequin, Dec s. 1917. where she lived
until duties in her chosen profession called
her forth to wide fields of usefulness Her
ancestry is noble one-her grandfather, on
her fathers side. being Col. Joseph H.
Aingsbury, fine aud talented man, we'll
known writer in his own country, and also
IN his own denomination, and the main
founder OF Unlversalism in the Sheshequln
valley. Mrs. Julia Kinney Scott, the distin-
guished Universalist poet, was a relative land
from her, it is thought, Miss Kingsbury in
herited some of her fine poetic and ideal
nature. Her mother, Mrs l.. S. kingsbury,
is woman rarely to be found, and is worthy
to rank with the "Great Mothers"
| Myra finished her school studies at the
State Normal, in Mansfield, and afterward
studied telegraphy in Buffalo. N. Y, but
| this not proving congenial to her nature and
/ her tastes she returned home to read and to
| study; to absorb the great thoughts of the
great minds in the books at her service.
Her mother saw the fine and deep tendency
of her thinking and suggested to DR.. Taylor
of Towanda, our universalist minister there.
to talk with this daughter about entering the
ministry. Dr. Taylor, a man of marked
dUlllty anu STedt magnetic power, SOOu WOH
the mind of Miss Kings bury for a step higher
in life than she had dreamed of hut the dis
corning and resolute mother was back of it
all, and the daughter long was to reach
solid foundation of Il rm pu, pose and heroic
love and courage for her work. Her first
sermon was preached in Or. Taylor's church,
Iowanda, Pa, aDd though almost fanting
within before entering the pulpit she over
came herself, arrived at great triumph of
spirit, and greatly impressed her congrega-
ton. And now the home church and the
| near church at Athens and the Old parish at
Litchtield Elust have her able and conse-
Grated help In all these places the work
was revived and brought remarkably for
ward: children We're dedicated. young peO-
pie interested, members taken into the
Church and the forces greatly energzed and
encouraged.
Miss Kingsbury had great faculty Of win
ming people to her, winning them to the cause
and in getting them to work. She had
almost magic power IN these directions and
accomplished great good, at home and
abroad, and in tue work of the association
Herifame Went forth. She had a call to 20
to Williston, Vt, accepted, and remained to
do a grand work, giving entire satisfaction
in all respects, After sorrowfully severing
her connections with this parish She iahortd
in Morrisville, Fairfax and Fletcher at
tracing host of people to her and engaging
them more thoroughly in the work of the
T.,
and there she remained four years deli ght-
ing, aniluating, and leading the people iu
the upward way Of life and love- and grow
ing herself all the time in things intellectual
and spiritual, aud blessed evermOre with Am
increasing sense of the presence al God in
her work. While with this parish She took ID
trip to Calnornla, preaC hing at points all
along the route, and finding funera await
ing her al san Francisco when size arrived
there.
Miss kingsburvs poetic and aspiring mind
was greatly blessed and benefited nv this
Journey, which she most ioyfuIly entered
into. But her health was breaking iOt 81
much from overwork methjnks a. fIoln an
iucurable internal disease and with uer
church at Belfast and herself almost break
ing in heart, she was obliged to seek htr kind
parents home for physical rest and help,
Recruiting little size took Ur tue work
with her home church, in Sheshequiu, and
also at Athens, these places heing with
out pastor at the time. The work moved
| on but at great physical disadvantage, with
great suffering and pain, until ID the month
of May. 1897, when she was obliged to relin-
qush it altogether, preaching her last SER
mon before the Communion at the State
Convention, held i'll Reading III June
of that year. This sermon and the
manner of it worthy of mention. Like
Ian MacLaren's Upper Room" it was filled
with the Christ spirit and given with face
ed all hearts present, and when we think it
was her last sermon in public a sadness
creeps over us which cannot be uttered.
Disease grew rapidly upon her and yet
her love was warm and glowing for the
cause, and she planned for it, confined to
her room and amid great pain and so it was
until the last Her mind never relapsed its
hold on all interests 50 dear to her, her flock
and her denomination. Letter writing was
continued, and verbal directing, away down
to the valley that, in the end gave rest.
Bright, beautiful, active soul and 50 spirit
ually Inclined thy work will still go on
and we trust with increasing power Had
Miss kingshury lived she was intending to
engage more actively, if not entirely, in
evangelical or revival work, and she seemed
especially fitted for this.
Her funeral was held at the house on July
il, and attended by the writer of this, at
sister kingsbury's request. A concourse Of
people worthy of her name and fame gath
cred, more than the grand Old house could
accommodate, many remaining outside
under the shade of the fine Old trees about
the place. The choir of the home church
and among them Mrs. f. Towuer Watkins,
the sweet evangelical singer associated with
Miss kingsbury in gospel lahors, furnished
the music
The funeral address contained many ex-
tracts from letters of the deceased, showing
her great love for the faith, her spirituality
anu hel ieSiShdoioH anu pdtltllCe III culici-
ing. The remains of the loved one lay in
her own study room, near her books and
her open Bible, with the leaf turned down to
the 23d and "A Psalms. Closely placed upon
easels We're the pictures Of her two sisters
gone before, Alice and Grace, executed by
her own artistic hand and heart.
The floral decorations, being the tributes
from all the different church organ lzations,
were most beautiful. The burial place was at
the rear and side of the old historic Univer-
salist church of Sheshequiu.
Her mother she called blessed IN speak
ing of her great tenderness and carefulness
and her untiring ard heroic efforts in her
last sickness, but she was daughter great
~ blessed, in her love for home, parents,
friends, the Church and the world, and in
her life she labored for them all.
Reverently and alphabetically her
friend, Emma E. Bailey in The Universalist
Leader of July Both.