The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1899-12-21


sang, always adapting it to the cir
cumstances of the occasion. He was
sent for at all hours of the night to
visit at the bedside of the dying to
comfort the christian and pray for
those who had neglected getting ready
to pass through the Valley and the
Shadow of Death.
For the past seventy years his home
and that of his father has been well
come shelter for the ministers of the
gospel. Thousands have enjoyed the
hospitality of Uncle Lewis and Aunt
Rachel Bergstresser.
In letter to T. j. Thompson, he
said, "Come see us soon as you can.
These social visits will soon terminate
here. Those we visited in days of
other years are gone. We see them
no more. We call, but there is no re-
sponse. We can visit their graves,
see where they sleep their last sleep,
but we hope to meet them where death
never comes. AT another time he
]
is type of the eternal Sabbath that
shall never end. Soon, very soon, the
great antitype will usher in. The pros
pect, oh, how transporting! AS l
write, my heart grows warm with Holy
Fire
His last Sabbath spent on earth
came December 10, 1899. He was cheer
full during the day but very weak.
Near midnight he thought he could
rest and all retired. Between one and
two O'Clock he arose in bed-the heart
that had been working for almost
eighty years ceased its work-all was
quiet and the spirit of Lewis Berg
stresser had returned to the God who
gave it. "IIe had set his house in or
der" and left the following written on
slip of paper on stand in his
room
"And | heard voice from Heaven
saying unto me, write, Blessed are the
dead which die in the Lord from hence
forth. Yea, saith the spirit, that they
may rest from their labors, and their
works do follow them.
"And God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes, and there shall be no
more death, neither sorrow, nor cry
ing, neither shall there be any pain,
for the former things are passed
away"
Three sons John, Clarke, and Will
liam-six grand and three great-grand
children survive him.
On Tuesday at p. IN. December y,
l899 at old Zion church, the hundreds
of people gathered there to hear the
sermon by Rev. Sheaffer and take Il
last look at their old christian leader
as he lay in his casket. Amid the
ripened sheaf of wheat and the wreath
of evergreens and beautiful flowers,
the plate on the casket bearing the
words cat Rest were very appro-
pirate for the one so sweetly resting
beneath it. AS the natural sun shed
his last bright rays over the valley OF
that day, quietly the casket with the
remains of Lewis Bergstresser was put
in the grave at the Bethel church at
New Grenada.
His great-grand father Smoker,
when young man, like Esau of Bi-
BILE history, was hunter of venison.
During the years between l770 and 1880
he did much hunting in The wilds of the
counties of Northumberland and Milf
fin. In 1900, Centre. county was
formed from Northumberland, Mif1lin,
Lycoming, and Huntingdon.
On one of his hunting excursions,
being alone in the forest he came in
contact with large and maddened
deer. The animal dashed upon Mr..
Smoker and catching him up on his
large antlers, dashed off through the
forest with the now thoroughly fright
ened hunter. The young man was, OF
course, in a very uncomfortable and
perilous position, but he did not lose
his presence of mind. 1t occurred to
him that if he could manage to get his
hunting knife from his belt, he could
use it to good advantage. So, after
a hard struggle, he succeeded in get
ting hold of his knife, when by twist
and turn, he cut the leaders in the
front legs of his impromptu steed.
This brought the disabled deer to the
ground and Mr.. Smoker escaped with
"A few bruises and scratches, and he
had the satisfaction of capturing, kill
ing and helping to eat the deer that
had given him such an exciting ride.
About fifty years from the date OF
the events just described, Mr.. Smelk-
er's old home was broken up-some OF
the members of the family having died
and others gone out into the world to
establish homes for themselves and
he came to make his home with his
daughter Eve, married to Henry Sny-
der, the miller at the large Touring
mill, then known as Spring Mills in
Centre county, Pennsylvania,
One nipht In the snrinU of 1896 the