Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1901-04-04
IN SAD MEMORIAM.
Death loves a shining mari

Death loves shining mark"
Sorrow, like heavy pail, hangs
over the entire household of Mr.. and
Mrs. George Spencer, at their mansion
farm home a, little way east of the
Station, for upon last Saturday morn
ing, March 30, 1901, they were gath
cred about the bedside of their second
daughter, Miss Lille Spencer, and
saw her pure young spirit take its
flight from her home in this world Of
care and grief to the world beyond
the grave to home not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens. On last
November, about the fourth day, Miss
Lille was taken ill and the family
physician was called, who pronounced
the disease appe ndicitis, and when the
home remedies were exhausted it was
ohought that she had better be taken
to the Presbyterian Hospital, at
Omaha, and have an operation per-
formed in the hope Of saving her life.
Accordingly on February 5th her
mother accompanied her to that iusti-
tuition where an operation was per-
formed which, to allappearances, was
successful as she rapidly regained her
strength though the operation was
very severe one, occupying something
over an hour; and on March 18th the
attending surgeon, Doctor Allison,
pronounced her we'll enough to come
home and, after bidding the Matron of
the hospital, Miss Kite, and the nurs-
es, who had waited upon her, good
bye the lady and her mother came
home, and for a few days she seemed to
have her feet firmly planted upon the
road to perfect health and the fond
parents hoped that their beloved child
would be spared to them for many
years. Vain hope, for a few days
after her arrival at home she was
attacked by distressing pains and the
family physician was again called who
pronounced the malady peritonitis
and from that time until the day she
died her decline was quite rapid and
she suffered all that mortal could
suffer yet she bore her trials patiently
and did not for moment give up the
hope that she would yet successfully
combat the disease and be restored to
perfect, health until few hours
before she breathed her last. On last
Friday 1t became apparent to the
anxious watchers about her bedside
that her earthly hours were numbered
and none left the room where the
poor suffering girl lay but for only a
few moments at a time and about
twelve O'Clock, at the turning of the
day, she reused up, attempted to raise
up in bed to impart some last wish or
to say goodbye to her parents and
sisters and brother but was so far
gone down the dark valley that she
Immediately chokea up, was unable
to articulate audibly and sank back
upon her pillow exhausted where she
lay until about seven O'Clock in the
morning when she indicated that she
wanted morphine given her to deaden
the pain and from then until the end
came, at about fifteen minutes past
ten, she lay in seemingly peac eful
state, but could you have been there
and seen the look OF ecs tacy and the
blessed assurance Of an eternal life
beyond the shores Of time that she
gave as she resigned her pure young
spirit into the keeping Of her Heaven
ly Father you would all strive to so
live that when your last day was
come you, too, like her, could stand
on yon bright shore to welcome your
loved ones. All tenderly they shroud-
ed her for the tomb, placed her in the
casket prepared for her, placed Gala
lily upon her breast, emblematical OF
the flower she was; and then Mrs.
John McFarlane, of Audubon, sent
down beautiful boquet of flowers
and Miss Grace Stanley came with
another large variety Of flowers and
these, too, were placed upon her
casket. At the appointed hour, last
Monday, the pail bearers, composed of
the Messrs. George Gill, Clyde East,
Fred Rice, Forrest Scott, Henderson
Warner and James Bradley bore the
remains out to the hearse and they
were taken over to the Presbyterian
church, at Old Hamlin, which was
filled to its utmost capacity by sor-
rowing friends, for Lille was univer-
sally loved, and where her pastor
Rev. j. r. Hinkhouse, pastor Of the
Presbyterian church, at Audubon;
, who was assisted by Rev. William
Graham, pastor of the Presbyterian
: church, at Old Hamlin; preached q
/, touching sermon from the text leslie
: is not dead, but sleepeth," and indeed
she looked as if she was not dead but
only sleeping, so calm and white she
lay. The choir, composed of the
, Misses Grace Stanley, Mamie Rice
and Lille Crees and the Messrs. j. Il.
Moore, Dan Thomas and Ralph Thorn
i as sang hymns, soft and low, and then
the funeral train slowly wound itt