Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-04-10
TRIBUTE To OUR BELOVED MOTHER.
BY ELMER E. DUNLAP.

One by one the ola settlers those who
laid the foundation of Viroqua- are pass
| ing away On Saturday, April g. oc-
Cured the death of Mrs. W. w. Dunlap.
at her home in Viroqua. Although she
had been ailing for some time. she took
| TO her bed never to rise again weeks
| ago. The funeral occurred Tuesday after
noon from the Methodist church, con-
Quoted by the Rev. Tresiider assisted
by the Rev John A. Stemen.
| Deceased was born in Green, Shenan-
! go county. N. Y. February 3, 1888, and
came west with her parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Milton Owen, in 1854, settling in
| Viroqua. Her marriage to W. w Dun
lap occurred Nov. H. 1856 Best. es the
husband there are six children surviv-
ing-C FL. Dunlap of Fan Claire, Wis.
Elmer e. Dunlap of r Dckford. Ill. Mrs.
Thomas Weavill Miss Blanche and Bert
Dunlap of Virqua, and Mrs. II. G.
Chambers of D,rand, Wis.
Mrs. Dun ap was held in very high
esteem by the people Of Viroqua, and
especially by ;ihe older residents. who
of early pioneer life and knew of her
kindness of heart and endearing quail
ties Her world of effort for good was
cipally within her own family-and no
one is better qualified to attest to the
success of that effort than her son. tits
an especial coincidence that the deaths
of Mrs. Dunlap and Mrs H G Gosliug
should occur at nearly the same time at
this Eastertide. The two had been play
mates and schoolmates in New York
Considering the lives of these and when
we look back and realize what all good
mothers DO for us. all the hardships they
experience, all the lessons taught. it
seems that God sends them into the
world TO open the minds of all who look
to beautiful thoughts. Christlo love and
l1other-love go hand in hand 1t is
love suffering in silence-a love freely
! given-a love kind, merciful and forgiv-
ing "a love which grows strong through
years of giving and loving "a love
which, when taken away, me miss and
mourn
Then you will notice that God given
look OF all good mothers - that look
| which you cannot describe ! have seen
| it in pictures of The Mother and Child"
"a look which pleads for help look
which pierces space and there rests until
a peace comes over that mother-face
| which passes all understanding. and
| gives the peace, the love, the joy which
| radiates love from heart full to over
| flowing from that happiness which
comes from within
The seeming victory of death is only
seeming. When Christ died and was
buried it was step toward fuller and
| freer life, and what was true of Him
became true thenceforward of that hu-
| manity for which He died The angels
rolled away the stone and the worship.
| pers only found an empty sepulchre.
| Our sainted dead is not dependent even
on the help of angels, for she has taken
the key that unlocks hes prison doof in
to the grave itself Weimay go back to
nature and see how crowded full of life
beautiful it is. For nature is life. Any
thing in it that looks like death is but a
| token, certificate of life about to com
| Ene1fce anew Just beginning some
tower form letting 90 its life and casting
away it's coarser self that it may reap.
pear again in forms more beautiful and
pure The mere leaves that seem to fade
and rot, pass downward into the root
life of some rarer plant more lovely than
! themselves, and when the sun and rain
| summon them anew, come forth in forms
more beautiful than they had known be-
fore. The autumn winds strip the plant S
branches bare and to all outward sem
blance quench the life out of it wholly,
| but when the warm sun and the spring
rains come again and bring back green
ness into the shriveled branches we find
an answs ring law of life within those
| branches more powerful than all other
powers besides Thus our griefs are
J transmitted and our tears turned back
ward, as looking down into the grave of
our mother, our best and most devoted
friend, we feel she is transformed to .
/ life more wonderful, glorious and ever
lasting, strengthening the firmest basis
of humanity.
The undersigned at this time feel their
weakness and inability to sufficiently
express in words the thankfulness we
feel toward the people of Viroqua for
their great kindness and sympathy dur.
ing the illness and death of our wife and
mother.
W. w. DUNLAP AND CHILDREN.