Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1907-07-17
"A Tribute 81 Respect.

I.efsmy old friend and comrade
Geo. B. Lake, was Rosa Florenct
Jones before her marriage, daugh'
ter of N. l.. and S.. e. Jones, ot
Georgia. She was born in Liberty
county, Georgia, on the 18th Of
January, 1s4S, and married Geo
B. Lake 9th of June, 1866, wher
she was eighteen years of age. She
died 2Sth of June, 1907, in the
Goth year Of her age, after forty
one years of married life. She was
the mother of eleven children
eight still living.
1t was my good fortune to live
for q number of years neighbol
to the Lake family. I therefore
had the best opportunity to form
a correct estimate Of the charac.
ter and qualities of this noble wo'
man. Born and reared in afau-
ence, with every comfort that
wealth and the best social sur,
roundings could command, ii
would be natural to suppose she
would quail before the storm OF
adversely and poverty which broke
upon her as the result of war, but
she met the shock with courage
and patience of the highest and
bravest order.
She was noble representative
of the splendid women of the
south who shed 80 much lustre on
southern character, and set such
an illustrious example for the
generations that came after them.
We hear of and read the fervid
language of eloquent orators ex-
tolllng the courage, fortitude and
staying qualities Of the confeder-
ate soldiers, encomiums we'll de-
served, but their lot amid the
perils of the battle field. the march,
the hospital, hunger, exposure was
more easily borne than the anxiety
suffered by the heroic women at
home. The men had excitement.
diversion. novelty, moving from
place to place, which, in q meas
ure, took .thoir minds away from
their trials and troubles.
The women at home tortured by
the pangs Of uncertainty and
anxiety, watching, waiting, pray
ing that the next message from
the battle field, hospital or camp,
might not come burdened with the
announcement Of death or wounds.
or illness of some member of the
family near and dear to them.
This required a higher order of
courage than that shown by men
in confederate armies.
And then came "rcconstruc-
tion" that dismal page in history,
blackened by the vandalism of
those in power. l have seen Mrs.
Lake bear up splendidly when ad-
versity and poverty stalked at her
door, as at the doors of most of
US. The dark shadows there cast
across her path did not dim the
light of her Christian faith or di-
vert her from the straight way of
duty. She reared her children in
the fear of God. and cultivated
their minds to bear allegiance to
the truths of her Christian reli-
gion, and to the precepts of an
honorable upright life.
Her burial in Edge6eld ceme-
terry on Sunday, the. 30th of June
last, was a sad but forcible re-
minder of how rapidly those of
her generation are passing away.
The generous sympathy of the
large audience in the Baptist
church that day, the eloquent pa
thos of the remarks of the pastor,
Rev. Mr.. Burts, all bore evidence
of the sincere and devout feeling
entertained for her by her former
neighbors, with whom she had
lived and worshipped and had her
being for 30 many years of sor-
row, that tried mems and women's
souls, and of sunshine that light
ened up life's trials and troubles.
Her life and example is worth
more to the generations follow
Ing, than a thousand women who
spend their lives pursuing the
glitter and trumpery of fashion,
and subordinate the plain duties
of life to The frivolities which
fade and pass away into nothing
ness.
In the death of Mrs. Lake a
noble woman, noble in her fami-
ly. religious and social life, has
passed from earth, honored and
respected. "She united IN herself
the rare qualities Of the heroine
and the Christian"
I lay this tribute, imperfect as
it is, on her grave, as a token of
my sincere appreciation of her
high qualities and exalted char
M. c. Butler, sr.