Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-03-24
A Good Woman Gone.


this life Thursday evening, March 9Th,
1908. Although she has been in failing
health for a number of years for sew
eral days prior to her death she had
been feeling unusually well, being about
the house and talking of going down to
town soon, and she passed away sud-
denly without moments warning.
Mrs. McCook was among the first of
those early pioneers who prompted
homesteads in Mitchell county. She
was of sturdy Scotch parantage, not
fearing to brave the privations that |
must be met in newly settled country
far from market and where neighbors
were few. She was noticably home
maker and of strong Christian tend
encies. Her force of character inn
pressed itself upon her household and
the community, and in latter years in
the church of her choice in which she
took an active interest.
She leaves to mourn her loss, besides
her husband, eight children-John of
Cresco, Robert of Stoughton, Wis,
Nelson of Sumner, James of Fred
elicksburg, Matthew and Thomas of
Riceville, Mrs. Bessie Chandler of
Usage and Ed of Pendleton, Oregon,
all of whom were present at the fun
eral except the latter. She also leaves
one brother, Jas. Brown of Bentonville,
Ark, and one sister, Mrs. Addie Reyn-
olds of Riceville.
The funeral services were held at the
Congregational church Sunday after
noon, and the large congregation of
sorrowing friends, besides the many
relatives present, also the beautiful
flowers which were sent from far and
near, but bore witness of the great loss
felt by her going from our midst.
Below we give the substance of the
address of her pastor, Rev. T. C. Hunt:
l am sure that voice the thought of
every Christian heart in this presence
when I say, Heaven is richer far and
Earth is poorer because of the depar-
ture of this our friend from among us.
We look at the Christian church, hear
ing at the same time the voice of our
Master, 'Seek We first the kingdom of
God and His righteousness!' and we
are troubled as to how we shall be able
to make answer in that great day. We
look into our own hearts and hear that
same command and are deeply humili-
ated that we fall so far below our stan
lizard; but as we look at this life, the
impression has somehow gone out be-
|yond recall that with her it was indeed
the kingdom of God and His righteous
ness first.
These children here can never forget
that in early life no sacrifice was too
great, no toll too exacting for her in
behalf of their material veal, and they
know that there was even greater de-
votion, to her last hour, for their
spiritual and eternal veal. She be-
lieved in the Church, that it is the body
of Christ, and no sacrifice was too great
for her to make for its purity and it's
Ipeace; she believed in the
| Church, that it is the body of Christ
and therefore it must have vital and
constant efficiency, so she was devoted
to all it's services and wide-reaching
activities by example and by precept;
not only striving to do what she could
but also to incite others to like doing.
! We shall be dull scholars, indeed, if we
lido not get our lesson and do something
more worthy than simply to mourn our
Igreat loss. Nothing less can be right
ly expected of us than that her place
lshall not remain entirely untitled in this
lchurch and community, that her spirit
Ishall continue, to live through us. that
Jour ideal shall reach toward her stan
|dard and that her purpose shall more
perfectly animate our lives. To treas
ure noble memory without emulating
| a worthy example is entirely unworthy
Iof intelligent and honest men and
women, and so feel confident that her
place will not be entirely untitled. land
further, to the family have lost a
faithful wife, devoted mother. How
her heart went out to you, one and all,
to all relatives as well, and still kept
Igoing till none of Gods children within
reach were forgotten, You know what
| her hearts desire and prayer to God
for you was, and there was blood in
| that prayer.
| John Robertson, Scotch minister
tells of friend who was in India. One
lday he went out to a grove beyond the
limits of the town and there hung his
hammock in the shade to read and rest.
Suddenly he became aware of the pres
ence of tiger and just had time to
draw long bladed knife and plant it
in the breast of the tiger as he sprang
upon him. Soon friends found the tiger
and his victim side by side wrapped in
deaths cold embrace. A brother took
the hide of the royal Bengal tiger and
having it dressed, made a beautiful
rug; but it was not like other rugs.
there was blood in it, brothers. blood,
and so it was treasured almost as
though it had been the brothers. life
itself. So of the prayers of that prec-
ious mother shall they not be treasur-
ed? Was her life not in those prayers
for you?
i