The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1908-03-23

congregation and work untiringly to
help them establish their church;
brave enough to undertake the work
which at that time. under existing
circumstances, seemed impossible of
success. She believed that God is
the summit of mans happiness, and
religion the way to it. So she gave
her best to the church.
Mrs. Lea loved the Roswell church.
and when in behalf of the Ladies' Aid
Society, | extended an invitation to
her daughter, Mrs. Padgitt, to assist
in putting in this window. she said:
No monument l could erect to com
memorate my mothers memory would
be so pleasing to her as to DO some
thing for the Roswell church" And
it is through her liberality we are
able today to dedicate this window
to the memory of one who labored
in season and out of season to estab-
lish and maintain the cause we love.
Capt. Joseph C. Lea.
((Paper read by Lucius Dills at ded-
ication of memorial window in
Christian church, Mar. %, 19OS.)
To any one capable of approaching
nobility of character, in the broadest
sense in which that term could be
attention to the many qualities which
endeared Capt. Joseph c. Lea to all
who knew him.
He was bora in the hills of sunny
Tennessee in 1S41 and when eight
years old he came with his parents
to Lees Summit, in Jackson county.
Mo, where he grew TO young man
hood. The exigencies of the times, in
1861, forced him to leave his home
and cast his fortunes with the peo-
pie of his dear Southland, and il that
great internecine struggle, on which
all the world looked with astonish-
ment, admiration and sorrow, he bore
his part so nobly and so well that he
was compelled to decline a Colonel's
commission within three years of the
date of his enlistment, as private.
because he would not leave his old
comrades in arms, who looked upon
him as friend and brother as well
as their trusted commander His re-
company was but a sample of the
many acts of unselfishness which he
displayed in his after life.
When the strife of battle had ceas-
Cd or
spread the Southland, Capt. Lea took
up the battle for bread with the same
determination and buoyancy of spirit
that had characterized him in the
past. Changing his residence from
time to time, as conditions seemed
we'll. From that time, until the grim
messenger summoned him over the
Great Divide, Feb. 4th, 1904, Roswell
was his home. and to him there truly
was mo place like home
What he did for the home of his
choice, is personally known to many
who are here today, and has been
read of by all. With him his family
|
his friends third, casual acquaintances
and even strangers with tale of woe
next, and self last.
| Such a man would by the very Ia
ture of things be often imposed upon,
but such man could not help gain.
ing a place in the hearts of such a
people as Roswell can claim, and.
when the Angel of Death claimed
him for another sphere we who were
left behind realized that We missed
him. and still miss him more than we
| appreciated him while he lived His
labors for the town and country were
SO unselfish, so unostentatous and so
| untiring that we looked upon his
work as matter of course. When he
was gone. and there was no one to
take his place, it dawned upon many
that Roswell had lost her foremost
citizen. her best and most unsefish
friend
It would be impossible in the time
allotted me to more than hint at the
many admirable qualities Of head and
II