The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-02-28
LIVED A CENTURY.
Story of the Life Of William
Lynn.
lived for Fifty-Seven Years in
Shawnee County.
HARVEY'S TRIB UT e.
Delivers Eloquent Address at
the Funeral Thursday.
Tells of Simple. Noble Life OF
the Pioneer.

The funeral of William Lynn who
Afed at his home in Berryton, Tues
day, at the age of 102. after a resi-
6ence of 81 years in Shawnee county,
was held Thursday at the Lynn
creek church.
The feature of the service was a
funeral address by Major A. NJ Har-
wey, Topeka, who first knew the
pioneer over a quarter of a century
ego.
Major Harvey gave a review OF the
life of the centenarian and pioneer OF
me west. The address is given here
With:
One October day in about the year
1887, in Madison county, Kentucky,
q small boy, the oldest son of a wild
eEef mother, had set himself to work
trying to split clapboards to make a
shelter for some stock that belonged
50 his mother. He was working hard
snd making slow progress. when
stalwart young man came along on
mis- way to his own duties of the day.
The young man stopped, spoke kindly
60 him and commenced helping with
the work. What had promised to be
q day of toll became a day of plea
sure and when the sun sank low in
the west on that day, the boards had
been made and the shelter erected
fand the boy and man were tired and
hzppy-tho one scarcely more happy
than the other. That boy was my
father. and that young man who was
his friend from the beginning was
none other than the grand old man
whose lifeless body lies before us to-
day.
With the recollection of the story
of this act of simple kindness in my
mind, the request was 10 me COM
mand when the family communicated
to me their desire that I should speak
at this funeral.
The span of this life was SO great
and covered so many years that you
and I can hardly realize the length
Of it He was old enough to remem-
Der the stirring times Of the battle Of
New Orleans. He was a man grown
when the Kentucky soldiers came
marching home victorious from the
war with Mexico-and when the Ken
lucky dead were brought home from
Buena Vista's battlefield and all Ken
lucky stood in mourning as O'Hara
read his immortal poem, commence
ing;
s'The muff1ed drums sad roll has beat the
soldiers last tatto,
No more on life's parade shall meet that
brave and fallen few:
On Fame's eternal camping-ground their
silent tents are spread,
And Glory guards with solemn round
the blvouac of the dead"
When the civil war came on he was
old enough that his sons became sol
diers in the army. When 1 first knew
him-nore than 80 years ago-he was
strong and rugged,-but an old man.
AS you and / have now gathered tC
say the last word and do the last SER
vice for this old friend, 1 feel that we
are standing on sacred ground. We
realize that we are today confronted
with the two great mysteries-one OF
life and the other of death. Life-that
preserved in this man a constitutions
strength that kings would give millions
to possess, that made the red blood
course through his veins, that made
his right arm strong as an iron shaft
dor more than three quarters of a cen
fury-is indeed great mystery; but
death-that stopped the flowing blood
and rested the tired 1imbs-is a great.
er mystery. And, strange to say, at G
time like this, when these two mys
teries seem closer and more oppressive
we are met with the brightest, best and
greatest hope of the human race-tht
hope of immortality, Of life that will
endure forever, a hope that belongs tt
every man, of every religion, of every
race, under every sun. Death waited
long and patiently for him. Will
muff1ed oar he guarded close the near
er shore of the silent river. Many o
his friends came down and crossed tn
river, and finally he came. It is cas-,
for me to believe that on the othe
shore he saw familiar face, and tina
8 friendly hand and a strong arm wer
Joined to his to help him up the othe
bank, as he had helped his friend o.
this side. And SO say that we stan,
today on sacred ground as we ar
brought to contemplation Of thes
great problems-when the sun Is Sc
and the day is done for one who use
to walk upright among u.s.
He Moves to Kansas.
William Lynn spent his young man