Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1909-10-20
Lorraine Morrill, Watts.


in Grant county. Wisconsin, June
3Oth, 1851. Died in Palacious, Texas,
Oct. 9Th, 1909, aged So years, 3
months and days.
She was married to Frederick e.
Watts, a native Of Burth, Somerset
shire, England, in the village of
Bloomington. Grant county, Wiscon
sin, February 18th, 1859. They made
their first home in McGIegor, Iowa,
where they lived for short time
after which they moved to McCandy,
jackson county, Illinois, where they
lived for two and one. half years.
From Illinois they moved to Smith
county. Kansas, where they took a
homestead two miles west of the
present site of Kensington. in May
1874. They lived ON the farm until
April, 1905, when they moved to
Kensington. and resided in this city
until in May, 1909, when they moved
to Palacious, Texas, hoping that her
health. which had begnn to fail,
might be improved by the influences
of change of climate and surround
ings. She was very much pleased
with the new home and was very
happy there. All of her letters
showed her to be very we'll pleased.
The southern home was very happy
until the last sad hour.
Word was first sent to some of the
children that she was i'll on September
22nd, but her condition was not
thought to be serious. A couple of
weeks passed, during which time she
grew gradually worse. On October
9th the message came which summon
ed to her bedside her daughter, Mrs
Jennie Bisbse, of Norton, and her
son, Oscar. sof this city. Both arrived
too late, for at three o'clock on the
morning of Oct. Sth the hand of death
touched her and she slept.
Her spirit went to the Father in
heaven the end came very easily and
quietly just before the dawn Of new
day. A fitting hour in that southern
land when all life awakens to the
freshness of bright beautiful day,
and this was the hour the Master
called. She was a brave woman; a
noble soul; telder, kind and true and
beloved by all who knew her; a
christian by religious faith. To
know her was TO love her; the work
of her life was to help others.
She leaves to mourn her death three
sons, Frank, of Clear Lake, Iowa,
Lester, of Wakefield, Nebaska, and
Oscar, of this city; two daughters,
Mrs Jennie Bisbee, of Norton. Kansas,
and Mrs Nellie Greuyer, of Agra,
Kansas, a hus band; also four sisters
and two brothers. They are Mrs.
Laura Knapp, Mrs. Vernon Kinney.
Mrs. Marie Irish and Lee Morrill,, Of
Lancaster, Mrs. M. j. Fiheld, of
Pleasant Grove, California, and j. A.
Combs, of Madison. Wis.
The day before her death she had
sat up in her chair by the bedside to
read some twenty postcards and letters
sent by friends. The cause of her
death was gastric fever.
Short funeral services were held in
the Christian church at Palacious,
and funeral services in this city
were conducted by her former pastor,
Nelson Gardner, at the Christian
church, Tuesday afternoon at 2 80
o'clock. Mr.. Gardner read the 18th
verse from the 55th psalm II bowed
down heavily as one that mourneth
for his mother " Her Bible was
found marked at the 14th chapter of
John, verses to and from this the !
pastor took his text Intermen5 was
made in the Olive Branch cemetery. |
After several very stormy days the
18th of October, the day of the |
funeral. dawned clear, bright and !
beautiful.
The following was found among
letters written by her:
"To the Christian Death is but
shadow through which we enter into .
tee Heavenly home. 1t is but cross !
ing the River from earth to heaven !; ]
put to the unbeIIever it must seem !
dark and uncertain, and in this life
is the opportunity given that we may
make sure of what is on the other
side of the River of Death. = I'm
Thee is my faith secure.