Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1909-02-18
A COLLEGE PIONEER GONE.
Mrs. Catherine NJ. Ewing Died on Monday
at Her Home In This City.

On Monday last the startling news
was passed around that Mrs. Catherine
NJ Ewing, mother of Professor j. T..
Ewing, had died 1t was well known
that her health had long been failing,
but it was failing so slowly and she was
so free from pain and discomfort that
the end came as a shock TO the college
and the whole community
Mrs. Ewing's death will effect a large
circle Of friends not only in Alma but
wherever she has resided Her long
life cannot be ASSOCIATED from that Of
her husband Professor Joseph W.
Ewing, whose death preceded hers by
more than three years There were few
people in the state SC widely known as
were they and probably none were uni
versally loved Their home was a place
where friends were always welcome,
and all who knew them were their
I friends. Since the professor death Mrs
Ewing's feeble condition would not per-
nit her taking the interest in the life
about her tina; she once did. To the
students of today she was scarcely
known, but not so TO those of five, ten
and more years ago The old students
knew her and will ever hold her in tender
and loving memory.
Mrs. Ewing was born near Sparta,
ID AlolDt, county III o,,d ,rac ono NJ
seven children. Her parents, Mr., and
Mrs, Thomas Gregg were OF sturdy
Scotch stock, belonging to the Covenan-
ter PRESBYTERIAN church. Two OF her
brothers, Samuel Gregg and Thomas
Gregg, both of Girard, Kansas, survive
her In 1855 she was married to Joseph
W. Ewing the young couple living in
Sparta until 1889, when Mr.. Ewing
entered the University of Michigan, TO
work his way through that institution.
In the joys and struggles of those four
years Mrs. Ewing had her part. There
was always a group of students living
at her home; and how she delighted in
relating incidents about them! We may
be sure, too, that her keen wit added
zest 70 many an occasion.
After graduating from the university
in GA professor and Mrs. Ewing went
to Perryburg, Ohio, where the professor
was superintendent OF schools for three
years III 1867 he was called TO the
superintendency OF the schools OF Sagi-
nav rapidly growing city, the center
of the numbering industry of the Sagi-
nav valley. One will hear today from
the old residents Of the city. how splen-
Professor Ewings superintendent. and
of Saginaw Indebtedness TO him. In
soliciting for the Ewing Memorial
Library. one became amazed at the
warm place Professor and Mrs. Ewing
had in the hearts of the people of Sagi-
nav, although thirty.fve years had
elapsed. He helped me in a great
many ways and I am very glad to con-
tribute" was one mans tribute, and
others were like unto it.
In 1871 they were called to Ionia
again TO the superiniendency Of schools
and here they remained until Alma
College opened its doors in 1887. One
finds in Ionia the same sentiment as in
Saginaw, only it is more intense because
of their longer stay, and more universal
because more recent.
To be universally loved and TO deserve
that love was distinction won by
Professor and Mrs. Ewing Their
memory will i've as long as those who
knew them, and their goods deeds will
go on forever
Calmly they looked on either Life, and
here
Saw nothing TO regret, or there to fear;
From natures temprate feast rose
satisfy'd.
Thanked heav'n that they lived, and
that they died"