Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1911-03-29
Miss Anne Custiss Burgess.

At the recent session OF the legls-
lature, the hymn Carolina" COM
posed by Timrod, was adopted as
the State hymn. The music was
composed by the lamented Miss
Burgess, a sister of Rev. t. 2.
Burgess. The following is brief
sketch of the beautiful life of this
very talented lady:
Miss Anne Custiss Burgess died
in October, 1910, about four months
before the event for which she had
fondly hoped. Her life was une-
ventful, and very happy, rich in
friendships and love. Delicate
from her birth she was always the
darling of her family.
She was born in Mayesville in
Sumter county, the third daughter
of DR.. Thomas L. Burgess and Mrs.
Frances Mayes Burgess. OF the
five sons and three daughters of her
parents, she alone has joined them
on the shining shore.
While she was yet i child her
family removed to Summerton and
that place was 'home" to her till
the time of her death, though she
left it long years to study or to fol-
low her profession elsewhere. What
was mortal of her was laid to rest
in the Evergreen cemetery of that
place on the 10th day of October,
1910.
Her aptitude for music and song
early manifested itself and after
preliminary study in the school of
her home town and in .emminger
School at Charleston she entered
Converse college. There for five
years she worked faithfully and in
1910 received her diploma in the
department of music. At the time
of her graduation recital DR.. Peters
spoke with appreciation, rather with
enthusiasm, of the quality of her
work. 1t is hardly to be doubted
that her fragile BODY prevented her
from attaining to lofty heights in
her chosen profession.
After completing the course at
Converse, Miss Burgess spent year
in private study under a very able
teacher in Hagerstown, Nd, Mrs.
E. f. Ayers.
Her Life Work Soon Finished.
Could her family, her intimate
friends, and her physicians have
prevailed against her determination
she would not have taxed her slight
strength by teaching; but she was
insistent on using the talents she
had cultivated and doing her part
of the worlds work. At different
times she taught classes in music in
Summerton, Williamson, Winthrop
college, and the Thornwell orphan
age schools in Clinton. She was
just entering upon her third session
at Thornwell when her final illness
seized her. For six weeks she suf-
fered greatly and all efforts to re-
lieve her failed. AS a final resort
she was carried to hospital in Sum-
ter where she was under the care of
friend of her lamented father. A
critical surgical operation failed to
check her disease and it became the
sad task of those who loved her to
tell her she must leave them. She
had insisted that she be told and
received the announcement with en-
tire resignation. But many times
during herillness she said, L don't
want to die yet. Pm willing if God
calls me, and Pm not afraid; but
there is so much l want to do on
earth yet.
A Characterization.
She was by nature deeply religi-
GUS and she shrank with horror
from the speculative or doubling ma
ture. All her life she walked like
little child under the protection of
personal God and Savior.
She hated evil, and actual con-