The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-09-26
Martha Angeline Sears.


The passing of Miss Martha An
geline Sears from earthly to heaven
ly service and enjoyment has served
to call special attention to her rare
virtues and charming christian per-
sonality. She has surely left an in
delible influence for good upon a
wide circle of friends and acquain-
tances, and upon those related to
her by ties of blood.
1t has been said that to secure the
highest type of culture and character
the work must have begun back in
the fourth generation. This truth
has been verified in the life of Miss
Sears for she was an heir of a noble
ancestry, not of titles, but of good
deeds and christian character. She
was descended from the kind of
families, which make what is noble
in our country, refined in our homes
and uplifting in our social life. The
Sears family is one of the old and
substantial families of Decatur
county, respected and honored
wherever known.
Miss Martha as she was generally
called, was the youngest of ten
children of Jacob and Edith Sears
and was born Aug. q, 1S43, near
West Point, Lee county, Iowa. Only
the eldest of these children, Mrs.
Susan Blair, is now living and she
resides in Leon.
Miss Martha was about twelve
years old when her parents moved
to Decatur county, where she lived
until her death. For many years
she was school teacher and was
specially adapted and most success
full in this work. She loved chill
dren with a constant affection and
had that peculiar insight into child
nature and it's needs, which drew
the children to her as to magnet
Many of her pupils can trace their
real desire to learn and their appre-
citation of the nobler things of life to
the kindly ministration of Miss
Sears in her work as school teach
er.
In the home she was truly
guardian. Those who were bene-
ficiaries of her ministry in the home
know and appreciate her worth
She gave to home that peculiar at
mosphere which makes home attrac-
tive, and unlike any other place
in the world, dedicating her life
unto unselfish service of others. The
children of brothers and sisters and
their children's children bear testi-
mony to the charm of her unseltish
spirit and her constant solicitude as
to their welfare. Her hands, her
heart, and her head were always
helping them.
Her unremitting cheerfulness;
ner care for little things; her splen-
did Judgment; her gentleness of
manner; her purity of life; her
love of flowers, fields and birds; her
practical christian character mani
Testing itself more in deeds than in
words-these and other like quail
tiles constituted the opulence of her
queenly womanhood and gave her
life in the home and in society it's
power and beauty. Neighbors and
friends as we'll as her own home
folks learned to come to her for ad-
vice, for they always found it so
good. ....
She was faithful member of the
Brethren church being one of the
charter members of the church at
crown Chapel. The secret of her
sweet life is found in her devotion
to her Master whose spirit animat-
ed her and gave her life strength !
and beauty.
1t is no wonder that when such |
a one passes away, a wide cirle of
loved ones, friends and acquain-
tances gather at her funeral to pay
their respect to her memory and to
their loss. Her memory will |
always be pleasant ana uplifting. |
Many were present at her funeral |
bringing flowers as tributes and |
many tears filed the eyes of the sor-
rowing friends and loved ones for
all realized keenly that her ministry
on earth had ended but hope filled |
the hearts of all for they also realiz-
ed that she had entered upon her
ministry above where the angels
sing and the redeemed rejoice.
The funeral services were held at
the home conducted by Evangelist
G. T. Ronk, of the Brethren church
and the body of Miss Sears was laid
tenderly to rest in the Brethren
cemetery, northeast of Leon.
We extend our sympathy to Mrs.
Susan Blair, the only surviving
sister, and to neices and nephews, in
this time of their irreparable loss
and deep sorrow, but we thank God
for giving to the world the life and
services of this noble woman.