The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-02-24
4 GOOD MAN CONE.

ter at His Home III 7ouseoti-
Hero of Yellow Fever Epidemic
of 1873.
Many of the older citizens of Don
aldsonville and Ascension parish VINO
knew and admired the Rev. Robert
S. Stuart, at one time rector OF the
local Episcopal church, will be sin L
cerely grieved to learn of the death
of that estimable gentleman and
Jealous worker in the Lords VINE
yard. as recounted in the following
obituary notice extracted from the
Houston Post of Feb. I:
"Rev. Robert S. Stuart, aged go |
years, s months and 81 days, died at
1880 D. m. yesterday at the family
residence, after a prolonged illness.
With him at the time OF his death
we're his wife, Margaret Stuart, nee
Childress; his son, Robert Wilmer,
and daughters Mary, Marguerite,
Louise (Mrs. Charles E. Seller and
Carrie. Of six children, all were at
his bedside except one daughter,
Alice. who was absent at school IN
Denton. Texas. Mrs. Seller had ar
rived from her home at San Diego,
Ctll., JllSL Ill L4A1G W NC "AoAA 49,
father in his last moments.
"For nearly week preceding MS
death he was in a state OF uncoh-
| seriousness and died peacefully as
| child going to sleep.
| .'Rey. Robert S. Stuart was born IN
New Orleans in 1851, graduated at
the Louisiana State University N
1871, and later was principal OF ST
Phillips high school for boys in the
city of New Orleans. In 1873 ne
was married, his wife being a sister
/ of w. A. Childress Of this city. just
prior to his marriage he was or
dained a priest in the episcopal
church and was assigned by Bishop
Wilmer, and Immediately assumed
the rectorship OF the Church OF the
Ascension, at DonaldsonVille, La,
during the yellow fever epidemic
that prevailed at Donaldsonvllle
and neighboring places with great
viru1ence in the summer and fail OF
1878. Here he remained for number
Of years as rector. Later he offl-
ciated in a church in New Orleans
and still later at Bastrop, La. IN
1888 he was called to Texas and Oh
ficiated in churches during the past
twenty-four years at Marshall, ADJ
lene. Palestine, Columbus, and Hous-
ton, Texas.
.sOf recent years his health has
! forbidden active church work. HIS
friends are many and he died be-
loved by all who knew him.
1.-THE funeral Ito be privately Will
: be held from his late residence at 5
t clock this afternoon. Interment VIII
Z be in Glenwood cemetery.
.'The pallbearers are r. N. cray,
) Max Helm. H. III. Cherry, f. A. Rel
Z man, F. A. Batter and A. i.
!. Stanuell."
! In Memoriam.
The following pretty tribute to the
: : memory Of Rev Stuart, from the pen
llI6f II. N. Gray, appeared in the same
: issue Of the Houston Post which
: Icontained the announcement of Rev.
!. Stuart's demise:
81 wish to approach the bier OF
! Robert S. Stuart and lay an immor.
= teiIe to his memory from personal
: knowledge Of most of his life's work
r Through my brother, William E
v Gray of Mississippi, who was a col
. |lege mate at the Louisiana Stats
university in the early 70s, learned
a first of the splendid attributes OF ms
!, character. 1t was said of him tna1
n out of a student body of $50 to 4Ut
! cadets for four years of college LIE
@ he was awarded by the student Dod1
;, the medal annually conferred at tina
/ university for honor and Integrity
4 His fearlessness and manly spirit a
q all times made him the protector 0
r. the small and weak and he was UNI
, versally beloved. l first made MI
q acquaintance at Donaldsonvllle, La.
% soon after the yellow fever epidemls
# of 1873. while he was rector OF TIT
+ Church of the Ascension, and wa
g closely associated with him at tina
,s time. He began work in that churcl
% parish, taking his young wife witt
- him, soon after his marriage, Whe1
g the yellow fever was at its height
10 to fill the place of a certain mlnlste
a. who at the first appearance Of tn
), fever fled to his northern home A
that time there was no ADMINISTRATION
=, in the Jewish synagogue of that city
y and I believe, due to church con
troversy, the Catholic church wa
closed. Amid the dead and dying b
worked increasingly for months, nigh
-
ish in rain and mud, ministering t
all regardless of creed, and PEI
forming the last rites over Protes
tant, Roman Catholic and Jew alike
He nursed the sick, consoled an
bprayed with the living and burie
the dead His courage then, as
has been through his life, was tina
OF the sublimest character.
There was in all his dealings wit
his felloWman no motive but to haI
others. Selfishness was as foreig.
lg to his nature as charity shone re
at splendent as a browning virtue Hur
30 dreds will bear testimony to tn
N many kindly offices at his hands an
y hundreds more will certify to tn
,e opportunities presented through hir
n, in influences used in finding Wor
lie for the unemployed and the starts j
llife thus made for the many. HI
or sympathetic nature won counties