Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1915-09-15
MEMORIAL SERVICE.
Continued from First Page.)

persons from Aiken and EdgefeId,
possibly about an equal number of
persons from each county, the din
ner was really and in truth typi-
cal Edgeheld dinner The very
gracious hospitality which the peo-
pie Of Edgefeld always bestow was
dispensed on this occaeion. But
after all, Aiken people are really
Edgefeld people, Aiken being a
part of Edgefeid county not many
years ago. The writer had the
good fortune to fall into the
hands of Mrs. Henry Cooper, Miss
Matte Shaw and Miss Beatrice
Stevens, consequently the best of
everything was bountifully bestow-
ed upon us.
In the letters that were read and
in the memorial address beauti-
full tributes were paid Rev. ]. P.
Mealing, Hon. J. P. DeLaughter
and Mr. John c. Shaw, all of whom
have passed away this year. Each
one Of these gentlemen filled a sarge
place in the church and community
life. Indeed there were three J. p.
Mealings present Sunday, all named
for the sanity man who first bore
the name so honorably. Another
person, one who is yet living, re-
ceived much commentator Sunday
tor his faithfulness and that was
Mr.. John Mathews who has been a
deacon of the church 4s. years. be-
ing now in his slst year.
The following is a portion of the
letter of greeting that was written
by Rev. E. w. Sammons:
Beautifully situated on the margin
of the pine and oak lands. the
church was accessible to a large
territory whose citizenship was COM
posed of a splendid people. In the
church yard they buried their dead,
and came from every quarter on
preaching days with flowers to place
on the graves of their loved ones.
A great opportunity and a great
responsibility faced the pastor every
time he entered the pulpit. The
church had had pastors, who endued
with the power of the Spirit, met
both the opportunity and the res
possibility, and wrought great
things for God. The records will
show many gracious revivals, many
lost ones gathered safely into the
Kingdom by their faithful preaching
of the gospel of Gods love. Even
this ex-pastor, least worthy of all,
was greatly blessed of God in his
ministry, and a goodly number of
happy converts were added to the
church during the time of his SER
vice. But the sterling worth of
the membership, their love of God,
their faith in Christ, their conse-
Grated lives, their untiring service,
were the great factors God used eff
fectivel- in building up the church,
and making it a great blessing to
the people.
All that was mortal of many of
those who were cO-workers with me
in the Kingdom, is now resting in
the quiet grave in the old church
yard-there awaiting the resurrec-
tion morn when Spirit and body re-
united they shall dwell ever-more
with the Lord Among these was
Miss Matte Shaw, beautiful in per-
sonality, beautiful in character,
beautiful in life and beautiful in
death. l remember saying at her
funeral that the fragrance of her
christian character was sweeter than
the lovely flowers, heaped in bounli-
full profusion by weeping friends
upon her bier. Johnnie Shaw, her
brother, broken hearted over the
great bereavement, told me that his
prayer was that he might meet her
again in a better world. And now,
he has gone-gone to better life,
from which he caunot be again sep
arated BY death. Blessed are the
dead who die in the Lord.
Mrs. Walker, the mother of Mr..
George Walker, was the first MEM
Der to die after l became pastor.
She was good woman whom every
body loved, and had been a member
many years. / said at her funeral
that the new pastor frequently had
poured into his ears ugly things
about others, but that Mrs. Walker
had only spoken of the goods things
Of others-a happy trait we would
all do well copy. Deacon John
Mathews is one of Gods noblemen;