The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1919-01-16
SORROWS CROWN OF SORROW
M. A. Y. Pays Tribute To Many Who
Have Recently Succumhed.

Have Recently Succumbed.
The terrible pestilence that is raw
aging all lands and countless homes,
has rarely laid its hand more heavily
upon a single family connection than
upon the house of Thayer during the
| epidemic.
First came the death of lovely Nell
lie Dye, youngest daughter of Mrs.
Maria Thayer Riley of Elkins, leaving
four motherless little ones from two
to twelve years of age, but two COM
Portable homes were opxn to them
and four loving grandparents stood
ready to give them love and shelter.
A few weeks later came the news
of illness in the home of Bowie john
son, of Oakland, followed shortly by
the heart-rending intelligence that his
devoted wife had succumbed to the
grim reaper" leaving four children,
the eldest less than nine years of age.
This seemed an almost unbeareble
blow, yet grieved not as one without
hope for l remembered the loving de-
votion of their unselfish grandmother,
Virginia Thayer johnson, and knew
that love in fullest measure would
still be theirs; but that consolation
was soon denied me, for on January
18th, like bolt from the blue, came
the message: "Mrs. Virginia Johnson
has passed away"
The blow was well-nigh overwhelm-
ing to me. The friendship of more
than fifty years ended? The conf
dante and companion of my girlhood
gone? The consider and sympathizer
of my mature years no more? 1t was
Misunderstanding to try to realize it,
and today this world is more lonely
place for her going hence. But what
of the bereaved son, the heart broken
sister, and above all, the devoted and
only daughter whose love for her
mother and the mothers love for her
passed that of all l have ever known
between mother and daughter.
| am sure that the sympathy of all
the relatives, lineal and collateral, go
out to them in their unspeakable af-
Fiction
Mrs. Johnson dies the death of a
hero as much as though she had fall
len on the field of battle. She heard
the call of duty and responded, laying
down her own life in the effort.
l had hoped that Fate had done its
worst, but in the midst of all this that
has gone before came news from Ell
kins, where Mrs. Lucretia Cornwall is
spending the winter, that her son, Ste
ven Thayer Cornwall, had arrived
from Montana with his wife and two
children, all with influenza. They were
put to bed and physician summoned.
in few days Mrs. CornwalPs daugh-
ter and one son contracted the disease
and at last accounts Mrs. Wainer was
very i'll with two physicians in atten-
dance. At the same time Mrs. Corn
wall was seized with a chill, became
delirious and had temperature of
l05. Was still in bed at last accounts.
Was this all? No, the measure of
anxiety was not yet full.
The same day the Elkins intelli-
gence came, the Baltimore papers list
of those killed in action in France
contained the name of Walter Grimes.
This is the name of the son of Thomas
Thayer Grimes, of Montana. He en-
listed in the Marines and went over
last June. Captured a Hun in the
first drive, but was wounded by shell
and in hospital for some weeks. Am
trying to hope that there is some mis-
take about his death.
Only this Sabbath just past, there
was a memorial service at the Bap-
fist church here in the unwilling of a
gold star for brave young relative
of the Thayers, who enlisted at 10 and
was killed in the Argonne October II:
Frank B. Bartlett, Sergeant in Co. F..
Hath Infantry. NJ. A. Y.
Buckhannon, West Va.