Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-02-19
LAST TRIBUTE PAID
TO v. ]. VAN PATTEN
Large and Representative Gath.
cring Attend Funeral Services
at First Church-Some of His
Traits of Character Referred
to in FACTORS Sermon

The funeral services of tho Hon. Will
liam J. Van Pstten were held Tuesday
afternoon at 2:30 O'Clock at the First
Church in the presence Of large gathering,
a. gathering representative of the many
activities of Mr. Van Patterns life. The
Rev. G. c. Adams, pastor OF the church,
paid touching tribute to the memory
Of one of Burlingtons great benefactors.
and the Rev. +. c. Guthrie. n former
pastor, made the PRAYER. Services for the
family were held Tuesday morning az
11:30 o'clock at the residence, conducted
by the Rev. Mr.. Adams, and at 1890 tho
bod.' was taken TO the church to lie in
state until 1:30 o'clock.
The honorary bearers were: Dean G.. II.
Perkins of the University of Vermont,
C. p. Smith, w. e. Howe. Howard Crane.
the Rev. 3. G. Barnes, D. D.. Prof. Evan
Thomas, c. p. Cowles and G. f.
Barclay OF Boston. The body bearers
we're: Byron ". Clark, F. l.. North. w Fl.
Wood, George II. Smith. c. l.. Smith and
| DR. T. S. Brown.
| Preceding the service, Miss Nash. at
| the organ. played the following: The
| Largo from Dvorak's New World Sym
! phony; the Prelude in fat. Chopin;
Andante Cantabile. Tschakowsky. Adagio.
Reinecke; Marche Funebre. Chopin and
the following hymns, Abide With Me-"
Lead, Kindly Light" peace. Perfect
Peace" and my Jesus Az Thou wilt
! AS the body was borne from the church
| For All Thy Saints Who From THEFT
Labors Rest" was played.
The officials Of the city government at
tended In a body. as did also the en-
4 y,to of h. faIf 4 ho
trustees. the medical staff. and nurses
of the Mary Fletcher hospital; the Y. NJ.
c. A. officers and the Ladies' Auxiliary
to the Y, NJ. c. A.; the Fletcher Free
library staff; tho Vermont Society of
| Colonial Wars; the Sons of the American
| Revolutions and the Merchants associa-
| ton
THE FUNERAL SERMON
| AND a. man shall he as an hiding place
from he wind, and a covert from the
, tempest; as rivers of waters in a dry
! place, IS the shadow of great rock in a
weary land Isaiah 1922.
! The period out of which tho prophet
spoke was one of grave anxiety and
mighty expectation. In this it was not I'M
like the day in which wa live. This ia A
day Of grave anxiety and mighty cx-
pectations.
The seer of old has left us with a
philosophy Of history which is by no
means outgroNn. He has before him the
dream of the ages-"A new earth wherein
dwelleth Righteousness. But the dream
is not to he realized by mechanical
method. The first requisite for "a new
earth and new heaven" is invigoratins
character. And a man shall be as rivers
of waters in a dry place.
You at once appreciate the application
of these words of the prophet to this &C.
casion. Mr.. Van Patten was an invigorat-
ing presence in our midst. and the midst
of much larger environment than is
represented here.
! And now as / ask you to send your
minds on a backward errand concerning
this life. it is with no thought of reveal
ing anything new, but that we may APP
praise together some Of the life-givinG
qualities of his character.
When public benefactor passes out
from our midst. instinctively we think
Of his benefactior and public service.
There are forces lying behind the public
wock o, every man that need considera-
ton.
Mr.. Van Patten IVES an invigorating
presence because of his purity. There was
a purifying atmosphere about him. We
are glad to have with us to-day former
pastor Of his church. There is another
former pastor, who, am sure, is with
us in spirit-Dr. Atkins of Detroit. Some
10 years ago there was in these parts OF
New England a moral collapse of good
man, which received its usual attention
in the papers. In company of men,
where DR.. Atkins was present, CONVEX
sation turned upon the matter, and a
doubt in human worth was cynicaliy eE-
pressed. 'Wsll," lid Or. Atkins. Il do not
think that the position of doubt is well
taken I know OF men of whom Il Is
impossible to think this-Mr Van Pctten,
for instance" This is what Is meant by
an atmosphere of purity-an invgorating
presence. His purity was far beyond this
1t was a pu~.ty of heart, of the single
motive Here was a life that sought first
the kingdom of God.
His life was a Ttalizing influence be-
cause of his little deeds OF Kindness No
one lives his life in mass, he lives i,
In fragments, and from tn ose the mass
emerges. Mr.. Van Patten wrought large
deeds of kindness because the daily deeds
were done in IA like spirit. Let ore illus.
tration suffice. Not all are acquainted
with his very real ministry IN the com
munity through his flowers. He loved
=
on Sunday he would bring his flowers tc
the church and arrange them with his
own hands. and after the service he
would say to the pastor, Take these Ia
any who may be i'll" These flower carried
to young man AT the hospital. with the
knowledge that they were from Mr.. Van
Patten, were the making over of that
life. Mr.. Van Patterns days were Allied
with those little deeds of kindness-way-
side ministries. And we know that the
wayside ministries were the most impor-
tant in the life of the Master. '1Ie went
about doing good" 1t was this that
made a woman say of him, There is no
one, outside of my own family whom
shall miss more"
There Is something invigoratihG about
kindness. 1t has been called the highest
human excellence. Go back in memory
to your childhood. and who eXerted the
most lasting influence for good upon You?
They were kind people. Kindness is
brotherhood in action. The word kind
comes from kin. The world to-day does
not need paternity so much as fraternity
the fraternity of the sort which was
in this brother of us all
His was an invigoratng life because
he carried into his day a public mind
1t was this mind that gave force and
direction TO his citizenship. There are
two kinds of citizens--responsibe and
irresponsible. This citizenship OF Mr.
Van Patten was of the raspopeihIo anal