News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1922-11-15
FUNERAL OF MRS W. t. STEELE


Steele, who died at the home of tn,
Misses Bugbee on Bridge street Tues
day at 1880, were held from tn,
Congregations Church Thursday aft
ernoon at two o'clock following
prayer service held at the house
Rev. George f. Goodliffe officiatec
and the 0. E. S. burial service was
conducted. The bearers were J. II
Thomas, A. H. Slayton, H. A. Small.
ley and Harvey Turner, and interment
was made in the family lot in River
side cemetery. The floral display
was large and very beautiful.
! Those present from out of town to
attend the funeral were Mrs. Don
Grout and Mr.. and Mrs. Gilbert of
Waterbury, George Grout of Mont
pelier and Mr. and Mrs. E. G. Sher-
win of Hyde Park.
Minnie May Fitch. one of six chill
dren of Cordilla Waller and Esther
A. French Fitch, was born in this
town June 13, 1868. Her education
was received in the rural schools and
at Peoples Academy, being a gradu-
ate of the latter institution. She was
also graduated from the Boston Con-
servatory, where she took course
in music and arts. She taught sue
cessfully in the intermediate depart
ment of the graded schools for sew
eral years.
On October IA, 1891, she was uni
ted in marriage to William F. Steele,
and to this union was born one child,
a daughter, Rebecca Esther, who died
in infancy.
Mr.. and Mrs. Steele lived for sew
eral years in Utah, Wyoming, and
Nebraska and Washington. While in
Washington Mrs. Steele was employed
as instructor of Indians on an Indian
reservation.
For the past two years the de-
ceased had been in poor health and
for IL weeks had been confined to the
bed, suffering from cancer.
She is survived besides her hus-
band by two brothers, Walter Cor
dilla Fitch of Mays Laning, N. j.,
and Willie Jate Fitch of this village.
Mrs. Steele was member of the
Congregational Church, where she
had always been very active
worker. She was teacher of the
Unity Club of the church and for
years was helper in the Christian
Endeavor. She was also a, member
of the Woman's Relief Corps and the
Order of the Eastern Star.
"The fruit of the Spirit is love, ioy,
peace, long suffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, temper
ance." Shall not this, then, be alike
her epitaph and eulogy, this friend
of ours, who, by weary paths of pain,
has come at last to the shining up
lands of the Spirit.
Two qualities (found more often
than we suspect, in human character),
present strikingly in the character of
our friend, reveal the presence of
God.
The second quality, revealing the
presence of God, is willing ability to
encourage and help those who are
weak or lacking in faith.
Somehow, when she spoke
Within the weary heart new courage
woke:
Forgotten was the aching muscle
strain
VI Flooding feet, and tagging paddle
stroke:
The sullen future turned a comrade
face,
The grim world seemed a kindly
camping place, :
The trail-end grew a gladder thing to !
gain"
'And as she passed the last, far, i,
hill-blue turning
Of life's long trail, against the sun |,
set burning,
Many may say, 4 saw her, campfre's
flame
Clean through the dark, as up the
trail | came
Footweary and discouraged: and
found rest"
God was so immanent in her life,
n patient, optimistic courage, in
;acrificial helpfulness, that, no mat
,er what fuller revelation of God,
the dawn light has shed for her
lpon the trails of the Hereafter" she
will walk there, fearless and I'M
lfraid.