Smyrna times., 1923-01-03
DEATH RECORD OF THE WEEK
Mrs. PRESLEY Spruance, Who Reached
the Advance Age of SO Years Dies
While Visiting Her Daughter

ma died Monday evening while on an
extended visit to her daughter, Miss
Anne Spruance, in Odessa. The latter
for some years has been making a |
home for her cousins, the Corbits in
Odessa, and Mrs. -Spruance following
her custom spent her summers with
her son, Ralph E. Spruance at Smyr-
ma and the winters with her daughter
in Odessa. She had hardly gotten
settled in Odessa. after leaving Smyr-
ma when she was given a severe shock
by the death of her son, Alex. P.
Spruance in indianapolis, Ind, an ac-
count of which was published last
week in these columns. His almost
sudden death from heart trouble was
received so hard by his aged mother,
she utterly collapsed and was taken to
her bed. Her inirmaties of age
could not help her to recover and she
passed peacefully away Monday night.
1t had been the hope of her children
and friends she would live to celebrate
her Tooth anniversary and if one
might have judged from her excellent
ly retained faculties, her general
health and her appetite, it would have
seemed probable for her to reach the
century mark. Her great grief over
the death of her son, however, was
too great a shock and was more than
she could stand. The ashes of Alex.
Spruance, which were gathered up
after his cremation, were sent East
and will be buried with the remains
of his mother in the same casket to-
morrow, Thursday afternoon, in the
family lot in Glenwood cemetery.
Mrs. Spruance was a woman of eX-
empliary character. Cultured, refined,
and devoted to her children, she lived
a life cenetered in her home and in
Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church,
of which she was long a member. She
was also interested in the Kings
d Daughters and other benevolent or
o ganizations. Mrs. Spruance before
: her marriage was Miss Mary E. Hack
:. ett. She was born, raised and spent
her whole life in and about Smyrna
In 1849 she married Presley Spru-
i ance son of the late Enoch Spruance
9 He died in February 1895. Since his
death she has been making her home
mostly with her son, Ralph at "Font
4 Hill," Smyrna. Four children survive
d her, Miss Ann P. Spruance, Odessa
f Clement Spruance, Wichita, Kansas
3 Wakeman Spruance, Philadelphia, ant
i Ralph E. Spruance, Smyrna.
n Death of James E. Stanley of Bear
Ie James E. Stanley, aged AT, brothe
r of William A. Stanley of this town
ID died Thursday morning at the P.and
I'd Hospital, Wilmington, of blood poison
) ing. He had been ill three weeks
D. The week before his death owing t
It. scarlet fever breaking out in his hom
ot he had to be taken to the contageou
le hospital and for this reason the fun
n eral could not take place from hi
tn home or the home of his brother i
Y Smyrna. He was a son of the lat
er James E. Stanley and spent his earl
ne life around Smyrna. He was marie
D twice. His first wife was Miss Susi
Up Smith, of near Raymond's Church. Sh
ar died ID years ago, leaving him wit
ne three children, John,- Howard an
ny Edith, all of Bear. His second viii
rs, was Baltimore woman, who survive
be him with six children, Edna, Mar.
an Woodrow, Ruth, James and Georg
ay also of Bear. Mr.. Stanley was raj
n road man and at the time of his deaf
nd was track forman at Bear Station. +
es had been sn the railroad service near
ng twenty years. He leaves besides h
Id. children, three brothers, William !
nd Stanley, Smyrna; Thomas Bayal
of Stanley, Philadelphia; Benjamin
mt Stanley, Wilmington. Funeral Sul
he day from the undertaking parlors
Ute w. A. FAIRIES G. Son, Smyrna; inte
m ment at Odd Fellows Cemetery.
'ai Mrs. Elizabeth Brown Dies In SmyrI
Mrs. Elizabeth Brown died at Il
90 home of Mrs. Joseph H. Wright
of East Commerce Street, Smyrna,
bo December % where she had been ma
,ar ing her home for several months
ho ever since she come from Townsel
in to be employed. Her death was eau
ION ed from heart trouble after only
few days illness. Her remains we
removed to Townsend and funeral to-
Ks place Tuesday of last week from c.
ct Inns undertaking parlors. Mrs. Broy
yed was a devout member of the M.
of Church and her many good qualiti
,e's endeared her to her friends. M
ale Brown was the widow of James
,el- Brown who died in Townsend abo
in twenty years ago. She is survived
ere two sisters and four brothers, who al
in Mrs. Emma Naylor, of Townser
ads Mrs. Eliza Bender, of Summit Bride
ose John and Uric Newman, of New Yol
or Nataniel Newman, of Cape May,
264 j.; William Newman, of Wilmingt,