DOUGHERTY, Eliza (Crail) 1809-1895

CRAIL, DOUGHERTY

Posted By: Kermit Kittleson
Date: 6/13/2010 at 17:37:58

Obituary

Eliza Crail, daughter of Edward and Sarah Crail, was born Aug. 30, 1809, in Beaver county, Pennsylvania. Here she was married Aug. 30,1831, to David Boggs Dougherty, of Richmond, Ohio.

She died October 26,1895, at her home near Janesville, Iowa, where she had lived since April 5, 1854.

Born of Christian parents, she was surrounded from infancy by the atmosphere of Christian thinking and living. Her father was identified with early Methodism; his home was the scene of many religious gatherings, and headquarters for the traveling preachers of that locality. As a little child she loved to be present at the preaching and to take part in the class meetings, which her father led for many years.

She has said often that she could not recall the time when she did not love God and love to pray, and from her earliest infancy the desire to be a Christian was ever present. When asked about her conversion, she said that the only experience that could be called; a conversion was an early resolve, made when a little child of six, to love and obey God, and that ever since she had lived a Christian life.

She united with the M. E. church at the earliest opportunity, which occurred when she was 15 years old. Ever since then, for 71 years, she has lived an active Christian life in the church, and but a few days before her death remarked that she had nothing to regret, for she had always done as near right as she knew how.

She leaves a living husband, two sisters, Mrs. M. A. Wyarit, of Waterloo, and Mrs. Rachel Ferguson; of Shell Rock, and four children, B. M. and E. C. Dougherty, of Waterloo; M. B. Dougherty, of Janesville, and Mrs. A. S. McMillan, of Wadena, Minnesota, to mourn her loss, while a large circle of grandchildren and friends feel that a blessed one has departed from, them.

[Waterloo Courier, Wednesday, November 20, 1895]