Servantes B. Kerr 1847-1887

KERR, BALDWIN

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 1/14/2019 at 10:08:34

16 June 1887 - The Local Record

KERR--Died at his residence 2 1/2 miles south-east of West Branch, Iowa, of Erysipelas, SERVANTES B. KERR.

The deceased was born near Damascus, Ohio, February 12th, 1847; was married to Miss Hannah M. Baldwin, April 30th, 1868, and came to West Branch, in 1877, where he has been well known as a Christian gentleman.

He was converted and joined the M.E. Church at the age of fourteen, and remained a member until death.

His life was that of a Christian. His end was peace. During the whole period of his sickness, he seemed impressed with the idea that he would not recover, but said that his way was bright and clear, that God's will was his will. When nearing death, he called his family to his bed side, gave them his dying charge, and bade them farewell, one by one. To this wife he said, "We'll meet again". His last testimony was, "The Lord saves me."

His Sabbath School from Centerdale of which he was Superintendent, attended the funeral at West Branch, in a body with a large concourse of sympathizing friends. A widow and five children are left to mourn, but they sorrow not as others who have no hope.

The death of S. B. Kerr, whose obituary notice appears in this paper, has cast a shade of sorrow over the entire community. He was such a useful man in the church and society, a kind neighbor and sympathizing friend, taken away in the midst of faithful duty and in the very prime of manhood. A few days before his death, the neighbors gathered some twenty in number with teams, and plowed his corn through both ways, cleaning it up in good shape, and yesterday they did the same thing for his father, James Kerr, who had been obliged to omit duties at home while attending the beside of his son. This is practical christianity, and proves that a christian needs no other insurance policy than the one given in the Bible.