Torrey, Gertrude (Massiker) Ayers 1814-1893

TORREY, MASSIKER, AYERS, AYRES, COLE, SMITH, PRATT, COOLEY, TORRY

Posted By: Ken Johnson (email)
Date: 3/19/2017 at 11:00:03

From the Thursday, 30 March 1893 issue of “The Elkader Register,” Obituary section, page 5, column 4:

MRS. A. TORRY. [sic]

We glean the following form the Fredericksburg, (Ia.) News. Mrs. Torry [Torrey] was the stepmother of Mrs. Fred Smith, of this township:

DIED—at the residence of H. G. Pratt, in Fredericksburg, Iowa, Monday, March 20, 1893, Mrs. A. Torry, aged 79 years.

Gertrude Massiker was born in Havana, Chemung county, N. Y., March 29, 1814, and was married to Wm. C. Ayers September 30, 1835, with whom she lived until the death of Mr. Ayres [sic], in 1876. There were two children by this marriage both dying in childhood.

She afterwards married Alvin Torry and moved to Clayton county, Iowa, where she lived until his sudden death a few years later, leaving her alone again.

She came to this place October, 1890, and ha since lived in the home of H. G. Pratt, where she has been tenderly cared for by her niece, Mrs. Cole.

Deceased has been a patient sufferer for years and felt that death would be a blessed rest. She was a member of the United Brethren church and fully trusted in her Saviour. She gently fell asleep in Jesus.

The funeral was held in the M. E. church, Rev. Cooley preaching from the text Job, 33d chapter and 4th verse.

We watched her breathing through the night,
Her breathing soft and low,
As in her breast the wave of life
Kept heaving to and fro.
So silently we seemed to speak,
So slowly moved about,
As we had lent her half our powers,
To eke her breathing out.
Our weary hopes belied our fears,
Our fear our hopes belied,—
We thought her dying when she slept,
And sleeping when she died.
For when the morn came, dim and sad,
And chill with early showers,
Her weary eyelids closed—she had
Another morn than ours.

A FRIEND.

[TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE: Her first husband's surname is spelled both Ayers and Ayres in the obituary.]