Mrs. J.J. Jefferies

JEFFERIES, BRUNT, SEEBER, GROTE

Posted By: Michael Kearney (email)
Date: 1/12/2002 at 17:14:42

Clinton Daily Age Tuesday October 18, 1892 p. 4 In the quiet of a beautiful October Sunday evening, the spirit of a patient sufferer passed from its earthly tenement, which had been racked with pain for years, and all that was mortal of Mrs. J.J. Jefferies lay still and silent, while tears of grief welled from the sad hearts gathered about her bed, the sorrow only lightened by the knowledge that the great pain was over and a spirit, holy as only wife and mother can be, was waiting in the bright future, becoming on to that eternal paradise the Bible so beautifully portrays. Those remaining mourn and wish "___for the touch of a vanished hand. And the sound of a voice that is still!" which can come no more, save in pleasant dream, to soothe again, as in days gone by. In a happy home in Sommersetshire, England, April 14, 1822, to bless a home, came a gentle spirit and around that spirit formed a lovely character. Meeting the gentle young woman in his manhood's prime Mr. J.J. Jefferies won and wed her and together they came to America a year after marriage, reaching Cicero, N.Y., in 1847. There they remained until 1856, then the come to Lyons, which was their home until some fifteen years ago, then they had moved to Clinton, where they have had the great regard and kind respect of a circle of warm friends and acquaintances ever since. Though forty-six years numbered their married life and though they passed through many of the trials of life together, yet they remained lovers always, and thus does the beloved and idolized husband find the parting more difficult, and though he knows his patient suffering wife is now free from pain, yet he is lonely and greatly depressed. With the silent one there was no regret that death was approaching but for the parting from the loved husband on whom she had leaned all these years and in whom her girlhood trust had not been misplaced, and even to the last, as her mind was bright and clear and her countenance was illumed with the hold death-light, was the regret present that she was to be parted from her husband. If it be that spirits circle round about those they love, what a that she was to be parted from her husband. If it be that spirits circle round about those they love, what a happy thought must come to the dear ones now bereaved that she is near them. Besides the bereaved husband there mourns her death, of her immediate family, a son and two daughters, all present at her demise - J.Q. Jefferies, the superintendent of schools of Clinton county; Mrs. C.M. Seeber, (Lizzie) of Preston, and Mrs. J.F. Grote, (Belle) of West Side. Death had not been a stranger to this family, and in its most unexpected and shocking manner had it been present. When the voyage to America was being made they lost their first born at sea, a little daughter. Again death visited them and a little one was killed by being gored by an angry cow; yet again death came and a son was taken, by drowning, in Lyons and just as the present son had reached the age of one day another little daughter passed away. All these, but the little one lost at sea, rest in Oakland cemetery at Lyons and beside them will be placed at rest today the remains of the loved mother for the funeral will occur at the residence on Fourth avenue - 540, at 2 o'clock, the rector of Grace Episcopal church, of Lyons, officiating. For eleven years she had been a sufferer, and though the best physicians were called they were unsuccessful in bringing her more than temporary relief, yet none of them could bring a permanent cure from her pain. Neither could they agree on her trouble and some of the most skilled plainly said they did not understand the case and could do nothing for her. Thus she went on suffering, and her great kindness of heart is illustrated in one of her last and strongest requests, which was that a post mortem examination be held by her family physician so that the true cause of her suffering might be known and thus some other poor sufferer might be benefitted by the increased knowledge given to science. This request was compiled with and Monday the result was attained and it was known that there was extreme ulceration of the stomach, it being perfectly and completely honeycombed, some of the cells being very large. It is also intimated, as the cause for this extreme ulceration, that during an illness some thirty years ago she was given calomel by a physician and the dread drug had continued its terrible work ever since. She was the last save one, of her immediate family - she leaving a brother John Brunt, aged 84, in Syracuse, N.Y.