Irving, James 1805-1887

IRVING

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 2/23/2019 at 10:49:30

Obituary ~ James Irving
November, 1805 ~ December 22, 1887

Decatur County Journal
Leon, Decatur County, Iowa
December 30, 1887

DIED -- At Van Wert, Iowa, December 22, 1887, of heart disease after an illness of about two weeks, JAMES IRVING, who was born in New Jersey, In the month of November 1805; came to Decatur County, Iowa in 1853; was one of the proprietors of the original plot of Van Wert, and was one of our most prominent and yet one of our most peaceable and quiet citizens. Coming here as a member of the Presbyterian Church, he opened his house as a preaching place to a minister of said church by the name of SPRINGER, who preached the first sermon (as I suppose) that was ever preached in Van Wert. Although BRO. IRVING lived to pass his 82nd year and was quite feeble, yet he proved faithful unto death. About May, 1886, he stopped in the street near the Christian Church to tell me what a wonderful Christian experience he had. He said he did not know what was going to happen and I feel confident he now knows that he has got to his beautiful Home in Heaven, where sickness and sorrow, pain and death are felt and feared no more. As he neared the fatal hour, he gave positive evidence that all was well and he was ready.

Now, friends and neighbors, will you meet him when we gather at the River, yes, yes, yes. I fancy I hear from many friends, "By the Grace of God I'll meet him and help him pluck and eat the embrasial fruits of life and live forever with God".

The relatives wish to return their sincere thanks to the friends for their assistance in their great affliction.

The funeral was preached by the writer from II Cor. 5:1, to a large attentive and sympathizing audience, assisted by BROS. SAMSON, THROCKMORTON and BULLARD on December 23, 1887.

~ JAMES BLAIR

Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
(What does embrasial mean? My Webster's doesn't show it. ~N)

Embrasial means 'having a delicious taste or smell' which has its origins from the food of the ancient Greek and Roman gods. ~ SRB