WALD, Clara 1851-1934

WALD, BROWN-LEEVWE

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 11/8/2016 at 17:33:21

Mrs. Clara Wald, Civil War Widow, Died Thursday

Mrs. Clara Wald died at her home in Grundy Center on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 29, in the 84th year of her age. Mrs. Wald had been in steadily declining health for some years and her death was due to physical breakdown incident to old age. Her funeral service was conducted by Rev. A. G. Annette at 2 o'clock Sunday afternoon at the First Baptist church of which she had been a member for over forty years. Her body was buried in the Grundy Center cemetery beside that of her husband, the late F. W. Wald, who was a former soldier of the United States in the Union army during the Civil War.

Mr. and Mrs. Wald lived for some time on the Coffman and Longnecker farms southwest of town, when they first came to Grundy county, later moving to Grundy Center.

Obituary
Clara Brown-leevwe was born in Ostfriesland, Germany, April 13, 1851. She came with her parents to New York City when she was three years of age. There she was married to F. W. Wald, October 7, 1869. They lived in New York City until 1875. Both Mr. and Mrs. Wald were members of the historic First Baptist church of New York City and sang in the choir together for several years.

In the year 1875 they left New York City and moved to Adeline, Ill., where they remained until 1888, the year they moved to Grundy county where she has resided up to the time of her death.

She was the mother of nine children, three dying in infancy and six surviving: two girls, Mrs. Bertha Chase, residing at the home of the mother, and Mrs. George Meyers at Cedar Rapids; four boys, William F. of Garfield, Minn.; Henry C., Waterloo; Clarence R. of Lake Park, Iowa; Charles H. at home.

There are fifteen grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren, also a sister, Mrs. Catherine Leonis of Rockford, Ill., and numerous nieces and nephews. Her husband, a Civil war veteran, preceded her in death 26 years ago.

Mrs. Wald united with the Baptist church of Grundy Center, Jan. 22, 1891. She has ever been one of the steady, faithful serving kind of Christians. Up until the last few years she was a faithful attendant at the services, but after a fall some few years ago she was confined to her home most of the time. She never forgot the church and its need, nor her own obligation as a member. Every week her envelope was filled to help toward the support of the work and she seemed to take great joy in the carrying out of this privilege.

Mrs. Wald was a lover of music. As above stated, she sang in the church choir of the First Baptist church of New York City in her early days, and never tired of the Gospel in song. We well remember how she loved the radio Gospel services and until her hearing became so defective, she spent hours listening to the various Gospel services that may be had.

"To die is gain." (Phil. 1:21).

To die in Christ is not to die;
'Tis but to live the more,
To enter through an open door
Where life enlarged doth lie.

To die in Christ is but to go
To happy realms above;
To go where all is blissful love,
Where joys eternal flow.

To die in Christ new rest doth bring,
Love, hope, and faith abide;
They reign upon the other side
Where is eternal spring. --R.E.N.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 6 December 1934, pg 10