O'Brien, Rose (1869-1886)

OBRIEN

Posted By: Clara Jacobson
Date: 8/31/2010 at 10:41:15

"The Freeman"
Webster City, Iowa
January 20, 1886

Death of Miss Rose O'Brien

An unusual sadness settled down upon the people in and around Williams, on the evening of Saturday, January 9th, occasioned by the unexpected death of the highly esteemed daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. M. O'Brien, who had been ill for nearly two months, but it was thought was then out of danger. A few minutes before the soul took its flight, Miss Rose seemed in a happy frame of mind and was laughing and talking with her mother and brother Daniel. This was about 7 p.m.--just after the curtains of night had been drawn over the snow-mantled earth. She requested her brother to close a door, which he did, and upon turning towards his sister again, he saw her sinking to the pillow of her couch, uttering, as she did so, a low moan. Her face was still lighted up by almost an angelic smile, but death had claimed her. She died suddenly of heart disease. One of life's choicest flowers had been transplanted to another sphere, just as she was about passing from the bloom of youth to mature womanhood.

"The maid on whose cheek, on whose brow, in whose eye,
Shone beauty and pleasure, her triumphs are by;
And the memory of those who loved her and praised.
Will ne'er from the minds of the living be erased."

The night of this sad occurrence was bitterly cold and stormy, but about a dozen of the citizens of Williams managed to convey Mrs. L. N. Gerber, Jennie Allinson, and Miss Leona Harrison to the residence of Mr. O'Brien, which is situated nearly half a mile from the village. In order to do this the men drew the ladies in a sleigh, by means of a long rope. The ladies were all frost bitten more or less. At the time of Miss Rose's death, her father, J. M. O'Brien, was at Ackley, to which place he had gone to attend to his official duties as D. D. G. M. of the Odd Fellows lodges for the 46th District of Iowa. The telegram announcing the death of his daughter found him busily engaged within the lodge room, and the words, "Rose is dead," were doubtless the saddest words ever glanced at by Mr. O'Brien. The fearful storm then raging had blocked the railroads. Mr. O'Brien, in his grief and anxiety, started from the lodge room towards his home, on foot, facing the storm several miles; but some of the brotherhood, thinking seriously after his welfare, followed on after him and persuaded him to return with them. He was compelled to remain in Ackley till Monday, reaching home that evening, making the trip part way on foot and part way by rail, through the kindness of Supt. Gillese of the Ill. Cent. road.

The funeral took place on Wednesday, Jan. 13th, conducted by Rev. J. Riale, at the Presbyterian Church. The deceased was born at Alta, Lee county, Ill., Dec. 13th 1869, hence was a few weeks past 16 years of age. After the funeral sermon was concluded, the Odd Fellows, of which the father of the deceased is an honored member, marched through the church, viewed the remains and deposited a sprig of evergreen on the coffin's face, which was a very touching scene, and affected the family deeply, as it was all unexpected. In short, it seems as though the whole community deeply mourned this death. Rose, perforce of her very nature, was full of true womanly traits of character, had endeared herself to all who knew her, and very naturally her death called forth the deepest of sympathy for the bereaved family, which seems all that is left to human power towards healing the crushed and bleeding hearts. Thus has passed from life one of Hamilton county's fairest daughters; one who was accomplished in the things of this life, as well as having believed in her Redeemer and given every evidence of a true Christian faith. The last hour of her life she had been reading a book in which the following verse occurred. It seems to perfectly fit her case. She turned down the leaf and paused reading:

"I see no hand to help me, I wish the dark clouds would part;
I am weary, weary, hearing the beating of my heart."

This blow is a hard one to Mr. and Mrs. O'Brien, after rearing their daughter to that point where youth touches womanhood. The deceased was the light and pride of the household, and her death will leave an aching void that years cannot fill. While the parents find it hard to become reconciled to the inevitable, yet they try to look up through their tears and say, "Thy will be done."