MOAK, Maggie (1871-1878)

MOAK, LUDLOW

Posted By: Deborah Horzen (email)
Date: 7/9/2004 at 16:56:18

Accident and Death
A sad accident, resulting in death, occurred in our town last week. Little Maggie Moak, the seven year old daughter of J.J. Moak, on Wednesday last was out across the railroad grade west of town with a brother next older, watching, and playing with, a small prairie fire that had been started. Suddenly a gust of wind brought the blaze towards them and little Maggie's dress caught fire. She started at once for home, some forty rods distant, screaming at the top of her voice. Her little brother ran after her, seized her bonnet, and commenced whipping out the flames, which streamed above her head. He persisted in this until he had whipped the fire all out. She was quite severely burned on limbs and back, but still it was not thought at the time to be serious. The burns were carefully dressed and little Maggie was about the house and out of doors at play. Friday afternoon she appeared unwell. Towards night she sank rapidly, and early in the evening passed quietly to her long rest. Her sudden death was a severe shock to friends and neighbors. She had been playing out of doors in the forenoon, and in the evening begun her last sleep, that knows no waking here below.
It is supposed that the burn on her back was so near the spinal cord, - the seat of the whole nervous system, - that it somehow effected her so seriously as to cause death.

Lines to Mr. and Mrs. J.J. Moak on the death of little Maggie:
That precious bud, of promise rare,
Was lent to you, not given;
God seeing it sweetly growing here
Transplanted it to heaven.
Why should we mourn her early death?
Her sufferings all are o'er,
She has safely crossed the river dark
And waits upon the shore.

Although her loss has cast a gloom -
A shadow on your hearth,
You could not wish to call her back
To dwell upon this earth.
For, when your life work all is done,
And you seek the fadeless shore,
You'll meet upon the golden strand
Your darling gone before.

E.M.C.
Ellington, Ia., April 7, '78
(Hancock Signal, 10 Apr 1878, p. 3, col. 5)