Blackwood, Mary (Shaner) 1813-1894

BLACKWOOD, SHANER

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 9/7/2006 at 09:34:08

The Newton (IA) Journal Wednesday, April 18, 1894

OBITUARY - Mary Shaner was born in Muskingum County, Ohio, December 9th, 1813, and died April 9th, 1894. She married J. W. Blackwood, May 2nd, 1839, and they moved to Jasper County, Iowa, on their farm, in 1854, where they lived until death.

She was converted in her early girlhood days and lived a Christian life the most of her time (according to her own testimony.) In latter years, she had a continual hungering and thirsting after righteousness and was seeking to get a complete victory over sin, but was told by her spiritual advisers that she could never reach that point.

But last summer she made a complete surrender of herself and all she had to God, for time and eternity, took hold of God by faith for her Savior and Sanctifier, and testifier that she knew she had a clean heart. She said that she experienced a real soul rest. She knew what it meant to enter into the land of promise. The Lord revealed to her that "she was of God, that the whole world lieth in wickedness," and the time was near at hand when Holiness unto the Lord would be preached all over the land.

In her last sickness the Lord gave her a vision: She said that the whole world seemed to be all in a smoke and she passed through it and did not strangle her at all. She heard many voices saying, "Preach Holiness Unto the Lord! Preach Holiness Unto the Lord!" She said, "Lord I cannot preach." And then she said, "I will do the best I can." Then she felt satisfied that that was all that was required.

She seemed wonderfully burdened for the unsaved world, and particularly concerned about the condition the church is in today. She thought that the church had in a measure lost its spiritual power. She tho't of the text: "He that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad." She said that she wished that they could have a real spiritual camp meeting this coming summer, and have the Gospel preached in all of its fullness, and hoped that the Christian people would do all they could to bring it around.

Her funeral sermon was preached at Mt. Zion church on Wednesday, the 11th, by Rev. Phillips, the pastor, from the text, I Thessalonians, 4-13, 14. True we miss Mother. But we sorrow not as one that has no hope, for we are satisfied that she is sleeping in Jesus. The sacred hymn, "The Very Same Jesus," (her favorite) was one of the hymns sung. Her children and grand children were all present. Phenie B. Preston.

CARD OF THANKS - Her Children and Grand-children wish to extend their many thanks to the many kind friends that so kindly assisted in this sad hour of bereavement.