McConnaughey, Margaret (Vance) 1828-1897

MCCONNAUGHEY, VANCE

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 5/6/2005 at 19:05:43

The Newton Record Friday, March 26, 1897
McConnaughey, Margaret (Vance)

Our friends die and leave our hearts and homes desolate for a time; we cannot prevent it, it would not be best if we could. Sorrow has its useful lessons when it is legitimate and death is the gate that opens out of earth toward the house eternal in the heavens. We lose them but heaven gains them. We mourn, they rejoice; we hang our harps on the willows, they tune theirs in the heavenly orchestra and rejoice that we shall soon be with them. Let us drown our sorrow in the flood of light let through the rent veil of the skies which Jesus entered, knowing that every step brings us nearer that eternal home, where they have gone. Mrs. Geo. McConnaughey was born in Fayette County, Penn., Nov. 3. 1828. She died in Prairie City, March 18, 1897, in her 67th year.

Margaret Vance was married to Geo. McConnaughey in Highland County, Ohio, April 4, 1850. To them were born five children; two have preceded her to the better land. She and her husband came to Iowa in 1870, making Monroe their home until about ten years ago when they moved to Prairie City. She with her husband united with the Baptist Church in Ohio in 1855 and remained members while in the community where that church was, or until 1863. Mrs. McConnaughey was very much of a home woman. The beauties of her character were only known to her family and to those most intimate with her. The funeral services were conducted by Rev. Riheldaffer, assisted by Revs. Adams, Mitchell and Bennett, at the M. E. Church, Friday at 2 p. m. After the services the body of the faithful wife and mother was laid to rest in our beautiful cemetery to await the final summons. Two sons, Ellis and Dr. McConnaughey, one daughter, Anna, remain to share the sorrow of the aged husband. One cannot describe the sorrow of a home bereft of a mother and earth has some sacred spot where we feel we must tread with reverence, where common words of social converse seem rude. But of all these places, even among the chapel houses of the dead, none is so sacred as the grave of a mother.

Originally submitted on Mon Aug 26 16:44:41 2002