Margaret Ann Turkington 1812-1889

TURKINGTON

Posted By: Beverly Gerdts (email)
Date: 10/6/2020 at 09:39:30

Columbus Gazette, Columbus Junction, Iowa, Wednesday, August 21, 1889 page 1

OBITUARY.

Margaret Ann Turkington (Courtney) was born in County Armagh, Ireland; October 25, 1812, and died at the residence of her son, James Turkington, August 15,1889, aged 76 years, 9 mos. and 20 days. She was converted to God in he 15th year and her 19th was united in marriage to James Turkington. Six children were the result of this union. There were three daughters and three sons. One daughter died in County Tyrone, Ireland, and the rest are still living, all having been privileged to minister to the comfort of their mother during her last sickness, and to witness her laid away in mother earth, awaiting the glorious resurrection of the just. After 16 years of married life she was left a widow in destitute circumstances; but her implicit confidence was int hat God who has promised to be a husband to the widow and a father to the fathersless.

Through her own exertions accompanied by the blessing of a Heavenly Father, she was enabled to maintain her family of small children and keep them together and they very blessedly realized the truthfulness of the promise, "My God shall supply all your need." In 1857, she, with her children, moved to this country. She was permitted to live to see her children well married and comfortably fixed in life, and above all, to see them happily converted to God and living consistent members of the church of her choice. She has been a faithful and honored member of the Methodist Episcopal church for more than 62 years. For many years she had earnestly desired to be made perfect in Love. Nearly three years ago, she saw that this was not to be attained by works or growth but by faith, and while in the church at Letts, Iowa, she received the Lord Jesus as her Sanctifier and instantly .?. that the great work for which she had been laboring for so many years was now done by a simple act of faith in the blessed Son of God. from this time until her death her life seemed to increase rapidly in beauty and christian simplicity, and she seemed literally to be going from "Glory unto glory." She often spoke of this experience with much joy and expressed very earnest desires that all of God's dear children might come into this glorious rest of faith. She was a kind friend, a good mother, and a faithful servant of God. As a shock of corn fully ripe for the heavenly garner, she now rests from her labors, and her works will follow her. The funeral services were held in the Letts M.E. church on the 17th inst. there being in attendance a very large concourse of relatives and friends.