Sallie Reaney 1870-1892

REANEY

Posted By: Beverly Gerdts (email)
Date: 11/16/2020 at 06:33:42

Columbus Gazette, Columbus Junction, Iowa Friday, August 19, 1892 page 5

Our people were greatly shocked on Tuesday morning to learn that Sallie Reaney had passed away. All knew that she was and had been for a short time very seriously sick, but reports had been coming from her that she was improving and the attending physicians had hopes that she would recover. Five weeks ago Monday she went to Wapello to attend the county normal expecting to teach the Linn Grove school near young James Letts', the coming fall and winter, the same school which she had very successfully taught this spring.

On her return home from Wapello at the close of the first week's work, she was complaining some, but thought that the change in drinking water was the cause of her trouble. She got no better during the second week and on the following Sunday was quite poorly, although she was up and around the house. The next Tuesday, a little over three weeks ago, she was taken violently ill and the doctor was summoned. She grew worse for two weeks, when she seemed to rally a little, but was in a very critical condition and began to improve some. Last Monday afternoon she took a rapid turn for the worse, and died on Tuesday morning at 4:20 o'clock.

Sallie Reaney was born in Chester, Delaware county, Pennsylvania on November 2, 1870 and was a daughter of Samuel Reaney. her mother died when she was but a babe, eleven months old and she was taken to her grandparents, the parents of Mary and Joseph Reaney who lived in Pennsylvania at that time. Nine years ago they moved West, locating on the same place her uncle and aunt now occupy. The grandparents died several years ago.

Sallie died on Tuesday morning, August 16, aged nearly twenty-two years, her death being the result of a complication of diseases. Her sickness was very severe. During the few weeks that she was bad she had wasted from a ruddy, fleshy girl to almost a skeleton. She was bright and cheerful while her sickness lasted, having a smile and pleasant words for all her friends who came to see her. It was her desire that she should get well, but Providence had ruled otherwise. She bore her sufferings with great patience and fortitude. It seems sad that one so bright should this be cut off in the prime of youth. Sallie had been preparing to enter active duties of teaching having attended the public school at the Junction and the Mt Pleasant university for some time. She was a bright, active girl, full of ambition and a great comfort to her uncle and aunt who thought as much of her as any parent could, she being the only one whose home was with them. They are nearly heartbroken over her loss, but have the deep and sincere sympathy of all.

Those who knew Sallie best valued her the most. She was an earnest Christian worker, an active member of the Methodist church, having united with that body several years ago, when Dr. Johnson was the minister at Lettsville. She was of a very gentle and loving disposition and had drawn to her an almost unlimited number of friends who sorrow at her loss. She leaves a father and a host of relatives and friends to mourn her untimely death. The funeral services were held in the Cedar Bethel church at 11 o'clock Thursday morning conducted by Rev. L. D. Johnson, assisted by Rev. W. Roland Williams. The music was furnished by the Presbyterian choir of this place.