Carroll Rees (1911)

REES, DYE

Posted By: Linda Brittain (email)
Date: 2/25/2007 at 14:59:59

Winterset Madisonian, Winterset, Iowa
November 1911

OBITUARY

Carroll Rees, son of J. H. and Florence Rees was born in Marion County, Iowa, April 9th 1887. He came with his parents to Warren County in 1890, thence to Madison County in 1901. After leaving home he spent some time in Canada, going from there to Lewiston, Idaho, where he was married to Flora Dye in May 1909. They returned to Iowa in the fall of 1910 coming to Earlham where they have made their home since that time. He had been unusually healthy and strong until about three weeks before his death when he was taken suddenly ill and seemed to realize from the first that he would not recover. He has always been of an unusually happy disposition having a kind word and a pleasant smile for all he met. He had made no public profession of religion until near the last when at a time his mind was clear, he asked Mr. Bechtel, who was at his bedside, if he thought he had any right to pray, if he thought God would hear his prayer, if God for Christ’s sake would hear and answer his prayer. Mr. Bechtel assured him that God would willingly hear and graciously pardon all his sins. He began to pray, “Oh God I have done wrong. I have many sins. I can not tell all of them but Oh God you know. Forgive me my sins for Christ’s sake.” All about him said amen and Carroll responded, “Amen.” He then said; “I feel that I have an answer to my prayer. I feel that God has pardoned all my sins, and I am satisfied. I am not afraid to die. I am ready to go.” He then said, “I want to see my father, mother and all of my relatives and bid them goodbye while in my right mind. He then calmly and serenely bid them a last farewell, exhorting them to live for a brighter and better day. And thus he passed out of this life on Saturday evening, Nov. 11, 1911, leaving wife, father, mother, four brothers, three sisters, and many friends to mourn his loss.