George Vanwy (1890)

VANWY

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler
Date: 12/17/2007 at 09:41:07

Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Friday, September 26, 1890
Page 4

STRUCK DOWN BY DEATH.

The Life of George Vanwy goes Out in a Moment’s Time.

The news of the death of a person always sends a chill through the heart of the living even when expected—but to be struck down in an instant like the flash of lightning-it is then that death becomes something more than terrible, and appals even the bravest. Such a death occurred in our midst about 9:30 o’clock Tuesday morning, sending a shock throughout the entire city.

On that morning George Vanwy started for one of our barber shops on the east side for the purpose of getting shaved. To all appearances he had been gaining in health since he came back from Clarinda sometime ago. He was growing more rugged looking every day. As he met his friends on the street that morning and shook hands with them, they would ask: “How are you feeling, George?” he would reply with a cheerful voice and hearty laugh: “I feel splendid this morning; am gaining right along.”

He went up into John Miller’s barber shop, and taking a chair began to joke and laugh with John, who was busy at the time. Suddenly he heard a gasp, and looking toward George he saw that his head was thrown back, his limbs stiffened out and he was struggling for breath. Mr. Miller hurried to the side of the dying man. He spoke to him, but George had lost the power of speech. He sent immediately for medical aid, but before the doctor’s arrived on the scene the end had come, and the man who a few moments before had walked into the room laughing and apparently full of life, was carried down the stairs and borne to his home in the northwestern part of the city on a stretcher.

In the meantime his wife had been informed to some extent as to the calamity, but she did not know that he was dead until the body was carried into the home that he had walked out of but a short time previous. The full weight of the crushing blow to the wife can be easily understood, and she has the sympathy of everybody in the sorrow that has come upon her.

Mr. Vanwy was born in Ohio and came to Winterset thirty years ago. He was forty-eight years of age, being only in the prime of life. He will be greatly missed by the people in the neighborhood in which he resided, and, in fact, by all who knew him. He always had a cheerful word for those he came in contact with—was full of fun and good nature—and it was only last Sunday that the writer was looking at him as he walked up the street toward his home, and thought how sturdy-looking he was getting once more.

The funeral services were held at the house at 2:00 o’clock Wednesday afternoon. They were conducted by the Rev. H. C. Herring assisted by Rev. G. C. Peck. Mr. Herring took his text from Ecclesiastes, 8: 7-8: “Man knoweth not that which shall be, for who can tell him when it shall be? There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither has he power in the day of death.”

He then spoke briefly thus: Many things in life convince us that our powers are limited. We constantly have experiences which prove to us that there is a power above our own. In this sudden death which has occurred in our community we have a striking commentary on the words of the text. Our neighbor who lies dead was in his usual health and spirits up to the moment when the call of death came. But when it came its bidding was peremptory, “There is no man that hath power to retain the spirit.” We neglect a very grave warning if we fail to remind ourselves from this occasion that there is One above us whose right it is to call us to account, and who will perhaps do so when we least expect it. The suddenness of this death brings keen grief to the friends, and it is little that we can do or say to help them, especially this wife who is thus widowed. We can only point them to the Saviour whose presence in the stricken home at Bethany beside the bier and in the presence of sorrow, was always a benediction. He is the same yesterday, to-day and forever, and the word which he left to his disciples is available for all burdened souls unto this day: “Let not your heart be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also in Me.”

The Odd Fellows Lodge, of which he was a member, marched in the procession to the cemetery, where they laid the dead away with the beautiful ceremonies of the order.

Mr. Vanwy was not a church member, still he was a believer in the life and teachings of the Redeemer, and was a close reader of his words. We were shown his Testament within which he had marked many of his favorite passages. Among them was this one: This is my commandment, that ye love one another as I have loved you, Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you.

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