Mary Smith 1819-1880

SMITH GILLETTE BATCH

Posted By: The Obituary Fairy (email)
Date: 8/14/2006 at 18:35:11

The (Davenport, IA) Daily Gazette; Saturday Morning, December 11, 1880:

Smith

A Mother in Israel Gone to Her Reward

Very many will be the sincere regrets which will be awakened as the announcement is read what Mrs. Mary Lairs[?] Smith, wife of our esteemed fellow-citizen, Mr. H. H. Smith, has passed from the toils of earth to her reward of heaven. This event, sad to those who mourn for the presence never more to cheer and bless them, but glad, indeed, to the departed sufferer, occurred yesterday at about noon. It was not unexpected. The deceased has long maintained an unequal conflict with physical infirmity and disease, and it had been known for some time pat that death could not be far off.

Mrs. Smith was born in Montgomery county, Pennsylvania on February 25, 1819; united with the Eleventh Baptist church of Philadelphia, Rev. Dr. Gillette then pastor, Sept. 26, 1838; married to her bereaved husband August 4, 1842. Seven children were born unto them, of these there are still living Mrs. F. A. Batch, Gracie D. Smith and Harry W. Smith.

Mrs. H. H. Smith removed from Philadelphia with her husband and family, arriving in Davenport May 12, 1850. From that date until laid aside by disease (diabetes), forty-four years ago, her life was one of eminent usefulness, both in the church (Baptist) of which she was one of its most devoted and consistent members, as well as in cooperation with ladies of other churches in every effort, having in view the relief of the poor, or the elevation of the unfortunate.

On the formation of the “Second Iowa Infantry” in 1861, Mrs. Smith cooperating with the benevolent ladies of our city, met week after week, purchased and made up such articles as were not furnished by the State, and yet were indispensable to the soldiers on the battle field, camp and hospital. In the “Ladies Aid Society” in promoting and aiding in the work of the Y.M.C.A., Mrs. Smith for many years lent a most efficient hand. Indeed, there was no philanthropic enterprise in our city, that she was not engaged or interested in.

To the poor, her heart and hand was ever open; and yet so quiet and unostentatious were her gifts that few knew of them except the recipients.
Her long and protracted illness of over four years she bore with remarkable patience, never murmuring or complaining of God’s afflictive hand laid so heavily upon her. Such a life, given to the good of others, demands a more protracted notice than we have space to devote to it today. But her reward is registered on high. She has “ceased from her labors and her works do follow her.”

The funeral services will be held in the Baptist church, to which so many years of her life were given, on tomorrow morning, at 10:30 a.m.