Orcutt, May (Mrs. J. P.) 1854-1893

ORCUTT, CHRISTIE, KEITH

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - Volunteer (email)
Date: 7/16/2010 at 13:41:28

Jan 13, 1893 Rock Valley Bee
Death of Mrs. Orcutt.

It is seldom that our people are so shocked as they were on hearing of
the death of Mrs. J. P. Orcutt on last Sunday morning. The lady had
ben ailing but a few days, and even her most intimate friends were not
alarmed until within a few days, and even her most intimate friends
were not alarmed until within a few hours of her death, when she sank
rapidly. All that medical skill supplemented by the kind and
solicitous ministrations of friends were exhausted in her behalf, but
it was not enough. The dark winged messenger had marked her for his
own. Whilst in the midst of the conflict, and in love with life, he
aimed at her his fatal and never deviating arrow, and the hand of man
was powerless to turn aside the cruel shaft. Having struggled to the
summit of life’s pilgrimage and from its giddy height surveyed the
tumultuous scene below, she turned aside, and her weary feet were
spared the thorns which infest its declivity.

She laid aside her burden and is at rest. Neither disappointment and
heart anguish nor death and bereavement, will ever again put her heart
string to the tension. If the joys of her life are ended, the sum may
be said of her sorrows The fruits of her labors survive her, and many
a grateful heart will remember when her gentle admonition bade them
take heart again and as the rolling seasons come and go, they will
visit her narrow mansion, and as they gaze upon her windowless palace
of rest, their tears will tell heaven how they loved her.
May W. Keith, the maiden name of the deceased was born Nov. 20 1854 at
Naperville, IL and united in marriage with J. P. Orcutt at Wheaton in
the same state, May 171881 and while visiting her sister at Cedar
Falls in 1878 became identified with the Methodist church remaining
ever thereafter a zealous devoted to the cause she esponsed.

She always took a lively interest in the welfare of others, and
having no children of her own this was especially so with reference to
the little ones, so many of whom she instructed in her long term of
Sunday school work. She removed with he husband from Gilman IL, to
this city during the years of 1885 ; her labors were arduous and
persistent and always of a humanitarian character. She was buried
from the ME church, Tuesday Rev. Jesse Cale preaching a forcible and
touching sermon from the significant words from Job. ‘If a man
died, shall he live again?’ Her remains were followed by a large
concourse of sorrowing friends and deposited in that narrow receptacle
which awaits the living.

Oblivious to the sorrows of others hers is a friendly surcease from
the tumults and perplexities of life. There were in attendance upon
the last sad obsequies, Mr. Orcutt’s brother Fred of Naperville IL
and his aunt Mrs. Ward of Cherokee, Mrs. Franklin and Mrs.
Christopher, of Canton, friends of the deceased were also present.
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From the Alton Democrat of Jan 14, 1893 Rock Valley news.

On Sunday morning last at six o'clock occurred the death of Mrs. J. P. Orcutt. She had been sick but a few days and died of inflammation of the verniform appendix. Her unexpected death has caused universal sorrow. She was thirty-eight years of age and leaves a husband, a sister and an aged mother to mourn her loss. The funeral took place Tuesday afternoon, services being held at the M. E. church.

Transcriber Notes:
(The cemetery index lists May Keith Christie Orcutt b. 20 Nov 1854 died 14 Jan 1893 wife of J. P. Same stone as John and Janette Christie buried in the Valley View Cemetery in Rock Valley IA. Janette M. Christie was born 1820 died 1903 wife of John Christie, mother of Julia Mrs. Dr. James Bell living in Chicago in 1903.)