Briggs, Anna, Mrs. George W., died 1904

BRIGGS, MONTGOMERY

Posted By: Lydia Lucas-Volunteer (email)
Date: 11/16/2011 at 20:03:54

DIED IN INDIA

The sad news reached here the past week of the death of Mrs. Anna Briggs--wife of Rev. Briggs and daughter of Hon. Dan Montgomery of Ireton in Mami Tal India. She was a Sioux county schoolteacher and an estimable and beautiful young woman. Last July she was married to Rev. Briggs and with the glow of health and happiness upon her face bade farewell to her family and friends to accompany her husband to the mission field of India. They reached Bombay October sixteenth last and entered joyously upon their work. Mrs. Briggs had written numerous enthusiastic letters to her folks and the future looked bright for a long and useful life her her and her husband. She died Thursday of last week. She was a graduate of the college at Evanston Illinois and a classmate of Mrs. Mary Wright Pease who died in the same mission field in March of last year. The death of Mrs. Briggs comes as a shock to her many Sioux county friends and the sympathy of all who know them is with the stricken parents in their hour of bereavement.

Source: Alton Democrat, May 28, 1904.

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A SAD DEATH

Mr. and Mrs. D. Montgomery of Ireton received a cablegram last Friday conveying the sad news of the death of their daughter in far off India. The message read "Anna dead" and contained no other news to the grief stricken parents. Miss Anna Montgomery was married to Rev. Geo. W. Briggs on July 20, 1903, the culmination of an attachment which grew up while both were attending the University at Evanston, Ill. The happy couple were accompanied to New York by Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery and they set sail to do Missionary work in India under the Methodist board of foreign missions.

The deceased was a brilliant young woman who had set her heart upon a life work and it seems doubly sad that she should have been cut down by the grim reaper at its very beginning. She spent six years at Evanston fitting herself for this calling and her parents spared no pains in providing every facility for her advancement. Few young lives gave better promise than hers. The Montgomery family have a large circle of acquaintances in this vicinity who will extend sincere sympathy in their great bereavement.

Source: Hawarden Independent, May 26, 1904.

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The friends of Hon. D. Montgomery of Ireton, will sympathize with him over the sad news he received this week of the death of his daughter, Mrs. Anna Briggs, who left home last September, immediately after her marriage, to take up mission work in far off India. Mrs. Briggs was a graduate of Northwestern University at Evanston, of the class of 1900. She was an exceptionally bright young woman. She was principal of the Ashland, Wis., schools the year previous to her marriage and only ceased school work to take up mission work with her husband. Her death so far from home and kindred seems doubly sad and her father and mother need all the consolation friends can extend to them.

Source: Sioux County Herald (Orange City), June 1, 1904

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TELLS OF HER DEATH
Letter Received From Geo. W. Briggs Telling of Mrs. Briggs's Death
The Lady Was Sick Only About Six Hours. Death Caused by Local Conditions

A letter was received by Mr. and Mrs. D. Montgomery Monday giving the details in the death of Mrs. Geo. W. Briggs which occurred at Naini Tal, India, Asia, over a month ago. The letter was written by Mr. Briggs, her husband, on the day of her death and of course probably did not include all the details, but is sufficient to end the terrible suspense which the parents and other relatives and her many friends have undergone since the receipt of the cablegram.

Her death occurred very suddenly and was due mainly to local conditions. The lady retired at night feeling in the best of health. Toward morning she awoke with a terrific headache but soon went to sleep again; later, however she awoke feeling very much worse. The lady was immediately taken to a near by hospital and every thing was done that could be possible, but within six hours after the attack she was gathered to the arms of her maker for whose cause she had given her life, murmering the words of "father," "mother" and the name of her devoted husband. The remains were buried the next day at Naini Tal.

It seems that the conditions at the place where they were stopping were very unhealthy, many lives being sacrificed to the ravages of the deadly fever. Mr. Montgomery stated to the Ledger that there was no doubt but what the fever prevalent there was the direct cause of the lady's death. Mr. Briggs was just recovering from the disease and it is thought that in nursing him the disease was contracted by her.

According to his contract Mr. Briggs will remain in India for eight years more as pastor of the English M. E. church.

Source: Ireton Weekly Ledger, June 17, 1904.

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From the Alton Democrat, July 9, 1904: The large window in the new Methodist church at Ireton will be made a memorial window in honor of Mrs. Anna Montgomery-Briggs who recently died in India.