Mrs. Lucretia Colton Mason

COLTON, MASON

Posted By: Volunteer - Rich Lowe
Date: 3/27/2003 at 08:55:51

In Memorian.

MRS. LUCRETIA COLTON MASON, wife of James L.Mason, Esq., was born in Bentonsport, Iowa, the 19th of Sept., 1844, and died in Manchester, Iowa, December 14th, 1883, aged 39 years, 3 months and 5 days.

During many of the later years of Mrs. Mason’s life, she was a frequent and at times an almost constant sufferer from nervous disorders inheriting much of the highly wrought nervous constitution of her mother. This physical and mental peculiarity was, to some extent, happily balanced by and blended with the more conservative elements in and from the father’s character. But the equinanimity and longevity of the father line did not, could not, wholly conserver the preponderating and dominant nerve forces of and from the maternal life.

These active forces were quickened by the demands of maternity, by the requisitions of society, by the many calls of her church, and the pleadings of charity. In each and all the relations of family, church and social life, Mrs. Mason was whole-hearted and devoted. This unreserved devotement to the pleasure and welfare of others, not only absorbed her time, but it was as surely exhausting her strength. Her disposition and determination to provide for and wait upon others, left her own system without its regular supplies and its own timely nourishment. The DIGESTIVE FUNCTIONS, never any too active or healthy, gradually lost their power, and for days and days there was but the slightest assimilation. The other vital organs, more especially the brain, could not long do its many and great works without its due supply of new and health blood. Deprived of this it became weakened, and then debilitated, and then exposed to sudden shocks, until, finally, under some more than usual pressure, the brain forces yielded to the death power, and Mrs. Mason died of CEREBRAL APOPLEXY. Hence the suddenness of her death.

She herself seemed to be the only one conscious of her near and certain dissolution. It was not merely an emotional presentiment, it was the death power asserting its claims and demanding all that remained of the mortal life of the beloved wife and mother, daughter and sister, friend and neighbor, so widely known and so highly esteemed.

Sister Mason united with the Congregational church in Bentonsport in her early youth, and from the very first made just that kind and degree of consecration to the person and service of her blessed Lord and Saviour, that we would expect in and from such a devotional and devoting nature. The many years of her consistent, and earnest, and simple-hearted life among the churches, and in the society and among the needing of the city of Memphis and vicinity, will be the imperishable memorials of her child-like trust in God her Father, and in Christ her Saviour.

The bereaved husband and children have the heartfelt and tenderly manifested sympathy of their old friends and neighbors, and the loving regards of their new-made and so suddenly bereft friends in Manchester, Iowa, their so recently adopted home.

Truly, in the midst of life we are in death’s domain. As the Lord liveth, there is but a step between thee and death.

It is but the natural desire and oft-voiced spirit of life; so teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto that wisdom which is from above, and which, if received and followed, will surely make up and round out a healthy, symmetrical life here, and fit the soul for the life immortal and eternal in the heavens. And thus living dying, we, too, will leave the legacy of the just and loving life, and make additional witnesses to the testimony of inspired Widsom.

The memory of the just is a blessing. Amen and Amen.
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Death of a Most Respected Lady.

The telegraphic announcement received in this city last Friday that Mrs. Jas. L. Mason had died at her present home that morning in Manchester, Iowa, cast a sudden and sad feeling over this community, where the lady was so well known and beloved. The corpse and family arrived here on Saturday at 1:30 P.M., and were met by a large number of our citizens at the depot, then taken to the residence of Dr. Gunn.

The funeral sermon was preached Sabbath morning at the Congregational church by Rev. A.M. Thome, of Tremont, Ill., -- the former pastor – and although the weather was stormy, yet there were many friends that could not get admission.
The discourse was most appropriate and impressive, clothed with fine language and delivered with such strong effect as to melt the hearts of many strong-hearted men present.
The family have the heartfelt sympathy of all in this and other communities. Those who mourn are comforted only by the happy and blessed though of the reunion in that home above where there are no more partings and farewells.
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The Mason boys - - Ed., Frank and George – of Des Moines, Iowa, were all here to attend the funeral of their brother James’ wife; also, Mr. Colton, from Bentonsport – the father of the deceased.

[This death notice and obits furnished courtesy of the Redheads and the Hansons, previous and current owners of the Mason House Inn]