DONALD, Mrs. John (Effie): 1870-1907

DAY, DONALD, SMITH

Posted By: Volunteer: Sherri (email)
Date: 10/6/2013 at 08:17:49

Death of Mrs. John Donald

Autumn, with her days of bright sunshine, her nights of soft moon beams, could not disperse the deep gloom that hovered over our community, as all realized that the message of death would soon break its way telling that another loved one had gone from our midst. it was just as the sun was hiding its golden rays ?? beneath the western horizon, on the 24th day Oct., 1907, than the spirit of Mrs. Effie Donald passed away, closing her life at the age of 37 years, 6 months and 11 days.

"Effie," as she was familiarly called, was the last surviving daughter of Cyrus and Jane Day. She was born in Van Buren county, Iowa, March 18, 1870. On the 23rd of December, 1886, she was united in marriage to John G. Donald. To this union were born five children, Mabel, who is now Mrs. Harlie Smith of Mt. Pleasant, Arvillia, Harvey, Bessie and Paul. Bessie was called home on the 12th of May, 1904, and the mother through her last dreams told us how she heard her childish voice calling, with a little hand extended to welcome her in Heaven, giving her the promise, "Yes Bessie, I'm coming."

The remaining four children, together with the husband, aged mother and four brothers, George of Keosauqua, Timothy of Montana, Harvey and Arthur of Boise City, Idaho, are left to mourn her departure.

In the death of Mrs. Donald there come tears and aching hearts to many besides her family, for we show knew her best loved her ??? the good characteristics and noble qualities in her sweet disposition of her daily life, live in memory though she is gone. Mrs. Donald had been in failing health the past year and all through her suffering had maintained the hope of being spared to her family and friends, yet in her last illness when she realized her recovery was impossible she expressed herself, "That the Lord's will, not mine, be done," and with this testimony of her loving Savior made many requests that were closely followed in the arrangements of the funeral service.

Saturday at 1 p.m., her funeral was preached by Rev. Cummins at the family residence. The floral offerings by family, friends, and Rathbone Lodge of which she was a member, were beautiful. She was laid to rest by the side of little Bessie in the Smith cemetery and the procession of mourning was one of the largest that ever wended its way to this solemn city of the dead.

**I do limited research on the DAY lineage.**

Source: Van Buren Co. Genealogical Society Obituary Book C, Page 275, Keosauqua Public Library, Keosauqua, IA