RANSOM, Charity Alice 1860-1936

RANSOM, WATKINS, LIVINGSTON, KEESTER, EASTMAN

Posted By: Betty Hootman-Volunteer
Date: 3/23/2014 at 14:43:49

A DEAR SISTER IS SUMMONED

Charity Alice Ransom, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Albert A. Ransom, was born in a log cabin 2 ½ miles west of Athens, Clark county, Mo., Aug. 28, 1860, and passed from this life at the home of her sister, Mrs. Julia Watkins in Omaha, Nebr., July 28, 1936, at the age of 75 years and 11 months.

She was one of a family of nine children, four boys and five girls, reared on a little farm in northeast Missouri, and schooled in hardships and privations.

In 1884, she left Missouri and with some friends went to Bird City, Kans., where she took a homestead, but after a few years joined her mother, brothers and sisters, who had recently moved to Lincoln, Nebr., where she has been a resident ever since.

Her father died in 1872, and a brother Oliver, in 1886. A sister, Mrs. Amanda Livingston passed away in 1928, and another brother, Arthur, in 1932.

One by one the remaining brothers and sisters married and established homes of their own, but Charity remained single and took care of the mother until she passed on in 1902. After that she made her home with one or the other of her sisters, being a help-mother to all the nieces and nephews, to whom she greatly endeared herself by her kindly and untiring service and multitude of ministrations, sharing her time, her strength, hjer means with and for them. In fact, to all she lived “not to be ministered upon, but to minister and give her life in service to others.” One of “God’s sweet saints” and nothing to good can be said of her.

The surviving members of the family are two brothers, Rev. T. M. Ransom, pastor of the M. E. church at Haigler, Nebr.; Edward B. Ransom of Los Angeles, Calif.; three sisters, Mrs. Mary J. Keester, of Seward, Nebr.; Mrs. Julia Watkins of Omaha, Nebr. and Mrs. Laura Eastman of Lincoln, Nebr.; seven nephews, eight nieces, twenty-two grand nieces and nephews, most of whom live in or near Lincoln and Omaha. She also leaves a host of friends.

Charity united with the Methodist church in girlhood, and has kept the faith through all the years, ever ready to do her part, despite her none to robust health. For several years her membership has been with Epworth F. E. church at Lincoln, where funeral services were held Saturday, August 1st, with burial in Wyuka cemetery, Lincoln, Nebr.

(On the alwise hands of Him who doeth all things well, time continually with unabated tread takes from our midst dear friends of the past and the present. And now another one of our life-long friends has joined that innumerable throng that has gone to that haven of eternal rest not made with hands but eternal in the heavens. Charity possessed the full spirit of friendship, loyal to the family ties and to the common good of humanity. While in the flesh her presence will no more be with us, yet in the reverberations of her kindly and noble life will go on forever.---The Editor)

Source: Scrapbook of Unknown Origin, page 116