Elvira (Babcock) CHURCH

CHURCH, BABCOCK, MERSON, PLUMLEY, SMITH

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 9/2/2013 at 22:07:43

June 13, 1837 --- December 8, 1903

One By One the Old Settlers are Passing Away

This week our town and community has undergone a great loss in the death of one of the best loved and highly esteemed residents, Mrs. Elvira Church who died on Thursday afternoon. She has long been a great sufferer from .. heart trouble, but the news of her death came as a shock to all. Sitting in her chair by the window, while listening to her husband who was reading to her, without any visible suffering, she quietly drew her last breath and passed to her eternal rest.

Mrs. Elvira Church was born in Depotville [Depauville], Jefferson county, New York, June 13, 1837, and died suddenly at her home in Renwick of heart failure on December 8th, 1903. having reached the sixty-fifth year of her life. She was the daughter of Sanford and Lovina Babcock, and came to Cedar Falls, Iowa, in 1853, where she was united in marriage to Nathan Church April 27th, 1865. Three years later they removed to Hamilton county and in 1876 to Wright County, which with the exception of one year spent in Minnesota, was her home until purchasing a home in Renwick, nearly 3 years ago where she remained until the day of her death. Of this union three children were born, two sons and one daughter. One son, Earl C., died August 5th, 1880, at 6 years of age. Two children survive her, Elmer M., whose home is in Sylvan, Minnesota, and Mrs. Inez Merson of this place, also two step-daughters, Mrs. Alice Plumley of Sylvan, Minnesota, and Mrs. Lottie Smith of Bayfield, Wisconsin. Since her babyhood, Alma Church has made her home with her grandmother, to whom she was deeply attached.

As Elvira Babcock, she early made profession of her faith in Christ, was a member of the Cedar Falls Baptist church for some years and in December 1877, also united by letter to the Renwick Baptist church of which she remained a faithful and consistent member until her death, attending her last service on Sunday morning, December the 4th.

Today the church feels the loss of a devoted member and a kind an loving sister, whose gentle nature brightened every life she touched. As a community we feel the loss of a kind and sympathetic neighbor. We truly extend our sympathy to the bereaved family. There are many relatives and friends beside the bereaved family, who will mourn her long(?). Her life was the best testimony of her character and worth. There is no need to ... the memory of the departed. She was a great sufferer in the last three years of her life but bore her lot with a fortitude and patience born of a strong faith in God.

The funeral services will be held today at the Baptist church at eleven o'clock, conducted by the pastor A. G. Lander. Interment will be in the Luni cemetery. Before her death Mrs. Church selected the following of her favorite hymns to be sung at her funeral, "Will there be any stars in my crown," "Jesus lover of my soul," "I want to go there, don't you?" "God be with you till we meet again."

The Renwick Times - Renwick, Iowa
December 11, 1903

Source - Bob Neely