Leon Reporter, Leon, Iowa
Thursday, February 4, l904

RAYMOND GITHENS was born in Adair County, Iowa, Oct. l, l877. Died at his home in Davis City, Iowa, Jan. 22, l904, aged 26 years, 3 months and 22 days. He was married to MISS LENNA GREEN at Decatur City, Feb. 26, l902. To this union one child was born which soon passed away to the spirit land. He leaves a wife, mother, four brothers and two sisters to mourn his death. RAY had the love and respect of all who knew him.

His health began failling him about three years ago. He expressed a desire to live but said if it was the Master's will he was willing and ready to go. To his sorrowing friends he would say "grieve not for it is God's will, for as he had faith in God so also you should have faith that God doeth all things well and that if you live for God and immortal glory you shall meet again." A broken column most fittingly represents the untimely death of a man thus in life and when to live was so desirable, when the work to be done had been but just commenced, it is doubly painful to bid adieu to the friend thus passing into the unknown. Between himself and where we stand, there hangs a curtain beyond which we cannot in life see, but we can hope and believe and as in nature there is no death, so faith tells us our brother is not dead but living wiser, greater, grander than ever before because he was great and good here. We mourn as for the departure of a friend whom we shall not so on see again, but we have faith that we shall meet him a little way on in the future, and the eye that shone so brightly and the voice that addressed us so kindly and the hand that grasped our own so cordially will again greet us on the other side.

--E.M.S.

Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
"With permission from the Leon Journal Reporter"
April 7, 2003