Decatur County Journal

March 22, l906

ELSIE MAY, daughter of FRANK and ELLA GITHENS, was born near Decatur,

Iowa, April 20, l90l, and died of brain fever in Davis City, Iowa, March

l8, l906, aged 4 years, ten months and 28 days. She was sick about l5

days during which time she suffered intense pain, becoming unconscious

about 4 days before her death.

ELSIE, being of a bright and sunny disposition and was a general

favorite among her playmates, they often vieing with each other in

showing her kindness. I was informed that she was an unusually sweet

dispositioned child. Young as she was, she was a great lover of the

Sunday School, always attending except when unavoidably prevented. The

last place she went from home was to the revival meetings being held in

the Methodist Church. Finding herself too ill to attend further, she

said to her mother, "We will not go any more now but will go again when

I get well." Little did her friends think that the next time she

entered the church her body would be in the casket and soul among God's

redeemed in Heaven. May God in tenderness comfort the stricken parents,

four brothers, one sister and friends.

The funeral was conducted by Rev. A.C. Heckathorn in the Methodist

Church and she was laid to rest beside her brother in the Davis City

Cemetery.

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Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert

September l3, 200l