Le Mars Sentinel, June 16, 1881

DIED.
ROSS.-In Stanton township, June 13, 1881, Margaret Jessie, fifth daughter of
James S. and Elizabeth Ross, recently from Ontario, aged 10 years, 8 mos.
and twenty days. Suffer Little children to come unto me, and forbid them
not, for is such the kingdom of God.

-----

Cricket is the national game of old England, and is a scientific out of door
sport, and can only be compared with the American game of base ball.
Scattered throughout the English colony is quite a number of young fellows
who have been members of crack Elevens in England, and it is proposed to get
them together and make up two Elevens. The first game in Le Mars will be
played the day after the races (Friday, July 1,) on the grounds north of
town, near the brick yard. All old cricketers are invited to send in their
names to Fred Paley, so that a match may be arranged in good season. The
boys have been practicing some down on the Broken Kettle and at Quorn, just
to keep their hands in. Englishmen are just as enthusiastic over cricket as
they are over horse racing, and our citizens, besides being able to witness
a new and manly sport, will see how keenly our English cousins enter the
very spirit of the game. A permanent cricket club will be organized that day
with the design of playing the Chicago cricketters some time in the fall.

LeMars Sentinel, Thursday, June 23, 1881
Page 8

LINES.
Lines on the death of little Maggie who followed Janie to the grave in one week.

Disease came swiftly stealing,
No power on earth could save,
It crushed thee little lily
And swept thee to thy grave.

Asleep in the silent city
Thou art gone to an early tomb,
Storms they may sweep above thee,
But flowers will o’er thee bloom.

O’er this wide world of sorrow
Thy feet had scarcely trod,
Sin had not stained thy purity
Ere thou went back to God.

Pale were thy waxen fingers,
Oe’r the bright flowers pressed,
Pure as a white robed Angel
Taking thy long last rest.

The Angel gently whispered
Come join our glorious band. 
Opening her eyes in wonder,
She gazed on that spirit land.

She’s saved, she’s crossed the portal,
Her harp seraphic rings,
As close by the throne of glory,
She like a seraph sings.    E.M.R
*~*~*
LINES
Lines on the death of Jane Lancaster, aged eight years, who went to sleep in Jesus May 21st, 1881.

They bore her away to the Heavenly land,
Her attendants were Angels when crossing the strand;
The Savior hath washed her and made her robes white,
She is rescued forever from darkness and night.

A harp tuned to melody glorious and sweet,
A voice that will harmonize, perfect complete;
And the songs that she sings on the Heavenly shore,
Are never learned by mortals till deaths scenes are o’er.

Sing songs of rejoicing, a thanksgiving hymn
For her cup, though a small one is filled to the brim,
All the glories of Heaven, she surely will share
For the Savior went forward, a place to prepare.

Do not weep dearest father and mother, she said.
The Angels are ‘round me, they’re guarding my bed:
I cannot stay longer, for me they’ve come down:
I am going to my Jesus to wear a gold crown.

Farewell little Janie, thy mission is o’er,
Thy feet young and tender shall wander no more.
The kind Father who lent thee doeth all for the best.
He hath taken his own to the home of the blest.

Seney, Iowa, 1881   E.M.R.
============================
**Family Notes*
No formal obituaries were located for these two sisters who died within a week of one another.  The above poems were written in Tribute and printed in the newspaper. The sisters share a tombstone and are buried in the Elgin Township, Seney Cemetery, Seney, Iowa.
Jane Lancaster
Born: 10 Dec 1874
Died: 21 May 1881 {aged 7 yrs, 5 mos, 11 das)

Margaret Elizabeth “Maggie” Lancaster
Born: 18 Sep 1880
Died: 27 May 1881  (aged 8 mos, 9 das)
Parents of these two girls were William C. & Margaret “Maggy” (Knewstubb) LANCASTER.

[submitted by L.Z., Mar 2021]