Rachel Melinda (CAVINESS) LONG

CAVINESS, LONG, SMITH, SPENCER, MERRITT, SPICER, POOLE, SMITH

Posted By: Sharon R. Becker (email)
Date: 12/16/2008 at 04:11:35

The Mount Ayr Record-News, 1927

OBITUARY - RACHEL MELINDA LONG.

Rachel Melinda CAVINESS, daughter of Kirby and Esther CAVINESS, was born in Plainfield, Indiana, October 7, 1840. She died after a brief illness at her home in Mount Ayr January 2, 1927, at one o'clock p.m. at the advanced age of 86 years, two months and 25 days. She was the third child in a family of eleven children. One sister, Mrs. A. J. SMITH, of Ames, Iowa, and a brother, J. S. CAVINESS, of Greenfield, Iowa, survive her.

She came with her parents to Henry county, Iowa, in 1848, then to Jefferson county, Iowa, in 1850. On February 17, 1861, she was married to Hosea Henry LONG whose death occurred February 10, 1923. After their marriage they resided on a farm near Fairfield, Iowa, until the spring of 1883, when they came to Ringgold county, settling on a farm in Rice township. Here they resided until the fall of 1908 when they moved to Mount Ayr to the home where she lived at the time of her death.

Mr. and Mrs. LONG were the parents of seven children, six of whom are living. They are Mrs. Jennie SPENCER, Mrs. Eva SPENCER, Mrs. Sadie MILLIGAN, Mrs. Cora MERRITT, Mrs. Minnie SPICER and Charles Henry, of Mount Ayr; William Ellsworth, the eldest child, preceding her in death eighteen years; also George POOLE, a foster son, nineteen years. This child was brought to Mount Ayr from an orphan home in Ohio and although they had reared a large family they gladly shared with him the same as their own. She also leaves beside these, twenty-eight grandchildren, thirty-eight great grandchildren and a host of relatives and friends.

In early life Mrs. LONG made confession of her faith and at the time of her death was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Mount Ayr. Her life was one of great ambition and self sacrifice. Through the hardships of pioneer life she became shrewd, practical and charitable. Despite her advanced age her faculties were unimpaired and her mind perfectly sound and alert. She declined to give up or to abate the energy she regularly devoted to the maintenance of her home which she loved and where she so wished to remain to the end. She was always busy and would work for hours at exacting tasks with the cheerful enthusiasm of a woman half her age. She had devoted much time to her grandchildren, who dearly loved her, many of whom had made their home with her while attending high school, and they will ever cherish the memory of her kind and loving counsel.

Mrs. LONG was gifted with the remarkable quality of holding a wide circle of friends in a most precious intimacy, who together with the sorrowing relatives mourn their loss, but cherish the memory of her sunny, cheerful personality which enabled her to carry the deep responsibilities which life laid upon her.

The funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 o'clock at the Methodist church. They were conducted by her pastor, Rev. J. KIRKENDALL, assisted by Rev. Ross WILLIAMS of the Church of Christ. Six grandsons acted as pall bearers and three granddaughters as flower girls. Interment was made in Rose Hill cemetery in Mount Ayr. The only sister, Mrs. A. J. SMITH, of Ames, was present; also all of the children and a great number of the grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The services were also largely attended by sorrowing neighbors and friends.

CARD OF THANKS.

We wish to thank the neighbors and friends for the many kindnesses and the sympathy shown at the time of our sorrow; also for the beautiful floral offerings.

THE CHILDREN.
NOTE: Hosea Henry LONG, husband of Rachel (CAVINESS), was born in 1839, and died on February 10, 1923 with interment at Rose Hill Cemetery, Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa.

Transcription and note by Sharon R. Becker, 2008