Obituary of Henry Vinyard, Hardin County, Illinois Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives Copyright 1999 Wanda Reed Name of Deceased: Henry Vinyard Name of Newspaper: Hardin County Independent Date of Newspaper: 21 January 1915 Henry Vinyard, son of Phillip and Lucinda Vinyard was born in Hardin County, Illinois August 27, 1845 and died in Elizabethtown, Illinois Jan. 11, 1915 at the age of 68 years 4 months and 16 days. Embraced within the parenthesis of these dates was a life of earnest endeavor of unsullied honor, of usefulness to his community, country and the nation, and crowned with a large measure of the appreciation of all those who knew him. Born to that best estate of our American society, the intelligent middle class, he was never fettered by the limitations of acutal poverty nor enervated by the seduction of wealth, which might relieve him of the beneficial necessity for effort and honorable work. His boy-hood was that of the average Hardin County boy of 50 or 60 years ago, where none were rich, when work was honorable to all, and indolence was discreditable to say. At the age of 18 years he loyally answered the call of volunteers in the Civil War, and was enrolled Oct. 9, 1863 in Co. D 48th Mtd. Inf. Vol. (Capt. Hiram Belt's Company) and was discharged Dec. 16, 1864. It is to be presumed that he discharged the duties of a soldier in the same honorable way that he met all the other duties and obligations of life. Soon after he attained his majority he woed and won the fair hand and heart of Miss Pickneyette McFarlan, a charming young lady possessing in a large degree the noble qualities which afterwards distinguished her as wife and mother and on March 3, 1869 they were united in marriage, Rev. J. W. Crewdson officiating. To this union 12 children were born: four boys and 6 girls. Three girls died in infancy, one at 16 and one boy at 13. Of the boys, Phillip and William live in Butte, County, Montana and Lloyd C. lived in Charlevoix, Michigan. Of the girls, Sidney (now Mrs. W. R. Ledbetter) lives in Hicks, Illinois, Henryetta (now Mrs. J. J. Schutt) lives in Elizabethtown, Illinois, Clara, (now Mrs. Albert Luster) lives in Murphysboro, Illinois and Della (now Mrs. Charles Christenson) lives in Miles City, Montana Uncle Henry, (as he was familiarly called) became a member of the General Baptist Church some 40 years ago, and near that time he and six others entered into a new organization, near his home, known as Bethany Church of General Baptist and for 30 years thereafter, he missed only nine meetings. At the time of the organization of this church he was ordained a deacon, and sometime afterwards was licensed to preach, and often filled the pulpit and otherwise exercised his gifts in a public way in the church, but percistently refused to allow the presbytery to ordain him to the full work of his ministry, claiming that one ordination was enough. Until incapacitated by age and infirmities he was one of the mainstays and supporters of that church, which now numbers nearly 200 members, and his well equipped country home was an asylum for the preachers and all other church people as well, who accepted his gracious hospitality. As a friend he was ever kind and true, as a husband he was tender and thoughtful, as a father most loving and indulgent. His family circle was truly and in the strictest sense a home, As a citizen, he was of the highest type. He was a man of profound reverence, of unfaltering faith in God and implicit trust in His divine powers, and a firm believer in the immortality of the soul. Our beloved friend and brother built well his own monument, for the memory and influence of his pure life will live when the chiselings of marble will have been effaced and the emblems of mortal greatness have decayed. On Sunday afternoon Jan. 10, 1915, a sad scene took place at the home of the deceased. Part of the family, the faithful physician, powerless to give relief, however, and a few neighbors and friends had assembled to await the end. He struggled for the breath which is life. He was already released from the anguish of the ailments that were sapping life, for kind nature had administered the anesthetic of physical insensibility. The good wife and three daughters and two son-in-laws, who were gentle ministers of relief, who watched without weariness, knew only too well that the end was near. The unseen messenger had waited around that couch until the hour when the disturbed chemistries of failing life could no longer resist, and then bore him to that home for which he had lived and longed and prayed. The funeral was delayed for two days in order for the youngest son, Rev. Lloyd C., who had been the joy and pride of the latter years of the father's life, might arrive from his far off Michigan home and be present and witness the last sad rites. Pursuant to this arrangement on Wednesday Jan. 13, 1915, the remains were borne to the First Baptist Chruch of Elizabethtown, where funeral services were held, conducted by Rev. Jerry Rose and J. R. Palmer, the former being an old- time neighbor and life-long friend of the deceased was selected to deliver the funeral sermon, which he did in a very appropriate manner. After which the body was conveyed a short distance to the beautiful Elizabethtown IOOF Cemeterly, where it found a last resting place. The writer begs to tender his sincere sympathy to the aged widow and children and other relatives of the deceased in their great bereavement. J. A. Oxford ------------------------------------------------------------------ USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organiza- tions or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contri- butor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ----------------------------------------------------------------- File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Wanda Reed