St Landry County Louisiana Archives Obituaries.....Ware, William Godfroy June 15, 1918 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Mary K. Creamer marykcreamer@yahoo.com May 12, 2015, 3:47 pm St. Landry Clarion (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, June 22, 1918, Image 3 WILLIAM GODFROY WARE Died, at the Opelousas sanitarium, on last Saturday morning at 8 o'clock, William Godfroy Ware, aged 19 years and 11 days. The funeral was held on Sunday evening at 4 o'clock from the residence of his uncle, Mr. A. Leon Dupre, with services at the Catholic Church an inttrment (sic) in the Catholic cemetery. It was a severe shock to the many friends of this young man and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John M. Ware, when it became known that their son had died seemingly so suddenly. Up to a short while before his illness he was apparently in robust health and was a splendid specimen of young manhood. His elder brother, James, having enlisted in the naval branch of the service, young Ware remained at home to attend to the farm work and had begun his labors for the year when, without any apparent warning, the Dark Shadow extended its hand and called him from earthly labors to a home in the beyond. Simple sympathy and condolences, no matter how sincere, is poor "Balm of Gilead" after all for a heart-broken mother and father, brothers, sister on seeing this splendid young man die. One who has not had a visit from the Grim Reaper can not comprehend the depth of sorrow such visit brings. We can steel ourselves for his visits when he calls home some innocent babe, some old person tottering beneath the weight of years; but when Father Time swoops down on a vigorous youth just on the verge of manhood, then we begin to realize what death really is. But the good die young, saith the philosopher, and we console ourselves with the firm belief that in the transition from this sphere we enter into a better life beyond the grave. It is a beautiful belief indeed and it is on this rock-ribbed principle that Christianity is founded. Lying cold beneath the sod young Ware is beyond the troubles, the worries and the sorrows of mortal existence. At rest forever, let us hope that the immortal part has soared to happier realms beyond the ken of mankind. While he sleeps the long, long sleep that knows no waking, let us turn for a moment to Gray's exquisite "Elegy" for inspiration in order to pay a tribute to this young man: "Hark! how the solemn stillness breathes around, Bids ev'ry fierce tumultuous passion cease, In still small accents whisp'ring from the ground, A grateful earnest of eternal peace." The human life can perish, the mortal remains pass back to Mother Earth from whence they came, but memory - blessed memory - keeps forever alive and green the recollection of this splendid boy who, bidding fair to develop into one of St. Landry's finest men, is cut down in the very vigor of youth and transplanted to a sphere of which we know nothing, but those who knew him and loved him will cherish his memory through all the years to come. In bidding him a long and fond farewell, we can but say that his life though brief has set a shining example for others to follow. T. A. J. Additional Comments: NOTE: William Godfroy Ware is buried at the Saint Landry Catholic Church cemetery located in Opelousas, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana. www.findagrave.com memorial # 141736674 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/stlandry/obits/w/ware5847gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/lafiles/ File size: 3.8 Kb