Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Briggs, Martha Birchard (Mitchell) 1907
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Sandy Heintzelman sheintz@iserv.net July 14, 2011, 11:33 am

Ionia Standard, 23 Aug 1907

Martha Birchard Mitchell, the daughter of Curtis and Martha Mitchell, was born 
Sept. 18, 1861, in Berlin township, Ionia county.  January 5, 1881, she was 
married to Wm. S. Briggs of Sebewa and lived in the vicinity of her early home 
until 1903, when they left the farm home and moved to Lake Odessa, where she 
lived with her family until death called her to her eternal home Friday, Aug. 
9, 1907.

To Mr. and Mrs. Griggs were born four children, two sons and two daughters.  
The first, a son, Millard, died in infancy; Edith, now Mrs. J. I. Harwood of 
Grand Rapids; Guy, who is now in U.B.A. Hospital in Grand Rapids for treatment, 
and Martha the youngest.  Besides the husband and children left to mourn her 
departure there are two brothers: George T. Mitchell of Millbank, South Dakota, 
and Millard S. Mitchell of Berlin, her three sisters having preceded her to the 
“Home of the Soul.”

Mrs. Briggs health began to fail about the time they moved to Lake Odessa, and 
she has been a patient sufferer until her death.  Nothing was spared to make 
her life as bright and her sufferings as light as possible.  All that loving 
hearts and willing hands could do was done and she fully appreciated it all and 
would often think of others before herself or her sufferings.

About two years ago, while Rev. Trevor Jones was pastor, she was converted and 
joined the Congregational church remaining a faithful member, loyally 
advocating her faith, and trustingly submitting to the will of her Heavenly 
Father.

She often said she was prepared and ready to die when the Lord should call her, 
her only request being that she might be allowed to live until Guy should 
return from the hospital.  Thus we see the mother love linger, until the latest 
breath.  How not with standing her desire to see him again she gently submitted 
to the Master’s summons and peacefully passed to be with Jesus.


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