Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Marsh, Henrietta 1890
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Sandy Heintzelman sheintz@iserv.net January 17, 2011, 11:14 pm

Ionia Weekly Standard, 10 Jan 1890

The funeral services of Mrs. James Marsh were held at the LeValley M.E. church, 
Orange, on Sunday, Dec. 29, at 2 p.m.  The house was filled with a large and 
sympathetic congregation.  The deceased was very highly respected in the 
community.

After the sermon, the pastor, Rev. A. Smith, read a brief memoir, which by 
request, is here subjoined:

Mrs. Henrietta Marsh was born in Stewardsville, Indiana, February 7th, 1854, 
and died at the home of her parents, in Orange, Mich., Dec. 27th 1889.

When she was about 11 years of age her family moved to Orange.  Here Henrietta 
grew to womanhood.  In 1880, she married Mr. James Marsh.  At the early age of 
13, she as converted, and at once joined the German Evangelical church, of 
which her parents are members.  Ever since she has faithfully served the 
Master.  Shortly after marriage, she transferred her membership to the M. E. 
church.  Her religious life was a very consistent one.  Faithfully she attended 
while able, all the means of grace, taking such part in the services as duty 
required, filling such positions as the church assigned her, cheerfully and to 
the best of her ability, though never seeking such, nor showing dissatisfaction 
if they were given to others.  Especially was her presence felt in the prayer 
meeting, the Sunday school, and the meetings of the woman’s foreign missionary 
society; here her absence will be sadly felt – it has been during her illness.  
The last position she occupied in the church, was that of teacher of the infant 
class.  This she filled with great acceptability, and only resigned when 
compelled through weakness occasioned by her last illness.  For weeks, however, 
she continued to teach, when others of weaker faith and less complete 
consecration, would have thought themselves unable to cross even the threshold 
of their own homes.  The little members of her class will now mourn her loss 
with those who loved her best, but if like her, they yield to saving 
influences, they shell meet her in the sweet by and by.

Her last illness was a benediction.  For nearly seven months it continued.  
Sometimes the pain was severe; even intense; always the weakness was 
distressing, but she remained cheerful, contented and happy to the last, 
knowing that she was in the hands of that gracious Being “who doeth all things 
well.”

For some time her mother nature rebelled against the though of giving up her 
child, a bright, beautiful boy of 4 years.  Who can fathom or sound the depth 
of a Christian mother’s love.

Sister Marsh felt all the force of that affection, and she had only one to 
lavish it all upon. Bitter indeed was the cup when she was called to say 
farewell, but Divine grace came to her aid, and without a murmur she gave him 
over into the care of others as Jesus gave his mother into the hands of John, 
the beloved disciple.  This I think was the last real struggle.  Respecting her 
own acceptance with God, she had not the shadow of a doubt.  She knew her peace 
was made with Him, and He would “at her parting breath,” take her to Himself.

“For He is not forgetful of the work and labor of love of His people, in that 
they have ministered to His saints and do minister.”

She retained her consciousness to the last, and just before the end came, said 
to a sister, “I shall soon be at rest in heaven.”  The day before her 
departure, as though she saw the outline of the celestial country, caught a 
glimpse of its peaceful harbor, and noticed some of its fair inhabitants, she 
requested those about her to sing –

Land ahead! its fruits are waving O’er the hills of fadeless green, And the 
living waters laving, Shores where heavenly forms are seen.

So the pastor’s wife sang that hymn and several others of a similar character 
to her great comfort.  Thus passed from our midst peacefully, calmly, 
triumphantly, the dear subject of this brief memoir.  “She is not, for God has 
taken her.”

Both her parents, three sisters, two brothers, her husband and child, live to 
mourn with a large circle of friends and relatives her early death.  But they 
sorrow not as those who have no hope, for their loss is her eternal gain.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/m/marsh10694nob.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/

File size: 4.7 Kb