Ray County, Missouri Obituaries - Faris, Mary Ewing Duval d. 1916 b. 1886 d. 1916 cem. nee: Duval pd. January 6, 1916 p. Richmond Missourian, Richmond, Ray County, Missouri; Front Page obit: Funeral Services Of Mrs. Mary Ewing Duval Faris on Sunday Afternoon Were Largely Attended A Comforting Sermon, Sweet Music, Beautiful Flowers is Great Profusion. Promptly at 2:30 o’clock at the residence of Mr. John E. Watkins, corner of Camden and West Lexington streets, a quartette, composed of Mrs. Frank P. Divelbiss, Mrs. J.R. Duval, Messrs. L.O. Garrett and Clarence Hubbell began singing that sweet hymn, "The Beautiful Isle of Somewhere, the language of which describes Heaven as nearly as words can, the place of eternal rest where the gentle spirit of Mrs. Faris has gone, and for that good reason they are appended, as follows: Somewhere the sun is shining, Somewhere the song birds dwell, Hush, then, thy sad repining, God lives and all is well. Chorus. Somewhere, somewhere, Beautiful Isle of Somewhere, Land of the true, Where we live anew, Beautiful Isle of Somewhere. Somewhere the day is longer, Somewhere the task is done, Somewhere the heart is stronger, Somewhere the guerdon won. Somewhere the load is lifted, Close by an open gate, Somewhere the clouds are rifted, Somewhere the angles wait. The sweet melody made by the quartette and the strong meaning words seemed to lessen the space between here and there and to impel the thought that "The Beautiful Isle of Somewhere" is nearer and dearer, and indeed such music can, more than anything else earthly, soothe aching breasts. After prayer by Rev. F.L. Alexander and another appropriate hymn, "Beautiful Home," the preacher in just twenty-five minutes uttered as many sentences of comfort as anybody could quote from the Bible in that length of time, all of his words being like apples of gold in pictures of silver, after which the quartette sang: "Asleep in Jesus, blessed sleep, From which none ever wake to weep". Then the white casket, containing all that was mortal of one of earth’s sweetest womanly blossoms, absolutely enveloped in a sea of the most beautiful of fragrant flowers, which, in their purity were symbolic of the life of the departed, was followed in reverent silence to the City of the Dead on the hilltop overlooking Richmond. At the grave Rev. Alexander offered a prayer, a portion of which was: "May each of the sorrowing friends so live that when the summons comes to join the innumerable caravan that moves to the pale realms of shade, you shall be sustained and soothed by an unfaltering trust, and approach the grave like one who wraps the drapery of his couch about him and lies down to pleasant dreams." The opportunity was then given the weeping loved ones and friends to take a last long, lingering look at the beautiful remains, after which the lid was replaced and the benediction followed. Just as the sun was lowering behind the hills in the golden west, still shedding its brilliant light all around, even so was that casket, containing what had been a ray of sunshine in this (can’t read one word) world, consigned by tender hands to the open bosom of mother earth, and the light of that noble life will shine in the memories of her loved ones and friends as the years unceasingly roll. And we ought to draw a lesson from and greatly profit by such a life as was that of Mrs. Mary Ewing Duval Faris, because in this case death had no sting, the grave no victory, and so at last when no earthly seen-cry is visible to our optic eyes, may our hearts be pure, our titles clear and our hope strong to observe the eternal splendor of a land where the angels of peace shall rustle over the heavenly plains where sorrow and tears turn to smiles and joy. (same person as above) Richmond Missourian Richmond, Ray County, Missouri 6 JAN 1916 Front Page Life is wonderful. In 1886 or a little over 29 years ago, a tiny baby girl was born in Kansas City, and her parents were Mr. and Mrs. L.C. Duval. Great oaks from little acorns grow-and they overshadow so many other trees all around them. That tiny tot was christened Mary Ewing Duval. She grew to young womanhood, was a shining light among her Richmond schoolmates, graduating at the High School here in 1908, and on June 2, 1909, became the wife of Lieut. M.G. Faris. In her sphere thereafter, in different parts of the world, the light of her Christian life was as a city set upon a hill. But the withering hand of time, changed the tide of the happiness of her husband, mother, relatives and friends and in the Letterman hospital, Presido, San Francisco, on December 22, 1915, her gentle spirit left the tabernacle of clay and took its flight to the God who gave it-to "The Beautiful Isle Somewhere." At the funeral of Mrs. Mary Ewing Duval Frais, Sunday afternoon, the following from a distance were present:--Mr. and Mrs. Ewing Duval, Mrs. James Duval, Mrs. B.N. Mosman, Mrs. Jake Neiswanger, Mrs. Tenicia Callahan, Miss Adela VanHorn, all of Kansas City and relatives of the deceased. Also Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Smith of Dockery. May the sod rest lightly upon this newly made grave. To the chirsitan there is no death-only a transition. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Jenna Zunker USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free genealogical information on the Internet, data may be freely used for personal research and by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for profit or any form of presentation, must obtain the written consent of the file submitter, or their legal representative, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------