Rowan County NcArchives Obituaries.....Steele, Elizabeth November 22, 1790
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Fayetteville Gazette, 3 January 1791
Died, on Monday the 22d of November, in Salisbury, of a lingering and painful
illness, Mrs Elizabeth Steele, relict of Mr William Steele - mother of the hon.
John Steele, and Margaret MacCorkle, wife of the reverend Samuel MacCorkle.
Her name and character are well known, but best by her most intimate friends.
She was a devout worshipper of God; she was distinguished during the war as a
friend to her country; she twice supported with dignity the characters of wife
and widow - she was a most tender and affectionate parent, a kind obliging
neighbour, frugal, industrious, and charitable to the poor.
Her character will be better understood by the following letter, found among her
choice papers since her death, than by any thing that can be said of her. The
letter is believed and appears to be her own diction, and is published exactly
as it was found. It may be a useful lesson to all parents, and to all children
as well as her own. It bears date February 5, 1783, when her other son Robert
Gillespie was living, and begins thus --

My dear children,
If I die before any of you, I wish that this letter may fall into your hands
after I am dead and gone, that you may see how much affection I have for you
and, that what I have often said while alive, may be remembered by you when I am
in eternity.
If the Almighty would suffer me to return to talk with you, I think now I would
take a pleasure to do it every day; if this can not be allowed me, I think it
would be some satisfaction to see you, especially when you are reading this
letter which I leave you as a legacy, to see what effect it will have on you,
and whether it will make you think of what I have often told you.
I have many a time told you to remember your Maker, and ask him to guide you: it
is a good old saying, "they are well guided whom he guides, and he leaves them
that don't ask him, to their own ways." I want you to keep out of bad company -
it has ruined many young people. I want you to keep company with sober good
people, and to learn their ways - to keep the sabbath - to be charitable to the
poor - to be industrious and frugal - just to all men, and above all to love one
another. Believe me my children, if any thing could disturb me in the grave, it
would be to know that you did not live as brother and sister ought to live:
nothing could be worse except that you would not all follow me to heaven. Oh my
dear children! I have had a great deal of trouble and sorrow in raising you! If
I should feel after death as I do now, I could never endure to see any of you
without an interest in Jesus at the great day, and forced away never more to
meet again. Parting here with your parents you know had almost taken my life,*
when I had hope to see them again; but I am now sure I could not live to see any
of you cursed by your maker, and driven away to dwell forever with the Devil and
his Angels.
While I lived, you know that it was my great desire to have you all around me
and near me here; but my great desire has been to have you with me in the world
to come. Believe me nothing could make me so happy as to have my three poor dear
children there; yes, and your children and all your connections. I would wish to
take you all to heaven. Then think of the vanity of this world - think of Jesus
the saviour, death, judgement, and eternity, and don't forget the living and
dying advices of your most affectionate mother till death and after death.
Elizabeth Steele

* Her first husband was murdered, stript and barbarously mangled by the Indians,
in the Cherokee war, that preceding the last. - Her second husband died of a
lingering illness. In both cases she was uncommonly afflicted with her trouble.

Folded in the aforegoing letter, was also found in her own hand writing, the
following prayer, which must please every pious mind -- 

O Lord my God, thou great three One! I give myself to thee this day to be thine,
to be guided by thee and not by another; and I desire to take God for my God,
Jesus Christ to be my Saviour, the Holy Ghost to be my sanctifier and leader.
Lord, thou hast promised that all that will come to thee thou wilt in no wise
cast out. All I beg is in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ my Lord.
To this I set my hand,
Elizabeth Steele

The date of the above was either not affixed or torn away from the paper.
It cannot be disagreeable to the serious mind to add, that she was remarkably
fond of the following Hymn, and left it in her bible, where it was found since
her death, in the hand-writing of her grand daughter, who had transcribed it for
her.

The Hymn
The hour of my departure's come,
I hear the voice that calls me home,
At last O Lord! let trouble cease,
And let they servant die in peace.

The race appointed I have run,
The combat's o'er, the prize is won,
And now my witness is on high,
And now my record's in the sky.

Not in mine innocence I trust,
I bow before thee in the dust,
And thro' my Saviours' blood alone,
I look for mercy at the throne.

I leave the world without a tear,
Save for the friends I hold so dear,
To heal their sorrows, Lord Descend,
And to the friendless prove a friend.

I come, I come at they command,
I give my spirit to they hand,
Stretch forth thing everlasting arms,
And shield me in the last alarms.

It would be a severe and ill-natured reflection on the religious taste of the
present age, to be making apologies for publishing the above memoirs, and
therefore no apology shall be made. It is a debt due to an amiable character,
and may not be without its use to the public.

[The above is published at the request of the reverend Mr Samuel MacCorkle.]

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