Obituary:  John Lynch Briggs, 16 Dec 1880 - Smith Co, TX

Submitted by Vicki Betts <Vicki_Betts@mail.uttyl.edu
11 Sep 2002

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TEXAS CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE, January 22, 1881, p. 7, c. 3

BRIGGS.—John Lynch Briggs was born in Smith County, Texas, July 6th, 
1856, and died at his father-in-law's, Mr. T. Casswell, nine miles 
east of Tyler, and near where he was born, Dec. 16, 1880. The deceased 
was known by the writer since his early boyhood. When quite young, 
his widowed mother administered through mistake morphine to her two 
sons. But the youngest and subject of this sketch was spared by a 
Kind Father; his brother dying in less than twenty four hours. No 
doubt, the mother in her extreme grief, was comforted with the thought 
that one at least was spared to be her stay and comfort in her 
declining years; and to wipe the death sweat from her marble brow and 
to catch her last words on earth, echoing even from the other shore. 
But, alas, the tomb has closed upon her boy and sorrow upon the 
mother's heart. He was a true son. For thirteen years the mother and 
son had lived alone. Tender and thoughtful was he to that devoted 
mother. How well he repaid the long years of anxious toil and tiresome 
waiting only she can tell who now weeps in sorrow and sadness for him 
who is no more. Moral, temperate and upright, he did not fail to add 
that other jewel to his character—the pearl of great price. He 
professed religion in the fall of 1877, and joined the Methodist 
Episcopal church, South, of which he lived a consistent member until 
his late demise. He was conscious of his departure; and when Jordan's 
chilly waters were closing around him he asked of her, who would have 
died to save him, what she would do now; knowing full well that upon 
his strong arm she had relied so long. To her we would say: hold out 
only a few more days, and you too will hear the welcome plaudits: it 
is enough, come up higher! He leaves a young wife and babe and two 
sisters to mourn his untimely death. May the Lord sustain them all 
in this, their sorest affliction, and at last bring them too into 
the portals of eternal bliss where parting will be no more and where 
the weary are forever at rest, is the prayer of a friend. 

                                                    B. D.