Nansemond County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Holland, M. Rebecca Oberry, 1902 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ MARGARET REBECCA O'BERRY HOLLAND THE CONVENTION. A DEATH. SOME COMMENT. Holland, Va., July 24, 1902. DEAR SUN READERS: - The Sunday School Convention of the Eastern Va. Conference convened here yesterday. The Convention is well attended - as usual. The delegation is large. I believe about every Sunday school in the bounds of the Convention is represented. And at the first day's session five new members were admitted to membership. These have all been organized within the year past and are doing excellent work and handed in good reports. Some of the reports are certainly fine. People in this part of the country believe in Sunday schools. An active church people always believe in Sunday schools. In all the reports yesterday there was not one that accused the pastor of not taking an active part in the Sunday school, so far as we now recall. It would be a graye accusation, as we see it, for any church to have to make such a declaration against a pastor. We never have been able to comprehend the thought, mind, logic or theology of any pastor who would not take any part needful in the Sunday school. The beloved wife of our dear brother, Rev. R.H. Holland, died at her home here Sunday evening last. This bereavement casts a gloom over the village that is doing its utmost to make it pleasant and comfortable for the Convention folks. Much sympathy is felt and expressed for our venerable brother Holland. He is now eighty-four years old and he and sister Holland had lived happily together for fifty-five years. They have raised a family of five, three girls and two boys, who are now intelligent, useful, active Christian men and women. Sister Holland's maiden name was Rebecca Oberry. She was born in 1828 and was married to Rev. R.H. Holland in 1847. In 1838 she was converted and joined Holy Neck Christian church, and was baptized the same year the man was with whom she was to spend her wedded life. Rev. Wm. R. Stowes was then pastor of Holy Neck. In 1877 she and her husband transferred their membership to Hebron church, which was afterwards moved to Holland, and became Holland Christian church - where the Sunday School Convention is now in session. A faithful and devoted member of this church Sister Holland remained till her death. She died at 7:45 o'clock July 20, and the day before at 7:30 o'clock, her brother, James E. Oberry died in Cochran, Ga. Sister Holland was a good, faithful, noble Christian woman. It was a blessing and a benediction to visit the home of this venerable father and mother in Israel. Brother Holland now feels quite alone in the world but he feels now that it will not be long hence before he will go to meet her in the spirit land. A firm, fixed faith and a bright Christian hope does much to bear him up in his sad bereavement. He bears up well under the trying ordeal - as only one could whose hope of eternal life is as steadfast as the stars. God bless Brother Holland in his old age and in his bereavement. At this writing Mrs. Wilson Holland, formerly Miss Irene Jones, of this place, lies low, seemingly very near death's door. She has been very ill for many days. Her physician expresses some hope for her recovery. Miss Irene was for two years a student at Elon College and all who knew her there and her other friends elsewhere who happen to see these lines will breathe a silent prayer that if it is God's will she may recover. The last time I was at Holland - some four months ago - I was most cordially received and hospitably entertained in the nice new home here into which she with her husband had recently moved. My prayer to God is that the joy and happiness of that home is not now to be invaded by the sad, silent, messenger. Holland is a growing, active, busy, hospitable town. There is a populous, thriving, fertile farming country around about it. One day, it would not surprise me, if this becomes a city. This is in the very heart of the peanut growing section and the crop is looking well, having the sore need now of rain, a need which the well-kept crops begin to show somewhat severely. Rev. J.P. Barrett, D.D., of Norfolk, preached an excellent sermon last night to an attentive audience. Dr. Staley is to preach to-day. Rev. W.C. Wicker is to deliver the annual address to-day, and there are other features of the program that promise a good day. A great company will no doubt be in attendance. A Sunday School Convention well organized and well conducted sends new life and vigor back to the home Sunday school - and this Convention will do its good work. J.O.A. Margaret Rebecca (O'BERRY; Mrs. Robert Howell) HOLLAND, b. 9 Jun 1828, d. 20 Jul 1902, at home, Holland, interred in Holland Cemetery*, 10 Nov 1908, "Christian Sun" (Elon College, NC), Vol. LV, No. "31" [30], Wed., July 30, 1902 (1st ed.), p. 4; image at: https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn93062839/1902-07-30/ed-1/seq-4/ *Additional information: Holland list, an extension of the Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/cemeteries/holland.txt Photos of her gravestone - added by Jake Dog - are posted with Find a Grave Memorial #92342655. She was the daughter of John & Martha (BATTLE) O'BERRY Her husband's obits ("Richmond Times-Dispatch," "Christian Sun," Nov. 1908, & donated obit) are posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/obits/h453r3ob.txt Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by File Manager Matt Harris (zoobug64@aol.com). file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/obits/h453r17o.txt