Mathers - Sarah Wetherill
Source: Crawfordsville Daily Journal, March 21, 1923 (contributed)
Browns Valley. The years allotted that fill the hourglass of time have close, the laurel of life's race is run, and the privelege of seeing the end of a perfect day was given to one we all loved. Mrs. Sarah Mathers passed peacefully to meet her Savior on Sunday morning at 6 o'clock, March 11, after an illness of seven weeks. She was the daughter of John and Emma Wetherill and was born on August 13, 1833, at Mt. Vernon, Ind., aged 89 years and seven months. She was united in marriage with William Mathers in 1853, who preceded her in death sixteen years. Seven children were born to this union who are all still living except one little daughter, Mary Belle, who died at the age of seven years. Surviving her are three brothers and two sisters, who reside in Louisiana. The children are Samuel of St. Louis, Mo.; William of Ft. Smith, Ark.; Henry of Kansas City, Kas.; Mrs. Emma Ellis of Washington; Julia Haskill of San Gabriel, Calif.; and Mrs. Fisher Galey of Brown's Valley, with whom she lived for the past eleven years and from whom she received the most tender care and devotion. She often mentioned the kindness that was bestowed upon her by Mr. and Mrs. Galey and her five loving grandchildren with whom she spent her declining years: one especially, Nellie Canine of Washington, who was most sincerely devoted to her grandmother who is survived by 18 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. Grandmother, as she was usually called, was a beautiful Christian character and was the oldest member of the Christian Church of this place and lived in the atmosphere of heaven and its radiant beams of light were reflected from her life into the pathway of many. She enjoyed the presence of the Lord continually and many times the cup of joy overflowed. No one could have been more fully prepared to meet their Savior and eternity alone can reveal the good influence of her life's work. She was possessed of a loving disposition and character that proved to all who knew her that she was what the Lord had meant her to be. She loved her Church and Sunday school and was a regular attendant until the infirmities of age and failing health kept her away. Like most of pioneers she passed through many hardships in rearing her family while her husband was called to the civil war she remained at home caring for her little ones "all alone" and it was during this period that death invaded her home and took from her little Mary Belle, but her implicit faith in Him whom she was a follower tided her safely along. She was exceedingly patient and endured her affliction without a single murmur. During her sickness her mind turned backward and she lived over and over again her early life. Her life was beautifully and nobly lived and her death was equally triumphant and victorious. She was beautiful in death and sweetly doth she sleep in the Lord. Funeral services were conducted on Tuesday forenoon at the Christian Church in Brown's Valley and were in charge of Rev. S.G. Smith of Ladoga, whose impressive and consoling words were a solace to the family. A quartet composed of Ora Grimes, Maude Wilson, Paul Hester and Walter VanCleave, sang "Jesus Savior Pilot Me," "Over There," and "I'm Going Home," with piano accompaniment by Claude Lydick. Pall bearers were Lewis Reynolds, Charlie Rogers, Jeff Davis. kbz