p. 22 | Obituaries

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 6, 1913

Obituaries

CHAPMAN.—Edith Chapman died at her home in Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 3, 1913, on her fifty-third birthday. She was a faithful member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and we laid her to rest to await the resurrection morning. C. A. HANSEN.

RUMERY.—Harriet King Buck was born at Bucksbridge, St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., Oct. 10, 1847. Her father, H. G. Buck, a Wesleyan Methodist minister, accepted the doctrine of the soon coming of the Saviour when she was four years old, and identified himself with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which was just springing into being. Thus her childhood and youth were deeply influenced by the pioneer experiences of this people. Her whole life bore the fruitage of that early training. At the age of sixteen she went with the family to Battle Creek, Mich., and the year following to Monterey, where at the age of twenty-one she was united in marriage with J. L. Rumery, who survives. Here for many years she was closely identified with church work, holding several different offices in the church, Sabbath-school, and missionary society. For the past twenty years the family home has been in Hopkins, Allegan County. Here, while denied church privileges, her tender and sympathetic nature manifested itself in unselfish devotion to her family, and a spirit of overflowing Christian helpfulness to those about her, until the entire community feels that it has sustained a personal loss. Hoping that she might be benefited in health, she was taken, last summer, to Chattanooga, Tenn., where her son-in-law and daughter, Dr. and Mrs. Otis Hayward, are operating a sanitarium. Another daughter, Mrs. Arthur Westphal, who is a trained nurse, hastened to her side. All that loving hearts and skilful hands could do proved ineffectual to stay the disease, but served to unite more closely, if possible, the tender bonds of affection, and she quietly fell asleep at the home of her daughter, on Lookout Mountain, Jan. 29, 1913. She was brought to her Michigan home for burial, all of her immediate relatives being privileged to attend the services—the husband, the aged mother in her ninetieth year, three daughters (Mrs. Mina Hayward and Mrs. Kate Westphal, of Tennessee, and Mrs. Alonsa Baird, of Hopkins), Sib Rumery, also of Hopkins, and one brother, John Buck, of Hastings. Besides these, an unusually large circle of friends mourn the loss of one whom to know was to love and appreciate. Those who were with her to the last felt that her death was one of those designated by David as “precious in the sight of the Lord,” which consoling text was chosen as a basis for a message of comfort when we laid her away to rest until the coming of the Life-giver. CLIFFORD A. RUSSELL.

OLNEY.—Sarah J. Wells was born in the year 1841 at Homer, Mich., and died at Richmond, Va., Jan. 28, 1913. She was married to David W. Perry in 1870, and, after his death, to Leonard Olney, whom she also survived. Of three children only one survives, Dr. Olive Perry Ingersoll. With her husband, Sister Olney accepted present truth in 1885. For two years, between 1865 and 1868, she was preceptress of Battle Creek College, where she won the friendship of many young people. In the closing days of her life it was a great comfort to her to read the letters that came from some of those young people, now scattered to all parts of the world, who had been encouraged to live a Christian life by her counsel and example. In 1898 she accompanied the Drs. Ingersoll to India. While there she gained the distinction of being the first American woman to enter Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. Her party was escorted through the Khaidar Pass by the ameer’s troops. Returning to this country, she made her home with the Drs. Ingersoll at Washington, D. C., and later at Richmond, Va. After a lingering illness she passed away while asleep. On the morning of her death the family gathered in the sanitarium parlor, and for worship sang “Sweet Peace, the Gift of God’s Love.” The strains of this hymn, which was repeated at her request, were especially comforting to her. After remarking that it sounded like the angels singing, she fell asleep to awaken no more in this life. During her illness she was patient and ever thoughtful of others. Her life was filled with ineffable sweetness, and to know her was to love her. We all miss her, but we laid her away in perfect confidence that a place is assured her in the first resurrection. Besides the family of Dr. Ingersoll, the only relative of Mrs. Olney attending the funeral was her nephew, Mr. R. J. Foster, of Irwin, Pa. Elders W. J. Stone and J. H. N. Tindall assisted the writer in the funeral service. J. L. MCELHANY.