Obituary Notices | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 5, 1875

Obituary Notices.

“Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth.”

Died, at her home in Berlin, Wis., May 7, my sister, Izah G. Putman, aged 39 years. Her disease was consumption. She leaves a husband and three children to mourn their loss. She embraced the present truth about ten years ago, under the preaching of Elds. Matteson and Sanborn, and was baptized by the latter. She was a great sufferer the last two years of her life, but was hopeful and patient, exhorting her husband and son to prepare to meet her when Jesus comes to wake the sleeping dead.

Mrs. Wm. W. Chase.

[Will the Signs please copy?]

Died, at Koronis, Minn., July 16, 1875, of inflammation of the lungs, Edna May, infant daughter of Bro. and sister Campbell, aged four months and fifteen days. Words of consolation from John 11: 25: “I am the resurrection and the life.”

J. Fulton.

Died, of inflammation of the brain, at Sturgis, Mich., July 9, 1875, our little Geine, aged six months. He was a bright and loving child, and although so young is greatly missed from our home. But we have laid him away in hope of meeting him again where sickness and death can never come.

J. B. & R. C. Canright.

The following account of the sudden and terrible death of Bro. James A. Wright is taken from the Waushara Co. Argus. Bro. Wright has been an honorable member of the Seventh-day Adventist church of Fish Lake for many years, and the church feel their loss very much. He attended our last camp-meeting at Sparta, Wis., and enjoyed the meeting the best of any he ever attended. He was burned the following Friday, and died Monday about one o’clock P. M., July 12, 1875. He testified that he never felt the sustaining grace of God so powerfully in his life as after he was burned. Funeral obsequies by Eld. Olin, Methodist. Text, 2 Kings 20:1: “Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.”

P. S. Thurston.

“Last Friday morning, Mr. James A. Wright, of the firm of Wright & Lyman, set to work to make some ‘asphaltum stain,’ to be used in the paint-room of their cabinet shop in this village. As we understand, this stain is made of asphaltum and turpentine, and must be made over a fire. Mr. Wright built a fire in the stove and put the ingredients into a kettle, and the kettle over the fire. This has been done many dozens of times by the proprietors of the shop, in the same manner, and with the same conveniences. After a short time, it became apparent to Mr. Wright that the materials were getting too hot, and that they were about to take fire. Instant action was necessary. In case there was an explosion, the shop would certainly be destroyed, and his life with it. If he could get the kettle out of doors successfully, he might be burned but slightly, and the shop would be saved. He threw a sheep-skin over the burning kettle, placed his hands upon the sides, and started for the door. As he reached the door, the fire confined by the skin caused an explosion, which threw the blazing turpentine over his body, face and arms, and he was instantly ablaze. In the intense agony caused by thus being on fire, he uttered one terrible cry that started people in the vicinity to his assistance; he staggered across the street to a growth of weeds, and threw himself into them and rolled about, to put out the flames that were consuming him. Instantly a cry of fire was raised, the dense smoke that arose from the burning turpentine served as a beacon to tell where the fire was, and the streets were alive in an instant with men running to the scene, each carrying pails of water.

“Little or no damage was done to the building. The flames having been put out upon Mr. Wright, he was helped to his house, and medical aid summoned. An examination of the injuries showed that he was terribly burned. His left hand and arm were literally cooked, the flesh falling off in pieces, his back and left side burned to a crisp, his face and right hand badly injured, and various other marks of the burning turpentine. Physicians pronounced him beyond recovery; but everything was done to ease the terrible pain that was continually upon him. He bore his sufferings with Christian heroism and fortitude until death came to his relief. Mr. Wright was about 60 years old, has been a resident of this county for many years, was an excellent mechanic, good citizen, and an exemplary Christian. His loss will be sadly felt in Wautoma. The sympathies of all our people go out to the stricken wife and children he leaves behind him. So sudden and terrible a death of a loved one must needs be a fearful shock.”

Daniel F. Holcomb, a Methodist ex-itinerant, and a neighbor of the deceased, says:—

“I wish to bear my testimony to the intrinsic worth of Bro. James A. Wright, through the columns of his own cherished paper. Though I could not indorse every feature of his creed, I could but admire the man. Some men are all creed and no principle; while there are a few, who are all principle, and no creed. Bro. W. occupied the middle ground. He had a creed which was dearer to him than life; but underlying this, there was a Christian principle deeply rooted and grounded in his very soul which served as the mainspring of all his words and actions. Nothing was permitted to take the place of his religion. This, with him, was first, and paramount to everything else; nothing of an earthly nature must intrude here. This, with him, was sacred ground; and no unclean thing was allowed to enter to defile it.”

“He was a model man in all the relations of life. He was a kind husband, an affectionate father, an obliging neighbor, a good citizen, and a faithful friend. He was a living Christian, and a beacon light in this morally dark world so replete with danger, sin and sorrow. In short, he was thoroughly and persistently a man of God, walking in all the ordinances and commandments of the Lord blameless, and verily he has his reward. Our loss is his eternal gain.”