From the 'Mason County News', Sat., January 30, 1892 No. 32 Front Page Obituary
We are once more called upon to note
the fact that death is abroad in our land. Twice it has visited us
in the past two weeks, claiming as its victims two of the children of
Mr. and Mrs. T.A. Rolston. The first was little Ida who died the 2
inst. the next was their little infant Edith, aged 6 months and 11 days.
Ida has been a sufferer for about two years, having been in bed most all
this time, she has borne her affliction in a most remarkable and patient
manner. But on new years day she seemed to realize the fact that death
was approaching, but which only seemed a consolation to her, calling her
parents to her bedside she asked them to bring all her possessions such as
toys, playthings and money which she divided among the family, her money to
her papa and Mama, and her playthings to her brother and sisters. She told
them she must go, and asked them "if they could give her up and not grieve
after her?" She told them she "was going home to rest," assured them she
"had no sins to account for," and asked her friends to "meet her in heaven."
All efforts to prolong her life were useless, the following evening the long
looked for hour arrived seeing she had only a few moments to live she kissed
the family a last farewell. Coming to her little sister she said "Good bye,
little Ethel," Asked them to "meet her in heaven," then she prayed "God to
shorten her breath" and sank quietly to rest. Her remains were buried at 4
o'clock, Sunday evening with very fitting funeral exercises. Her age was 11
years, 11 months and 21 days. But hardly had the tears of grief ceased to
flow from the eyes of the loving father, and patient mother, when they were
burst forth anew from the sad realization of the fact that their little infant
too was called from earth to heaven. For several long weary, weeks, the already
heartbroken mother had patiently administered to the wants of the little
sufferer, but the hand of death was too firmly fixed, and just two weeks
from the death of Ida, the sweet little babe crossed over the river.
The patient christian mother had borne all her burdens with that grace and
meekness which characterizes only the true christian.
Dear Mother: Grieve no more for them With aching heart and tear stained eyes' They're now at rest, in that sweet home Beyond the bright blue skies. A. ** Transcribed as printed but for not staying with the narrow column width, Oct. 22, 2005, by Carol Martin <[email protected]> ** NOTE: According to my records, Thomas A. 'Tom' and Roseanna Melissa 'Rosa' (Galbreath) Ralston (found both as Ralston & Rolston) lost 3 very young daughters and they are shown in the book 'Graves and Cemeteries of Mason County' as Ida Lee 1/11/1880 to 1/2/1892, Ethel Mae 8/8/1888 to 4/18/1900, and 'Child, Inf. dau.' 2/12/1900 to 4/8/1900 - all buried in the Long Mountain Cem., Mason Co., TX |