She passed from this earthly scene a few months ago having attained to more than fourscore years. She had lived as faithfully as she could, if we might pass this judgment on what appeared to be a godly life. When one such passes, we appreciate so deeply the meaning of hope and of Paul's words, "that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope" (1 Thes.4:13). Funerals for such are not really difficult to conduct; however it is not of this saintly woman's death that we herein speak, but of an example set in her life.

The old run-down renovated dwelling in which we met showed much of the same wear as did she who was bent from her many years of hard work in the rearing of several children and in service to her fellowman. As was her custom when at all she could get there, on this given Lord's Day morning she came down the aisle to the second row of theater seats being assisted by a "homemade" walking stick, every step slowly and cautiously made. Every strand of her silver hair was neatly arranged in a bun on the back of her head. Easily she sat down lest she miss the seat. (She did miss it on another occasion when she, because of difficulty in standing, slipped in during prayer and having not seen the seat was folded up; but when she realized she had missed it, she let herself as gently as possible to the floor and waited until someone could help her up when the prayer was ended.) Because of her failing sight, a neighbor found her song numbers for her; and with the aid of a powerful reading glass taken from her purse, she sang. In the Bible class she followed closely the scriptures by the use of the glass. And as "the old story" was preached, she seemed though she had heard it many times, "hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.'' Or did she perhaps not hunger and thirst more than most?

And I thought, "What an example for the younger who are so full of excuses for not being faithful" (cf. Tit. 3:3-5)!

TRUTH MAGAZINE XIII: 3, p. 18
December 1968