2015 Spring Newsletter

by LuAnne Debrick Beautiful Obituaries of the Miami County Historical Museum In entering info on the computer from the 40,000 Obituaries that Miami County Museum has in its possession, this is probably the most beautifully written one. Today, most obituaries are “short and sweet” but in the 1800’s they were a work of art. Beautiful Obit of Lavina Saylor Long. She was the grandmother of Lawrence Long, Paola grad of 1914 and sister, Mildred Long, Paola grad of 1917. Mother Long……….

A brave, charitable woman went hence on July 1, 1920 when Mrs. Lavina Saylor Long breathed her last, in Paola. She was brave because TIF NBEF HSFBU TBDSJĕ DFT BMPOF BOE QFSGPSNFE IJHI EFFET VOLOPXO UP the world; she was charitable because she was indulgent to everyone but herself. She was rich in what she gave the world, yet poor in purse from the cradle to the grave. She was good in heart because religion possessed her being, and she smoothed the pillow for everyone else without thought PG IFSTFMG ć F DMPTFU XBT IFS UFNQMF BOE UIFSF TIF QSBZFE 'PS UXP ZFBST she lay upon a bed helpless, yet smiles wreathed her wrinkled cheeks and mirth brightened her nodding eyes. She never complained of fate nor scolded at the world, but cheerfully met every adversity and quietly car ried her own burdens. Mrs. Long was a Methodist and there was such method in her morals that she would have shone as a jewel in any denomination holding under Christianity. She was a daughter obedient, a wife true, a mother pure, who kept her hearth clean, her kitchen in order and her lamp trimmed. She came to Kansas in 1857 with her husband, Amos W. Long, when love and BNCJUJPO XFSF JO Ę PXFS BOE IPNF XBT CVU B DBCJO PO UIF PVUQPTUT /FBS the Trading Post, that ancient landmark of Linn County, she worked and sang and worshipped ahead of dwelling houses, ahead of choirs, and ahead of churches, and in every storm she gathered her own as the hen gathers

Lavina Saylor Long

her brood. Bibs and jackets and dresses came from her needle while the primmer, the Decalogue and the hoe were kept CFGPSF UIF DIJMESFO UIBU DBNF UP HMBEEFO UIF ĕ SFTJEF BOE SFQMFOJTI UIF FBSUI .BSBVEJOH CBOET PG +BZIBXLFST POF NPOUI BOE .JTTPVSJBOT UIF OFYU TNPUF UIF IVNCMF IPNF BOE CSPLF UIF NPOPUPOZ PG GSPOUJFS TJMFODF UIF ĕ STU UXP ZFBST PG IFS young life on the prairie, to be followed by the famine of 1860, and next, grim visage war swept the land. She saw and met UIF HVFSSJMMBT UIBU EFQMPZFE CFUXFFO UIF MJOFT PG DPNCBU ĕ STU VQPO POF TJEF BOE UIFO VQPO UIF PUIFS CVU JU POMZ TUSFOHUI ened her faith in God of battles and of peace. She saw the ox team and the Indian trail vanish with the close of the awful war, and she saw Paola grow from a stage relay to the city of schools, churches and modern strength of industrial character. ć F 4BZMPST DBNF PG 3FWPMVUJPOBSZ TUPDL BOE UIF HJSM -BWJOB IBE IFBSE UIF TUPSJFT PG UIF .JOVUF .FO PG UIF UJNFT UIBU USJFE NFO T TPVMT GPS TIF XBT CPSO JO 'BJSĕ FME DPVOUZ XIFO 0IJP XBT ZFU B XJME QMBDF PO .BZ UI )FS MFBSOJOH XBT JO UIF MPH TDIPPM IPVTF CVU TIF IBE HBUIFSFE B TBGF IBSWFTU GSPN CPPLT GSPN TFSNPOT GSPN UIF Ę PX PG XBUFST BOE DSPQT NBUVSFE ć FSFGPSF TIF XBT BNPOH UIF ĕ STU BOE CFTU UFBDIFST PG UIF 5FSSJUPSZ PG ,BOTBT BOE TIF TFU UIF GFFU PG IFS sons and daughters in the paths of patriotism and of learning. Jackson was President when she was born, Fillmore in the White House when she was married, Buchanan riding to a fall when she came to Kansas, Johnson serving out his fractional term when she settled in Paola and Wilson taking his place in history along side of Lincoln when she died. )FS IVTCBOE POF PG UIF ĕ STU NFO PG -JOO BT XFMM BT PG .JBNJ XBT IPOPSFE CZ CPUI DPVOUJFT )F XBT FMFDUFE BOE SF FMFDUFE TIFSJČ IFSF BOE IFME NBOZ PUIFS SFTQPOTJCMF QPTJUJPOT BMXBZT MFBWJOH B DMFBO SFDPSE .ST -POH XBT UP IJN BT TIF XBT UP IFS DIJMESFO BOE IFS DIJMESFO T DIJMESFO B HVJEJOH TQJSJU XIPTF TPę BOTXFST UVSOFE BXBZ XSBUI BOE JOWJUFE UIF kiss that sealed obedience.

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