KERR, Catherine Jane Lough - 1899 - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

…….. death invaded the home of F. M. Kerr, and the spirit of Aunt Jane took its “departure to be with Christ which is far better,” having been a member of His body since the age of 15. She had grown to be like the object of her affection, in faith in forgiveness in love, a noble life worthy of imitation. Catherine Jane Kerr was born Sept. 12, 1820, in Cumberland county, Ky., one of nine children of Thomas and Nancy Lough. She was married to F. M. Kerr, Jan 3, 1849, to which union was born nine children, four sons and five daughters. Two sons died in infancy, the remaining seven children with their parents moved from Kentucky to Fountain county in the fall of 1871, and has lived an unbroken family until the death of Sallie Frazier last September. Thus is broken up another of those few queenly homes of the true southern type. Blessings were pronounced upon the heads of all who came within the reach of this good mother in Israel, who has now gone to “her

home not made with hands eternal in the heavens." Funeral services were held at Ingersoll Corner church, Lord’s day. Sermon by Eld. W. H. Kerr, of Crawfordsville, the body was laid to rest in the Masonic cemetery by undertakers Brown & Birdsell. P J. L. The many friends of Mrs. Kerr over the county sadly mourn her death, and deeply sympathize with the sorrow stricken family, she was a noble Christian woman. She lived to do good and make the world better by her having been a part of it. She with the assistance of her beloved husband, reared a family that is an honor and credit to them and a helpmate in making this life a better Tone. She was kind and good to all. She taught her children to be honorable and pure and while her very heart was set in making them useful and good, she was also a mother to others. Many an orphan child has been blessed by the sunshine in her teachings and the help of her generous heart and willing hands. Truly it can be said of this good woman you have fought a good fight you have finished your course, hencefourth there is a crown of rightesusness in heaven, and while the family mourns the loss of Mother, a name so precious that it is Heaven, and the citizens of our city mourn his loss of such a noble person. They can find sweet consolation, knowing that her life was such, that she is at rest within the portals of a home prepared not by man, but the work of He who welcomes they who walk as she walked to it. Her sufferings, her cares, her troubles are over and happiness eternal has just begun. – jlr

Death has ever been the great enemy of man. His ravages are wide spread and his victims cannot be numbered. But while we stand amid the scenes of his desolation, we occasionally see him strike down a victim whose fall deserves more than passing notice. Catherine Jane Lough, was born in Cumberland county, Ky., September 12th, 1826 She died at the home near Hillsboro, Ind., December 29th, 1899. These are the dates which bound a great and active life is easy to narrate the heroic deed of the world’s famous character, but difficult to tell the story of a quiet, unassuming life, which finds its worth, not in great acheivements, but in the conscientious performance of a daily succession of duties, in the frequent and tender ministrations of love, in the ever present smiles of sympathy and encouragement, and in the softly spoken words of warning and admonition. To write a worthy biography of such a one, indeed, is not to give a narative of event but a portrayal of character and the pen fails : powerless to perform the task. So it is with the subject of this sketch. There are no events in her life which can be pointed out to mark it as unusual and yet theirs was an unusual life. Words are inadequate to convey the magic influence of her life and character. On January 3rd 1849, she was married to Francis M. Kerr and he them nine children were born, four sons and five daughters. Of this number seven lived to the age of maturity and six set remain. In 1872 “Aunt Jane,” as she was familiarly called, removed with her husband and children to near Hillsboro, where she has since resided. Ms. Kerr was one of those godly women of strong, robust character, so essential to a christian home. She possessed a beautiful equipoise of temperament which enabled her to remain self possessed in exciting time and elevated her above the petty irritations of life which are the source of so much anxiety and worry to many. Hence, her presence always imparted sunshine and hope. She “bridled her tongue” and always in her speech preferred to call attention to the good rather than to the evil in the life of others. She had a deep sympathy for all the infirmities to which humanity is heir, but had little tolerance for the affectations and deceptions of life. She was too honest to be deceptive and she thought that every one else should be the same. She possessed a strong, unwavering faith which was manifested and made perfect by her works. In early life she obeyed her Master and united with the Church of Christ and her life was ever a commendation of the religion which she professed. With her religion was something exceedingly active and practical even “to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep one’s self unspotted from the world.” She was the embodiment of purity and the incarnation of charity. It was, perhaps, in her home life that her character must be seen to be most appreciated. She displayed such hospitality that the word suggests itself at the mention of her name, and her home became known far and wide. No wondering that a fortunate beggar was ever sent empty handed from her door. As a …….. she ruled with a mild but firm hand and her most enduring monument is the children which she raised. Those living are Mrs. Burton English, Mrs. Nannie Stearns, Mrs. Jacob Furr, Mrs. Victor Ross, Messrs. Ike and John Kerr and Mrs. Byron Frazier was but recently called on before. Each one of her children is a living testimony to her careful and patient training and they rise and call her blessed. Of course she had her imperfection, but so far as the writer knows, no serious defect was ever discovered in her character. She was ambitious, but her motives were always pure and unselfish. She lived past the allowed three score and ten but never outlived her usefulness. Her life had been an active one and she seemed to fall as a ripened sheaf before the reaper’s sickle, but her husband, her children and her best of friends felt that they were poorly prepared to spare her. Such lives are rare, and when taken from us, they leave a vacancy which can scarcely be filled. She leaves her faithful companion, for more than half a century, a lonely, pilgrim on the shores of time. The two had indeed become one and now he feels that a part of his own life has been taken. After more than fifty years of true and tender companionship, he finds himself once more alone, the chief joy and consolation of his declining years having been taken away from him. No one can feel the loss he suffers. His bitter grief is enough to call forth the tenderest sympathies of every heart. “Aunt Jane” is taken from us but the memory of her noble life remains as a blessed heritage. May her stalwart virtues be incorporated into the lives of all who came under her influence. Funeral services were conducted by Eld. W. H. Kerr at Ingersoll church on Sunday, Dec. 31, after which the remains were laid to rest in the Masonic cemetery at Waynetown. – jlr