TOMLINSON, Lavina Lindley
LAVINA
LINDLEY TOMLINSON
Source: Iva Lewis Obituary Scrapbook
Lavina Lindley Tomlinson was a
lineal descendent of Uncle Thomas and Aunt Mary Picket Lindley, who belonged to
that Saturday class of Pioneers, influenced by the community principle of
maintaining and advancing educational and religious liberty, who while in youth’s
vigor, left the sunny Southland because of settling convictions against the
Institution of Human Slavery, braved the more rigorous climate of the North,
settling in communities in various parts of Indiana in only a decade after it
was admitted into the Union of States. Among them was the one in north, western
Parke County, known as Rush Creek Community, in which the name of Lindley holds
important place, also the Hadleys, Towells, Maris, Harveys, McCoys, Maddens,
Chews, Atkinsons, Marshalls, Hobsons, Ballards, Turners, Lewis, Thorntons,
Millikans and Woodys each had a share and who established and maintained a
school that, because of its high efficiency, reached an enviable position in
western Indiana. They also maintained a meeting for worship, in which, during
the great Revival of 1868, a wonderful outpouring of the Holy Spirit was
present, and scores of souls were swept in the Kingdom of Christ and from which
a number of earnest and able expounders of the Gospel Message, evolved, that
brought the notoriety of the Church to the religious world. She was the third
child in a family of four daughters of Nathan and Susannah Harvey Lindley. She
was born December 27th, 1857 and left the Earth life February 23rd, 1923 at
5:15 A.M. aged 65 years, 1 month and 26 days. She was converted January 1st,
1880 at the home of her Uncle William Lindley in one of the many prayer
meetings that followed the great revival. Like Mary of old she chose the “good
part” that was never taken away. On August 8th, 1880 she was married to Albert
M. Tomlinson. Four children blessed this union, Edna, Opal, Ada and John. In
the hope of bettering their financial interests and enlarging their field of
usefulness they moved to the state of Louisiana in 1887. After a varied
experience of six years in which they lost their sweet Opal and Ada at the
tender age of 8 and 6 years, they returned to this community. After living in
various places, nineteen years ago they purchased the home in which they have
since lived, and where she died. She leaves a faithful husband, with whom she
traveled in the fellowship of the Gospel the forty-three years of their married
life, whose labors in the Gospel Ministry have been richly blest to the good of
souls. An only son, John, of Akron, Ohio, an honest and honorable sharer in
World Work, who will surely realize the memory of mother will be a talesman of
loyalty in times of trial, and her unfailing love, an inspiration to
Righteousness, two sisters, Martha A. Jackson, the eldest, of Sylvania, who was
unable to tenderly help in caring for her for some days in her last sickness
and present when she passed over the river, Harriet Cates of Kingman, who,
because of present sickness, was unable to be present in time of sickness or at
the funeral, her youngest sister, Marlana, wife of James Hadley, died in
Comanche County, Kansas five years ago, a number of half brothers and sisters and
many relatives and very dear and highly appreciated friends and neighbors. The
funeral was preached by Levi Woody Sunday at 11 A.M. at Rush Creek Rev. Noah
Dixon read Scripture lesson and offered prayer. – jlr
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