OBITUARY (Owensville IN New Echo 3/8/1907, page 9)--
MARY ANN (SIMLER) FRAVEL (SEP 14, 1821--MAR 3, 1907)
Death of
Mrs. Jos. Fravel
Mrs. Fravel, relict of the
late Jos. Fravel, succumbed to the infirmities of age
and passed peacefully away at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. F. M.
Thompson, Sunday. Mrs. Fravel was born in Harrison county eighty-five years
ago. Interred in
Emerson cemetery. She was the mother of ten children, only four of whom
are living; namely, Mrs. Nettleton, Mrs. Jack Spore, Mrs. Rhesa
Spore and Mrs. F. M. Thompson.
Obituary read at her funeral by Rev. Johnson of the
Cumberland Presbyterian Church—
A Remarkable Life
When all Thy
mercies, Oh, my God
My rising soul
surveys,
Transported with
the view
I’m lost in
wonder, love and praise.
This stanza of
poetry expresses in a remarkably clear way the life that has been lived and
went out in this house last Sunday night.
If she had looked back from the heights of 85 years of usefulness and
profit; or if she had looked away into the mighty scenes of the future, either
on earth or up in Heaven, it would be entirely appropriate. There was a purpose in her life and its
highest point was touched. She was the
mother of ten children, six of them preceded her
across the dark river. Four of them live
to weep at mother’s grave. There can be
no real sorrow over her death, it is only sympathy aroused and regret at their own bereavement.
Her life had been completely rounded out. No disease contended for her body, no
Physician’s skill was required, no pain set up and harassed
her. She said almost constantly to the
writer and the attendants, “I am so tired”.
The poor old body, although properly cared for, had at last worn out and
she needed rest in the grave, and now she will have it. She was married to Joseph M. Fravel at the age of 22 now nearly or quite 63 years
ago. For 27 years she has lived the life
of a lonely widow. She no longer tried
to keep house after the death of her husband but prudently lived with her
children. For seven years she has been
an invalid. She was never a rugged woman
and she knew it, and people living or dead took nor can take better care of themselves than she did in that she was a model for many who
are now living. We are under obligations
to ourselves, to our families, to our friends and to God to take care of the
temple or casket of the Holy Ghost, the body.
Those who are happy are those who care for themselves and such are
capable of imparting happiness to others.
To the writer her last days were remarkable days. All of the tissues gave way together, the tripod
stood, its three supports held out equally to the last, the brain, the lungs
and the heart. As often as I visited her
with one exception, her heart was each time steady. No labored breathing, her mind was perfectly
clear and no complaint of any kind, the uniform expression was, “I am so
tired”. She died and gave up life as a christian would want to give up
the world and die. It was difficult to
anticipate her wants by reason of her age, outclassing all ages about her. We can anticipate the wants of those younger
than ourselves but when they are older than we, then
we are left to guess. So far as is
known, her every wish was gratified her every want supplied. While for seven years she was a shut-in and
for more than six months she was bedridden and some would suppose a hardship
upon her children, and it was heavy; but they felt it a pleasure to pay back in
a measure some of the care she bestowed upon her ten children, but they felt
that she had spent more days and nights with and for them than they had to
spend for her. Napoleon Bonaparte was
once asked by one of his courtiers, who was the greatest woman in his kingdom,
and he replied quickly, “The mother of the most children”. In this Grandma Fravel
was a great woman. She had ten children,
twenty seven grandchildren, and thirty great grandchildren. In all she had sixty seven
descendants. When a young lady,
eighteen years old she professed religion and united with the Methodist
Episcopal church and in that church lived a consistant Christian life until ten or twelve years ago,
she united with the Cumberland Presbyterian church. After she came into our church she was only a
few times able to attend divine service.
Yet she had the confidence of all people who knew her, that she was a
Christian and especially those who saw her in her last days.
To sum up:
Sister Mary Ann Simler Fravel was born in
Harrison County Indiana,
Peace to her
ashes; and the blessings of Almighty God upon the memory of her good life and
her numerous descendants.
Amen.
Rev. Johnson, of the
A.D.