McConnell - Eva
Source: Crawfordsville Journal, April 9, 1900
Miss Eva McConnell, only daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Ira McConnell, died this morning at 8:45 after a lingering illness of 5 years. The funeral will occur Sunday afternoon at 2:30 at the home, the services to be conducted by Rev. SW Goss. Interment will occur at Oak Hill. Eva Jane McConnell was born in this city and would have been 19 years old the 21st of this month. Five years ago while away with a party of people from this city, Miss McConnell was taken ill and was brought home in a serious condition, but improved, and was taken to Chicago and placed under the charge of an eminent physician, who diagnosed her case as tuberculosis of the kidneys. She has been better at times, but the malady clung to her and it has been a battle for life ever since. She was a young lady who always took a great interest in social life and so had a large circle of acquaintances who will sincerely mourn her death. She attended the city schools until her illness and had she been able to continue her studies would have graduated next year. - typed by kbz
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday, 13 April 1900
Eva Jane McConnell was born in this city and would have been nineteen years old the 21st of this month. Five years ago while away with a party of people from this city, Miss McConnell was taken ill and was brought home in a serious condition, but improved and was taken to Chicago and placed under the charge of an eminent physician, who diagnosed her case as tuberculosis of the kidneys. She has been better at times, but the malady clung to her and it has been a battle for life ever since. She was a young lady who always took a great interest in social life and she had a large circle of acquaintances who will sincerely mourn her death. She attended the city schools until her illness, and had she been able to continue her studies would have graduated next year. - s
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday, 20 April 1900
On the morning of April 12, Eva Jane McConnell passed through the still waters beside which she was led four painful years. One would almost say in view of her youth, that she was dead at the dawning of the strife, for had she lived until the 21st of this month she could have only numbered 19 years. This long period of suffering was so gently tended by a devoted mother that it has been for the most part a ministration which developed the best in each. In this little life of hers which did not reach one score of the allotted three, her character developed all there is of patience, gratitude, self abnegation, and gentleness. There always has been a singular maturity of mind in her, which caused her to realize the seriousness of life, the sacredness of duty, in a surprising degree. While she was naturally light hearted and cheerful she has this maturing prescience of life, of its sorrows and of its duties as well as of its joys and pleasures, and was equally ready to meet any of them. She possessed one characteristic, too often overlooked in youth, that cannot be too highly commended, unfailing courtesy. It was pretty to see how kindly she smiled or spoke to those of her friends among her elders, greeting them with apparently the same pleasure she would her mates, and many a heart has been lightened by the bestowal of her smile or cheerful words. The beatitude “Blessed are the pure in heart” seems especially fitted to her; for, as her loving grandmother said, “If one must be innocent to enter the kingdom surely there are none more so that she.” During her long illness she bore pain which would have taxed the strongest with the courage of heroism, and it was pathetic to observe the gratitude she showed to all who were about her, even those who were compelled to inflict much of it, in the hope of restoring her to health; and nothing was spared to that end. Some lives might go on forever and never attain to anything like the poor perfection of mortality, so barren are they of anything like moral force. She had so many virtues that one is led to think hers was a perfected life in spite of its pitiful brevity; so much pain, so much of endurance, so much of the joy of loving and of living were crowded into it. Her religious life began early and she brought into it the earnestness of her nature. She was faithful to its active claims as long as her strength permitted and it helped her bear the long struggle with fortitude and resignation. Death came gently and led her to Him who took the innocent in His arms to bless them. - typed by "S"