JOHNSON, Mattie Grider - Putnam

Again God in his infinite mercy has seen fit to rob us of a loved one. Mattie E., only daughter of Barton and Mary Grider, was born Oct. 5, 1869 and departed this life at her home in Parkersburg Friday afternoon, April 14, 1899. She was married to Wm C. Johnson Sept. 27, 1893, at the home of her parents near Raccoon.

To this union were born two children, Lorena Agnes, aged four years and six months and Herbert G., aged 5 months.

She united with the Christian Church at Fincastle when but fifteen years of age, during the ministry of Elder Bud Johnson. In 1896 her membership was placed with the congregation at Parkersburg and she remained true to the faith till the last.

Although anxious to live that she might raise her children, she was not afraid to die and when the last moment came she met it peacefully and calmly as one who folds the drapery of his couch around him and lies down to pleasant dreams.

Mattie, as she was known among us, will be sadly missed. Although confined to her home for many months with that dread disease consumption, she was ever ready in health to lend a helping hand to those in need and even when too weak to leave her room those frail hands would do little acts of kindness for her neighbors. She prayed that her children might be raised properly and that their little feet might never stray into by and forsaken paths. She spoke blessed words of comfort to her husband and parents and they sorrow, not as those who have no hope, for “Blessed are they that die in the Lord; they rest from their labors and their works do follow them.”

At the Christian Church on Sunday at 10:30 a.m., in compliance with the request of the deceased, the funeral services were conducted by Rev. L. E. Murray assisted by Revs. Joel Ridge and Henry Ashley. The remains were laid to rest in the Lebanon Cemetery, near Roachdale. The bereaved husband and parents have the sincere sympathy of all their friends in their irreparable loss.

Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday, 21 April 1899

Mrs. Mattie Johnson, of Parkersburg, died at her home Friday evening at four o’clock of consumption. Funeral was at ten o’clock Sunday at the church at Parkersburg. She leaves a husband and two small children and father and mother to mourn her loss. Mrs. Mattie Johnson was about thirty years old. - thanks Sharon for these two :)