Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 August 1910 — THE GRIM REAPER. [ARTICLE]

THE GRIM REAPER.

Several Old Residents Answered the Death Call During the tWeek. he Death Angel has visited a iber of homes in Rensselaer and vicinity during the week. Mrs. James Shindler of Jordan tp., Mrs. James Hurley and Mrs. Sarah A. Hemphill of Rensselaer, and Thomas Smith and Thomas P. Jacks of Lee were those takeni We have not been able to se* cure a full obituary of each of these at this time. MRS. S. A. HEMPHILL- '• Sarah Ann Thompson was born in Manchester, England, June 23, 1829, and died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. E. P. Honan, in Rensselaer, Ind., August 25, 1910, at 10 a. m., aged 81 years, two months and two days. She came to America with her parents in 1835 and settled at Huntertown, Ind., now a part of Ft. Wayne, where she was married to Samuel Hemphill in 1846. To this union three children were born, all of whom are now living—John B. Hemphill of Sumner, Neb.; James F. Hemphill of Danville, 111., and Mrs. Margaret E. Honan of Rensselaer. The two former were born at Huntertown and the latter in Missouri, where they later moved. In 1855 they moved from Huntertown to Rock Island, Ill.j where they resided for about three years, then went t<j Ralls county, Mo., where they resided until the breaking out of the war in 1861, when they moved to Rensselaer where deceased has since resided. Her husband died Feb. 7, 1903. For many years, from 1862 to 1892, deceased conducted for most of the time a millinery store in Rensselaer, starting in business in a small frame building where John Eger’s grocery store now stands. S'he built the first brick business house in Rensselaer, which is now occupied by Mrs. Purcupile’S millinery store, which she owned at the time of her death. She united with the M. E. church when a child and had since been a consistent member of this denomination. She was prominent in both the church and social circles and was a member of the Ladies’ Literary Club and the Milroy Circle. She leaves nine grandchildren. . ■ She had enjoyed very good health for one of tiier age up to a few months ago, when she fell and injured her hip, most of which time since she had been confined to her bed. Wednesday night it was seen that the end was near, and she passed quietly away at ten o’clock Thursday. Her son James was sent for Wednesday night and got here at 11 Thursday, about an hour after her death. John arrived from Nebraska yesterday. The funeral will be held tomorrow at 2 p. m., from Trinity M. E. church, conducted by Rev.

Harper, and interment made in Weston cemetery beside her husband and parents and one brother. MRS, JAMES SHINDLER. The funeral of Mrs. James Shindler of Jordan tp., was held at Mt. Hope church in that township at 1 p. m., Wednesday, conducted by Mrs. Noble of Brook, and burial made in Weston cemetery in Rensselaer. Mrs. Shindler came to her death from drowning in a stock tank sometime during the., early morning of Tuesday, possibly with suicidal intent. She had been feeble and in poor health for some time and her death was looked for almost any hour, and how she managed to get up out of bed and make her way to the tank, about 100 feet distant, is a mystery. She and her aged husband lived alone and occupied separate beds in the same room. Their grand-daughter, Miss Bill, aged about 17 years, was staying with them at night. The storm of the early morning awakened her and got up to close some win-' jdows and missed her grandmother. She aroused Mr. Shindler but he knew nothing of her whereabouts. Together they began a search for her,"visiting the cribs, barn and other outbuildings. On returning toward the house Mr. Shindler passed the stock tank and saw the body lying therein. He attempted to get it out but it was too much for 'his feeble strength, and the girl went to Branson’s, some 300 yards away, aroused the family and got help. It was about five o’clock when the body was taken out and it was evident' that life had been extinct but a few bourse. • It was found that the aged woman had taken a small box from the house and placed beside the tank to enable her in her feeble condition to get into the same. She had probably tried to get in the tank without the aid of the box, but found it impossible to do so and had then gone back to the house and got the box. She was suffering greatly from dropsy in her limbs and may have gone to the tank in al partly delirious state thinking to get some relief from the pain in her limbs by immersing them in the cool water, and, in her feeble condition, fell over into the tank and drowned. Mrs. Shindler was 83 years of age and leaves a husband, one son, James Shindler of Brook, and one daughter, Airs. John Qill of Jordan tp. She was a native of Bohemia, but with her husband had lived in America for manv years and was a highly respected woman. Veronia Macak was born in Bohemia, Feb. 17, 1827, and was'married to James Shindler in the year 1854. In 1862 she with her husband and four small children, one daughter and three sons, came to America They came to Milwaukee, Wis., and resided there about eight months, and then came to Jasper county, Ind., and have since resided here. One daughter was born to them after they came to America. One son died when a small child. Her daughter, Mrs. George Wilcox, died in 1892, and her son Joseph died in 1894. Her son James of Brook and her daughter, Mrs. Mary Bill, were both able to be with their father and pay the last tribute to their mother. Deceased was raised in the Catholic church and spent much time in prayer and devotion and was faithful to the very best light she had For more than a year she had been a very great sufferer from an incurable disease. Her being unable to speak English with ease prevented her from getting as well acquainted with her neighbors as she would

have otherwise, done, although she enjoyed company even if it were difficult for her to talk with them. She died at her home Aug. 23, 1910, aged 83 years, six months and 6 days. She leaves her aged husband,... one son, one uaughter, thirteen grandchildren and nine great-granchildren to mourn their loss. Funeral services were conducted at Mt. Hope Chapel in Jordan tp., August 24 by Rev. Alice Noble of Brook, who preached a comforting Sermon from Rev. 14-13, Interment in Weston cemetery. xx