Sarah Francis [Williams] King Obituary
Obituary
Sarah Francis King, beloved wife of Berry Simpson King, and daughter of the late Wheaton Williams,
an old resident of Greene county, departed this life Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 26th, at the homestead
near Pleasant Ridge.
Sister Fanny King (by which name she was best known) was married to Berry S. King, Esq., who survives her,
upon Aug. 11th, 1859; so that for nearly 40 years they had been going hand in had [sic], meeting the
rebuffs of time and riding the waves both of adversity and prosperity through those years.
In the mean while to them were born two children, Joseph L. and Mary Jane King,
who were both by her bedside and listened, as only the loving can listen, to the dying words of
a mother to her children, while the aged father in his grief could only listen to her words with
deepest sorry, knowing that their comforter and his adviser was leaving them. Uniting in early life
with the Primitive Baptist church, she ever remained loyal to its distinctive doctrines, and when
the hour of death drew nigh she was able to say without any hesitation, "I know in whom I have
believed and am persuaded He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him against that day."
She was one of the old fashioned and practical mothers in Isreal [sic] , who are becoming scarce.
Not what is known as highly cultured but as Christ knows soul cultured. No one in sorrow ever
called in vain upon her. When the world turned against the erring Fanny's arms, like angels [sic]
wings, attempted to protect them; and the hungry were always welcome at her table.
Not a weak woman, but of strong character, yet when persuaded she was in the wrong, ready to
acknowlede [sic] and ask forgiveness. Even when passing from earth to heaven her last words
were forgiveness, and asked to be forgiven if she had wronged anyone in act or in thought.
Such was the woman, Christian [sic], wife, mother, sister and friend whose remains we placed
in the Pleasant Hill grave yard, near mid-day, Jan. 18th, 1898, close to those who loved her
and whom she loved, to rise with them at "that Day."
The old home where she reigned as queen for nearly 40 years in Greene county,
will miss her guiding hand.
The husband in his loneliness [sic] will have to look up; the son and daughter
will have to look "beyond" for her and the four sisters and two brothers scattered hither
and younder [sic], with hosts of friends, will now "only remember her for what she has done."
As her friend and brother in Christ, we shall miss her kindly hand clasp and her cherry word
when we meet the congregation at Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian church, where, for the last three
years, she came to the writer's services very frequently, and whose sad duty it was to consign
her to the grave, by her own request; yet it is pleasing to know, in the last few years at best,
we'll meet again, whatever it may mean, in Eternity, which,
"All love thee, but none can express thee,
Or pierce to the core of thy heart;
The poet in dreams may half guess thee,
And faintly divine what thou art.
But the song that would sing thee is broken,
The lips quiver once and are still,
And thy mystery, ever unbroken,
Is left for the future to fill."
Jno. D. Dean.
|
