Shep's Place Family Tree

Lays Down Her Life As A Sacrifice on the Alter of Motherhood

Mrs. Will O. Crow, whose serious illness of blood poison, has been previously mentioned, passed peacefully away last Wednesday evening, December 18th, having been ill just three weeks. Her death though not unexpected was a great shock to the community. The funeral which was one of the largest in recent years was conducted from the M‎[ethodist]‎.E‎[piscopal]‎. Church Friday last at two p.m. by Rev. L.L. Cherrington a former beloved pastor at Letart but now of Athens. A male quartette composed of E. E. Ashoey, Rev. Burlingame, Prof. Parker and C.W. Hayman very ably furnished the singing. The pall bearers were Messrs. Paul Alexander, Geo. Sayre, Fred, Bert, George and Harry Crow, last four named beings brothers of the bereaved husband and who tenderly bore her to her last long rest in Letart's ideal cemetery.

The following touching obituary was prepared by a friend and read at the services.

In the silent shades of a winter night, but in the early morn of a beautiful life came the great mysterious angel of death, and bore away to fairer lands the sweet spirit of one of our dear friends and noblest Christian girls, Gladys Alexander Crow.

She was the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H.‎[enry]‎ M.‎[oses]‎ Alexander, and was born at letart Falls, Ohio, March 27, 1887.

She spent her girlhood years at home with her parents on the farm, and she attended the public schools of our village. She was an industrious and diligent student, and possessed a worthy ambition to fit herself for a life of usefulness. One of the most important steps in this preparation was made February 1903, when under the pastorate of Rev. Ward, she consecrated her young life to the service of God and united with the M.E. Church.

At the early age of seventeen, she began teaching and for six years she was identified with the schools of Meigs Co. The last three years of which were spent in the schools of Middleport, where her labors were rewarded with marked success.

It was a glad event in her life when in Sept. 21, 1910, she joined hands, hearts and fortunes with Will O. Crow, of Great Bend, Ohio. Theirs was indeed a happy union and she was truly an ideal wife. Nature had most generously endowed her with a charming personality, and in those feminine graces and accomplishments which go to make the home a place of comfort and delight she excelled.

This union of earts and souls was strengthened when on Nov. 27 1912 two sweet little girls came to bless their home. Her joy was supreme at the thought of having them come to brighten their home, and the anticipation of the gladness they would bring in after years, and when she realized the serious condition of her illness, as a result of motherhood, she prayed that she might live and bestow upon them that tender care and sympathy that only a mother can, and to guide their little feet along the uncertain paths of life. But an alwise and infinite God decreed otherwise, and she willingly yielded her young life with all its hopes and promises into his eternal keeping.

We realize today that we are in the presence of a great sorrow... Here are the aged parents who had looked to her for comfoort in their declining days. They will miss her; and the husband who is broken hearted because of the loss of his devoted companion and helpmate. He will miss her and the two dear little babes will never know a mother's love and sympathy they too, in time, will miss her, as will also her only brother, and a host of near relatives and friends miss her because they loved her.

It is not for us to understand the mysteries of Providence--why this precious young wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend was taken in the very springtime of life, but in the language of the poet--"God nothing does, nor suffers to be done, but what though couldst see, through all events of life as well as he."