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Miss Sara Ann Mather
Died Yesterday - Her Life Work.
Miss Sarah Ann
Mather, who for 37 years had been a resident of this city, died at her home on
King Street yesterday afternoon at 4:30. Mis Mather was born in Northampton,
Mass., in the year 1819, and was a direct descendant of Cotton Mather.
Miss Mather, with
her constant companion Miss Perit, who died here nearly a year ago, established
the colored home in this city, located on Granada street. She has labored
earnestly with the colored race in this section and with the Indians of the
west. In fact this has been her lifelong work. The deceased was a faithful and
prominent member of the Presbyterian church, and like her companion, Miss
Perit, always took a live interest in all charitable and church works.
During her last
hours she was constantly cared for by her two nieces, Miss Ida Chapman and Miss
Anna Mather, and several dear and devoted friends.
The impressive funeral
services were held this afternoon at 2:30 o'clock in the Presbyterian church,
Rev. J. M. McGonigle conducted the services.
The interment was
made in the Protestant cemetery in New Augustine.
Funeral of Miss
Mather
The funeral services
over the body of Sarah Ann Mather were begun at her home on King street by Rev
John McGonigle. Afterwards the body was taken to the Memorial Presbyterian
church, of which the deceased was a worthy member, being followed by numerous
friends, former pupils and by the colored mission Sunday-school and children of
the colored home and many other colored people. At the church, Rev Mr.
McGonigle gave a brief sketch of the deceased's life, choosing for his theme
"Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, for their works do follow
them." He drew from the story of her life a beautiful lesson of quiet,
unassuming work, in the masters service. "Rock of Ages" and
"Asleep in Jesus" were sung. Four colored men, Edward Andrew,
Frederick Young, M. Boyleston and Ed Myers, carried the coffin, the honorary
pall-bearers being C. F. Hamblen, E. N. Goodrich, J. C. Reynolds and A. K.
Rainey. The body was interred in the New Augustine cemetery.
The genealogy of the
Mather family beginning with Rev. Richard Mather, 1596-1669, of Toxteth Park,
Liverpool, Eng and of Dorchester, Mass, and running through nine generations to
William Mather, September 29 1776, to August 5, 1835, father of Sara Ann
Mather, shows that the descendants were invariably ministers of the gospel, and
foremost in many ways does Rev Cotton Mather's life stand out among the
Puritans. It is not be wondered that Sarah Ann Mather -- the deceased -- began
early in life the education of the untutored of the country the Indians and the
negroes -- most of her maturer life haing been giving to the latter, and for
nearly forty years, excepting the time devoted to the Indians at Hampton
Institute, her whole efforts have been given to the advancement of the colored
people. She built a church for poor white people, and was also instrumental in
organizing and building the Home for Aged and Indigent Colored People, and
strove to advance the condition of the negro children. She also built the
little chapel on Grenada street, next to the colored home. She began teaching
the negroes in this city during "slave times", and always believed
"there should be no slaves." How singularily do these sentiments
contrast with the following expressions of her great, great, great, uncle, the
Rev Cotton Mather, recorded in the archives of an old Quaker meeting-house at
Greenwich, R I Sept 15th, 1662
To ye aged and
Beloved Mr. John Higginson:
There be now at sea
a ship, called the Welcome, which has on board an hundred or more of the
heretics and malignants called Quakers with W. Penn. who is the chief scamp, at
the head of them.
The general court
has accordingly given secret orders o Master Malachi Huscott of the brig
Porpoise, to waylay the Welcome slyly as near the Cape of Cod as may be, and
make captive he said Penn and his ungodly crew, so that the Lord may be
glorified and not mocked on the soil of this new country, with the heathern
worship of these oeple.
Much spoil can be
made by selling the whole lot to Barbadoes, where slaves fetch good prices in
rum and sugar, and we shall not only do the Lord great service by punishing the
wicked, but we shall make great good for his mnisters and people.
Master Huscott feels
hopeful and I will set down the news when the ship comes back.
Yours in ye bowels
of Christ,
Cotton Mather
It mattered not to Sarah Ann Mather whether "heretics or malignants," she strove to aid them and her years of liberality in interpreting the meaning of "love one another" has endeared her to all classes, races, parties and religious sects.