Died on Saturday, the 26th day of January 1868, after a brief illness, caused by congestion of the brain, Ann MCNEAL, daughter of the late Hon. Austin and Mrs. Mary MILLER, aged 17 years, 1 month and 2 days.
Another fair young flower plucked from earth, and borne away by angel bands to the beautiful garden of Paradise. She was a lively, bright, impulsive child: of a warm and affectionate disposition, a ray of sunshine wherever she went. Dedicated to God in infancy, in the holy sacrament of baptism, trained and taught in the religion of the blessed Jesus, although subject to the foibles of an earnest and impulsive nature, her heart was most tender and susceptible of good impressions and very early she gave it to her Savior. While at school in Columbia, with trembling distrust of self, but with her warm impulsive faith in the adorable Redeemer, she knelled before God’s altar and ratified her solemn vows in the holy Apostolic rite of Confirmation.
Summoned to her home by the death of her beloved father, after the first gush of poignant grief had wept itself away, she seemed calm and even cheerful. On Thursday night, towards morning, sickness came; not violent, not fearful, not alarming at first; but on Saturday the angel of death was almost visible, hovering over the couch of the beautiful girl. Nearly all day long he tarried there, with folding and unfolding winds, as if reluctant to tear away the prize from the loving ones of earth. But in the evening she was gone. The angels had taken her spirit to the Paradise of God.
There lay throughout that night and the Lord’s blessed day of rest that beautiful casket of clay, like a piece of sculptured marble, only there was sweet expression on the features which no sculptor yet has ever given to the stone. Fond hearts and loving hands had woven, of flowers and evergreen, a cross and anchor, emblems of our holy religion, and placed them there, speaking symbols of our faith and of “the better land.”
On Monday a large congregation assembled at St. James Church, and after the proper services there, they followed the remains to the Cemetery, where we laid away what the angels had left behind of our dear Annie.
The Bolivar Bulletin. (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.), 01 Feb. 1868, Page 2. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
