This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Obituary Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/HO.2ADEB/340 Message Board Post: September 2, 1896 Mrs. Lydia Baer Laub was born in Carroll County, Maryland, on the 7th day of February, 1824, and died in the town of Onawa, Iowa, at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. Ainsworth, on the 29th day of August, 1896, at twenty minutes past one o’clock in the afternoon, seventy-two years, six months and twenty-two days old. Her ancestry was of the highest respectability. On the parental side she descended from a family Marylanders, who served their country in the war of the Revolution, and in the war of 1812. On the 14th day of February 1848, the subject of this memoir became the wife of Henry C. Laub, in Fredericks County, Maryland, and had she lived one year and less than six months more they would have celebrated the beginning of the second half century of their wedded life in the midst of their children and their children’s children. These nearly fifty intervening years have not been all of one hue, unvarying in their brightness. No! There have been bri! ght days, and dark days – days of sorrow and days of jubilation – days of prosperity and days of adversity. She had her bitterness with her sweets; for “Into each life some rain must fall, Some days must be dark and dreary.” But thro’ all God was with her, guiding and sustaining. Thro’ all the vicissitudes of adversity and prosperity through which she passed she has clung to her family with the utmost fidelity, sharing in the privations and trials and rejoicing in the temporal and spiritual prosperity. The fourth year after their marriage they went west to Muscatine, Iowa, in which city she was converted and joined the church. Three years later they came to Crawford County and have lived here to the present period, forty-one years. Some of the pioneer preachers could offer the best testimony to the cheerful spirit that always accompanied her services to the church. She was an integral part of the foundation on which the edifice of Methodism in this community rests today. She was the preachers’ friend, ever active and zealous, loved by all and loving all. To be in her presence was to receive inspiration for the stern battles of life. In spite of infirmities of the body, caused by the severest type of rheumatism, the sunset of the life became even more and more beautiful. She was a fruitful vine, the mother of eight children; two sons and six daughters; one daughter is not, for God took her. All the living children are married and there are ten grand children. During this year of 1896 she anticipated a daily termination of her earthly career. Last Sabbath morning she expressed a desire to attend her class meeting and the church services. In the classroom she was the last to testify. In her testimony she said, “I think this will be the last opportunity I will have to tell you the wonderful salvation Jesus has provided for you and for me.” She praised Him for the happy privilege of telling them of His goodness in saving her to the uttermost. She was not able to remain during the whole of the preaching services because of the feebleness of body and she had to retire during the singing of the opening services. In a few days she fully recovered from the strain on her strength, and felt so much better that she decided to attend the National Camp meeting for the spread of Spiritual Holiness now in progress at Storm Lake, Iowa. Whilst on the journey to that meeting in which she so much delighted, at the residence of her oldest child, she was suddenly stricken, but she was calm and unmoved at the prospect before her and death found her ready. She sent her “Good-bye to all the children,” and added “I am going this time, just as I always wanted to go; all is well, and Jesus has come to take me home, and I gladly go.” As a child sinks to slumber she closed her eyes, to open them amid the immortal beauties of paradise, where she heard Heaven’s first welcome. The body will now be borne by some of Denison’s noblest men to the cemetery on the hill where it will be laid to rest beside that of her beloved daughter, Lydia Belle, who has preceded her to the heavenly home. For the living husband and children it is hard to say this last “Good-bye.” Mrs. H. C. Laub was a faithful wife and a loving mother. She devoted all her strength and thought to promote the welfare of her large family. She accepted pioneer life with its many privations with courage. She was identified with every moral movement in society or church. She had implicit faith in Christ as her model, as her Redeemer and Savior. She sought to extend the gospel truth, beginning with her own family, and spreading it over the world. She was a Methodist with perfect faith in her creed, and yet liberal and tolerant to others. She gave to benevolences and aided in charitable projects. She will be remembered with kindliness of spirit in circles far beyond family relations. She was prepared to face the future, rejoicing that her work on earth was ended and prepared for higher service if assigned to her. During her late years of feebleness of body her motto was “Thy will be done.” To the Editor of the DENISON REVIEW: I wish to announce through the medium of your valuable paper the heartfelt thanks of myself and children, to all the people of Denison and vicinity, for the respect and honor paid to my beloved and ever cherished wife, who has gone from among us forever. It was a great (though pleasant) surprise to us, and it will always be remembered by us, as one of the brightest tokens of your appreciation for the departed, and for us who have lived among you so long; especially, to the ladies who assisted in preparing the church and the grave; and also to those conducted the last rites of the funeral obsequies, do we owe, and do hereby express our thanks and loving gratitude. HENRY C. LAUB AND CHILDREN.