The Oakland Messenger -- Thur Dec. 10, 1925 DEATH CALLS MRS WILLIAM HUNT The death messenger visited our city Tuesday evening and called an old pioneer, Mrs Wm Hunt. Mrs Hunt had been ill for some time and suffered severely. Death was caused by dropsy. Susan E. Handley, daughter of Michel and Susanah C. Handley was born August 22, 1818 near Oliver, Clark county, Illinois. At the age of four years she, with her mother, moved to the farm known as the Tinsley farm where she resided until her marriage to Wm Hunt March 3, 1864 then she and her husband moved across the road to the farm known as the Hunt homestead and there their children were born and they lived all their married life except one four years term and then the eighteen years that they have lived in Oakland. Mr Hunt passed on at their home in Oakland, November 9, 1915 and she made this her home during the lonely years of her widowhood and peacefully fell asleep at 8:20 P. M. December 8, 1925. She and her husband united with the Baptist church in 1905 and she was faithful in life and triumphant in death leaving her testimony to her children that she was not afraid to die and said the things of the world had lost their charm for her and she was ready to go. Yet in all her suffering she was patient and trustful and on the last Sunday of her life she called her family about her, bade them goodbye, told them that she wished they would keep up their family reunions at the homes, be true to each other and preserve the spirit of an undivided family. Mrs Hunt had one brother and one sister, both deceased. She has two half brothers and two half sisters and one step sister living. The surviving children are Terresa R. Bradford, Louvisa E. Ashmore, Alvira L. Morris, Delphia M. Henn, Sherman W., Willis J. and Lawrence C. Hunt. The children deceased were George M., Alma S., William F. and Jestine H. She has 20 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren living, and one grandchild, Little Mary Irma, daughter of Mr and Mrs Willis Hunt, who preceded her to the better world. After Mr Hunt's death, young Raymond Arnold made his home with Mrs Hunt and was a very loyal friend and she was greatly attached to him and he will miss her care and sympathy. Mrs Hunt belonged to the sturdy, courageous pioneers of this township, the men and women, the real heroes and heroines of civilization who came and conquered this new country, leveled the forests and made the plains of Illinois blossom with the promise of beauty and plenty and left to the present and future generations all the comforts and advantages of modern life, material, intellectual and spiritual. Such souls do not die, they live on in this world in the lives of their children to whom is committed the task of carrying on in life, true to God and faithful to their fellowmen in every good word and work. May a mother's blessing always abide and inspire you to do your best until you are called to join her in promised peace into which she has entered. Funeral services were conducted from the Fairview church, Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock, Rev. Willis Gill of Cloverdale, Ind. officiating, following which the remains were laid to rest in Fairview cemetery. The Messenger extends sincere and heartfelt sympathy to the children in the lots (sic) of their mother.