Part 8 - Emma is the wife of Thomas Martin Lucas, Jr. Central City Republican - Central City, Nebraska - Thursday, March 3, 1938 HELD FUNERAL RITES FOR MRS. LUCAS SUNDAY ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Mrs. Emma Elizabeth Lucas Succumbed Friday From Injuries Recieved In Accident ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Taking as his text the words of the Thirty-fourth Psalm "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and His ears are open unto their cry" Rev. Henry Stitt in the funeral sermon for Mrs. Emma Lucas said in part: "As we come to this final event in a very lamentable catastrophe resulting in the loss of two valued lives and grievous injury to a third I feel that the only language fitting is that of the Bible itself. In the presence of the terrific and cruel contingencies of life let us take shelter under the majesty of devine love. This verse tells of the eyes of the Lord and the ears of the Lord. Here is personality. How glorius to know it is our heavenly Father. There is an eternal purpose concealed beneath all these seeming calamities. We are not altogether left as play things of the dictatorship of blind Fate. There was a time when men slew their dearest and best as an offering to an offended god. Today we know differently. Since Christ came to earth the awful truth emerges that very pang in our heart but echoes the brooding agony of His own Who suffered for us. These wonderful truths are revealed to us in the passages I have read taken from the Old Testament and the New, the Psalms, the Gospels, and the Epistles. Have we ever learned the spirtual strength to be found there? What can a child know of the tremendous depths of its mother's love? Her love is however fully revealed by her tender kisses on her child's tear-stained cheek. Presently we shall find our spritual selves and no longer be crushed and wounded by our machine-made age. The grim forces of iron and storm so masterfully controlling mankind today will eventually yield obedience to a higher type of human kind. Tennyson the great poet lay dying, and when his spirit had fled they found him with his finger marking a favorite passage in the great Book. Hear him as he writes: O yet we trust that somehow good Will be the final goal of ill, To pangs of nature sins of will, Defects of doubt, and taints of blood; That nothing walks with aimless feet, That not one life shall be destroyed, Or cast as rubbish to the void, When God hath made the pile complete. And again I would quote the words of another who prays: Be with me Lord, my house is growing still As one by one the guests go out the door; And some who helped me once to do Thy will Behold and praise Thee on the heavenly shore. Show me Thy light. Let not my wearied eyes Miss the fresh glory of life's passing day; But keep the light of morn, the sweet surprise Of each new blessing that attends my way. And for the crowning grace, O Lord, renew The best of gifts Thy best of saints have had; With the great joy of Christ my heart endue To share the whole world's tears and still be glad. Mrs. Thomas M. Lucas passed away Friday morning at the Community Hospital in Central City from injuries received in the auto-train crash Saturday, February 19. At no time had she fully regained consciousness, so death was a blessing relief from the knowledge of the loss of her husband. Emma Elizabeth Witterer was born March 11, 1890 at Shell Creek, in Colfax County to Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Wetterer. Her parents passed away when she was a small child so together with two other sisters and a brother they made their home with Mr. and Mrs. P. A. Sattler. She grew to womanhood in this community, attending our city schools, graduating with her class and later teaching in our county schools. On August 1, 1912 she was united in marriage to Thomas M. Lucas, and to this union 6 children were born. Their early married life was spent on a homestead in Thomas County, Nebraska. later they moved to Missouri Valley, Iowa, and in 1928 they returned to Central City where they have since resided. Mrs. Lucas is survived by four children, Mrs. Elizabeth Overturf, Ruth Jean, Thomas Jr., and Robert Charles, two grandchildren, Patricia and Ruth Jean; also two sisters, Mrs. Rosa Wetterer of Red Oak, Iowa and Mrs. Lillian Eichberg of Lincoln, Nebr. and a brother, W. C. Wetterer of Wood River, Nebraska and Mrs P. A. Sattler of Fullerton, Nebraska. She was preceded in death by her husband and two small children, and her parents. Funeral services were conducted Sunday afternoon at 2:00 o'clock from the Solt Funeral home with Rev. J. Henry Stitt in charge, assisted by Rev. O. W. Carrell. Comforting music was rendered by a mixed quartet, composed of Mrs. E. W. Eaton, Mrs. Ray Prime, Lee C. Coolidge and L. A. Erickson, accompanied by Mrs. Leonard Hopkins, "Safe in the Arms of Jesus," "Nearer Still Nearer" and "City Four Square." Pallbearers were Ralph Smith, Robert Rice, Fred Campain, Sten Nordstedt, Frank McConnell and Charles Schafer. Internment was made in the Central City cemetery at the side of her husband. -- Steven W. Hornaday 783 Westfield Ct. Sumter SC, 29154 (803) 494-3027