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From the Andover News, July 24, 1914.
Transcribed by Karen Meisenheimer.


 

MRS. ANNIS Z. LANGWORTHY

Mrs. Annis Z. Langworthy, one of the oldest residents in this vicinity, passed away last Friday forenoon, at her home in Railroad Valley. She was a daughter of Nathan and Eunice Satterlee Lanphear and a graddaughter of Elder William Satterlee, a prominent leader among Seventh-Day Baptists the first half of last century. She was born at what now is the N. M. Lanphear homestead, which joins the one on which she died; on these two homesteads her life has been lived.

September 29, 1849 she was united in marriage to Daniel F. Langworthy. This union was broken by the death of Mr. Langworthy, Dec. 25, 1880. To them were born six children; Daniel L. who lives on the old homestead, and by whose side she had lived these many years, Susan, who died in childhood; Frances, now deceased and the first wife of the late Edson Clarke; Edwin of Buffalo; Mariah, now deceased and the first wife of Milo D. Moland; and Martha B. a trained nurse, who has for nearly eighteen months cared for her mother, giving her all that love and skill could devise.

In early life she made a public profession of religion, was baptized and joined the Second Seventh-Day Baptist Church of Alfred. Of this church she remained a member until the Seventh Day Baptist Church of Andover was organized, in 1871, when she became one of the constituent members of that church and has since been a most loyal and faithful member. Love for and loyalty to her church and denomination have been among the marked features of her long and useful life. Much of the Bible she knew by heart and she read her denominational paper from cover to cover; when she could no longer read the paper herself, she had it read to her till the last week of her life. With all the denominational work she was familiar and to it she gave her liberal support, while the ministers and public workers she followed with deep interest. Her love for her children was unusual in its strength and tenderness, and when they grew out of her home, she at various times had all six of her grandchildren in her home, impressing on them her high ideals and Christian spirit. Her sympathy and broadmindedness made her a delightful companion to young people, as many now can testify.

Her life the last few months has been one of great suffering, all of which she has borne with Christian patience. She was watching and longing for her Master’s call “Come home,” asking all who came to see her to pray that she might be released. She talked of her death and planned for her funeral as though they were every day occurrences, or as though she was preparing for a journey.

The funeral occurred Sunday afternoon at her late home and all the details were carried out as she had planned, except that her pastor, Mr. A. Clyde Ehret, was away and pastor William L. Burdick of Alfred, took the pastor’s place; her grandchildren assisted by Elwood Burdick sang the hymns she had selected, and her two sons, brother and son-in-law acted as bearers. Interment took place in Alfred Rural cemetery.

Besides her children and grandchildren she is survived by one half-brother, Mr. N. M. Lanphear, of Railroad Valley, and one half-sister, Mrs. V. A. Willard of Belmont.