The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1918, Page 51

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The Lutheran Pioneer. 5 |

in hell.” No mitigation of suffering is ever found
there, as the story of the rich glutton and Lazarus
shows, nor will any one ever make his escape out
of this outer darkness; for “their worm shall not
die, neither shall their fire be quenched.” Also see
Dan. 12, 2: Matt. 25, 41.

‘There are only two places, O man, in the future
life, heaven and hell. ‘There are only two paths
which a person can pursue during this life, the
narrow and the broad way. On which are you
traveling? Remember, every step brings you closer
to eternity.

O Jesus, who my debt didst pay,
And for my sin wast smitten,
Within the book of life, oh, may
My name be also written!
I will not doubt; I trust in Thee;
From Satan Thou hast made me free,
And from all condemnation,
-H. Ostertius.

+ Grandma Wilson. +

On the 13th of May we carried our good old
Mrs. Olivia Wilson to her Jast resting-place.
Mrs. Wilson was a member of Bethlehem for over
twenty-eight years. ‘The solemn vow which on the
day of her confirmation, in the early years of our
station, she made to her Lord and Master and to
His Church, she faithfully kept to the last. She
was an example to all that came in contact with
her. She loved the habitation of the Lord, the
place where His honor dwelleth. Whenever her
place remained vacant on some Sunday night, we
knew that there was good reason for it, and that
she was otherwise serving her Lord by serving her
fellow-men through acts of kindness and love. And
what she preached she practised. Right cheerfully
did she help according to her ability, yea, one was
sometimes tempted to believe above her ability, to
maintain her chureh, and to help the spreading of
the Gospel among others. In her house the various
members of her large relationship, children or chil-
dren’s children, always found a place of refuge, a
kind word, a helping hand. She was not ashamed
to own the Savior’s cause before friend or foe. She
had many friends, indeed, among all classes of
people, and she was beloved and respected by them
all. But she never cared to retain their esteem at
the expense of her religion and her church. She
might have had even more friends if she had heen
the member of some more prominent church. But

for this she cared not. For her there was but one
church, and that was her dear Lutheran Church.
Let her friends deride or pity, that was nothing to
her. She praised her church in the face of derision,
and advised the mocker to become a member of the
same, to come with her and see. How often did
1 not hear her admonish others to leave their eyil
path and-mend their sinful ways!

For some time already Mrs. Wilson had been
ailing. But she had always been an active woman,
her hands were never idle, and therefore she would
not yield now, but kept on, though with heavy
breath and faltering step. She dreaded to think
of lying sick for a long time. How would she be
able to bear that? But the Lord dealt mercifully
with her also in this respect. On the previous
Sunday she had been to church. The following
Sunday I was summoned to her bedside. Her eyes
were growing dim, her mind was flickering to and
fro. She told me that she did
not know where she was, nor
what had really happened. I
told her: “That is of no con-
sequence ; but> one’ thing you
still know, that Jesus is your
Savior, and that you are His
precious, redeemed child.” O
yes, that she still knew! Once
more her eyes brightened, and
her mind became clear as in yrs, olivia Wilson.
touching words she praised
the Savior’s love, and expressed -her sincere long-
ing soon to meet Him face to face. All else was
naught to her; Jesus, and Jesus only, was her one
and all. ‘The following day she recognized me

once more as we prayed together and spoke of the |

glory that awaits us in the place which Jesus has
prepared for us. Then she began to sleep. She
slept on for a few days without pain or anguish,
until she finally softly, gently passed over into the
Savior’s arms. Truly, hers was a peaceful end.
Blessed is he who dies thus.— We all miss her;
yes, every one does. She has left a place among us
that will be hard to fill. But we have not lost her.
We have added her to that goodly AEE which
is waiting for us above.

Her mortal remains were laid to rest in Beth-
lehem Lot, Valence Street Cemetery. The church
was filled with the friends and the mourners at the
funeral. Her funeral text was: “For me to live
is oh and to die is gain.” Phil. 1, 21.

‘ G. M. Kraarer.