Biography of Mrs. Frances Clark
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Biography of Mrs. Frances Clark
| WellsVolunteer (View posts) | Posted: 4 Apr 2008 1:26PM GMT |
Classification: Biography
Surnames: CLARK, MCKIERNAN, O'FERRALL
From "Biographical Memoirs of Wells County, Indiana," 1903, pp. 223-224.
MRS. FRANCES CLARK.
Mrs. Frances CLARK died at the residence of her son, Matthew J. Clark, in Peachville, Butler county, Pennsylvania, on Monday, the 13th of June, 1887. She was a daughter of Ignatius and Frances (McKiernan) O'Ferrall, was born at Martinsburg, Berkeley county, Virginia (now West Virginia), on the 14th of October, 1793 and had therefore passed her ninety-third birthday. Her parents were Irish, and she had inherited in a remarkable degree the nobler traits of the Irish character. She was the widow of Major Matthew J. Clark, who died at Morgantown, West Virginia, in 1859, eighty-three years of age, more than four-score years. Born back in the last century! What an ocean of events! What a sea of trials, troubles and tribulations she had passed over during her long life voyage! She had heard the patriots of the Revolution, when still comparatively young men, tell of Valley Forge, Quebec, the Cowpens and Yorktown. She had seen a brother, with the ardor of youthful patriotism glowing in his countenance, march to North Point to meet "the British invader," and had listened to the cannon's roar in our second war for independence. She had heard the returning tramp of the victorious veterans from the plains of Mexico, and then had seen our land involved in internecine strife and bathed in the commingled blood of brothers; had furnished sons for the maintenance of the Union, and then lived to rejoice over a re-united country—one flag and one people—and a restoration of fraternal feelings between the sections. She had witnessed the column of states run up from fifteen to thirty-eight, and the increase of our population from four millions to sixty millions, and infant weakness raised to giant power. She had lived in the days of Washington and had mourned with a nation over his death; She had stood at the graves of her parents, three brothers and a sister, or had wiped away the teardrops as news of the departure of one after another reached her, until she remained as the only survivor of her family. Children had been born to her and grandchildren had delighted her heart, and her days had been so lengthened as to be blessed with great-grandchildren. In all the relations of life, as wife, mother, grandmother. great-grandmother, friend, she was the perfect woman. Possessed of remarkable strength of character, equable temperament, amiable disposition and fine judgment, she impressed herself upon all with whom she was brought in contact and in the family circle her influence and example shed their benign rays and made useful citizens of her sons and exemplary women of her daughters. Being of a bright, cheerful nature, her presence ever brought sunshine into the gloomy vaults of a heart depressed, and so self-sacrificing was she that she thought not of her own comfort, if she could bring ease to the suffering, rest to the weary or happiness to the distressed. But she is gone, full of years, leaving behind her many to call her blessed, many to revere her memory.
Three sons and one daughter and many kindred, among these two nephews (Gen. John W. O'Ferrall, of Mississippi, and Judge Chas. T. O'Ferrall, member of congress from the Shenandoah valley, Virginia), survive her. Should there be sadness over her departure?
Ye are not sad to see the gathered grain,
Nor where their mellow fruit the orchards cast,
Nor when the yellow woods let fall the ripened mast.
Should there be weeping over her grave? When her life's labors are done, and she has passed serenely to her final rest, and
The soft memory of virtues yet
Lingers like twilight hours, when the bright sun is
set.
No; but let those whose hearts are so deeply touched by the recollection of the now stilled voice that was ever as sweet music to their ears, and by the sight of the now vacant old arm-chair, and those in distant parts who loved her, be enabled to say with true Christian resignation, "The will of the Lord be done."
And we are glad she has lived thus long,
And glad that she has gone to her reward;
Nor can we deem that Nature did her wrong,
Softly to disengage the vital cord.
MRS. FRANCES CLARK.
Mrs. Frances CLARK died at the residence of her son, Matthew J. Clark, in Peachville, Butler county, Pennsylvania, on Monday, the 13th of June, 1887. She was a daughter of Ignatius and Frances (McKiernan) O'Ferrall, was born at Martinsburg, Berkeley county, Virginia (now West Virginia), on the 14th of October, 1793 and had therefore passed her ninety-third birthday. Her parents were Irish, and she had inherited in a remarkable degree the nobler traits of the Irish character. She was the widow of Major Matthew J. Clark, who died at Morgantown, West Virginia, in 1859, eighty-three years of age, more than four-score years. Born back in the last century! What an ocean of events! What a sea of trials, troubles and tribulations she had passed over during her long life voyage! She had heard the patriots of the Revolution, when still comparatively young men, tell of Valley Forge, Quebec, the Cowpens and Yorktown. She had seen a brother, with the ardor of youthful patriotism glowing in his countenance, march to North Point to meet "the British invader," and had listened to the cannon's roar in our second war for independence. She had heard the returning tramp of the victorious veterans from the plains of Mexico, and then had seen our land involved in internecine strife and bathed in the commingled blood of brothers; had furnished sons for the maintenance of the Union, and then lived to rejoice over a re-united country—one flag and one people—and a restoration of fraternal feelings between the sections. She had witnessed the column of states run up from fifteen to thirty-eight, and the increase of our population from four millions to sixty millions, and infant weakness raised to giant power. She had lived in the days of Washington and had mourned with a nation over his death; She had stood at the graves of her parents, three brothers and a sister, or had wiped away the teardrops as news of the departure of one after another reached her, until she remained as the only survivor of her family. Children had been born to her and grandchildren had delighted her heart, and her days had been so lengthened as to be blessed with great-grandchildren. In all the relations of life, as wife, mother, grandmother. great-grandmother, friend, she was the perfect woman. Possessed of remarkable strength of character, equable temperament, amiable disposition and fine judgment, she impressed herself upon all with whom she was brought in contact and in the family circle her influence and example shed their benign rays and made useful citizens of her sons and exemplary women of her daughters. Being of a bright, cheerful nature, her presence ever brought sunshine into the gloomy vaults of a heart depressed, and so self-sacrificing was she that she thought not of her own comfort, if she could bring ease to the suffering, rest to the weary or happiness to the distressed. But she is gone, full of years, leaving behind her many to call her blessed, many to revere her memory.
Three sons and one daughter and many kindred, among these two nephews (Gen. John W. O'Ferrall, of Mississippi, and Judge Chas. T. O'Ferrall, member of congress from the Shenandoah valley, Virginia), survive her. Should there be sadness over her departure?
Ye are not sad to see the gathered grain,
Nor where their mellow fruit the orchards cast,
Nor when the yellow woods let fall the ripened mast.
Should there be weeping over her grave? When her life's labors are done, and she has passed serenely to her final rest, and
The soft memory of virtues yet
Lingers like twilight hours, when the bright sun is
set.
No; but let those whose hearts are so deeply touched by the recollection of the now stilled voice that was ever as sweet music to their ears, and by the sight of the now vacant old arm-chair, and those in distant parts who loved her, be enabled to say with true Christian resignation, "The will of the Lord be done."
And we are glad she has lived thus long,
And glad that she has gone to her reward;
Nor can we deem that Nature did her wrong,
Softly to disengage the vital cord.