Amanuensis Monday: Obituary of Samuel Claude Darling

SAMUEL CLAUDE DARLING

February 6, 1886 - November 9, 1939

About Amanuensis Monday: John Newmark, who writes the TransylvanianDutch blog started a Monday Blog Theme called "Amanuensis Monday". John defines "amanuensis" as "a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another."

Samuel Claude Darling was the youngest child of Samuel S. and Mariah Jane Luthultz Darling. He was the nephew of my maternal great grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Darling Runyan. Samuel Claude's wife was Louisa May Sullivan who was responsible for writing Mary Elizabeth's obituary. 

OBITUARY OF SAMUEL CLAUDE DARLING

(Typewritten piece of paper, no date, only signed C.H.C.)

"Here lies a common man. His hands, crossed meekly as a maid's across a breast, show marks of toil and by his general dress, you judge him to be an artisan. Could all his life be written out, the story would not thrill. He worked, he laughed, he loved and suffered in his time, but now rests peacefully with upturned face and his lok belies all struggles of the past, and the gap between a king and me, a nameless gazer in the crowd, seems not so wide as that which stretches now between us two this dead one and myself. Untitled and unsung, he is now transfigured by a tuch from out the skies and he wears with all unconscious grace, the strange and sudden dignity of death. Samuel Claude Darling was the son of Samuel and Maria Jane Darling. He was born February 6, 1886 on the old home place, north of Kennard and died at his work in New Castle on November 9, 1939 at the age of 53 years, 9 months and 3 days. He was married on December 23, 1909 to Louisa May Sullivan and together they spent 30 years of happy congenial married life. To enrich and bless their marital experience, their family circle was completed by the birth of one son and one daughter. His entire life was spent in and around Kennard and his death marks the passing of one of her truly native sons. He lived on the farm on which he was born until a few years after his marriage, when he moved his family to the house which he had built for them in Kennard, in which they still resided at the time of his death. He lived a normal healthful life and found much pride in his hardy constitution and robust strength. He was industrious and died with the working tools of his trade in his grasp, which was characteristic of the man and which was a fitting close to an active life. He was a member of the Methodist Church and was interested in the work and affairs of the church. He was quiet and retiring by nature and was unassuming in service and worship, but of him may be truly said; he was a Christian gentleman. He was God-fearing and law abiding, industrious and thrifty, honest and humble and we believe these words express the sentiment of the entire community in which he lived and died. He leaves to mourn, his wife, his son, Wilbur, his daughter Mrs. Gerald Keesling, 5 grandchildren, 3 brothers, Robert, Quincy and Frank and many more remote relatives and friends.

We mourn not the dead, who calmly lie

By God's own hand composed to rest;

For hark! A voice from yonder sky

Proclaims them blest-supremely blest.

Mourn not the dead whose lives declare

That they have nobly borne their part,

For immortal is the crown they wear

Reserved for every faithful heart.

They rest in peace; their hallowed dust

Is watched and from the grave shall rise;

Earth shall give her sacred trust

Made all immortal for the skies.

                                                                  C. H. C.

Samuel and Louisa are buried in the McCray Cemetery in Wilkinson, Hancock Co., Indiana

SHARE