wife of John F. Newkirk. **Her obituary reads that she was born in March and her stone reads November. Please be aware of this discrepancy.
The obituary for Caroline Newkirk reads as follows:
Good Woman Gone, Mrs. Caroline Newkirk Dies Thursday Evening.
Mrs. Caroline Newkirk died Thursday evening, February 11, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. George Maas, in Williamsburg. She was in her 80th year and her death was the ending of a long illness growing out of her advanced years.
Funeral services were held at 10:45 Sunday morning at St. Paul's Ev. Lutheran church, and were conducted by the Rev. H. P. Grief. A great throng of relatives, friends and former neighbors was present, the mourners alone filling a large section of the spacious church. The mixed choir of St. Paul's had charge of the music, and the sermon by the Rev. Mr. Grief was delivered first in German and then in English.
The text from which the discourse in German was taken was Isa. 46:4: "And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made and I will bear' even will I carry and will deliver you"
The Sermon in English was taken from the text: Heb. 4:9-11: "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God,___Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." The elaboration of the text was scholarly, investing the language thereof with a meaning that carried an effective appeal to every heart. What is this rest? It is infinitely more that the escape from the trials and experiences of the life here below. It means entering into God's rest. God speaks of his promise again and again, extending to eternal reward for those whose hope never wavered and whose faith never faltered in earthly trials. God's promise is frequently defeated by unbelief and disobedience. It is by and through faith that the prize of this eternal rest is obtained "The rest of Christians is attained by faith." and it was through unbelief that Israel entered not in. We must believe the promise of His gospel, then we shall be again united, "For there remaineth a erest for the people of God"
The interment was in St. John's Cemetery, Iowa township, beside the body of the husband who died 26 years ago. The pallbearers were six grandsons: Edward Newkirk, Walter Newkirk, Will H. Newkirk, John Maas, Freeman Newkirk and Bernon Newkirk.
An imposing funeral processon followed the hearse and the gathering at old St. John's church, of which the deceased had long been a member, was perhaps the largest in the history of the church.
Caroline Miller was born March 15, 1847, in Franklin county, Indiana, of German parentage and grew to maturity at the place of her birth. On October 5, 1865, she was united in marriage to Mr. John F. Newkirk, and in 1869 the young couple moved to Iowa, settling on a prairie farm in Iowa township. Twelve children blessed the home, four sons preceding the mother in death, and in 1900 the husband and father was called away. The home was continued on the old farm for several years after the death of the husband, and then for 11 years the mother resided with a daughter, Mrs. John Glandorf. Four years ago she made her home with another daughter, Mrs. Maas, coming with her to Williamsburg two years ago, and here she was devotedly cared for until the end of her long earthly sojourn.
She is survived by eight children: Edward, Fred C., Mrs. George Maas, Ernest, David, August, Mrs, John and Mrs. Henry Glandorf, all residents of the locality adjacent to their birth place.
Besides these, she leaves 32 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren. Three bothers and 2 sisters preceded her in death, and for many years she was the last member of family line.
Mrs. Newkirk was a rare type of the "old school" wife and mother, and her fidelity to home and children is only fully known by those of the former generation; how she toiled and cared for her children, how exacting she was in the matter of bringing them up in the faith all those wholesome traits that furnish forth the good citizen and home-builder. By example, her upright living and splendid character, her mane and record will long remain a potent influence for good.
(Source: The Williamsburg Journal=Tribune, February 18, 1926.)
Contributor: Thelma Newkirk Givan (46896760)