Obituary of Eli Forney ["Furney" was used in the original text, but
in keeping with the pattern of this genealogy, Forney is used]:
"Eli Forney was born in Guernsey County, Ohio, March 19, 1821 and
died at his residence in Dayton Township, Iowa, June 30, 1889, aged
68 years, 3 months, 11 days. He was married to Mary Anne Rush in
May 1841. He moved from Ohio to Iowa and settled on his present
location October 25, 1855, where death robbed him of his dear
companion. He was again united in marriage to Mrs. Mary Ann
Longstreth of Lincoln Township, Iowa County, Iowa on March 9, 1865.
Father Forney had been sorely afflicted and was confined to his bed
for the past nine months with an incurable disease attended with the
most suffering. During this long period of suffering, all that
medical skill and loving hands could possibly do was done to arrest
the disease, but without avail, for on the evening of June 30, at
10:30 p.m., while his attendants were fanning him, the messenger
came with the summons and he gently fell asleep in the arms of Jesus
without a motion or struggle and the spirit was silently born on the
wings of night unto him who gave it.
Father
Forney had been a member of the Methodist Protestant Church since
1841, spending 48 of the best years of his life in the service of
his Master. His death, though not unexpected, was a shock to
friends and neighbors in the community, and as we looked upon his
face for the last time we realized that the church had cause to
mourn the loss of one of its valued members, who had stood as one of
its pillars, supporting it at all times, through all its adversity
and prosperity for nearly half a century. The neighborhood at large
has lost a kind neighbor who dealt honorably with all and whose
presence and kindly attention by the sick and afflicted who always
received his attention. The grief stricken family circle fully
realize that they have lost a kind husband and father, whose hands
now cold in death had always provided for their temporary wants,
listened to their childish prattle, consoled them in trouble with a
parent's fondest blessing and advice, while leading little hands
along the road of life, from early childhood to riper years, this
kind father's hand which had pointed them the way to heaven was left
behind in death as he departed for the courts of heaven, were we
will meet him in the future sweet by and by. Oh how sweet it will
be in that beautiful land to meet one another again; and we have the
promise of the Father that we will meet again if we only comply with
His Holy will; therefore we mourn not as those who have no hope.
The
funeral services were conducted at the residence of the deceased on
Monday afternoon at 3 o'clock. The Rev. McCorkle preached a funeral
sermon from Revelations: 'And I saw the dead, both small and great,
stand before God and the books were opened, and another book was
open which was the book of life; and the dead were judged out of
those things which were written there, according to their works.'
His
remains were followed to the cemetery, near the U.B. Church, by a
large procession of mourning friends and neighbors, and there
deposited in the silent tomb to await the final resurrection.
Father Forney told friends and members of the family, on the
afternoon of his death, that he was ready to go, and the gates were
ajar for him, where he would soon enter. The family not only have
this consolation, in his last words, but they have the sympathy of
the entire community in this their saddest bereavement."
