James Eli Mayse Obituary
Clark County Clipper, February 25, 1904
J. E. MAYSE IS DEAD.
Racked for months with acute pain from an incurable disease, and enfeebled unto
utter helplessness in the closing days of his extreme old age, our father's pain
and suffering was ended shortly after ten o'clock Tuesday morning. Until a
little over a year ago he was an exceedingly healthy and able bodied man of his
age. But the shock caused by the sudden death of his wife aggravated disease,
and thereafter he grew weaker day by day until during the last few weeks he
survived only by force of indomitable will and energy.
James Eli Mayse was born near Danville, Ky., December 16, 1823. While at an
early age he moved with his parents to Virginia, and when he attained his
maturity he emigrated to Missouri, while that country was undergoing its pioneer
settlement. February 8, 1855, he was married in Clay county, Mo., to Isabella
Everett, whose demise occurred at Wichita, Kansas, November 18, 1902. He moved
to Clark county in the summer of 1886, and with the exception of one year spent
in Missouri, he lived here until his death. He leaves a generation of six sons
and two daughters.
Being deprived by the disadvantages of pioneering in the early life of the
opportunities of an education, he was considerably handicapped. But not
withstanding this by his own efforts later in life acquired considerable
knowledge of books and business. In the latter 70's he was sheriff of Clay
county, Mo. During the war he was enlisted in the Missouri militia, but was
never in actual service of the government.
As a father he was stern, and though he might have perhaps, appeared harsh at
times he had the best interests of his family at heart, and his injunctions were
to lead them into better ways. When parting with the youngest and oldest of his
family, at separate times, when he expected perhaps to never see them again, his
final admonition to each was : "My son be honorable to all men." Solicitude
for their welfare could not be more aptly expressed.
Unfortunately one of his sons, who is in Oregon, was unable to attend him in his
final illness, and this was the only regret seemed to have fostered.
He was a husband very much attached to home. For years he never left his own
fireside for even a night, and he would do so under no circumstances that could
be avoided. So affected was he by the death of his wife that he carried with
him a burden of loneliness to the end.
In his investments in this county in the 80's he was unfortunate to lose most of
his property, but in his death he left to children that which, as an heritage,
is vastly more appreciated than worldly chattels - a good name and character.
We all have our faults, but the evil that men do does not always live after
them, and the good is not always interred with their bones. Rather, the grave
hides every error, encloses every defect, and obliterates all enmity and
resentment. It discloses the regrets and recollections of our own foibles and
weaknesses; it reminds us remorsefully of the hasty words and action of our
ungoverned impulses; it reveals the lost opportunities which we overlooked to
decorate the paths of the living with kind deeds and words and of futility of
now trying to atone by strewing flowers over their graves.
In the little country churchyard near Perrin, Mo., where buried a year ago the
companion for nearly fifty years was laid, our father and mother now lie
placidly and peacefully sleeping, side by side - At Rest. Mother earth has
graciously unfolded her bosom to receive them in the same bed, and nature's
wound will soon heal and cover them each with the same blanket of white in
winter, and comforter of green in summer.
_____
On the part of all the Mayse family, we desire to thank all those who so kindly
assisted us during the sickness of our father, and for their kind words of
sympathy in his death. And especially do we thank "Dublin" Sughrue, who has so
faithfully cared for him during the long months of suffering until the last.
Ed.
Contributed by ~Shirley Brier~ October 7, 2005.
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