Masterson, Earl H. (1883-1900)

MASTERSON, CARTER, SHOESMITH, ALLEN, RINK, HICKOK

Posted By: Ken Akers (email)
Date: 5/20/2017 at 10:05:31

Audubon County Journal (IA)
Thursday, Nov. 1, 1900, pg 6

Exira News

In Memory Of Earl H. Masterson.

Death has disturbed the usual
peace and happiness of in the home
of William and Mary Masterson.
Earl H. Masterson, their youngest
son, died of typhoid fever at the
State Agricultural College, in
Ames, Iowa, on Tuesday, October
23, 1900, in the eighteenth year of
his age.

Earl was born and spent his short
life at the beautiful homestead in
Greeley township, Audubon county.
Being surrounded by good literature
and refining home influe(n)ces he
very early became interested in
education and the developement of
his talents. He was bright and
faithful in his studies and completed
the course for the public schools
of Audubon county, receiving his
diploma in March, 1900. To further
prepare himself for usefulness as a
citizen and success in his chosen
field of labor he decided to take the
course at the State Agricultural
College, in Ames, Iowa, where he
entered the Freshman Class at the
opening of school, last September.
He was making excellent progress
in his studies and rapidly winning
the confidence and respect of the
faculty and his fellow students
when he was taken sick, of typhoid
fever, and in a few days death called
him from his labors. Mr. Masterson
was notified on Monday, by
telegram, of his son's serious condition,
and went at once to his bedside.
He found the president and
his wife, the faculty and the students
kind, courteous and attentive
to the sick and their friends, and
feels satisfied that his son had better
care and advantages from skilled
physicians and trained nurses
than he possibly could have had at
home. When Mr. Masterson arrived
at the college building and was
shown to the room where his son
was the nurse in charge was just
preparing medicine for her patient
and turning to him she said: "Do
you know who this is?" And Earl,
who had laid with his eyes closed
most of the time since he was taken
ill, opened them wide and replied:
"Ob, yes, that is papa! Say, papa,
are you going directly home from
here?" Mr. Masterson, replied that
he was and asked his son if he was
ready to go with him. "No, sir, replied
Earl, I am going to stay right
here." Those were his last words,
the summons came and at the hour
of six o'clock in the evening he
sank peacefully to rest in the arms
of his God. His mother did not arrive
until forty minutes after his
death and his sisters, the Misses
Stella and B(V)eda, did not reach his
bedside until ten o'clock at night,
owing to the lateness of the trains,
When Mr. Masterson, and wife arrived
at Audubon with the remains
of their son they drove across the
country to the home, in the northeastern
part of Greeley township,
and arriving at the home of his
brother-in-law, Mr. Perry Carter, on
the way, he met that gentleman on
his door-step and after informing
him that a team was coming
with the body of his son, Earl,
only a little way off, he asked him
to precede them to his home and
inform his son, Mr. Mellie Masterson,
of the fact, fearing that the
shock of his brother's death would
be too great for him to withstand if
he was not informed of it before
their arrival. That morning their
relative, Mrs. Mattie Shoesmith, the
wife of Mr. H. O. Shoesmith, who
reside at North Branch, had got the
State Register and seeing in the
dispatches that Carl Masterson had
died at Ames, the night before, of
typhoid fever she had hastened to
the Masterson home to tell Mellie
the sad news. Mellie would not believe
it, said the papers often got
things wrong, and that it could not
be so. Just then his uncle, Mr. Perry
Carter, appeared and said yes,
Mellie, Earl is dead, and they are
coming with his body just a little
way over yonder. The sad tidings
and great anxiety proved too much
for his nerves and he fell in a dead
faint, and it took the united efforts
of his wife, Mrs. Thomas Allen, of
Exira, and others several moments
to bring him to life again.

The floral offerings were very
beautiful, many costly pieces being
sent by relatives and admiring
friends, and the parlor at the
William Masterson home presented
an exquisite appearance as the son
lay in state awaiting the hour set
for the funeral. The Bowman
Chapel was handsomely decorated,
and on Thursday friends gathered
and filled that spacious building to
its utmost capacity to pay the last
tribute of respect to one whom they
had learned to love and when the
funeral procession stared, never one
so large in that comm(u)nity had been
seen, being over a mile long, and
when the casket, which was borne
by six of his boyhood friends and
schoolmates and placed near the
altar, a deep hush fell upon the
assemblage as Rev. W. T. Rink, the
Methodist Episcopal pastor, at the
Chapel, who was assisted by Rev. J.
A. Hickok, of the Union Baptist
church, gave out his text, from the
Thirteenth Chapter of St. John, and
the latter part of the Seventh Verse,
using these words: "What I do
thou knowest not now, but thou
shalt know hereafter." From which
the speaker drew many beautiful
lessons of faith in the divine will of
the Master. His sister, Miss Stella
Masterson, chose the hymns sung
on the occasion which were: "Safe
in the Arms of Jesus," "Rock of
Ages," and " Shall We Gather at the
River," all of which were sung with
much feeling, and more than one
tear-drop glistened in the eyes of
those present ere the last song was
sung. At the close of the services
his remains were laid to rest in the
graveyard near the church.

The loss of their dear one falls
like a crushing blow upon each
member of the family, but more
particularly so upon his father and
mother who are nearly prostrated
by the untimely death of their son.
Earl H. Masterson was a young
man of more than ordinary promise.
His genial disposition and
kind and sympathetic nature won
the admiration and love of all who
knew him. He was a young man of
strong character, good habits and
clean life. Let us cherish his memory
as a loving son and affectionate
brother, whom the Master in his
wisdom has called hence before us.
We all offer our hearttelt sympathy
to the sorrowing ones, but human
sympathy is of no avail, and the
only real solace is found in Him
who said "I am the resurrection
and the life, and although a man be
dead yet shall he live again.
W. T. R.
(Rev. W.T. Rink)

Note: Parents of Earl H. Masterson were William Masterson and Mary A. Carter.

photo of grave-marker
 

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