Poems Written by a Falk Cousin - Pt. 2

Yesterday I posted a poem written by Sylvia M Ward, one of my 1st cousins once removed. Sylvia, or Sylvie as she was known, went to China as a Pentecostal missionary in 1934 and died there of typhus in 1935. In 1937 a book of some of her poems, which were Christian in nature, was published as a memorial to her. Here is another one of them.

Just Because You Haven't Joy

Just because you haven't joy

Bubbling, bubbling to come out,

That's no sign that you should sigh,

Fearfully begin to doubt.

Winder if your God has gone__

Gone and left you all alone;

Wonder if you've failed so oft'

That He ne'ver again will own.

Just because you do not feel

Like a shouting everywhere,

And your heart seems rather sad,

And there's no one near to care,

Do not sit and weep and cry

Just as if He'd never led,

Making folk around you feel

That your God is surely dead.

Don't you know that He who sends

Songs and Joy in great degree

Often leads in darkness too

Where the path we cannot see?

We must often walk by faith,

If we'd really deeper grow,

So wherever He doth lead

Ever gladly, gladly go.

Poems Written by a Falk Cousin - Pt. 1

One of my Falk grandfather's sisters was Elizabeth Falk, who married Arthur Ward. One of their daughters was Sylvia M. Ward, who was also known as Sylvie. She would have been my mother's first cousin, so she was my 1st cousin once removed. She was born 4 May 1902 in Kossuth County, Iowa and died of typhus 26 Aug 1935 in Yunnan Province China. She was in China as a Pentecostal missionary. In 1937 a book of some of her poems was published as a memorial to her. They are Christian in nature and here is one of them. I plan to post a second one tomorrow.

Something

Something keeps my heart a singing,

Something keeps the joy bells ringing,

Sweetest music every bringing___

     Precious love of Jesus.

Something brings me such a blessing,

Keeps me humble and confessing,

Ever gives me sweet caressing___

     Tender love of Jesus

Something gives me strength unending,

Power and grace in always sending,

Helpful aid is always lending___

     Watchful love of Jesus.

Something keeps my soul a living,

Manna sweet each day is giving,

Failures, weaknesses forgiving___

     Faithful love of Jesus.

Something keeps my heart from fearing,

Speaking to me words endearing,

Faintest whispers ever hearing___

     Blessed love of Jesus

My Family In the Church

Maximilian Jewett (1607-1684)

Born in England, immigrated in 1638 and came to Rowley, Massachusetts in 1639 with Rev. Ezekiel Rogers. He became freeman in 1640, which shows that he was a member of the Congregational Church. He was one of the first two deacons in the Rowley Church, ordained in Dec 1639.

Thomas Blossom ( -1633)

Born in England, went to Holland with the Pilgrims, started to America in 1620 on the Speedwell, had to return to Holland. He immigrated in 1629 to Plymouth; was a deacon from 1629-33.

Sarah Bond Coffinberry (1849-1939)

Her obituary states that she was a charter member of the Hubbard Congregational church.

James Bond (1821-1849)

Licensed to preach by Baptist church in Iowa, came to Oregon in 1847, where he preached in “a little Baptist chuch in Skipanon, Clatsop County. He organized Sunday schools there and in Astoria.” He was accidently shot and died in Feb 1849.

James Monroe Bond (1847-1914)

Born in Iowa, to Oregon in 1853, then to California in 1868. In 1890 entered medical college and became a doctor. Were members of the Seventh Day Adventist church. By 1905 one son was minister and two were missionaries for that church.

Commodore Perry O’Neal (1835-1919)

His obituary states that he was an elder in the Presbyterian Church.

Ludwig Falk (c1815-1899)and Anna Louise Falk (1832-1901)

They are listed in the Evangelical Church Records at Nakel, Posen, Prussia [now Poland]. Immigrated to the US in 1858, settled in Wisconsin. Their family is listed in the records of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Muscoda, WI [1878-1891] and they were charter members of the St John’s Lutheran Church, Avoca, WI, which was established in 1891.

Lester Albertson (1907-2004)

He was baptized at the Christian Church, Halsey, OR in 1926. His obituary states that he was an elder and Sunday School Superintendent there. He later transferred his membership to the Brownsville Christian Church. He and his wife Wilma Falk (1912-1982) met at a church party.

Gerald Falk (1927-2014)

He served as an elder at the Brownsville Christian Church and then an active member at Harrisburg Christian Church.

Sylvia Ward (1902-1935)

After studying to be deaconess in the Methodist Church, she went to China as a missionary in 1934. She died there in 1935 of typhus fever.

Thomas Frazier (1788-1861)

First minister of Quakers in Henry County, Iowa. 1830’s

Ruth A. Reed, a 2nd Cousin

Researching a 2nd Cousin, Ruth A. Reed

My second cousin, Ruth A. Reed, was born on 28 December 1920. I have only her name posted on her mother's page on my website, since I am unsure if she is living. See this page
http://www.joanneskelton.com/p625.htm
So I decided I need to see what more I could find out about Ruth.
I began by doing a general search on Ancestry.com. I found her on the 1940 and 1930 census living with her parents, Earl and Ellen (Ward) Reed. Then I realized that I already had that information while researching her mother, although it is not yet entered into my software so doesn't yet show on my website.
While checking some of the compiled family trees I discovered that someone had entered Ruth's sister, Faith, and showed who Faith had married, George Eden. Then I found that both George and Faith were deceased and were both listed on the Minnesota Death Index. So here is more information to enter. Doing a followup on that information led me to Find A Grave and the double stone for George and Faith is in Harrison Township Cemetery, Swea City, Iowa. It appears they had lived in both Iowa and Minnesota.
Since I believed Ruth was born in Iowa I found that FamilySearch.org has a database of Iowa County Births from 1880-1935. I did a search for just their surname Reed for Kossuth County, Iowa and 4 of Earl and Ellen's children were listed including their middle names.
But I really wanted to determine if Ruth was still alive. Since I didn't know if or who she had married I was at a standstill. I used the Death Records website by Joe Beine and checked for Minnesota obituaries and found that Southern Minnesota Historical Center in Mankato, Minnesota had an obituary index online which covered Blue Earth County. Ruth's mother is listed in this index for 1971, so now I must send a copy request with the appropriate fee to them and hopefully it will list Ruth as a survivor and I can learn her married name and then do further research.
In the meantime I have information from the census, death records and birth records to enter.