Paul Richards 1894-1902

RICHARDS, RODGERS

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 12/8/2018 at 13:31:22

20 November 1902 - West Branch Times

Paul Richards was born at West Branch, Iowa, April 8, 1894, and died at Winterset, Iowa, October 16, 1902. He was eight years, six months and eight days old. His death was sudden and hence much more grievous and disappointing then if he had wasted in sickness and declined by degrees. He had been reasonably strong and vigorous all his life. His late sickness was precipitated by a visit to the country, where he contracted a heavy cold, inducing a grave form of acute Bright's Disease, which became complicated with lung trouble. The disease culminated very rapidly. Active measures were used, able consultation of several physicians was held, yet he sank rapidly to his death, which occurred on Thursday night, October 16, at 10:40 o'clock, he having missed only two days of school. A striking and pathetic co-incident is that he was dying at the time the moon was passing into eclipse, having breathed his last at the precise moment when the full eclipse had occurred. As the physical darkness shadowed the world the pall of gloom fell upon the hearts of his precious friends, for no child of his age had ever gotten a deeper place in the affections of his family than had Paul. He was a boy of a thousand in his marked manly mien. He was precocious in the extreme, and was held by neighboring mothers to be a pattern for their own little sons. He bore a dignity which attracted general attention and induced remark, and the mourners are the entire list of his acquaintances. His stricken father deserves and receives the hearty sympathy of the entire company of his acquaintances and friends, and has the unlimited interest of those who are closest and most acquainted with the unity of the life that existed between this father and son. It is known to his confidential friends that Paul was interwoven in every plan of his life, and that he had the highest possible ambitions and plans for him. And little, if any, less deserving of sympathy is Dr. Richard's aunt, Mrs. Ruth Rodgers, who, since the death of Paul's mother, has exercised the tenderest care over him, so that he has become an almost inseparable part of her aged and feeble life. It had been hoped that he might greatly comfort her in declining days. And we would still extenuate our interest to the entire family, who have tenderly assisted to brighten his motherless life. May the goodness of the Father of the universe smile graciously upon them all is the prayer of the well-wishing community. CHAS. J. ENGLISH.