Ladella Mae Brown

Miss Ladella Brown

Ladella Mae Brown, daughter of Charles R. and Nellie (Day) Brown was born at Roberts. Illinois, March 5,  1902, and grew to womanhood in this vicinity.  She departed this life at her home here Sunday morning, November 28th, aged 18 years, 8 months and 23 days. The funeral service was held at the M.E. Church Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 o'clock, Rev. W.F. Dudman and Rev. D.G. DuBois officiating. The Royal Neighbors of America, of which she was a member had charge of the services at the grave. Her funeral was one of the largest in number in attendance that was ever held in Roberts. Among those from a distance who attended the funeral were: Mrs. Martha Flick of Elliott, Miss Grace Murdock of Gibson City, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Rulison of Paxton, Mr. and Mrs. John Brown and Mrs. Jessie Blair of Chenoa, Mrs. and Mrs. Edward Brown and family, Mr. and Mrs. Francis Skinner and daughter Fern, William Brown, Mrs. Emily Brown, Mrs. George Day, Mrs. Bert Carter, Mrs. George Cottingham and daughter Nora, Mrs. John Rockenbach and son Hiram, Miss Annie Carter, Miss Jennie Teal, Vernon Teal, W.H. Clark, Mrs. Besgrove, Mrs. William Neuenshwander, and Ray Besgrove of Fairbury, Rev. and Mrs. D.G. DuBois of Onara, Mrs. Charles  Perrine, August Eyles, Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Day and son of Wing, Henry Lear and daughters Mabel and Myrtle and son Earl of Forrest, Mrs. W. Fortier, John Day, Henry and John Carlson of Piper City, Miss Fern Carter of Champaign, Mr. and Mrs. Sylvester Carter and son George of Thawville.
Rev. DuBois read the following obituary:
While Ladella was still a child the angel of death came into the home and took away the beloved Christian mother leaving a father and three young daughters without a mother's care. With brave hearts they determined to keep the family together, and to maintain the high ideals of a Christian home, and to this end they stood together, helping and caring for each other. Ladella faithfully pursed the course of study in school until last year she completed the High School course and was later granted a teacher's certificate. She had enthusiastically begun her year's work in the South Brenton School and gave promise of being a successful teacher, when from some unknown cause the germs of tenanus entered her system and after a brief but painful illness she slipped away to her Heavenly Home.
Thus suddenly her short and beautiful life was brought to a close in this world. Nay, rather, she has entered into the fullness of life the city of "Many Mansions". Ladella was of a cheerful, sunny nature and beautiful disposition and because of this she made many friends.
While still an infant she was dedicated to Christ in Holy baptism and when about thirteen years of age she publicly confessed her faith and dedicated herself to God and entered church fellowship. She was a faithful and regular attendant at the services of her church, always being in her place in Sunday School, Epworth League and usually preaching service. When the young people's missionary society, known as the "Standard Bearers" was organized she was much interested in its work and served as secretary for more than a year.
Her young life was just blossoming into womanhood and was already bringing forth the fruit of the spirit, love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, meekness and self control, when she heard the master's summons to come home.
Among her close relatives are her father, two sisters, Pearle Brown and Cora (Brown) Sans, her tiny niece Nellie Sans, her grandfather George Day of Fairbury, two grandmothers, Mrs. Emily Brown and Mrs. Sophia Day, of Fairbury.
May God's richest blessing rest upon these sorrowing ones and upon each one here today and may each of you so live that when your summons comes to join that innumerable caravan that moves to that mysterious realm where each shall take his chamber in the silent halls of death thou go not like the quarry slave at night, scourged to his dungeon, but sustained and soothed by an unfaltering trust approach thy grave like one who wraps the drapery of the couch about him and lies down to pleasant dreams."

Rev. W. F. Dudman wrote the following poem as his impressions of her early death:

How early she finished her course!
How short was the span of her life!
How brief from its end to its source!
How free from long struggles and strife!

Long years are allotted to some.
The goal is so far from the start;
How long 'til the master says come
What sufferings and breakings of heart

Were the veil that divides us withdrawn
And the grandeur of heaven revealed,
what seems pleasures on earth would be ?
And the book of content would be ?

So let us for her sake be willing
To let it all rest in God's hands.
And go on our mission fulfilling,
Obeying his laws and command.

--Roberts Herald. 1 December 1920.