Person Page - 8

Death is not a stranger to us; almost every day the announcement is made of the demise of some one, and every day the streets echo to the sound of the funeral car carrying away the precious dead. The world seems to be a great camping ground for mourners. Sometimes it seems the heart was alone made for suffering, so often it is wrung with anguish and crushed with the burden occasioned by death.

Elmer Ellsworth Canaday was born in Vermillion county, Illinois, Oct. 11, 1863, near Georgetown. He was the son of John Marion and Caroline Canaday. He came with his parents to Missouri in 1867, locating south of Gentry about three miles. Elmer was then four years old. With the exception of one year spent in Colorado with Iva and LeRoy, who later died there, he resided in this immediate neighborhood every since.

On Oct. 10th, 1886, he was united in marriage to Miss Melvina Lewis of this community. To this union four children were born -- LeRoy, who died just seven months ago; Lewis and Claud of near Gentry, Mo., and Iva, who is now Mrs. A. W. Boland, and resides in Grover, Colo.

About twenty-five years ago, during those wonderful days of the life of the church when men of God like Moody and Sankey were winning thousands to Christ, Mrs. Canaday was converted and united with the Methodist Church at Green Ridge. Later he moved his membership to Worth, where it had since been. In this faith he lived and died.

The death of Mr. Canaday was quite sudden and strikingly sad. About a year ago he moved to Gentry, purchasing the very beautiful little home which so soon was to become for a little while his mausoleum. Just a week ago last Saturday he was suddenly stricken in the night at his home. On Sunday morning he was rushed to the Noyes Hospital in St. Joseph and every care given him in the hope of saving his life. Sunday morning of this week his life went out to lose itself in the fuller life. A quiet life of wholesome piety has come to a close, and a sorrowing family is left to mourn the passing of a kind and affectionate father, a noble husband, a loving brother and a dutiful son. The community loses one of its best citizens and the church a loyal member. The sympathy of a great host of friends goes out to the family, who have known him as a father, brother, husband and son.

Besides the children, whose names have been already mentioned, deceased is survived by his aged father, his wife, two brothers, T. E. of Kansas City, and T. B. of Pond Creek, Okla., and one sister, Mrs. Geo. Collins of the same place; also two grandhildren, Maxen Keith and Dorothy Elizabeth Canaday.

Funeral services were held at Green Ridge Monday at 3:30 o'clock being conducted by Rev. Charles M. Wales of the Christian Church at Grant City.³

The family of John Marion Canaday was indeed bereft on the 20th day of November, in the death of their daughter, Mary, the darling of their home. She lived the period of 22 short years, and in the end, bore her suffering without a murmur. She appeared to realize that it was her time to die, and on Wednesday night about 10 o'clock, her spirit took its flight, leaving a void that will never be filled, a wound that time alone can in a manner heal. A more generous, loving disposition I have never known. I will say to her grief stricken parents, sorrow not as those who have no hope, for in the resurrection morn, they can be united with her. They gave back their Mary just as pure as when she came to them. Though her stay with us was short, it was just as sweet and joyous as a summer day, and we all feel that we are made better by having had her with us and those left behind will be encouraged by the beckoning hand of sweet Mary and strive the harder to enter the pearly gates. They have one less link to earth and one more link to heaven.

May God bless and be with the parents, sister and brothers in their dark hour of affliction.³