Aberdeen Weekly News Thursday, Nov 26, 1896
Amanda Luse Cornwall
Mrs. Amanda Luse Cornwall, wife of the late Prof. A. R. Cornwall, died at the home of her aged mother, Mrs. Luse, on Ninth avenue west in this city between 10 and 11 o’clock Friday night, the 20th inst. When the call came to join “the innumerable caravan” she was in the presence of her mother, a sister, Miss Laura Luse, and her two daughters, Mrs. E. E. Appleford of Ordway and Mrs. A. H. Avery of Woonsocket.
Her health had been precarious for nearly twenty years, and during the latter part of her life she was practically an invalid, though always a cheerful and apparently happy one. A heart trouble gave her relatives and friends chief concern, and it was that which her physician says caused her death.
On Sunday she essayed to ride to Aberdeen from the home of her daughter at Ordway, as her son-in-law, Mr. Appleford, was about to remove to the Bliss farm, north of this city. She was made as comfortable on this trip as possible and seemed to endure it without particular loss of strength. Upon arrival, however, her old troubles asserted themselves with alarming significance and she took her bed.
Last night, after a prolonged season of pain and suffering, during which she many times said she had no fears for the future but awaited death with fortitude and calmness, for she knew she would then be at rest, the wearied organs ceased to perform their functions, and life was dissolved into death almost as painlessly and with no more struggle than when the tired body falls asleep. She was conscious until nearly the last moment and spoke rationally and intelligently to her relatives.
In April last she reached her 57th year. Mrs. Cornwall came to Dakota with her husband and two daughters in 1882, and while the husband and father was employed in various enterprises assisted him to acquire title to lands in Brown and McPherson counties. The life she encountered here was radically different from her experiences in the east where she had acquired a magnificent education and had long instructed others with a marvelous faculty for the work.
Numerous relatives survive Mrs. Cornwall and are today plunged in deep grief. Her mother, Mrs. Luse, is a lady of very advanced years. Her sisters are Miss Laura Luse of this city, Mrs. Jas. Barnes, Jr., of Cripple Creek, Colo., and Mrs. Sarah Dammann of Ordway, this county. Her brothers are Hon. L. K. Luse, solicitor for the Omaha railroad, St. Paul, and F. A. and Carl Luse of the state of Washington. The names of her surviving children have been previously given.
Funeral services for Mrs. Cornwall were held at the residence of her mother on Ninth avenue west Sunday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock. Owing to the inclement state of the weather, which served even to prevent some of the relatives in this vicinity from being present, the attendance of those who desired to pay a final tribute of respect and esteem was not large. Rev. Mr. Dent officiated and made some very appropriate and feeling remarks upon death and the life and character of the departed. Music was rendered by members of the Christian church choir. The services at the cemetery, in view of the dangerous weather conditions, were very brief.
~Transcribed by volunteer researcher, Kathy Smith