Thursday was Caroline Schreiner Day.
It was the one day set aside by members of the La Salle Methodist church
to pay her homage and tribute.
Mrs. Schreiner was probably never
happier than yesterday in the church parlors, right up to the moment her
great heart faltered – then stopped.
Death came without warning to
80-year-old Mrs. Schreiner or to the large circle of friends who had come to
the church in her honor, when at 3:10 o’clock in the afternoon of Caroline
Schreiner day, she slumped forward on a table while taking part in the
program.
The program had been planned by members of the Women’s
Society for Christian service in connection with their regular meeting, and
Mrs. Schreiner had been taking part in the skit presented by the Philathea
class of which she was president.
Calm and composed throughout the program during which she was presented
with a past president’s pin and while a special hymn was sung in her honor
by Mrs. Lee Menchhoff, Mrs. Schreiner was about to turn a page when she fell
forward across the table.
Mrs. Elizabeth Prichard, her daughter,
rushed to her side as did other women present. Feeling for her pulse, they
realized that she had died almost immediately but nevertheless notified a
physician.
Dr. John B. Suino arrived along with Dr. Arlington Ailes
and a nurse from the Hygienic institute.
An inquest was held into her death at 11 a.m. this morning at the
Clevenger funeral home with Coroner A. J. Roberts in charge. The jury
returned a verdict of death due to coronary thrombosis.
Testifying at
the inquest were Dr. Ailes and the Hygienic nurse, the daughter, Mrs.
Prichard and the president of the Women’s Society for Christian service,
Mrs. Lee Menchhoff.
She had suffered a stroke about three years ago,
but since that time had been greatly improved.
Nee Caroline Harr, she was born Nov. 4, 1866, in Troy, O., a daughter of
Sarah Ann and Abraham Harr. She lived there for 16 years, coming from Troy
to La Salle where she resided the remainder of her life, with the exception
of five years spent in Los Angeles, Calif.
She was married to George
William Schreiner, La Salle, in a ceremony performed here, Oct. 16, 1882.
Mr. Schreiner died in 1892.
Surviving is a daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth
Prichard, who resided with her at 347 Bucklin st., La Salle, a son, William
H. Schreiner, Arlington, Va., a sister, Mrs. Mary Stockman, Lincoln, Neb.,
three grandchildren, the Rev. George Schreiner, Manson, Wash., DeWitt C.
Schreiner, Washington, D. C., and Frank C. Prichard, Jr., La Salle, and one
great-granddaughter, Sara Ann Schreiner, Manson, Wash.
Preceding her
in death were her parents, her father having died in La Salle in 1896, and
her mother who died in Falls City, Neb., in 1907, two children, Pearl
Schreiner, who died in 1883, and Helen Schreiner, who died in 1942.
Others preceding her in death were the following brothers and sisters, James
French, Elmer Harr, Anna Harr, Henry Harr, John Henry, John, Edwin and
DeWitt C. Harr.
Her son, William, is expected to arrive from Virginia via plane some time
Saturday.
Friends may call at the Clevenger funeral home after 7:30
o’clock tonight. The body will be taken at noon Sunday to the La Salle
Methodist church where services will be held there at 2:30 o’clock with the
Rev. Robert Mulligan, pastor, and Rev. Wayne Leighty, pastor of the Rock
Falls Methodist church and former pastor of the La Salle church,
officiating. Burial will be in Oakwood cemetery.
Serving as
pallbearers will be Robert Tobin, Frank Magee, Henry Uhlenhop, John Graham,
Leonard Travia and Howard Fellow.
Honorary pallbearers have been selected from the members of the Philathea class and will include Mrs. Lila Knapp, Mrs. Martha Currie, Mrs. T. Norman, Mrs. Amy Tate, Mrs. Jabez Lee, Mrs. John Hamel, Mrs. T. Buckner and Mrs. Myrtle Hummer.
“For the years of faithful service of one whose steadfast Christian
witness has been an inspiration is the women of the La Salle Methodist
church, this book is lovingly dedicated to Mrs. Caroline Schreiner.”
The above fitting tribute to a faithful and devout member of the La Salle
Methodist church, had been read, and she had been honored by the
presentation of a pin of honor in the symbol of the Women’s Society of
Christian Service during the Thursday afternoon meeting in the church
parlors, when Mrs. Schreiner, beloved by the entire church memberships, fell
forward across the table where she was participating in the program, her
death occurring immediately.
The attractive year books with the
symbol of the society on the yellow covers, which contain the programs for
the year, as well as listing the alma of the society and its officers, had
been distributed during the meeting. However, a book had been shown to Mrs.
Schreiner earlier in the week when she was informed that she would be
honored during the meeting. She had served as president of the Philathea
Sunday school class of the church for many years, and this group met each
week in the Schreiner home to sew for the church.
Mrs. Schreiner and her group of faithful helpers, had been asked to
participate in yesterday’s program and had prepared “The Dollar Speaks.”
Mrs. Lee Menchhoff, president of the society, conducted the business
meeting, when reports were heard. She then presented the program chairman,
Mrs. William Nichols, who in turn introduced Mrs. Robert Mullingan, wife of
the Rev. Mulligan.
Rev. Mulligan had been called from the city and
Mrs. Mulligan announced that she had then asked for the privilege of giving
the speech of tribute to Mrs. Schreiner. In her talk she praised Mrs.
Schreiner for her faithfulness to the church, and stated that she spoke for
every pastor and his family who had served the La Salle Methodist church,
that all had had a second home in the Schreiner home. She praised Mrs.
Schreiner for her guidance for both old and young. Mrs. Mulligan then
presented the gold pin to the honored guest from the society.
Mrs.
Nichols next explained that she had learned the favorite song of Mrs.
Schreiner was “What a Friend We Have in Grandma Schreiner.” This was then
sung by Mrs. Menchhoff.
All throughout this ceremony Mrs. Schreiner appeared smiling and calm,
and when called on for her 10 women to participate in the little skit, “The
Dollar Speaks,” she collected her group and went to the front of the church
where the seated themselves around a table similar to the way the class
assembles each week for sewing. She was smiling and reading her part from
the paper, when she hesitated, as though she was about to turn a page. Then
her head and arms dropped forward to the table in front of her, and she was
dead before her friends reached her side.
The food table had been
placed in front of the church parlors, where Mrs. Harold Buckner presided,
the food to be sold among the members after the meeting. Mrs. Millie
Hohenshell and her hostess committee had prepared a decorated and
candle-lighted tea table from which refreshments were to be served, and
where Mrs. Schreiner was to have presided. All was forgotten in their grief.
Seated in the audience was Mrs. Frank Prichard, a daughter, who had been
happy over the honor bestowed on her mother. When the president and other
officers expressed regret at having possibly so emotionally disturbed Mrs.
Schreiner so that the strain hastened her death, Mrs. Prichard told the
group that her mother had died as she would have liked to do, in her beloved
church and among her friends.
Oddly enough, one of the program
numbers which was to have been presented after the little skit by the class,
was to have been a reading by Mrs. Fred G. Trenary, “The Mansion,” taken
from the Bible quotation, “In my Father’s house there are many mansions.”
Just a month ago, at the occasion of the society meeting, it was Mrs.
Schreiner’s privilege to make the presentation of gold crosses, also in the
symbol of the society, to the past presidents.
The Rev. Robert Mulligan, pastor of the La Salle Methodist church, in a tribute to Mrs. Schreiber, said today: “In the death of Mrs. Caroline Schreiner, the La Salle Methodist church has lost a true friend, and, as her pastor, I feel very keenly the passing of this loved one. Her unselfish devotion and gentle manner will be ever dear to our hearts. Mrs. Schreiner will be remembered for the largeness of her heart and the greatness of her soul.”
Contributor's Note: I found this newspaper article online at the “Find A Grave” website, contributed by “Lucy in the Sky”. The newspaper source and date were not cited. According to the photo of her tombstone, Caroline lived 1866-1947.
Contributed 19 Apr 2018 by Mary Saggio pmsaggio@gmail.com
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