BRYAN, SARA ELMIRA - Hamilton County, Texas | SARA ELMIRA BRYAN - Texas Gravestone Photos

Sara Elmira BRYAN

Pottsville Cemetery
Hamilton County,
Texas

February 17, 1838 - February 2, 1935

Mrs. Sarah Elmira Bryan, the best loved woman in the Pottsville community, and elsewhere that she was known, passed on to her home, "eternal in the skies" on Saturday evening, February 2, 1935, just after the old clock had struck the hour of six [6]. It was fitting that she should enter her rest at the sunset hour, so useful, so beautiful, so utterly filled had been all of the ninety-seven [97] years spent upon the earth by Sarah Elmira Rogers Bryan. Her last illness was of only a few days duration and there was not much pain to bear, just a failing of the heart that had been so strong, so courageous in all of life's joys and sorrows. In her old home where she had lived for fifty-three [53] years, peopled with memories of events that had made up her remarkable life, with loved ones at her bedside in the soft twilight shadows the "boat of life slipped its moorings and crossed the tide to the other shore". Finis has been written on the last page of the book of life of one of the most remarkable, most exemplary characters it has ever been the privilege of the people of this part of the state to know.

Sarah Elmira Rogers, daughter of Cornelius and Elizabeth Rogers, was born in Meigs County, East Tennessee, February 17, 1838. Her parents moved with her from Tennessee to Barbour County, Alabama, when she was ten [10] years of age. She joined the Missionary Baptist Church at the age of fourteen [14] years, and dates her Experience of Grace from the day her mother was baptized. She was married to F. W. Bryan in Barbour County, Alabama, October 13, 1853 and lived in Alabama during the Civil War of 1861 to 1865. Her husband served in the Confederate Army the last three [3] years of the War while she remained at home, cared for their five [5] little boys, spun thread and wove the cloth and made their clothing. Toward the end of the conflict, with her own fingers made the cloth and fashioned the uniforms for her soldier husband- - a greater soldier than any who faced the battle line. The war over, in 1865, she, with her family, moved to Texas, making the trip in a wagon drawn by oxen. In 1882 they came to Hamilton County where she continued her residence until transplanted to fields elysian. Her husband, F. W. Bryan was prominently known is business circles of the county, He having kept a mercantile house in Pottsville for thirty [30] years. Honored and held in affectionate friendship wherever he was known. Mr. Bryan passed away May 1, 1924, just ten [10] days before his ninety-first [91] birthday. An outstanding characteristic of the earthly tenure of Mrs. Bryan was her faithful, staunch and exemplary Christian life. After coming to Texas she was baptized into the fellowship of the Old School Baptist faith by Elder J. M. C. Robertson at Antioch Church, near Commerce, in Hunt County, July 6, 1879. She was a charter member of the Lebanon Church in Pottsville, which was organized in 1883. It is a fact of unusual record that she always attended the services at this house of worship, summer and winter, until this past month of January. Though she insisted on keeping up her record of attendance her children persuaded her that the weather was not suitable for her to be out of the home. Her wonderful intelligence, bright, cheerful nature and charming hospitality drew around her many friends, young and old, and up to her last illness one of the many breaks in life was to have an opportunity for a visit with Grandmother Bryan. On each birthday there was a great celebration, attended by hundreds of people.

Mrs. Bryan was the mother of ten [10] children, eight living and all of whom are fine, honorable people who have taken their places in the world's marts usefully. Her direct descendants number one hundred fifty-five {155} persons. Fortunatus Cornelius Bryan of Pottsville, the eldest son of Mrs. Bryan is eighty [80] years of age. She was sixteen [16] years seven [7] months and twelve [12] days older than her son. Her other sons and daughters are Joe D. Bryan, Goldthwaite, Texas; W. H. [Billie] Bryan, Lubbock, Texas; B. F. [Bennie] Bryan, Cleburne, Texas; Jarrett F. Bryan, Pottsville, Texas; Mrs. Martha Dansbee, Miss Bettie Bryan and Miss Mary Bryan of the old home in Pottsville, Texas. Besides the sons and daughters, her survivors number thirty-nine [39] living grandchildren, twenty-seven [27] of whom were present for the funeral; eighty- nine [89] great grandchildren and ninneteen [19] great, great grandchildren.

A great throng of people assembled at Lebanon Church at Pottsville on Sunday afternoon to pay homage to the woman whose life was inseparably linked with worship and service as a Christian. The body rested before the altar where the warm heart had so often found a refuge in her Savior from all the storms of life. Elder Jasper Chambers, of near Lampasas, Texas, assisted by Elder Len Dalton conducted the funeral service. Her body sleeps in a grave made in the Pottsville Cemetery beside that of the loving companion, lost to her years ago and whom she had always missed and mourned. Sarah Bennie Bryan, Mrs. Morine Lee, Edith Fuqua, Ollie Bryan, Mrs. Ina Jones and Florence Bryan had charge of the arrangements of the masses of beautiful flowers that decorated the church and covered the mound where the beloved sleeps. "REST, REST FOR THE WEARY; PEACE, PEACE TO THY SOUL." ---by a grand daughter-- Sarah Lusette [Belle] Bryan

Contributed on 3/24/21 by texasfindagraver
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Record #: 401347

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Submitted: 3/24/21 • Approved: 3/26/21 • Last Updated: 3/29/21 • R401347-G401347-S3

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