The Last Goodbye: A Seattle Widow’s Final Sermon

The funeral services of Mrs. Addie Z. Pross occurred Friday afternoon at the Market Street Baptist church. The house was crowded with the friends of the deceased. The floral display was magnificent, showing the love which the people had for her. The church was tastefully decorated by the Young People's Society, of which she was a member.

The pastor of the church, Rev. I.W. Read, was assisted in the services by Rev. Mr. Brown, pastor of the M.E. church, who offered prayer and made a very excellent address. The music was not studied, but consisted of Gospel hymns by the choir. Rev. I.W. Read spoke substantially, as here reported:

'I stand today as a mourner. I first met the deceased nearly eight years ago, when she was a mere girl. A little more than eight months ago I united her in marriage to the man of her choice in this room. We are met today to mingle our tears of sympathy with these loved ones, who have come to, perhaps, the greatest sorrow of their lives. The Bible speaks frequently of the bliss of heaven and the great joy of those who enter there. Let us think today of this loved one as enjoying the blessings of the Paradise of God, for she was one of His children.

We are told that over there "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." Now tears are emblematic of three things. They are emblems of want. What is there which will quicker bring tears than to be pinched with poverty? When want comes into a home or a life it causes such suffering as can only be known by experience. The earth is full of want, but in heaven it is unknown. God takes care that His loved ones are rich in joy with Him. They have everything needful who enter there, and so the tears of poverty are dried by the loving hands of a beneficent Father.

Tears are signs of weariness, which is often realized in the earth life. When the body is worn out with excessive labor or watching weariness is a necessary result, and is indicated frequently by an abundant flow of tears. In God's home there is no weariness either of body or mind, and so no cause for tears from this source. The loving Father makes it impossible for a redeemed one to become worn and tired, and so wipes away such tears by the importation of His own strength.

Tears are emblematic of sorrow. When hearts are crushed or sadness fills the life it is shown by the tear which falls from the eye. Sorrow is the result of sin... In heaven there is no sin, and therefore its inhabitants know no sorrow, and thus God wipes all tears away. It is a delight to be able to turn away from this world of vexations, of money-getting and self-seeking, to contemplate the world of absolute joy and peace.

There are certain elements of this character of which I desire to speak, because they are worthy of imitation. It was a unique character... She possessed, in a very marked degree, a distinct personality. In every phase of society people felt her presence. There was nothing assumed. There was an artlessness about her positively refreshing.

I want to speak of two distinct and delightful traits in her character. She was always full of hope and buoyancy. She brought light and sunshine wherever she was found... I never saw hopefulness so fully developed in any one character before. Despondency and sadness seemed to be unknown to her. She could, by her sunny nature, scatter a whole roomful of darkness and despondency.

Another thing fully developed in this life was the fact that she never spoke evil of any one. She would not gossip about people. I never heard her say a mean thing about any one... This certainly is a commendable characteristic, and one pleasant to think about by those who sorrow today. She would say: "I love everybody and everybody loves me."'