| Notes |
- Never Married - Living with sister Mary Jane McClure Williams in the1880 Census Jamestown, R ussell, Kentucky
Source: FHL Film 1254441 National Archives Film T9-0441 Page477A
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Title: Kean Genealogy Folder, Public Library, Jamestown, Russell Co.,KY
In Memory of my Mother (Sally Kean)
by Bryan S. McClure
Bryan is the son of Nathan and Sally Kean McClure, grandson of Jamesand Mary Buchanan McClur e, and great grandson of Alice McClure.
In memory of my mother, who died at her late residence in Russell Co.,on the 6th day of Febr uary 1877, in the 66th year of her age. She hadbeen an earnest and consistent member of th e Christian Church forabout forty years.
Blessed is the memory of a dear old-fashioned, sweet ? mother; witheyes in whose clear depth s the love light shone, and brown hairthreaded with silver lying smooth upon her faded cheek . Those dearhands, that were worn with toil, gently guided my tottering steps inchildhood , and smoothed my pillow in sickness; even reaching out tome in yearning tenderness when he r spirit was baptised in the pearlyspray of the river. Blessed is the memory of an old-fashi oned mother;it floats to me now like the beautiful perfume of some woodlandblossoms. The mu sic of other voices may be lost to me; echo in myheart, and live forever on its stringes?. O ther faces will fade awayand be forgotten, but hers will shine on till the light from heave nportals shall glorify my own.
And now, once again in the fitful pace of busy life, my feet wanderback to the old homestea d and crossing the well-worn thresh hold. Istand once more in the low, quaint room, so hallo wed by her presence.I am now filled with emotions and stirred with past recollections that I have no language adequate to express. Now and here up comes thememory of her last surviv ing hours, in which she asked me to lookaloft to the Sun that is never to set and meet her i n that land whereaffection is ever to bloom.
I had parted with kind father, brothers, and sisters which was griefto me; but when I saw m y dear mother close her eyes in the cold andtranquil slumber of death, it was to me by far t he saddest hour of mylife. But oh, how consoling the thought that when I too shall havecros sed the dark river of death, I have a hope of meeting with mymother on that beautiful shore , and being joined again with her ineternal reunion.
And now, here again at the old homestead, surrounded by the source ofmy childhood days, my m ind is carried back to time almost out ofmemory, and to half-forgotten years of yore.
How the feeling of childish innocence and dependence come over me;just here where long year s ago I knelt down in the molten sunshinestreaming through the western window, by my mother s knee, lisping myfathers name.
Oh, my mothers words, her faith and prayers, the memory of hermotherly devotion to me, wil l forever light up the pathway of myfuture life. Years may roll on and fill great drifts bet ween hers and?, but they can never drive from my memory the glory of her pure,unbounded lov e for me.
She was my friend where others turned aside;
My guide when others failed to point the way;
The one bright star to which my heart could point,
However dark the way.
No childish grief my heart did ever know,
But she was ready to assuage the pain;
She warded off from me each heavenly blow,
And bade me hope again.
She liked to see the sunshine in my life,
Her own had been so dark and chill;
With ice her heart was all aching void,
Earths pleasures could not fill.
She taught me that this earth has naught so fair,
But it must fade, overshadowed by the tomb;
No where, except beyond the grave could we,
Ever find immortal bloom.
I miss her smiles, her words of hope and cheer;
They never failed me in the darkest day;
Tis but a little while she often said,
This grief will pass away.
And oh, her eyes were beams of light to me;
As bright as stars of heaven were they;
My brightest day is dark as sable night,
Since mother is far away.
copied by Cara Kelsey
Feb. 26, 1957
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RNT Family History
1841 - 1888 (46 years)
