Obituary

  Again during the past week the community had been saddened by the hand of death, and the news of the sudden demise of Mrs. Thomas A Hickey which occurred Wednesday night at 10:05 at the home north of this city, cast a pall over the community in which she lived and falls with crushing force upon the husband and five surviving children. Mrs. Hickey had not been in the best of health the past month though apparently had greatly recovered and seemed to be in a fare way to complete recovery when she was stricken with heart failure and passed away suddenly.
  Mrs. Bridget E. Hickey - nee Meehan was born April 22, 1870 at Milan, Illinois, and died November 3, 1909. She came with her parents to Crawford county in March, 1881, was united in marriage to Thomas A. Hickey April 29, 1891. To this union were born five children, two girls, Irene and Escher and three sons, Earl, Andrew and Arthur, who with a husband and father, mother, two brothers, Ex-county Sheriff Thos. R. Meehan of Denison and John Meehan of Manilla, and four sisters, Mrs. P. J. Hanrahan and Miss Anna of Manilla, and Mrs. C. C. Houlihan of Denison, and Mrs. P. J. Lally of Manning, with relatives are left to mourn.
  Among all she ranked always as a woman of culture, refinement, sympathy, a kind neighbor, devoted mother and a true friend, and after we might say, a short though busy life she died as she had lived - honored, trusted and loved. She reared her own monument while she lived in the hearts of all who knew her. Her life was complete if work all done and well done constitutes completion. Her Christian life was beautiful from the beginning to it close and through the vicissitudes and sorrows that all meet in the way, her faith in God never wavered. But she has left her home, husband, children, relatives and friends and today the autumn leaves fall upon another grave that hides from our sight all that is mortal of a true and noble woman.
  In her demise a home is left desolate indeed and the husband's cup of sorrow is filled to overflowing, and vain is any attempt to measure the loss of a mother to her children; after all the poets have sung and lovers dreamed, outside of heaven there is no love like mother-love and to her loved ones, mother, husband, children, brothers and sisters, we join with the community in extending our most sincere sympathy.
  The last service was held at the Sacred Heart Catholic church Saturday morning at 10:30, Rev. Father Lynch officiating. The flowers were many and beautiful but not more beautiful than the face that rested so peacefully among them. The funeral was largely attended by friends from all over the county, and the church was so crowded many had to remain outside. The cortege that followed the remains from the home to the church was nearly a mile and a half long, the largest funeral procession we believe that has ever entered our little city and thus was attested the worth of the departed and the esteem in which she was held. A large cortege followed the remains to the cemetery where all that was mortal of a noble, truehearted, loving mother was consigned to the grave and her memory but forms another cord to draw her lovedones to the brighter home beyond.
(The Manilla Times, November 11, 1909, p. 1)