MARGARET DUFFUS

MARGARET DUFFUS

OBITUARY: Margaret Stuart Duffus

DUFFUS: Died in Pleasant Twp. Jan, 8, 1878. Mrs. Margaret Stuart Duffus, aged 85 years and 2 days. The deceased was born in 1793, in Banf Shire Scotland. Her ancestors were a frugal, industrious and long lived people,--her father reaching the great age of almost 100 years. Her husband died Nov. 5, 1846 at Brigton, Aberdeen Shire. In 1854, she came with her children to America, and most of the subsequent years since she spent in Poweshiek County, Iowa. In childhood, she was religiously brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, being scripturally trained, and committing to memory the "Shorter Catechisms," that wonderful companion of Divine truth and saving knowledge. In her youth, she united with the Established Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and ever walked as a consistent Christian, enjoying the sweet privileges and hallowed communions of God's House. The bible was her constant companion and solace, especially the sweet Psalms of David, in the Scotch metrical version. She set a godly and prayerful example before her family, teaching them to reverence God's word, and to love the church of Christ. Though prevented in late years by age and infirmity, from frequenting the courts of the Lord's house, yet she greatly enjoyed the private means of grace, resting with implicit confidence upon the sure promises of God's grace to comfort and save his children amid all the afflictions of life and in the hour of death. In the Providence of God the cord of her life was lengthened out to more than the allotted four score years of human life. Her own generation had long since departed to the heavenly world, and she alone was left. Like the Psalmist, she realized that the strength of her four score years was but labor and sorrow, and hence she earnestly longed to depart, and be at peace with Christ. In the full hope of the gospel, she fell asleep. She was the Mother of 13 children, 78 grandchildren, 42 great-grandchildren, in all 133. She was buried at the Malcom, Iowa cemetery, Jan. 10th, the funeral services being conducted by the Presbyterian Pastor, the sermon founded upon Matthew 11:28-30 and Heb. 4:9, at the request of the deceased.

Design by David Duffus