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an Obituary of Marion R Lane
1836

Before it was discarded and lost, this document was procured in 2007 by Mr Ron Carlisle from a Matthew Simeon Greer descendant who cared little for genealogy or family history. We are deeply indebted to Ron Carlisle for saving this document and sharing it with us.

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[The transcription below by William N Greer has footnotes following.]

the obituary of Marion R Lane¹ who departed this life on the 11th day of oct 1836 — with filial submission to the affective dispensation of our divine father
we recevd the demies of our beloved sister Marion R. Lane who departed this life on the eleventh day of October last being 17 years 2 months & 12 days from her birth² 12 months of which time she had confidence to believe that her sins had been pardoned through the merits of a redeemers blood
in minority she was an attentive schollar kind sister & obedient child in woman hood she gained the esteem & confidence of many friends & proved her self a sympathizing neighbor affectionate wife a pious & exemplary christian
God her redeemer lives & often from the skies looks down & watches all her dust till he shall bid it rise
done by order of the church in confidence at Hephozibah³ saturday before the 3rd sabbath in November 1836⁴. written by Lewy M. Willson⁵

¹ Since the obituary described Marion as married, Lane was apparently her married name — so she was not a Lane by birth. Because of this and the fact that James Addison Lane named his first child Marion and the fact that this document was so treasured that it was passed down to succeeding generations through James A Lane, she is presumed to have been his first wife. Also, all of James A Lane's elder brother's wives are known and his youngest brother was not old enough to wed at the time. It is just possible that James' next-youngest brother, Benjamin Franklin Lane, could have been the spouse of Marion, but the age issue would seem to favor James as her husband. It appears that Marion had no children because the author of the obituary carefully itemizes her virtues, but motherhood was not among them. Marion's maiden name, which might have begun with the letter R, is unknown (and likewise, of course, her parentage). The date and place of her wedding are also unknown — nor do we know the cause of her death or the location of her grave.

² From the information in the obituary, Marion's vital dates would have been 30 JUL 1819 – 11 OCT 1836. Less than 5 months after Marion's death, James A Lane married Matilda Susan Willson in Jasper Co on 25 FEB 1837.

³ This is a colloquialism for Hephzibah, a Hebrew word meaning "My delight is in her". In Isaiah 62:4, Hephzibah is used by God to describe His chosen people. The name became popular among many Protestant movements early in American history. The Hephzibah cited in the obituary no longer exists and its location is only approximately known. It was certainly not the modern town of Hephzibah in Richmond Co, GA, which in 1836 was called Brothersville and was not renamed Hephzibah until the 1860s. According to church history, a Primitive Baptist church called Hephzibah (one of many that associated together) began in 1808 and had a meeting house near Farrar in Jasper Co, near the border with Morgan Co. When this church hosted the association's annual gathering in 1828, it was the scene of a massive reunion where 1772 souls were baptized. By 1837 the Hephzibah Baptist Association had withered in its opposition to missionary activity, and it decided to merge into the Georgia Baptist Association. The details of the fate of the church near Farrar are unknown because records did not survive, but at some point the local congregation became known as Shiloh. The present Shiloh church was constructed in 1907, after the church site had been moved once or twice during the intervening years.

⁴ In 1836 the Saturday before the 3rd sabbath fell on 19 NOV.

⁵ The author of the obituary is unidentified, but perhaps was kin to James A Lane's second wife, Matilda Susan Willson

¹	Since the obituary described Marion as married, Lane was apparently her married name — so she was not a Lane by birth. Because of this and the fact that James Addison Lane named his first child Marion and the fact that this document was so treasured that it was passed down to succeeding generations through James A Lane, she is presumed to have been his first wife. Also, all of James A Lane's elder brother's wives are known and his youngest brother was not old enough to wed at the time. It is just possible that James' next-youngest brother, Benjamin Franklin Lane, could have been the spouse of Marion, but the age issue would seem to favor James as her husband. It appears that Marion had no children because the author of the obituary carefully itemizes her virtues, but motherhood was not among them. Marion's maiden name, which might have begun with the letter R, is unknown (and likewise, of course, her parentage). The date and place of her wedding are also unknown — nor do we know the cause of her death or the location of her grave.
²	From the information in the obituary, Marion's vital dates would have been 30 JUL 1819 – 11 OCT 1836. Less than 5 months after Marion's death, James A Lane married Matilda Susan Willson in Jasper Co on 25 FEB 1837.
³	This is a colloquialism for Hephzibah, a Hebrew word meaning "My delight is in her". In Isaiah 62:4, Hephzibah is used by God to describe His chosen people. The name became popular among many Protestant movements early in American history. The Hephzibah cited in the obituary no longer exists and its location is only approximately known. It was certainly not the modern town of Hephzibah in Richmond Co, GA, which in 1836 was called Brothersville and was not renamed Hephzibah until the 1860s. According to church history, a Primitive Baptist church called Hephzibah (one of many that associated together) began in 1808 and had a meeting house near Farrar in Jasper Co, near the border with Morgan Co. When this church hosted the association's annual gathering in 1828, it was the scene of a massive reunion where 1772 souls were baptized. By 1837 the Hephzibah Baptist Association had withered in its opposition to missionary activity, and it decided to merge into the Georgia Baptist Association. The details of the fate of the church near Farrar are unknown because records did not survive, but at some point the local congregation became known as Shiloh. The present Shiloh church was constructed in 1907, after the church site had been moved once or twice during the intervening years.
⁴	In 1836 the Saturday before the 3rd sabbath fell on 19 NOV.
⁵	The author of the obituary is unidentified, but perhaps was kin to James A Lane's second wife, Matilda Susan Willson

an Obituary of Marion R Lane1836

an Obituary of Marion R Lane
1836