Funeral for Clara Wagoner
3/23/2008
Think about the changes that have occurred during Mrs. Wagoner’s lifetime. Portions of this were read when Mrs. Wagoner came to church on her 100th birthday. I believe that was the last time she was able to attend.
The year was 1905!
The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years.
Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
A 3 minute call from Denver to New York City cost 11 dollars.
There were only 8,000 cars in the US, and only 144 miles of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!
The average wage in the US was 22 cents per hour.
The average US worker made between $200 to $400 per year.
An accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births in the US took place at home.
Ninety percent of all US doctors had no college education.
Sugar cost 4 cents a pound.
Eggs were 14 cents a dozen.
Coffee was 15 cents a pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
The American flag had 45 stars.
The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!
There was no Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.
2 out of every 10 US adults couldn’t read or write.
Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
There were about 230 reported murders in the entire US.
Read 1 Peter 3:1-6. Unusual way to begin a funeral message, but Mrs. Wagoner was unique. I want to say that Mrs. Wagoner was a beautiful woman.
What? Did you not see her over the past few years? Yes, but lets look at this Biblically: (1 Sam 16:7 KJV) for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
The NIV version says of 1 Peter 3:3-4- Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, but from the inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.
Thesis: I want to talk about 3 ways that Mrs. Wagoner was beautiful.
1. Her prayer life.
A. I remember it quite well. It was late in the evening and I was at the hospital. Go up and see Mrs. Wagoner. I’m going to miss that. I expected her to be asleep. She wasn’t. I came inside her room and she was speaking. I thought someone was there visiting with her. No one was in her room. I didn’t announce myself until a few minutes went by. After listening, I knew that she was praying. I finally announced myself and I asked her what she was doing. She said that she was praying. I asked her what she was praying about. She was praying for her son Carol. We visited for a while and I took her hand and said that I had to go. “Say a prayer for Carol.”
B. What a joy to be able to spend time with the Lord in prayer. These past several years she has had much time to do that. It helped her to get through! And he walks with me and he talks with me and he tells me I am his own, And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known! From what we know she no longer has to pray because she sees face to face.
B. I do not believe that she was just praying for her children, her grandchildren, her great grandchildrens physical needs, but also their deeper, spiritual needs.
C. Augustine credits his mother for leading him to Jesus Christ. He was a notorious sinner and this is what he says of his mother after becoming a Christian in his book Confessions. “You (God) drewest my soul out of that profound darkness, my mother, thy faithful one, weeping to Thee for me, more than mothers weep the bodily deaths of their children. For she, by that faith and spirit which she had from Thee, discerned the death wherein I lay, and Thou heardest her, O Lord; Thou heardest her, and despisedst not her tears, when streaming down, they watered the ground under her eyes in every place where she prayed, yea Thou heardest her.”
D. If I could hear my mother pray again
How sweet and happy seem, those days of which I dream
When memory recalls them now and then
And with what rapture sweet, my weary heart would beat
If I could hear my mother pray again
If I could hear my mother pray again
If I could hear her tender voice as then
So happy I would be, t’would mean so much to me
If I could hear my mother pray again
She used to pray that I, on Jesus would rely
And always walked the shining gospel way
So trusting still his love, I seek that home above
Where I shall meet my mother some glad day
2. Her family life
A. Her life centered around her family. We would always talk about family. Her mind was good up to the very end. She would ask me about my boys, their schooling, my wife. I would ask her how her family was doing.
B. Fifty years from now, it will not matter what kind of car you drove, what kind of house you lived in, how much you had in your bank account, or what your clothes looked like, But the world may be a better place because you were important in the life of a child.
C. Mrs. Wagoner loved her husband, loved her children, loved her grandchildren, loved her great grandchildren. How do you know? You never met her husband, you did not observe her rearing her children, etc. I know because of one simple principle from the Bible. You reap what you sow.
D. Family must be commended for how they took care of Mrs. Wagoner. However, I know that Mrs. Wagoner loved her family because she reaped what she sowed.
E. You were there for her when she needed you and you were happy to do it, because she was there for you when you needed her. She was there for most of the children of Highland Park I hear.
F. (Eph 6:2) Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;(Eph 6:3) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
3. Her church life.
A. She is oldest member of the church that I know of. That record will probably stand for many years.
B. Not just that she was a member but she eagerly desired while I have been here to be in church. Make some a member and we don’t see them again. That was not the case with Mrs. Wagoner. She longed to be here.
C. She loved having the deacons come and give her communion. It was the highlight of her week. If they missed one Sunday, she was upset.
C. She would ask me how the church was doing. Her most frequent questions were, “How many were at church on Sunday?” “Was the church full?” “Could you go and see my brother and talk with him?“ “Was this member of my family there at church?”
D. If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again- Within the old home place, her patient smiling face, was always spreading comfort, hope and cheer. And when she used to sing to her eternal King, it was the songs the angels loved to hear. She loved the songs of the church. I went in one night again and she was singing I’ll Fly Away.
F. One that she loved to sing was “Shall We Gather At the River” Something interesting about this song is that it was often sung back in the days before indoor baptistries were common. People who go down to the river to be baptized and they would sing this song.
G. I am sure that Mrs. Wagoner observed many river baptisms.
H. However, this song is a picture of heaven. Read Revelation 22:1-5
I. I would like to say here that if we submit to Jesus Christ in repentance and baptism, we will see that Pure River of water of life in heaven.
J. If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again- Her work on earth is done, the life crown has been won, And she will be at rest with Him above, And some glad morning she, I know will welcome me, to that eternal home of peace and love.
K. Sing, Shall We Gather At the River?
