COUNTDOWN TO 150 -- Sylvia's Death & Funeral
At 7 minutes to one o’clock Tuesday morning, April 3, 1883, Sylvia Constance Broughten Koester died of consumption. She was surrounded by her husband of seven years, Charles; her brother John Broughten and his wife, Alice; her sister-in-law, Jane Schmidt; her aunt from Illinois, Mary Morehouse; and her niece, Jennie Schmidt. Her children, Tinnie (5), Jennie (3), and Charles J.D. (1) were asleep. Sylvia’s brother-in-law, Frank Schmidt, called earlier in the evening.
The rest of the day was busy. As requested by Sylvia a few days before her death, she was dressed by Alice, Jane, Mary, and Jennie within hours of her death. She was laid to rest in the east bay sitting room. Mrs. Lofink, a friend, milliner and the wife of the town’s grocer, trimmed “Mama’s Rocking Chair” with crepe. The rocking chair was used to carry Sylvia from the St. Joesph hotel where she stayed while being treated for her consumption to the train station for her final ride back to Marysville. Charles, his brother-in-law John Broughten, Mr. Pierce, and Mr. Mann went to the cemetery to select the burial spot in the family plot. After dinner (the mid-day meal), Charles took a short nap.
Charles wrote of the loss he was feeling in his April 3rd diary. “What a beautiful Sunrise; but oh! so sad. I walk out a minute, everything looks so quiet and I can hear Mama’s appeal of Oh! Oh! Oh! (Sylvia’s last words)”
“It is now half passed 6 o’clock am and how quiet and lonely it is, but the canary Aunt Mary Morehouse gave us on our Illinois visit in February 1877, sings so sweetly in the Dining Room.”
After Tinnie and Jennie had breakfast, they wanted to see their mother. “I take them to her, and they seem pleased to see Mama again but why does she not lay in bed? Says Jennie. Tinnie seems “quiet and shy” but wishes to stay in the room with Mama, but neither seems to realize the sad event.”
Sylvia’s funeral was on Wednesday, April 4. Charles woke up at 3:00 a.m. to find five friends and his brother-in law Frank Schmidt “sitting up.” Mrs. Lofink filled a white satin pillow with rose leaves for Sylvia’s head to rest on in her coffin. Charles preserved samples of the satin and lace.
Jennie woke first and Charles dressed her; then Tinnie and Charles J.D. Jennie asked to see Mama (Sylvia).
At 8:00 a.m., five beautiful flower arrangements from sympathizing friends in St. Joseph were delivered. One arrangement was a representation in flowers of a clock with the hands of the clock set to 7 minutes to one o’clock, the time Sylvia died. There also were a wreath and a “Crown & C”, a floral tribute consisting of a wreath (the “crown”) paired with a pair of standing sprays in the form of anchors symbolizing hope and steadfast belief.
Mr. Newcomb came by at 10:00 a.m. to photograph the five arrangements.
At noon, as directed by Sylvia, “the Loving Hands” consisting of John and Alice Broughten, Mary Morehouse, Jennie Schmidt, and “dear papa” (Charles) placed Mama (Sylvia) in her casket.
The public schools and businesses were closed for the afternoon. Sylvia’s lady friends started to arrive at 1:00 p.m. The A. O. U. W. lodge, a fraternal benefit society that Charles belonged to, turned out in full force.
The funeral ceremony commenced at 2:00 p.m. The Presbyterian church choir sang the anthems. Rev. A. G. Murray of the M. E. church read the scripture lesson, offered a prayer, and spoke from the text, “In my Father’s house are many mansions…” Rev. H. H. Barkman, of the German Evangelical church, then spoke in the German language taking for his text Luke XXIV 36.
The April 6th Marshall County News described the next part of the ceremony: “Opportunity was then given to all who desired to pass by and take a last look at the remains. The beautiful cloth draped casket was decorated with choice gifts of flowers. Cross and crown, anchors, and wreath exquisitely formed from Marcial Neil and Niphetos roses, with Smilax and Maiden Hair Fern. Within the casket were strewn rose buds and White Abutilon with leaves of Passion vine. The head rested and seemed to be sweetly sleeping upon a pillow of white satin filled with rose leaves. Just before the casket was closed her little children each dropped in a bouquet of flowers cut from their mother’s favorite plants. The bereaved family then took their parting look, and the casket was born to the hearse.”
From the residence the remains were followed to the cemetery by what the Marshall County News called “the largest concourse of friends that ever formed in funeral procession in this community.” When the casket was taken from the hearse and placed on the rests, the first part of the ritual was read by Rev. A. G. Murray and while it was being lowered into the grave the German Evangelical church choir sang “Heil mir mein Heiland leber.”
The A. O. U. W. which had turned out in body, filed by the open grave and cast their springs of evergreen and “immortelles” (dried flowers) on the coffin. The remainder of the ritual was read, and while the tomb was being filled, the choir sang two more songs in German.
The mound was decorated with flowers, and the ceremony was closed with prayer.
“So rests Sylvia C. Koester,” concludes the obituary in the Marshall County News. “Death lies on her like an untimely frost; Upon the sweetest flower of all the field.”
An announcement of Sylvia’s death and funeral by Charles, Sylvia’s brothers, and Charles’ sister is shown above.
