Published Saturday, June 23, 1866, in the Oregon State Journal (Eugene, OR)
George Belshaw, the subject of this memoir, was born in Nottinghamshire, England, October 30th, 1779. In 1834 he came to America with his family and settled in the Western part of the State of Indiana. In 1853 he removed to Oregon, and took up his abode in Lane county, where he resided until his death. He died about 7 o'clock A.M., June 15th at the residence of his son, Mr. Thomas Belshaw of this place, in the 87th year of his age.
Very aged persons always command the reverence and attention of thoughtful minds. We love to gave upon them as connecting links with years long gone by. But when, as in the case of Father Belshaw, old age is attended with manifest cheerfulness and piety, it commands and receives our affection and love, as well as profound respect. Father Belshaw was a member by birth of the Church of England, and from early life was taught to reverence the Sabbath day, love the Bible and fear God. No man was more unblameable than he in all the external departments of life. He became a Baptist in sentiment, but although for many years “a devout man and one that feared God always,” he still did not experience a satisfactory evidence of his acceptance with God, until weakness and disease confined him to his bed. Unable to attend public worship, he had no opportunity of uniting himself publicly to the visible Church of Christ, but continued for more than four long years while confined to his bed, to give the brightest evidence of real communion and fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. Nothing delighted him more than the songs of Zion and the blessed promises of God's word, which he loved to hear and repeat to the very last. Thousands of other things were forgotten, while these were ever fresh in his memory. He invariably inquired concerning there who call to see him, first, “Is he a good man.” [last part of the sentence is illegible.] witnessed, when his aged wife, with whom he had trodden life's weary road for more than 56 years, approached his bedside a few hours before he died, and discovered that he no longer recognized even her. She then said to him “Father do you know Jesus?” He at once rallied and responded distinctly “aye, aye,” and the dying patriarch soon riter breathed his last.
His remains were taken on the 16th to the M. E. Church, where appropriate funeral services were conducted by Elder Bond; after which they were conveyed to the Cemetery north-east of town.
Thus within a few months have five aged citizens of Eugene been laid in the grave. The united ages of these five persons was more than 400 years; the average age of each was more than 80. And is this all of earth? Must all come to this? Heaven teach us so to number our days as to apply our hearts unto wisdom.
George Belshaw, the subject of this memoir, was born in Nottinghamshire, England, October 30th, 1779. In 1834 he came to America with his family and settled in the Western part of the State of Indiana. In 1853 he removed to Oregon, and took up his abode in Lane county, where he resided until his death. He died about 7 o'clock A.M., June 15th at the residence of his son, Mr. Thomas Belshaw of this place, in the 87th year of his age.
Very aged persons always command the reverence and attention of thoughtful minds. We love to gave upon them as connecting links with years long gone by. But when, as in the case of Father Belshaw, old age is attended with manifest cheerfulness and piety, it commands and receives our affection and love, as well as profound respect. Father Belshaw was a member by birth of the Church of England, and from early life was taught to reverence the Sabbath day, love the Bible and fear God. No man was more unblameable than he in all the external departments of life. He became a Baptist in sentiment, but although for many years “a devout man and one that feared God always,” he still did not experience a satisfactory evidence of his acceptance with God, until weakness and disease confined him to his bed. Unable to attend public worship, he had no opportunity of uniting himself publicly to the visible Church of Christ, but continued for more than four long years while confined to his bed, to give the brightest evidence of real communion and fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. Nothing delighted him more than the songs of Zion and the blessed promises of God's word, which he loved to hear and repeat to the very last. Thousands of other things were forgotten, while these were ever fresh in his memory. He invariably inquired concerning there who call to see him, first, “Is he a good man.” [last part of the sentence is illegible.] witnessed, when his aged wife, with whom he had trodden life's weary road for more than 56 years, approached his bedside a few hours before he died, and discovered that he no longer recognized even her. She then said to him “Father do you know Jesus?” He at once rallied and responded distinctly “aye, aye,” and the dying patriarch soon riter breathed his last.
His remains were taken on the 16th to the M. E. Church, where appropriate funeral services were conducted by Elder Bond; after which they were conveyed to the Cemetery north-east of town.
Thus within a few months have five aged citizens of Eugene been laid in the grave. The united ages of these five persons was more than 400 years; the average age of each was more than 80. And is this all of earth? Must all come to this? Heaven teach us so to number our days as to apply our hearts unto wisdom.
Published Saturday, June 23, 1866, in the Oregon State Journal (Eugene, OR)
George Belshaw, the subject of this memoir, was born in Nottinghamshire, England, October 30th, 1779. In 1834 he came to America with his family and settled in the Western part of the State of Indiana. In 1853 he removed to Oregon, and took up his abode in Lane county, where he resided until his death. He died about 7 o'clock A.M., June 15th at the residence of his son, Mr. Thomas Belshaw of this place, in the 87th year of his age.
Very aged persons always command the reverence and attention of thoughtful minds. We love to gave upon them as connecting links with years long gone by. But when, as in the case of Father Belshaw, old age is attended with manifest cheerfulness and piety, it commands and receives our affection and love, as well as profound respect. Father Belshaw was a member by birth of the Church of England, and from early life was taught to reverence the Sabbath day, love the Bible and fear God. No man was more unblameable than he in all the external departments of life. He became a Baptist in sentiment, but although for many years “a devout man and one that feared God always,” he still did not experience a satisfactory evidence of his acceptance with God, until weakness and disease confined him to his bed. Unable to attend public worship, he had no opportunity of uniting himself publicly to the visible Church of Christ, but continued for more than four long years while confined to his bed, to give the brightest evidence of real communion and fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. Nothing delighted him more than the songs of Zion and the blessed promises of God's word, which he loved to hear and repeat to the very last. Thousands of other things were forgotten, while these were ever fresh in his memory. He invariably inquired concerning there who call to see him, first, “Is he a good man.” [last part of the sentence is illegible.] witnessed, when his aged wife, with whom he had trodden life's weary road for more than 56 years, approached his bedside a few hours before he died, and discovered that he no longer recognized even her. She then said to him “Father do you know Jesus?” He at once rallied and responded distinctly “aye, aye,” and the dying patriarch soon riter breathed his last.
His remains were taken on the 16th to the M. E. Church, where appropriate funeral services were conducted by Elder Bond; after which they were conveyed to the Cemetery north-east of town.
Thus within a few months have five aged citizens of Eugene been laid in the grave. The united ages of these five persons was more than 400 years; the average age of each was more than 80. And is this all of earth? Must all come to this? Heaven teach us so to number our days as to apply our hearts unto wisdom.
George Belshaw, the subject of this memoir, was born in Nottinghamshire, England, October 30th, 1779. In 1834 he came to America with his family and settled in the Western part of the State of Indiana. In 1853 he removed to Oregon, and took up his abode in Lane county, where he resided until his death. He died about 7 o'clock A.M., June 15th at the residence of his son, Mr. Thomas Belshaw of this place, in the 87th year of his age.
Very aged persons always command the reverence and attention of thoughtful minds. We love to gave upon them as connecting links with years long gone by. But when, as in the case of Father Belshaw, old age is attended with manifest cheerfulness and piety, it commands and receives our affection and love, as well as profound respect. Father Belshaw was a member by birth of the Church of England, and from early life was taught to reverence the Sabbath day, love the Bible and fear God. No man was more unblameable than he in all the external departments of life. He became a Baptist in sentiment, but although for many years “a devout man and one that feared God always,” he still did not experience a satisfactory evidence of his acceptance with God, until weakness and disease confined him to his bed. Unable to attend public worship, he had no opportunity of uniting himself publicly to the visible Church of Christ, but continued for more than four long years while confined to his bed, to give the brightest evidence of real communion and fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. Nothing delighted him more than the songs of Zion and the blessed promises of God's word, which he loved to hear and repeat to the very last. Thousands of other things were forgotten, while these were ever fresh in his memory. He invariably inquired concerning there who call to see him, first, “Is he a good man.” [last part of the sentence is illegible.] witnessed, when his aged wife, with whom he had trodden life's weary road for more than 56 years, approached his bedside a few hours before he died, and discovered that he no longer recognized even her. She then said to him “Father do you know Jesus?” He at once rallied and responded distinctly “aye, aye,” and the dying patriarch soon riter breathed his last.
His remains were taken on the 16th to the M. E. Church, where appropriate funeral services were conducted by Elder Bond; after which they were conveyed to the Cemetery north-east of town.
Thus within a few months have five aged citizens of Eugene been laid in the grave. The united ages of these five persons was more than 400 years; the average age of each was more than 80. And is this all of earth? Must all come to this? Heaven teach us so to number our days as to apply our hearts unto wisdom.
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