Obituary

Shortridge

On Wednesday, Nov. 4th, the entire community was saddened by the news that death had suddenly called Ethel, the only daughter of W. A. Shortridge from our midst. She had gone to Kansas City to visit her grandmother Rice and was preparing to return to her home when taken sick. At first her sickness seemed but slight but she grew rapidly worse and while loving friends did everything to relieve her suffering and stay the hand of death, nothing could be done and she quietly and painfully passed away.

Ethel Fay Shortridge was born at Willis, Ka., July 28th, 1885 and died at Kansas City, Nov. 4, 1903. Her childhood was spent in Willis and Horton. She moved with her parents to Kansas City four years ago, where she has been attending school. She completed her school course last spring and came to her father's home to keep house and gladden the home from which death had taken her mother three years before. That she had succeeded is only too well known by those who knew her sunshiny nature, for to know her was to love her.

The following poem was found pinned on her dresser in the home of her father near Willis:

When I am dead, my dearest,
   Sing no sad songs for me;
Plant there no roses at my head,
   Nor shady cypress tree,
Be the green grass above me
   With the showers and dewdrops wet;
And if thou wilt, remember
   And if thou wilt, forget.

I shall not see the shadows,
   I shall not see the rain
I shall not hear the nightingale
   Sing on, as if in pain,
And dreaming through the twilight
   That doth not rise nor set
Haply I may remember
   And haply may forget.
      Christina Rosetti.