Clarissa Matilda SALISBURY
Funeral

Madison Daily Herald
15 Apr 1889

Funeral of Mrs. Hunt

The funeral services of the late Mrs. R. B. Hunt were held in the Second Presbyterian church on Sabbath afternoon and were largely attended. The pall-bearers had all been former pupils of the deceased. The casket was beautifully adorned with flowers. The services were conducted by the Rev. J. H. Barnard, the choir rendering very softly and appropriately the hymns. Dr. Barnard gave a brief sketch of the life and character of the deceased, of which the following is the substance.

Mrs. Clarissa M. Hunt was born in Brattleboro, Vermont, Sept. 1st, 1812. Though living to the ripe age of 76 years she was in childhood and during her early years in very delicate health. It became a cherished purpose with her in in her youth, to educate herself for teaching as her life-work. With this in view she entered a private school taught by a distinguished clergyman of her native place. Having finished the special course of studies she came West, locating in Georgetown, Ky., in 1833, her brother, Rev. Simeon Saulsbury, accompanying here and laboring there as a Home missionary. She remained there for two years, when she came across into Indiana and settled in Madison. She had her brother began teaching in the Old Masonic Hall, located where the City Building now stands. The sudden death of her brother while on a visit to Cincinnati for a time interrupted her work, but soon after she resumed teaching in the lecture room of the Second Presbyterian church until the year of 1838, when failing health compelled her to give up her work. She went to Louisville and remained there for two years, after which she made a short trip with friends to the East, returning again to Madison and resuming her labors. She taught for a year in the public schools and then opened up her private school, which she taught without interruption from 1853 to about 1873. Teaching was her passion, as she made it her life-work. Mr. Smith, a graduate of Bowdoin College, who was for a time associated with her, said that she was the "Napoleon" of teachers. She taught and educated more than two thousand pupils of both sexes, many of whom are now occupying high places of honor and responsibility and are scattered all over these Western States. Mrs. Hunt became a Christian and united with the church in her early childhood. She was at that time very fond of dancing. At the earnest request of her mother she went, on a certain evening, to the church service instead of the ball. She was accompanied by her brother and both were converted and from that time became active Christians. She was for a number of years a teacher in the Sabbath school of this church, then under the suerintendency of Capt. Wilson. As one might suppose she was enthusiastic and successful in her labors here as in the secular school. In fact, the Bible held a prominent place in her private school and was one of the leading books of study. She had in her Sabbath school class sixteen young girls, all of whom under her faithful teaching came into the church.

Teaching was her chosen life-work, and to this she gave her best years.

For some time because of increasing bodily infirmities she has not been able to attend church or take part in active religious work. During the most of her life she was a sufferer. She had been heard to say that her earliest recollection as a child were those of pain and suffering. Yet she never alluded to this, even in her later years by way of complaint or murmuring.

She was a woman of unusual strength of character. To this native vigor of mind and soul, religion gave additional grace and strength. Her piety was of a pronounced, rugged type, tough at the same time simple and gentle as a child's. The simplicity, clearness and firmness of her Christian faith was very marked.

She had great powers of memory and had ready widely. In her early girlhood she committed and was able to repeat from memory, without mistake, the four Gospels. On the day of her death she repeated, as she lay on her bed, the 46th psalms. To the last she was a lover of children and flowers, these occupying much of her thoughts and conversation. A lady near by sent her a bouquet of choice flowers which, up to within a few hours of death, seemed fittingly enough to recall to her something of the freshness of her youth and early associations. She talked to the flowers calling them by the botanical names with which she was familiar, speaking to them as though they were beautiful children. So that with nearly four score years gathered over head, her last thoughts were about the young with whom she had spent so many of her days, and the last breath mingled with the perfume of the flowers that she loved, then passed to the immortal life where

"Everlasting spring abides,
And never withering flowers."
"O Paradise eternal!
What bliss to enter thee,
And once within thy Portals,
Secure forever be!

In thee no sign nor sorrow
No pain nor death, is known;
But pure glad life enduring
As Heaven's benignant throne."



Learn more about the life of    Clarissa Matilda SALISBURY.

Visit Brattleboro, Vermont, USA (West Brattleboro)
Discover the people who lived there, the places they visited and the stories they shared.