William Sears Obituary (Newspaper & Date Unknown)

SEARS—William Edward Sears, aged 78, died at his home in Fork Township, near Townville, Anderson County, South Carolina, December 14, 1890.  He was married to Elizabeth Whitt, August 18, 1835, who with three sons and six daughters survive him.  Two sons and two daughters had however, gone before him to the spirit land, one of the sons having gone before him in one of the Battles of Seven Days fighting around Richmond, Virginia.

Mr. Sears was possessed of a vigorous constitution and was always remarkable for his industry, frugality, honesty, truthfulness, and candor.  He was a soldier in the Florida Indian War of 1836.  He served under the distinguished Pierce M. Butler.

It appears that not withstanding he did not unite with the Church until his 58th year, there was always a strong religious bent in his nature, and according to the testimony of one who had known him most intimately, nearly all of his life, “He was always a Methodist”, although his connection was brief as compared with the sum of his natural years, there is none that knew him who will dare question the genuineness of his religion.  It was at all times clearly apparent to those who knew him best that he indeed walked with God.

He was laid to rest at Cedar Grove Methodist Church before a large concourse of friends and grieving relatives.

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Elizabeth Tabitha Whitt Sears Obituary (Newspaper & Date Unknown)

IN MEMORIAM—MRS. WILLIAM EDWARD SEARS—Mrs. William Edward Sears, widow of the late William Edward Sears, died at her home in the Fork Township community, Anderson County, South Carolina, at sunset last Sunday, April 30, 1899, in her 81st year.  She was the daughter of the late John Whitt and Nancy Branyon Whitt, and the grand-daughter of Col. John Thomas of Revolutionary fame of South Carolina.  She was born in Greeneville County, South Carolina, where she spent her girlhood but removed to the eastern side of this county between Williamston and Belton.  It was here at her home that she married William Edward Sears, August 18, 1835.  The next year her husband served in the Florida Indian War under the distinguished Pierce M. Butler.

Mrs. Sears was the mother of thirteen children all of whom grew to maturity.  Eight of these survive, including four maiden daughters, upon whom the sense of loss and bereavement seems to bear most heavily, for they with the old mother constitute the immediate home circle.

Three of her five sons, the others being too young, were in the Confederate Army, and one, Jasper N. Sears, a member of the Fourth South Carolina Volunteers, was killed in the summer of 1862, in one of the battles of Seven Days fighting around Richmond, Virginia.

Her husband of exemplary traits died nine years ago.  She assumed and carried forward with excellent judgment the affairs of plantation and home.

She never made a profession of religious faith till rather late in life, when she joined the Methodist Episcopal Church.  She never paraded her religion, never proclaimed her piety from the housetops but deep down in her soul we have reason to believe that her faith was His in Christ in God, and in her last hours she talked of her fearlessness of the King of Terrors, of the rest she would soon enter upon in the Mansions of Glory and of the greeting of ones gone before.

Her body was laid to rest Monday afternoon at the Cedar Grove Methodist Cemetery at the side of her husband, in the presence of a large concourse of friends and grieving relatives.  The services being conducted by her pastor, Rev. L. L. Inabinet.