CATHERINE RAPP GUISS – OBITUARY in Florence Siefert Scrapbook

This post was contributed to the Crawford County Chapter of OGS by Kristina Stearley as part of the Florence Siefert Scrapbook in 2010.

The scrapbook is compiled from undated, unidentified newspaper clippings involving events in the lives of Crawford County citizens living in or having connections to New Washington, Tiro, Shelby, Sulphur Springs, Chatfield, Bucyrus, Ashland, Mansfield, and other areas. Only minimal spelling or punctuation corrections were made. Unreadable areas are shown by underlines, dots &/or question marks. This collection has been scanned, “optical character recognized” (OCR’d), proofed, then coded for HTML by volunteers of the Crawford County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society. Since the copies are not of the best quality errors may have been made. Please contact us if you find corrections needing to be made or can verify any missing dates which could be added.

Catharine Guiss departed this life on the evening of Friday, May 22, 1896, of old age. She was the last member of her family, her parents being John and Catharine Rapp. The deceased was born on the 24th of March, 1819, and has, therefore, reached the ripe age of 77 yrs., 1 mo. and 28 das. In early youth the deceased grew up in surroundings which yet awaited the cultivating hand of the husbandman. School and church were in the first stage of development. Ever and anon a Lutheran missionary would come to see the old Lutheran settlers in Columbiana county to perform official functions and give them a service. The Rapp family, then living in Beaver township of said county, gladly received these missionaries in its log dwelling and upon one such occasion in the year 1825, their daughter, Catherine, was dedicated to the Lord in Holy baptism. It is to be ascribed to those same circumstances of the primitiveness of church affairs that her confirmation did not take place until.after she was married. She married Abraham Guiss on November 25, 1838, and was confirmed with her husband by the Rev. John Krauss, a Lutheran missionary, on the 23rd of April, 1842. Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Guiss lived 43 years on their farm west of this place. After the death of her husband on the 17th of February, 1882, by his request, Mrs: Guiss lived in her comfortable house in town, now occupied by Mrs. Sarah Smith. Three and a half years ago her children induced her to give up housekeeping and ever since grandmother has been the honored and well-cared for guest at the home of her daughter, Elizabeth, and her son-in-law, Jacob Sheetz. The names of all her children are as follows: John Guiss, married to Susan Fry, living on their farm, 3 miles west of this place; Wm. Guiss, married to Rowena Fry, who together with their child, died in a year’s time; Matilda Guiss, died in the bloom of womanhood; Anna Elizabeth, married to Jacob Sheetz, residing on Main street; Eva Catherine, died in youth. Thus one son and one daughter mourn her loss, besides there remain nine grandchildren and three great grand-children, also one aged brother-in-law, Christian Guiss, of this place. The deceased was well known to many as being a true, ever cheerful humble and believing christian lady. The things she liked best were her church and prayer book. Her often repeated sigh was, “As the Lord wills”. The remains were interred in the Lutheran cemetery last Monday morning a large concourse of people following the remains to their last resting place. Funeral services were held in the Lutheran church afterwards conducted by Rev. D. Ph. Ebert. Among those present at the funeral from abroad were: Mrs. Susan Baublitz and two daughters and Miss Ida Armstrong, of Wyandot county; Mrs. Louis Rinehart, of Cleveland; M. O. Guiss, Toledo; Miss Ethie Guiss, Castalia, Ohio.