Sarah Litteral Stafford

Mrs. Stafford Of Oil Springs Died Suddenly

Prominent Johnson County Woman passes Away after Lingering Illness

                Mrs. T J Stafford, age 52, died at her home at Oil Springs last Sunday morning while seated in a chair. She had been in poor health for a number of months but her condition was not thought to be serious by family and friends,

                Her sudden death Sunday morning caused much grief in that section. She was one of the best women in the county and had a wide circle of friends. Her husband, T  J Stafford, is a prominent merchant of Oil Springs and a progressive citizen. She was the mother of eight children, all living, and all were present a the funeral which was held Monday afternoon at her home and was conducted by Rev H G Sowards of this city.

                The following children survive, Mrs. M. O. Wheeler and Ray Stafford of Paintsville; Madge, Mary Louise, Charlie, Earl, Harvey and Grady of Oil Springs.

                In death the county lost in Mrs. Stafford, a noble Christian character and a valuable woman, the family a true devoted wife and mother.

July 9, 1926

TRIBUTE TO MRS. T R STAFFORD

                The sands have trickled through the hour glass for Mrs. T. R. Stafford. She is no more. At the age of 58 death touched her tired heart and she fell into the slumber of everlasting sleep, Sunday morning, July 4, just as the sun was kissing the tops of the hills overlooking the Eastern side of her home at Oil Springs.

                After all the stress and storm that came to her during her last short illness, she bore it all patiently and has now spread her tent in realms where perfect peace bring perfect rest She was a remarkable woman. Nature must have been in a bountiful mood when she was created, as she possessed all the characteristics essential to making her a good woman, and ideal mother, and a tender and loving wife.

                No woman was more devoted to her family than Mrs. Stafford. Her family all grown, but remained as children to her and her whole life and ambition was centered on their welfare and well-doing here, with an admonition to them at all times of the hope and the promise of the future Such a beautiful and serviceable life as this is always a great loss to the family for counsel and service and her absence will be ever present with them.

                "The hours take so long to pass,

                The bird within its cage grows still,

                The flowers seem to droop and sigh

                Upon each sun-splashed window sill,

                Soft shadows crowd along the stairs,

                The curtains whisper as they sway,

                Our house is such an empty place,

                Since Mother has gone away.

                Her apron hangs behind the door,

                Her sewing rests upon a chair,

                Her presence lives in each sad room

                Until it seems it must be there,

                Without the heart to sing and pray

                Our house is such a lonely place,

                Since Mother has gone away."

                Mrs. Stafford came into the world humble, but of honest parentage. She was of the obscure and neither wealth nor social prestige greeted her at birth, but by force of her talent and genius, she pressed to the front and obtained for herself an education sufficient to entitle her to teach in the Johnson County public schools and taught her first class at Oil Springs near the place where she later lived and reared her family.

                Mrs. Stafford was born in Elliot County March 20, 1968 and united in Marriage to T R Stafford of this county on December 17, 1885,. There were born to this union nine children, Five boys and four girls to-wit. Henry B Stafford, of Oil Springs, Stella Virgil Stafford who died July 17, 1889, Maye (Mrs. M O Wheeler) and Raymond Stafford of Paintsville, Charley Uhl Stafford, Earl Stafford, Madge, Grady and Mary Louise Stafford of Oil Springs. She is also survived by her husband T R Stafford and two brothers, J W Flannery of Sandy Hook, and Judge W H Flanery of Catlettsburg.

                The deceased was a charter member of the Order of Eastern Star Chapter 407 Oil Springs.

                The funeral was conducted at the home on Monday afternoon, Rev H G Sowards of the M E Church, South, and President of Jno C C Mayo College officiating. Dr Sowards gives an excellent in the way that he portrayed life and characters of the deceased and read and commented on Scriptures which aide which aided materially in lightening the burdened of the bereaved family.

                The floral offering from many of the friends of the deceased were beautiful. It is the private character of this Christian woman that is most concerns to us consider and imitate. She is gone and the county is immeasurably poorer that her exalted presences no more adorns and crowns o our homes and assemblies. But heaven is richer; the Church of Christ adds one more unaffected saint to its calendar. The faithful Christian lives forever.

                The deceased was buried beside her father, the late F M Litteral in the Oil Springs Cemetery. The body was turned over to the Eastern Star at the grave and the members of that order conducted the beautiful burial rights with funeral ceremony/ after which Dr. Soward led in prayer and Mrs Stafford's earthly form was no more.

The Paintsville Herald

July 15, 1926 Thursday

Sarah Litteral was born March 20, 1868 on Dec 17, 1885 she married Thomas R Stafford.