Hearne History - Page 359

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the while. However, Robert worked one year each for Uncles Burton and Joseph Hearne, on their farms; he was apt with tools--as, indeed, were all the boys--and he worked a good deal at carpentering.

Mar. 16, 1852, he married Miss Sarah Priest, of Montgomery Co., Ky., and the next year bought the old farm of Uncle William Hearne, in Harrison Co., and farmed for two years; but not liking that, sold it and went to Paris, Ky., loaned out his money and took a position in the Deposit Bank, where he remained until his death, Jan. 7, 1866. He was a devoted Presbyterian, religiously and morally regarded as the best boy of the family, and an exceptionally good man in all respects. He had no children and his wife survived him twelve years.

From the Paris True Kentuckian, Jan., 1866, written by Rev. T. J. Dodd, a Methodist minister:

Died, in Paris, Ky., Jan. 7, 1866, Mr. Robert C. Hearne, clerk of the Paris Deposit Bank, in the thirty-fifth year of his age.

In the death of Mr. Hearne every interest of the community has suffered loss. Though quiet and unobtrusive, he was deeply interested in every goog cause; and, according to the ability God had given him, sought to promote the prosperity and happiness of all with whom he was in any way connected. In all things he appeared to be actuated by pure and worthy motives. So that, even in regard to matters concerning which there may be legitimate and wide differences of opinion, it was difficult to find any who knew him well to question the purity of his purpose, the sincerity of his conduct or the amiability of his character.

For, while Mr. Hearne was admirable in many respects, he was in all things and above all things a devoted Christian--a man of faith and prayer. The public sanctuary, the prayer-meeting (not of his own church only, but of others also), the Sunday-school, and a thousand acts of Christian thoughtfulness and charity, all testify to his devout and consistent piety. In one respect, he was a model worthy of imitation as well as admiration. So far as the writer is aware, Mr. Hearne was never known to speak one word of bitterness against any fellow-being. And this will appear to be no "faint praise" when we remember the tendencies of the past few years, and bethink us how difficult it was, and is, "not to sin with our lips."

As we might expect, that life of Christian devotion was crowned

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Notes:

Thanks to Catherine Bradford for transcribing this page.


Copyright (c) 1999, 2007 Brian Cragun.