Lillian Schunke Left Us Too Soon (52Ancestors #14)

Lillian Schunke Eisenman was my great-grandmother.  She was a wife, mother and native Minnesotan.  The information in her obituary that I transcribed  below is all I know about her.

Mrs. Lillian Eisenman 
Mrs. Lillian Eisenmann, wife of Cephas Eisenmann, died of acute Nephritis Wednesday day morning, Feb. 26, 1914 at 8 a.m. at her home near Spring Valley.  Lillian Eisenmann, née Schunke was born June 26, 1888 near Spring Valley, Minn. and was confirmed April 20, 1902 at the Saint John's Lutheran Church of Spring Valley of which she was a member until she moved with her parents to the place where they now reside which is near Wykoff, when she joined the Emanuel church of Wykoff. She was married to Cephas Eisenman March 22, 1903. Five children have blessed this union, all of which survived. Sister Eisenman was a very sympathetic wife and mother and was loved by all that new her. Besides her five children, and grief stricken husband she leaves a father, three brothers, five sisters and a host of relatives and friends who mourn her sad an early departure.

Sister Eisenman was illuminated with Jesus Christ here and will enjoy his presence through-out the endless days of eternity. She came aforehand, she did not wait until she was aged before she did things. She recognized that what folks appreciated was appreciation and she gave it and gave it with all of her heart. She had roses to scatter and she scattered them, she had smiles to give and she gave them, she had sweet words to bestow and she bestowed them; she did things beforehand for her neighbors, her friends, her loved ones. She loved her Bible, the promises were her delight, they directed her thought to God and made her heavenly in character. She was a co-worker with Christ, a lively stone in the great spiritual temple of our God, a contender in the race, a warrior struggling against principalities and powers with her both hands outstretched to take the immortal crown. She had no fear of death but was rather happy in its contemplation. She looked at it as the vestibule of heaven and frequently thot, I shall soon be there. The funeral took place at the home on Friday afternoon, Feb. 27, Rev. John Hall of the Methodist Church of Spring Valley officiating. A very large number turned out to pay their respects to one they loved so dearly. The singing by a quartet was of an exceptionally high order. It was tender, sympathetic and beautiful. The Mercury and friends extend their sympathy to all the bereaved. ##

Future research based on this obituary:

• Try again to contact prgrage to determine our family relationship and share information
• Find the Spring Valley Mercury newspaper and look for more articles about Schunke and Eisenman
• Obtain Lillian's death and funeral records
• Church records - contact Lutheran and Methodist churches
• Family bible - was there one and who has it?
• Locate the descendants of the Lillian 's children 
• Locate the descendants of Lillian's 8 siblings
• Locate Lillian's father and mother
• Map Spring Valley and Wykoff, learn more about the areas
• Curious - why did a Methodist minister officiate the funeral rather than a Lutheran minister?
• Anything else?

Sources:

• Obituary: Spring Valley Mercury, 1914 Mar 6. Front page.  From prgrage family tree on Ancestry.com
• Acute nephritis: medical definition:  acute or chronic inflammation of the kidney affecting the structure (as of the glomerulus or parenchyma) and caused by infection, a degenerative process, or vascular disease