Wabash County Obituary: She just went out to Rake [1912]

All she did was go out to Rake in the Yard....LESSON:

To day if ye will hear his voice, 

harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. 

For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. Hebrews 3:15/James 4:14

"SUSAN BUSH CLARK
Wabash County
North Manchester News Journal
N. Manchester Journal; exact date unknown;
"MRS. T.B. CLARK BURNS TO DEATH
Spark from Trash Pile Fires Clothing Saturday Afternoon.

About nine o'clock Sunday evening Mrs. T.B. Clark passed away at her home in this city from the effects of burns she had received Saturday at noon.
Saturday noon a pile of rubbish had been burned in the back yard at the Clark home, and Mrs. Clark went to this fire to rake the embers together so that all would be burned.  In some way the back part of her clothing caught fire and the burns that resulted were so serious that death followed a little more than twenty-four hours later.  No one was with Mrs. Clark at the time of the accident, though it could not have been long until help was at hand. 
Mr. Clark had gone into the barn to saw a board for the door step, and as he came to the door he saw his wife with her clothing in flames, the fire reaching then well up over her right arm. 

About the same instant, Mrs. J. W. Tilman, living next door had seen the fire, and ran to her help both reaching her about the same time.  Their screams attracted Wade Clark, who was working with a lawn mower in the front yard and he came to their help, grabbing a big bed comfort from the clothes line as he came. This he threw around her, and that did as much an anything to smother the flames.  In helping in the battle with the flames, Mrs. Tilman had her hands badly burned.

Mrs. Clark was taken into their home and Dr. David Ginter

summoned.  He gave every relief possible, but the burns were too severe for the woman to live.

From her knees up to her waist was one continuous burn.  From the waist up her left side seemed to escape serious injury, but her right side and back, together with her right arm were deeply burned. 

The right side of her face was also burned, and about her nose there were indications that she had inhaled the flames.

Her right arm was burned to the hand, but her left arm was only slightly scorched. It seemed that her clothing had caught at the back and that her undergarments had burned inside her dress.

After the doctor had given her attention she seemed to rest much easier, and even during Sunday her condition was such that her family had hopes that she might recover, but during Sunday afternoon it became violent that she could not live, and about nine o'clock death came to her.

In this connection members of the family have remarked that frequently during her life she had expressed the hope that she would not be burned to death, seeminly having a dread that such might be her fate.
The accident cast a gloom over the entire neighborhood, for Mrs. Clark was a woman highly esteemed by those who knew her and was a good neighbor in every way.

Mrs. Clark, whose maiden name was Susan Bush, was the daughter of John and Malinda Bush, and was born in Muskingdum county, Ohio, Septermber 6, 1842, and died at her home in North Manchester, June 2, 1912, age 69 years, 8 months and 26 days.   With her parents she moved to Wabash county in1852 and has lived in this county since then. April(sic) 10, 1864, she was married to T.B. Clark and for forty years they have lived in this city.  Eight children were born to them, two dying in infancy, and two when nearly grown.

The living are Mrs. Ed Kitterman, Wade Clark and Miss Daisy Clark, of this locality, and Mrs. Charles Sculley, of Wabash.  She also leaves a sister, Mrs. Lizzie Harris, of Oklahoma, and a brother, John Bush, of Wabash. She has for many years been a member of the Christian church, uniting while she lived at Servia.

The hour of the funeral is not definitely settled, but will probably be Wednesday afternoon at the house depending upon the arrival of relatives from Oklahoma.  Effort is being made to secure Rev. W.D. Samuels to conduct this, he having been a neighbor of Mrs. Clark.  The burial will be in Oak Lawn."
(Submitters Name: Sheryl Poorman)."