Thankful for life, mindful of death

Wednesday, January 1st, 1851: Piqua

The night of the old year closed and brightly broke the morning of the new year, and I thought who should live to see this new year close. And shall it be this the question asked by the youth, again we hear it from the middle aged, and finally the hoary headed whose faltering step tells us that not far distant is the yawning tomb. The first day of this lovely New Year past pleasantly until evening, and then as the shades of that blest time of repose began to spread themselves over this beautiful Earth we thought who would live to see the dawn of the second day of this New Year, but was reconciled with that thought which ought to reign in every one’s breast; “He doeth all things well.” We retired.

Serena has good reasons for thinking about the transience of life. Her mother, also named Serena, had died in 1839, when our writer was only six years old.

Serena’s father married again, and a son, Albert Henry Lewis, was born. Serena’s stepmother, Hannah Hunt Lewis, died in 1843, soon after the birth of Albert Henry.

Cincinnati suffered a devastating Asiatic cholera epidemic in 1849. Over 7 percent of the population died, 8,500 people out of 116,000 (Howe 29). Charles Cist reports that Cincinnati has a ratio of deaths to population of 1 to 40, better than most European cities and many American port cities (Cist 148).

The death of Serena’s mother

The scene was described in the Western Christian Advocate:

"Serena Ann Lewis, consort of Albert G. Lewis of this city, died on the 27th of December, 1839, the 27th year of her age. Her disease was consumption. She suffered long and patiently. The last few weeks of her life she was not heard to complain or murmur. The last two days she lived, she was in constant meditation and prayer. A few hours before she expired, she called her husband and family to her bed-side, and gave them her dying counsel; she begged of them not to weep for her, and said she was perfectly happy and ready to go and that all she desired, was for them to meet her in heaven. After conversing for some time, she became exhausted, and fell asleep, as we all thought, in death, but revived. She was anxious to join her infant babe in heaven. I have often heard persons talk of philosophy, but I never saw it more beautifully exhibited than in her case.”

Serena’s mother suffered from tuberculosis, known in that time as consumption. The infant mentioned was her first baby, Luther Rose Lewis, who had died of whooping cough at the age of 5 months (Records of Spring Grove Cemetery). Two daughters survived her: Elizabeth Rose Lewis and Serena Anne Therisa Lewis (Spooner 178).

Spooner, Thomas. Memorial of William Spooner, 1637, And of his Descendants to the Third Generation; of His Great-Grandson, Elnathan Spooner, and of his Descendants, to 1871. Cincinnati, Ohio: Robert Clarke & Co., 1871. Print.