White, Flora Hyde (Mrs. George P.)
6/19/1944
February 28, 1875 - June 19, 1944 |
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| Mrs. Flora Hyde White was born in Tangipahoa Parish near Chesbrough, February 28, 1875. Here she spent her girlhood days. She was the daughter of Samuel Adams Hyde and Amanda Louisa Simmons, and one of thirteen children. Four brothers and four sisters of this large family survive her. They are: C. J. Hyde, C. A. Hyde, and C. S. Hyde of Chesbrough, D. S. Hyde of Leesville, Mrs. J. B. Moody of Hammond, Mrs. W. B. Smith and Mrs. Sam Cutrer of Roseland and Mrs. W. A. Hammond of Houston, Texas. She was married to Rev. George P. White, a member of the Louisiana Conference, on April 10, 1894. From this union have come eight children, nine grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. The children surviving her are: Samuel A. White, Dr. E. E. White, and Mrs. V. E. Pregeant of Hammond, Tom J. White of Baton Rouge, and Mrs. L. R. Pregeant of Donaldsonville. On April 10, this year, she and Brother White celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. She gave more than fifty years of her rich life as the devoted wife of an itinerant Methodist preacher. She died on Monday, June 19, 1944, after a brief half-hour’s illness. The funeral services were con-ducted in the First Methodist Church at Hammond by Rev. H. D. Marlin, assisted by Revs. R. S. Walton, J. G. Snelling and W. W. Holmes. The body was taken to Magnolia Cemetery in Baton Rouge for interment. In describing Christian workers and members of Christ’s Church, St. Paul, the great Apostle, said: “There are diversities of gifts,” and that while gifts differ, all have gifts and they are most effective when used in the spirit of Christ. Preacher’s, wives are not unlike other women in this respect. While nearly all of them are wonderful workers in the Master’s Kingdom, they do the best work in which they are inter-ested and for which they are specially gifted. Mrs. White did many things well, but she excelled as a homebuilder. Her husband, a true itinerant, serving circuits - with widely-separated churches and on a small salary at best, was often away from home on long preaching journeys or in answering the call of sorrow and distress in some outlying church of his circuit. However often he might be called and however long his stay away from home, Mrs. White never failed to keep the home fire burning. It was up to her to see that the children had warm and com-fortable clothes, good wholesome food, and that they were regular and studious with their school work. It was up to her to see that they kept good company and did not fall into bad habits. Mrs. White was not only a good mother, but she was a good home manager. When “the meal was low in the barrel” she did not go to some agency for relief. She had her garden, her chickens, and cows, which not only furnished food for the household, but with the extra supply marketed, furnished money for other necessities. She was a beautiful housekeeper. She was not only an example of Christian living to the members of her church, but she was an example of thrift, neatness and orderliness in her parsonage home. She never had a parsonage where flowers did not grow. When her lifeless body was moved from her home in Hammond, the pallbearers carried it out through a garden of radiant and fragrant flowers, which she herself had brought to bloom and beauty. Her children, coming home from school or play, no doubt would call—”Mother, are you there?” Yes, she was there as wife to cheer and encourage her husband tired to exhaustion. She was there as mother to caress the children and kiss the hurt away. She was there as friend with sympathy and understand-ing for those who were pressed down with the burdens of life. Yes, she was always there. No wonder she is so greatly missed. She has a changed her home on the earth for a home in the skies where all may come home at evening-time and find her waiting. |
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| Source: Journal of the Louisiana Conference of the Methodist Church, Pages 89-91, 1944 by W. W. Holmes | |
