Faculty 1888-1891

Birth: Feb. 3, 1864
Death: Jul. 29, 1892, Mount Pleasant, Cabarrus County, North Carolina, USA

Parents:
John Daniel Shirey (1836 – 1896)
Margaret Catherine Shaver Shirey (1836 – 1896)

Siblings:
Ella Belle Shirey (1865 – 1930)
Luther Schaeffer Shirey (1874 – 1915)

Burial:
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Cemetery
Mount Pleasant, Cabarrus County, North Carolina, USA

Source: www.findagrave.com, 54503964.

Other:

From Our Church Paper (New Market, VA), Vol. 19, No. 6, February 11, 1891, p. 2.

The Misses Shirey, daughters of Rev. J. D. Shirey, have taken charge of the Mt. Pleasant Female Seminary, vice Rev. J. A. Linn, who has resigned the position of Principal to accept work elsewhere. The Misses Shirey are well qualified for the duties thus devolving upon them. They are graduates of an excellent college and have had experience in teaching.

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From Our Church Paper (New Market, VA), Vol. 20, No. 32, August 10, 1892, p. 3.
Death of a Young Lady

M. Julia Shirey, daughter of Rev. J. D. Shirey, departed this life, at her father’s home in Mt. Pleasant, N. C., on the 29th day of July, 1892, at the age of 28 years, 5 months, and 26 days.

Funeral services were conducted by the writer, assisted by Rev. W. R. Brown, and the remains laid away in Mt. Pleasant’s burying ground, on the day after death.

A large number attended the funeral services, including Rev. G. H. Cox, Professors J. A. Linn, C. L. T. and J. H. C. Fisher, Rev. C. A. Marks and wife, and Rev. W. R. Brown. Rev. W. A. Lutz had visited the family and the suffering daughter a couple of days beforehand, to the comforting help of all, but could not be notified so as to be present at burial.

The family has the sympathy of all the community, and many, many others join in the feeling that this is our affliction.

Realizing that I cannot write anything like a proper tribute to the memory of the departed, I will only give some simple statements, with but few comments.

Her talents, her opportunities, and her use of them were of the best. Her past usefulness was extensive, and her aims for the future were still higher. In them were included work as a leading educator in our Southern church, and, when opportunity should be presented, the enlisting as a laborer in our Foreign field. The immediate loss to Mt. Amoena Female Seminary is incalculable unless God at once direct to one suited for taking her place. We may well lament that she will not be here when her services could be utilized on our Foreign mission ground. None of her labors were of the vain glorious kind. All was for Jesus. To Him she gave her heart.— For his sake she helped his cause all she could. None but her nearest acquaintances have any idea of the sacrifices she made in doing and giving all in her power to further the interests of Christ’s Kingdom. And yet all seemed to be done in the confidence that God was her constant guide, and with the feeling that her Heavenly Father’s service was one of love and liberty. The following lines might well have come from her lips :

“Father, I know that all my life
Is portioned out for me,
And tho changes that are sure to come
I do not fear to see ;
But I ask Thee for a present mind,
latent on pleasing Thee.

In a service which thy will appoints,
There arc no bounds for me;
For my inmost heart is taught the truth,
That makes thy children free;
And a life of sell renouncing love
Is a life of liberty.”

Miss Shirey was confirmed by her father at Beth-Eden Evang. Lutheran church, Newberry county, S. C., at about the age of 14 years. She graduated from Staunton Female Seminary in 1882, while Rev. J. I. Miller, D. D. , was principal, and she was one of the best graduates that excellent institution ever turned out.

For the past ten years she has been almost incessantly engaged in teaching. Three years of this time she was connected with the Seminary at Mt. Pleasant, and one year with Staunton Female Seminary. The year just past she acceptably and efficiently filled a chair at the Seminary at Lutherville, Md. Last spring she accepted a call to the chair of Latin, &c., in Mt. Amoena Seminary, the same in which she bad taught three years before going to Luthervllle.

She left Lutherville apparently well on the 8th of June, immediately after commencement, but was not at all well from that date on. She spent about three weeks visiting relations and friends in Virginia, but all the time complaining more and more. She reached home in Mt. Pleasant the 28th of June, and took her bed the third day afterwards. In less than two weeks it was realized that she was seriously ill. Thus she remained for two weeks without any marked change. From about 12 o’clock, M., July 28th, she sank rapidly till the hour of death, 3-1/2 P. M., July 29th. I can most briefly describe the sickness and death by calling them truly Christian.

The subject of this notice was always active in every line of the church’s work. The Sunday-school and all benevolent operations received her hearty support. But her peculiar interest was in missions, and this was specially manifested in the work of the W. H. and F. M. Society. For years she had been an officer both in local and synodical organizations.— Her inclination and desire to go to the Foreign field date from the time of the Southern churches first beginning systematic support of Foreign missions. It seemed a delightful thought to her that she expected to have her work for the near future in connection with our Southern church, and where she could at the same time be at home with her parents, sisters, and brother. Oh! how bard it was to give her up, but none are disposed to murmur, because the sentiment of Paul could so well be applied to her: “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Through her entire sickness Miss Julia gave the most satisfactory evidences of continuous confidence in Christ. She also showed full appreciation of all that loving hearts and ready hands sought to do for her comfort or relief. Besides the constant skilled attentions of the family physician, Dr. P. A. Barrier, there were frequent visits from Dr. L. M. Archy, of Concord, and an uncle, Dr. Bittle Keister, of South Boston, Va., came and spent several days in doing what skill and tact could do for the afflicted. Neighbors readily gave all help that was needed in the way of nursing and other services. The family were especially fortunate in having with them all the time a sister of Rev. Shirey, Mrs. William McCauley, of Salem, Va., who with her womanly wisdom and warmness of heart was of untold helpfulness to all. But notwithstanding all, God saw fit to take His child home to Himself, and by His grace we believe that He doeth all things well. B. S. Brown.