Troy Times

August 27, 1863

HARKER, MARY - Died, of Paralysis, on the evening of the 18th inst. Mrs. Mary Harker, aged 58 years. Her maiden name was Bolleu and she was married to Mr. John Harker, in Philadelphia, by Rev. Dr. McAula, June 1827. Mr. and Mrs. Harker had nine children, six of those are still living and they were all present at their mother's death and burial. Mrs. Harker united with the Franklin St. Presbyterian Church of Troy, on the 15th of Feb. 1843. She has always maintained a quiet consistent Christian life, and her daily walk was such that all her friends have ample evidence that she mastered fully into her rest. Her disease though hereditary, was doubtless that developed by constant mental excitement. In fact ever since there was brought home from the army the body of her kind hearted husband, she has been the subject of unusual anxiety and depressed of spirit. She was inclined to be the incommunitive as to her troubles, and this habit of keeping her sorrows so much to herself, rather tended to augment them. She even mentioned to her daughter only a few days before her death that she was under the impression she could not live on. But little did any of us dream that she was so near the valley of death. It was a terrible shock to her friends to see her stricken down by the hand of God, instantly, with the swiftness and power of lightning, and body and brain so insensible from the moment of attack that she never gave the last sign of consciousness. But while her afflicted children were denied the privilege of making her intellect all clear and bright to the last, and of receiving from her any word or look of recognition that they might dwell upon and cherish in something inexpressibly dear to them, they saw her pass away fully confident that she was DYING IN THE LORD and that every way, it was GREAT GAIN to her.