Rev. R. C. Moodie Dead

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Friend And Classmate of President Taft Succumbs to Anaemia.

After an illness of about two months, Rev. R. C. Moode, pastor of the Congregational church at this place, passed quietly over to the other side of the river of Death at 7:30 Wednesday evening, June 21, 1911. The disease that gripped him is known as pernicious anaemia, and there is no escaping from its clutches.

Dr. R. C. Cabot, a Boston specialist, the highest authority on this disease in the United States and possibly in the world, wrote Mr. Moodie a letter that came on the very day of his death, when his mind was too weak to concentrate on it but for a moment, saying that out of 400 cases that had come under his observation but 4 were now living. And that same day it conquered one of the 4.

Mr. Moodie had the first stages of this disease about eight years ago while serving a church at West Tisbuy, Mass., and was compelled to go to California and rest for a year. He gradually gained strength enough to continue the ministry but never became free from the disease. About two months ago he was stricken while in the pulpit and the Sunday following he preached sitting by the north window, being too weak to stand up but a few minutes at a time.

The disease took the “pernicious” form right from the first and he failed rapidly. He wrote Dr. Cabot, mentioned above, who had been his physician when the disease was first contracted, telling him of the differences this attack manifested. He waited for an answer from this busy man, hoping he could tell him something to do or take that would help him fight the unequal battle with the disease.

As mentioned above, the letter came last Wednesday morning but death came Wednesday evening. When told the letter from Dr. Cabot had come he seemed pleased and asked Mrs. Moodie to read it. He had heard but a few sentences when his tired mind wandered, he was too weak to listen longer. The request to read the letter were his last words for he passed into a state of coma at about noon, his great soul winning its freedom a few hours later.

His two sons, Dr. Willis B. Moodie, of New York, and Walter C. Moodie, a student in the medical department of the University of Vermont, at Burlington, Wis., had been sent for but neither arrived in time to see their father alive. The former came Thursday afternoon and the latter Friday morning. His faithful wife, who had been his constant companion and nurse for so many years, and his brother, P. M. Moodie and wife, of West Point, were present when the sun of his life was setting and the day of his life was done.

The funeral was held at the Congregational church at 2 o’clock Saturday and was conducted by Rev. S. I. Hanford, of Lincoln, superintendent of Home Missions in this state, assisted by Rev. A. E. Marsh of the Episcopal church, Rev. J. W. Cabeen of the Baptist church and C.P. Lang of the Methodist church. Rev. Cabeen spoke the thought of all who had known Mr. Moodie even so short a time as five months, in a few sincere words of loving appreciation as a fellow pastor. Rev. Hanford’s acquaintance had been rather brief also, but it was easy to read the character of such a man for “his works do follow.”

It was a sad sight for those who had seen Mr. Moodie’s fine face in the pulpit even for so short a time as five months, and heard his mellow voice in kindly counsel, to see him lying still in death beneath the pulpit from which he had so recently preached the words of life. But that ministry will not be soon forgotten, he who ministered was so much like the Great Teacher, so gentle, so kind, so loving, so sane, who trod the fields of Galilee in the long ago.

The body was taken to West Point for burial near the grave of an older brother who sleeps the great sleep in the Scribner cemetery, and nearer still to his youngest brother, who is a prominent attorney at West Point. Mrs. Moodie and the two sons accompanied the body to that place. Dr. Willis Moodie returned to his practice near New York City but Mrs. Moodie and Walter will return to Blair after a few days, possibly to remain all summer.

Royal Corbin Moodie was born in Craftsbury, Vermont, June 19th, 1852, the son of Robert and Augusta Moodie. He was graduated from Williston Seminary, East Hampton, Mass., in 1874. In the same year he entered Yale University from which he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1878, President Wm. H. Taft being a member of the same class, also James Addison Porter, who was President McKinley’s private secretary, Harland Page Beach a well known author and secretary of the Student Volunteers of American, Tudor Jenks, also author and writer and others of less prominence like himself. He received his professional training in Auburn Seminary, Auburn, N.Y., from which he was graduated in 1881. On May 18th of the same year he was united in marriage with Miss Carrie Root of his native town.

Filled with the missionary spirit, he went shortly after their marriage to the Pacific coast and there organized the Presbyterian church at Los Gatos, California, then a village of only 200 inhabitants. During their ten years pastorate they saw the little hamlet grow from 20 to about 2500 people and their little church kept pace with the growth of the town having a fine new church with 110 members when he left. Failing health, the result of overwork, caused them to return to the old home in Vermont, where he accepted the pastorate of the home church of his wife and of his mother for one year but remained eight years.

Here his love for education and his loyalty to the old town caused him to accept the principalship of the little academy located there for two years, without compensation, in order that it might be tided over financial troubles. At the same time he filled his pulpit regularly and through his efforts a little granite library was erected and a system of village water works installed. Failing health again caused him to try another change of climate, which he did by accepting a call to the Congregational church at West Tisbury, on the Island of Martha’s Vineyard. Here he remained until so broken in health that his physicians gave him no encouragement.

He then longed for California, the scene of his earliest labors. There he regained enough strength to accept the pastorate of the Presbyterian church at Menlo Park, where he remained until November, 1909, when he accepted a call to the Congregational church at Wisner, Neb., where he remained until called to the Congregational church at this place some five months ago.

President and Mrs. Taft invited Mr. and Mrs. Moodie to their silver wedding anniversary, which was celebrated at the White House Monday of last week, Mr. Moodie’s 59th birthday, but they were unable to go of course. The class secretary told the president of Mr. Moodie’s illness and he took the time to write the following letter of sympathy in his own handwriting.

THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, D.C. June 16th, 1911.

My Dear Moodie:

Lamberton has forwarded me your letter in which you express your regret at not being able to attend our silver wedding and give your reasons. I am very, very sorry that your health is impaired as you describe it. Mrs. Taft and I would be delighted to welcome you to our marriage feast and we send to you and Mrs. Moodie our heartfelt good wishes and hope that you may soon be restored to strength and usefulness.

Affectionately yours, Wm. H. Taft.

The Reverend Royal Corbin Moodie, Blair, Nebraska.

The class secretary, Chas. Lamberton, telegraphed that a wreath be secured of a local florist for the class of ’78, which was done. Judge W.K. James, another classmate who lives at Kansas City, ordered flowers also. The church at Wisner sent a wreath of remembrance to their former pastor, and there were many other floral tributes of love and appreciation.

The following is a portion of a letter written by Dr. Cabot, previously mentioned, which shows something of the effect Mr. Moodie’s character and courage had upon a strong man, one of the leading specialists in the country and author of a number of medical works:

***I will not end this letter, my dear friend without telling you of one clear and distinct good which resulted from your visit to Boston. I mean the good you did ME. Few experiences in my life have been more precious than the opportunity of knowing a man who is facing so nobly as hard a situation as you are facing. It enriches my idea of the world when I think of you conquering the ills and hardships of your lot with so much steadfast tranquility and sweetness. I know well that whatever the future may be YOU WIN and I thank God for the sight of your victorious life.

Other letters from men of prominence would show how he has left the impress of his character upon them, but nay who had seen his kindly face could easily read the sweetness and purity of his life, for there nature writes in a plain hand the result of all our thoughts and actions. It has been said that he who practices what he preaches doesn’t need to preach, and this great truth was never better exemplified in any we have ever known. The very presence of such a character in any community was a blessing and a benediction.

He never attained the prominence that some of his classmates reached, but we doubt very much if any were richer in the true realities of life, the only life of the spirit, the life that is eternal. He gave his earthly life for others and thereby won the richest reward, the welcome “Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”

Tribune 28 June 1911

Rev. R. C. Moodie is Dead

Rev. R. C. Moodie, pastor of the Congregational church in this city, died at 6 o’clock Wednesday evening at this home at the age of 59 years, having celebrated his birthday but a few days previous to his death. He had suffered for some time from pernicious anaemia, but was not considered in a critical condition until the last few days. His sons, Willis and Walter, were summoned from New York.

Rev. Mr. Moodie was a classmate of President Taft at Yale and had an invitation to the wedding anniversary of the president. The secretary of the Yale club was notified of Mr. Moodie’s illness. The letter was turned over to Mr. Taft and a personal letter from the president, expressing his good wishes and hopes of his old friend’s recovery, arrived a few days before his death.

Saturday the body was taken to West Point, Neb., for burial.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~