Morgan Harbin Looney (Part 2)
On 8 Aug 1852 he married Amy Melissa Black in Coweta
County, Georgia. She was the daughter of Cyrus and Elizabeth (Harkey) Black. Amy
was born about 1835 in Coweta County.
In 1853 Morgan taught at the Old Starrsville School,
Starrsville, Newton, Georgia.
About 1855 they had a son, George L Looney, who died
in infancy. In May 1856, son Edgar Hayden Looney was born in Hart County,
Georgia.
In 1857 Morgan taught in Palmetto, Fulton County,
Georgia. Later that year he moved to Fayetteville, Fayette County, Georgia to head
the Fayetteville Seminary, where he taught until 1860. In 1858 he wrote Southern
Arithmetic, ublished by G. C.
Welch Company in Newnan, Georgia. In 1859 he and his brother George Cleveland
Looney published a newspaper, The Literary Casket. In May 1860 Charles
Edward Looney was born. On the 1860 Census in July they were living in W. E. Redwine’s Hotel,
Fayetteville, GA.
In 1861 the family moved to Gilmer, Upshur County,
Texas where Morgan opened the Looney School. Daughter Maud was born there 23
Feb 1866 and daughter Myrtice was born there 3 Sep 1868. The Looney School was a
prominent private school for ten years until 1871.
In 1870, due to Amy Melissa’s declining health, they
moved to the mountains of Arkansas. Son Earl Mortimer Looney was born in Fayetteville,
Arkansas 4 Feb. 1870. In Fayetteville, Morgan taught school, lectured, did some
legal work, and pleaded eloquently for the University of Arkansas to be located
in Fayetteville.
Amy Melissa died in 28 July 1871 in Fayetteville, AR.
She is buried in Evergreen Cemetery.
Sacred
to the Memory of
Amy
M.
Wife
of
M.H.
Looney
who
died in
Fayetteville
July
28, 1871
Aged
31 years
Has
a hand pointing to a crown with "Heaven" written upon it.
Fayetteville
Democrat, Fayetteville, AR July 8, 1871, page 3, col 3&4:
In
Memoriam.
Died in this city on Thursday the 29th,
ult., at sun-set, Mrs. Amy M. Looney, wife of Prof. Morgan H. Looney, in the
32nd year of her age. She embraced religion in early life and joined the M.E.
church South--living a consistent member until death. Her understanding was
vigorous, and her intuitive perceptions were quick and discriminating. Her
imagination was lively, but it was tempered and regulated by sound judgment.
Her sensibilities were strong, but they were directed and controlled by Christian
principles. Early a professor of Christianity, she was well established in its
distinguishing principles, not merely as a system of doctrines, but as a rule
of life; and while she was able to give a reason of her faith and hope, she
proved the soundness of the one, and the justness of the other, by a practical
conformity to the requirements of the gospel. High was her standard of piety,
but not visionary; strict her observance of Christian duties, but not austere.
Cheerful without levity, she gave new proof, that THE WAYS OF WISDOM ARE
PLEASANTNESS, AND HER PATHS PEACE. In Social life she was engaging in her
conversation and manners, adapting herself happily to the characters of those
with whom she was conversant, and always uniting the useful with the agreeable.
The poor were the objects of her charity; the afflicted of her sympathy. Her alms
accompanied her prayers. In the relations of a wife and a mother, she exhibited
those virtues which rendered her a signal blessing and ornament to her family,
to which she was most highly and justly endeared. Independent in judging, and
adhering to what was fit and obligatory, she took no counsel from the
fashionable world., in what related to religion and morals, but pursued such a
course as was adapted, to mould her children into the Christian temper and
character, and to form them to VIRTUE AND GLORY. This was the object of her
supreme desire, and of her most fervent prayer. Her system of education was
happily adapted to attain it. Highly propious was its influence; and the result
may justly furnish perpetual encouragement to all parents, to go and do
likewise. In this present time she lost not her reward. Seldom have children
manifested an equal degree of filial respect and affection.
During a long confinement, she gave
astonishing proofs of the power of religion. Under its divine influence, she
sustained all the pains and distresses of a lingering disease, not with
serenity merely, but with cheerfulness. Retaining the faculties of reason and
speech until her last moments, she was enabled to impart salutary and pious
advice to all around her. These impressions will never be obliterated.
In the spiritual world, as in the natural,
clouds often obscure the face of Heaven. Few of the children of God
uninterruptedly enjoy the light of his countenance. There are seasons when they
are liable to be in heaviness, through manifold temptations. Here was a
favorable instance of exception. From the time of her entrance into her chamber
under a fixed persuasion that this would be her last sickness, she appeared
never to have one serious doubt respecting the safety of her spiritual state.
Her cheerfulness could not escape the observations of any person who saw her.
The Christian hope being now an anchor to her soul, sure and steadfast, the
winds and tempests could neither agitate nor disquiet her. This hope raised
her....and the tender assiduities of home, was done to try to save her to her
family and friends. But all was unavailing. The debt of nature must be paid. In
her youth and beauty, blessing and blessed, the light of her home, the guardian
angel of her household, she was called away. And to the stricken hearts of her
husband and children came the awful shadow. All sympathize with the widowed
husband, and the orphaned children to this their untoward affliction. May God,
who tempers the wind to the shorn lamb, temper the awful trial to them.
The long line of carriages that followed
the corpse in procession, and the large crowd that gathered at Evergreen
Cemetery on Friday evening to see her interred attest the estimation in which,
though a comparative stranger, she was held by our citizens.
Now, dearest sister, farewell. Sweet be the
sleep of thy holy dust in its peaceful home, until the glorious morn of the resurrection
when we shall greet thee again,--greet thee on those bright and blessed shores
where pain and suffering, sickness and death, sorrow and anguish shall be
feared and felt no more.
"While I gazed--with speed surprising,
down the stream she plunged from sight; Gazing still, I saw her rising, Like an
angel, cloth'd with light."
E.J.
Dawne
All Rights Reserved
Teresa McVeigh
7 Feb 2015
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