Summoned by Death

CAROLINE COREL

  Caroline Vogt was born May 15, 1831, in Alsace, near Strasbourg, Germany,
and passed to her reward on Sunday evening, October 15, 1922, aged 91 years
and 5 months.

  She was next to the youngest of a family of eleven children, all of whom
have preceded her in death.  She came to this vicinity when eleven years
old, which was 80 years ago last July.  Three years after arriving here and
while living out east of Naperville across the road from where the present Corel homes are, her mother was killed by a cyclone.  Two years later (1847) her
father was drowned while returning from Naperville on a stormy night.  He
lost his way and blinded by the storm walked into a pond.  When she was
only 14 years old she went to Chicago to work and was thrown on her own
resources.

  On February 8, 1853, at the age of 22, she married Jacob Corel.  To this
union was born nine children.  Mrs. Corel was a real pioneer in the true
sense of the word.  When she came to this vicinity Chicago was a mere
village, with State Street a mud road.  Naperville had no church at that
time, so for several years she had no church advantages, though she was
raised in the German Lutheran faith and for many years was faithful to that
church.

  Three things stand out prominently in her life.  First, her love for The
Book.  It was her request that the Bible she bought when she went to
Chicago to work at the age of fourteen should be buried with her in her casket.
Second, was her dependence on prayer.  She prayed everyday.  She prayed out
loud almost always.  "I remember how she told me this little incident when
I was visiting with her one day about a year ago" said Rev. Putnam.  "I came
home and wrote it down as she gave it to me.  She said 'I'm going to tell
you something, but you mustn't tell anyone' for said she 'folks make fun of you
when you tell them anything like this, but I know you won't'" Continuing
she said "I was alone and was thinking about father being drowned and mother
being killed and about all the trouble we've had and I got to crying, and
then I saw Jesus on the Cross just as plain as could be"  She then touched
the pastor's hand and said, "Wasn't that an indication that I was not
alone, but Jesus was here to help?"  How beautiful.  It's wonderful to be able to pray so effectively that Jesus becomes as real at that.

  The third conspicuous thing about her was her love for sacred song.  For
several years she couldn't sing, but even recently she would try.  She used
to sing by the hour.  Anyone who loves sacred music knows how to pray so
that it means so much to them that they feel they cannot miss a single day and
who loved the Bible and read it as she did before she lost her sight, has the
qualities that make angels rejoice.

  For twenty years past her daughter, Miss Ida Corel has lived with her and
has ministered to her every need.  It is fitting here to say that such
service and devotion will have its reward.

  Grandma Corel leaves to mourn her loss in the immediate family three
sons, Philip, William and George, all of Naperville; three daughters, Mrs. Rufus Netzley and Miss Ida Corel of Naperville, and Mrs. B.W. Hughes of Aurora. In addition she leaves 14 grandchildren and 12 great-grand children.

  "From this bleak hill of storms, To yon warm sunny heights, Where love
forever shines.  Passover to thy rest, O Mother Corel! The rest, which is the rest of God, so well deserved by thee."

  Rev. C.H. Putnam conducted the funeral, and spoke from Tim. 4:7 - "I have
fought a good fight" which text she selected for her funeral.

Submitted by Mike Johnston
 MJohns1752@aol.com

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