Nancy Jane Cunningham Knickerbocker
| Mrs. N. C. Knickerbocker was born in Jonesboro, Tennessee, November 1837 and died in Minneapolis, October 21, 1909. In June 1877 she was married to Herman W. Knickerbocker, who preceded her in death a number of years ago. At the tender age of twelve she entered into conscious personal relation with Jesus as her Savior and ever since has lived an active and eminently useful Christian life. She was educated at Mount Holyoke Seminary and graduated from that institution of learning in the year 1859. Being a woman of scholarly tastes she devoted her life largely to the work of teaching. After teaching in Franklin Seminary, Tennessee, and Odd Fellows Seminary, Rogersville, Tenn., she came north and taught in various institutions of learning in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. But her largest and most important work as an educator was done in our own North-Western College, where, as we learn from the tender and touching resolutions passed by the faculty of the college, she taught with efficiency and acceptance for the long period of twenty-six years. She was one of the noblest of women. Her life was but an incarnation of an all absorbing desire to do good. Her pupils prized her for the beauty of her life as well as for her ability as a teacher, and with many of them her memory is still fragrant. And she being dead still speaketh. The remains were brought to Naperville on Saturday morning and funeral services were held in the Congregational church Saturday afternoon, Rev. George Peebles officiating. Resolutions in Memory of Mrs. N.C. Knickerbocker WHEREAS, Mrs. N. C. Knickerbocker was a member of the Faculty of North-Western College from 1870-1896, an interval of twenty-six years, during which time she held the position of Preceptress, and taught History, Botany, Rhetoric and English Literature, and proved herself efficient as a teacher; WHEREAS, her whole life bore witness to the fact, that she inspired to a realization of those Christian principles which she professed, and was a revelation of herself as a model of purity, _______, devotion to duty, loyalty ____ highest conviction, and the very _____ of unselfishness in service; WHEREAS, the sweetness of her spirit and the kindliness of her disposition, coupled with purity of tone and sentiment, made her winsome and gave her a remarkable power for good over those with whom she came in contact, especially the students of the College; and, WHEREAS, the Messenger of Death had removed her from time to eternity and has taken her from her arduous labors and duties faithfully performed, to her final reward; therefore, be it Resolved, That we as the Faculty of North-Western College, bow submissively to the decree of an unerring Providence, though the intelligence of her departure fills our hearts with a painful gloom; Resolved, That we prize highly her memory and the many beautiful lessons of life she has taught us, and herewith express our genuine appreciation of the wholesome influence she was enabled to exert; Resolved furthermore, That we as a Faculty, join the members of the Alumni association and the many other students who have enjoyed the benefits of her instruction and the inspiration of her self-sacrificing life, in expressing our warmest sympathy with the friends of the departed; Resolved finally, That a copy of these resolutions be presented to the remaining relatives, and published in the College Chronicle, the Church organs, and the Naperville Clarion, and be presented at the next meeting of the Alumni Association. THE FACULTY North-Western College Photograph scanned from the book, North Central College, A Century of Liberal Education, 1861-1961, by Clarence N. Roberts. Obituary submitted by Pat Sabin NOTE: Nancy Jane Cunningham Knickerboker is buried in the Naperville Cemetery |