CLOSING YEARS.
Following this happy anniversary, Mrs. Bloomer’s life moved gradually along to its close. In 1891, after returning home from a visit to the Chautauqua Grounds near her residence, she suffered a partial paralysis of her vocal organs and for a short time lost the power of speech; but this trouble soon gradually passed away so that she was once more able to converse with her friends, although not so freely and readily as formerly. Her mind was still clear and her memory remarkably good, and it was during this period that she wrote the reminiscences given in the earlier part of this work. She gradually lost to a considerable extent the activity of movement for which in earlier days she had been noted, and her husband was easily able now to keep up with her in their walks on the streets. Mrs. Bloomer retained her youthful traits to a remarkable degree, even in advanced years, and her friends frequently noted this and complimented her on her vigor and cheerfulness. On meeting them, she was ever bright and cheerful and had a pleasant smile and word of encouragement for all.
Her early religious convictions remained unimpaired to the end of her life. So long as health permitted, she was a constant and regular attendant upon the services of her church and at the monthly celebration of the Holy Communion. She was active in every good work in the parish, and a steady friend of all benevolent enterprises in the city. During the last few years of her life, she gave much thought to the teachings of Christian Science and read and studied the writings of Mrs. Eddy and others on that subject. While she never gave her adhesion to its peculiar doctrines, yet she found in them very much that she deemed worthy of careful consideration. She bore witness to some of the remarkable results following their application to disease in its various forms; and, on the whole, their study enlarged her views on religious subjects and perhaps enabled her to look with greater calmness upon the vicissitudes of the present life and the untried realities of the life beyond.
To Mrs. Mary J. Coggshell, of Des Moines, Iowa, who had then recently lost her husband, she wrote in 1889 as follows: “My heart goes out to you in love and sympathy in this sad bereavement, and I pray that the Almighty Father may sustain and comfort you and give you strength to bear up under the great affliction. Mourn not for your beloved one as dead, but think of him as only transferred to another sphere of existence where he still lives and will await your coming. We believe that the life that God gave can never die, that the grave has no power over the spirit, but that it will live on forever doing the Father’s will.”
Her last journey was made to Colorado, in the latter part of the summer of 1894. She spent about two weeks at Colorado Springs and Manitou, mainly in taking electric treatment at the sanatorium of Mrs. Doctor Leonard who had long been an intimate friend; but was prevented by impaired strength from again visiting with her husband many of the interesting places of the vicinity. Another week was spent in a visit to a dear niece and her family in southern Colorado; she returned home about the middle of August, somewhat improved in health and strength. She continued to occasionally accept the kind invitations of her friends to social gatherings, and spent her last Christmas at the home and table of N. P. Dodge, one of the most prominent citizens of Council Bluffs, where she met also her old and long-known neighbor and friend, Mrs. M. F. Davenport. This was, however, the last time she was able to leave her residence. Friends and neighbors continued to visit her to the end and on Friday, December 28th, several were with her during nearly the entire day; they remembered that she appeared remarkably bright and cheerful. The final attack came on the evening of that day, and her brave and noble spirit passed away at twelve o’clock noon on the following Sunday, December 30th, 1894.
Of her last sickness and death, the Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil of January 1st, 1895, gave the following report: