Arabella Belle Yates

Bell, daughter of B. F. and Melvina Yates, was born at Corpus Christi, Texas, November 11, 1854; died at Stamford, Texas, December 31, 1915.

During the last months of the war between the States, the family crossed the Rio Grande into Old Mexico. and lived for a time in the Mexican town of Matamoras. While living there the three children contracted measles, of which the younger brotheer died. Being a protestant and unbaptized, he was refused burial in the only cemetery in the town. The mother was so affected by the incident of having to bury the child out in the commons, that she lost no time in calling in a Catholic priest and having the remaining children, the subject of this sketch and her brother, Biigelow, baptized by a priest.

When peace was concluded the family look steamer for New York, thence to Montreal, Canada, where the deceased was placed ina Convent, herparents returning to Texas. Her education, both literary and musical was obtained in thisconvent-the Convent of the Sacred Heart.

From the Convent she was takenback to Texas, thence to New Or1eans. From New Orleans, the famHy came to Arkansas in 1877. her mother having died inNew Orleans In the mean time. Sh e gave herself for someyears to the teaching of music Inold Cane Hill College.

She returned to Round Rock, Texas, for a brief residence,where she was married to Dr. W. N. Yates on April 25, 1881. To this unionwere born two children, Mrs. Hazel Yates McMillan and W. N. Yates, Jr., who with their father survive her.

For number of years after their marriage their home was at C1nc1nnat1, Arkansas, where Dr. Yates practiced his profession. In 1889, they removed to Fayetteville where she resided until the time of her death.

For the last few years Mrs. Yates hos been in declining health. She hos realized that she hod on incurable malady but wos cheerful and courageous. making fhe very most of life ond relying implieitty up on her strong religious faith for the future.

She. with her doughier ond little grand-daughter, went to Texas, for o holiday visit, spending the doys with her brother and famiy. She spent a very happy Christmas day and was in good spirits, but was stricken with the prevalent la grippe, which precipitated a crisis in her disease ond caused her death in two days. Her devoted husband hurried to her bedside, as did her daughter who was spending a few days at another point in Texas, but before her daughier arrived she wos unconscious, and several hours before her husband reached her, her spirit hod taken its flight to God.

Mrs. Yates wos a cultured, refined, Christion woman who hos been o leader in social, philanthropic ond Christion work in this city for many years. She hod a kindly heart and was alwoys ready in ministry to those in need. The lost thing she did before leaving home wos to arrange for a bright and happy Christmas for a family whom she feared would be neglected by others. It was their need, and the fact that others might neglect them that appealed to her heart.

She was a devoted member of Central Presbyterian Chuch, and until her health failed, she bore much of Its burden and led in its activities. She was greatly interested in the Church and its work and was for many years president of the Ladies' Aid, leading that society in helping to pay the heavy debt on the church ond purchasing and paying for the pipe organ, besides much work for the poor, helping to support the City hospital, and many kindly Christian ministries. She knew neither discouragement nor failure and was always undertaking and accomplishing things which seemed imposible.

But it was in her home that she was at her best and accomplished the most, as it is true of any devoted wife and molf1er. She shored fully in every joy and struggle of her husband, somany years a busy p hysician, and her wifely ministry and intelligent sympathy has done more than any but he can ever know toward making his life the success it has been; his success and achievements, as well as his struggles and hardships have been hers also. As a mother, she was wise, tender, affectionate and intelliaent in the direction of her children. No mother ever lived more completely in the lives of her children , nor were ever children more passionately devoted to mother than are her son ond daughier.

Her work is done, her task is accomplished, her Alabaster box, like the one Mary of Bethany brought to the Savior's feet, has been broken, and its sweetness and perfume shed upon the lives of her loved ones and the wortd. Of her He hath sald. "She hath done what she could."

Fayetteville will be a lonelier place for many who have known and loved her, and their love and sympathy are freely given to !he heart-broken husband and son and daughter.

Central Presbyterian church was crowded to the doors Sunday afternoon by sorrowing friends, where a simple funeral service was conducted by her pastor and her remains were laid to rest in Evergreen Cemetery, beneath a mound of beautiful flowers brought by loving hands.

The above newspaper article was found in a small box in Harry Yates's house.