wife of Washington Nicholas Mason


1880 Census Place:Limestone Springs, Spartanburg, South Carolina she was living with dau Catherine & husband James Kilgo. A gg great grandau of Rebecca sais she was buried
Gunny's Camp Ground Cem., Lydia, Darlington Co., South Carolina, but can't find any cemetery by that name.

Mrs. Rebecca Mason was born in Fairfield county, S. C. 15 Nov 1803, and died at
the residence of her son-in-law, Rev. J. T. Kilgo, in Darlington 8 July 1882.
The exact date of her conversion arid when she joined the church we do not know,
but know that she was a member of the church more than sixty years., Through all
of those years she was faithful, consistent , and singularly exemplary in all
the relationships of life, demonstrating the genuineness of her piety in the
midst of the most difficult duties and the sorest afflictions. She was happily
married to Rev. Washington Mason, 22 June 1826. Her strong, good sense and
sterling piety made her "help-meet" indeed to the "man of God." Alas! how short
the duration of their marital union. "God's finger touched the husband and
father, and he slept." leaving a young widow and three little children to raise
and educate. Nature had endowed her liberally and having embraced religion,
grace came in to furnish the needed assistance, while she addressed herself
heroically to the task of self culture, the maintenance and proper training of
her children and the discharge of her obligations to the church. While she was
not mindful of the importance of system, which she had, and methods, which she
observed she laid unusual stress on Christian example in every department of her
lifework. And she "Allured to brighter worlds, and led the way."
The Holy Bible was her guidebook, both as to faith and practice, through
life. An incident during the war, while both her noble boys were in the army,
will illustrate its preciousness to her under the most trying circumstances. On
one occasion a deep sense of distress came upon her while engaged in business.
She dropped everything and went to her Bible, and she opened upon a passage to
which she seemed to have been directed by the Holy Spirit: "As thy days so shall
thy strength be.! She was instantly relieved, and felt that she could trust her
Heavenly Father for all that concerned her. By a wise and economical management
of her affairs, she prospered, and had means to educate and prepare her children
for the battle of iife. She left them consistent members of the church, one of
them the noble self-sacrificing wife of one of our preachers. Sister Mason was
noted for her benevolence to the poor and afflicted. She was "given to
hospitality" which she dispensed with the utmost cordiality. Her house was a
sweet resting place for the weary itinerant. She loved the church most ardently
and she contributed most cheerfully and liberally to the support of religious
institutions. Her daughter, with whom she has lived for years, writes: "I never
knew my mother to neglect her religious duties, family, private prayer and
public worship. She sang a great deal along through the year. She would lie in
bed and sing when not able to sit up. The morning of her last attack, she rose
early as she was always accustomed to do. She sang a portion of the hymn, "Lord,
in the morning thou shalt hear My voice ascending high."
While she was yet conscious, her daughter asked her if she was "going home
to rest". She could not speak but gave signs that all was well. She was buried
at Gully Camp Ground, in Darlington County, S C. She was the oldest member of
Bethel Church, Fairfield Circuit, and the ninth called home from that church
since last October. A. J. Cauthen

(Prepared for his cousin, Rev. Edward Robertson Mason, with the compliments of
James Hamilton Mason, October 1961)
Note: Rebecca Mason was the daughter of Nicholas Wyrick and Catherine Gradick
of Fairfield County)