The Later Elmshaven Years: 1905-1915 (vol. 6) - Ellen G. White

About a thousand people were present for the Monday-morning funeral
service at the campground. Elder E. E. Andross, president of the Pacific
Union Conference, was in charge of the service and was assisted by Elders
A. O. Tait, Signs editor, and Elders Loughborough and Farnsworth. At three
o'clock, W. C. White and Sara McEnterfer boarded the train, expecting to
reach Battle Creek by Thursday evening.
Arrival in Michigan
As they neared Battle Creek on Thursday, July 22, two men boarded
the train at Kalamazoo to travel the last thirty miles with them. One was
James Edson White, Ellen White's older son; the other, George Israel, was an
officer of the Battle Creek church who was in charge of the funeral
arrangements. The church had sent him to meet the travelers and to inform
them of the plans for Battle Creek. According to W. C. White, the funeral
plans were "very complete and satisfactory" (WCW to "Dear Friend,"
October 20, 1915). In Battle Creek, they were entertained at the Israel home,
where every kindness was shown them.
The plans in general for the Battle Creek funeral had been laid a few
weeks after Ellen White's accident, for it was clear that at her age, this would
be her last illness. It would have been natural that Elder A. G. Daniells, the
president of the General Conference and a longtime friend of Ellen White,
would take this service, but he was spending several months traveling in the
Far East, and it was not expected that he would be returning to the United
States until the fall. In the interests of proper preparedness, Elder S. N.
Haskell was asked in April, to preach the sermon in Battle Creek and to be
ready to do so on short notice.
But Elder Daniells had cut short his overseas trip, so he was back a few
weeks before Ellen White's death. Under the circumstances, he was asked to
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