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Field, George H.
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DIEO.-In Detroit, ~ovamhcr 10. ISE3,
occal!ionally trying to preach h~
He\·. George Eit!ls Fteld, of the Detroit
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A.nnu&l Conference: aged forty·clght ate~ ily declined in health. Though
yenra.
successful in business, he was not
·
George Hills Field was born at 1 content to give up the m inistry, and
Smithville, Qat., Septe mber ~ 1, I R!J5. w?s freque ntly heard to express the
His parents ~ere members of the Wish that he had "died at his post ,
Methodist Church, and their faith- His last sermon. waa p.reached only ·a
fal nurture 'vas rewarded in hiR early few weeks ago at Clio, where he ·
religious seneibilit,y and his correct spoke from the text: " " ' hen Christ
and exemplary life. He was con- who is our life shall appear, then
verted at about sixteen years of age, shall we also appear with him in
under the ministerial labors of Rev. glory." But his disease, a goiterous
E. White, and continued faithful tumor of the throa.~,( wa:'" making
'\
profiting so much in his Chrietia~ such advance, that" it was/-evident
gifts and graces, that at eighteen be that he could survive but a few
received lice::1se to preach. The weeks, and an operation was resolved
next seven yearl! were spent in the upon. He dist111ctly comprehended
- r e~o~t t~ prepare himself for his . the situation, and calmly balanced
mmtRtenal calling, first at the school the probabilities of a fatal "term inain his native town, and after wards tion. In a letter to his friends writat Victoria College. He d~:igned ten
.d just before the uperati~n , he
to have completed a college cour~e, sat that the result was entirely dubut wa~ induced by impaired health bious, but that, as in any event he
~fo1·e~o that cherished purpose,and could survive but ~ few
b
wee k s, h e
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1 enter t h e m1mstry of the Canadian s ould venture it
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Wesleyan Church, which he did in r ·.- .... ~~-- ·' - - L . l • .l: _ r
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the summer of 1860. At the close vottons, r eaJing t.be twenty-third
·of his four years' probation he was Psalm, and in his prayer committed
united in marriage with Miss Jane all to God, "as he went do wn into
E. Adams, who bas been hi 3 cher- the valley of the sbaduw of death."
isbed ally in the ministr v for a lmost He w~lked fir~ly to the table, and
twenty years. After his rece ption lsu~mttted to the Qperation. All for
into the Conference, he was s tationed ~ time seem~d fa vorable, as he ral·
one year·at Avenmore two a t N i- hed .hopefully and seemed cheerful,
agar a, and two at P;rt Dalhousie. but It was a delusive hope. The end
It was in no spirit of discontent or was come. He cootemplated its ap·
of ambition that he turned his face proach, and told his wife and a
toward the States, but from an in- brother who was with them, that he 1
ter~st g radually acquired by reading , co uld not surviv.e. All at once he
and conversation, and which - ter- reached out h1s hand and said,
1
ruinated iri a trip to Michigan in the "Good-bye," a~d in a moment he •
winter of 1872. W e r ecall his visit was gone. H1s death was heroic.
to Detroit, and the sermo n which he He manifested no disposition t o
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preached in the Central church, of yte t'l fear or · to regret, hut acwhich Dr. N inde was then pastor. cep.ted cheerfully ~h~ will of God ,
I Soon after his return he r eceived a
whteh narrowed hts life to a slender
letter from Rev. Dr. Jacokes Pre- thread, and then snap ped that thread
, 1 siding E lder of Adrian District, asunder.
.
proffering him Medina circuit, which
Brother Fteld was a good man, •
was left vacant - b~ : t.be- failu re of H e was a very complete man in the
Rev. S. P. Murch, waicb he accepted, enla.rg~d sphP.re of humane and
and immediately removed with his Chrlstmn du ty. He was a dutiful
_, fam~y to Michigan,
I SOn, S fai thfut and af!ectiOnate h US·
1
At the session of 1 872 be was ad- band, a tender fat her, a nd a t ena\ 1 mitted into the Detroi t Conference
cious friend. As a Christian he was
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and.appointed to Ridgeway, Lena- i constant, earnest a~~ exemplary.
wee county, where he remained :T?e w~rk of the m1mstry, was not
three ytlars, and where his labors ~lth h1m, a convenience or a profedwere greatly blessed. In 1875-6 he stOn, bot a sole life work, pursued
1
labored at .llanchester. But already ~rom 8 sense of duty and love for
.- - he bad experienced premonitions of lDlmortal souls. When disabled from
'
the m&lady which finally terminated preao~ing, he expresse<l a hope that
his labl)rs and his life, and at the he .mtght be able, if prospered in
Conference of 18'i7 he took a super- b.usmess. pursuits, to support a misnumerary relation, and went with Sl~n~ry lD the foreign field. As a
his family to Southern California. n:'"IDlBter, ~e was devoted and !aboHere he preached but little, and not nous. _Hts pulpit, though rigidly
experiencing the advantage he had ~van~el~cal, was fresh and varied in
l anttcipated, he retumed to Michi- tts mm1strations. He had tried to
"'1 gan, and again took an effective preach memorite, but abandoned it
relation. At this Conference ( 1Si.9) as a. profitless slavery.
He did
he was appointed to Caro, where he not read, and found bis most sueremained two yeara. Here also his cessful method in speaking externlabors were crowned with success pore from full notes. He cama
about forty per cent. being added t~ among ns in his ripe manhood, after
the membership during his term. an early and auspicious experience,
At the close of two years at Caro, an~ gave about eight yen.rs of: t.hA·
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c·· -- uvua•v•uby auo n111 correct
spok~ from the text: "'Vhen -Chri~;~
and exemplary life. He was coo- who IS our life shall appear, then
verted at about sixteen years nf age, shall we also appear with him in
onder the ministerial labors of Rev. glory." But his disease, a goiteroos
E. White, and continued faithful, tumor of the throa.~, wa:!, making
profiting eo much in his Christian such advance, that; it was/-evident
gifts and graces, that at eighteen he that be could survive but a few
received license to preach. The weeks, and an operation was resolved
. nex t seven yean1 were spent in the upon. He distlilctly comprehended
, effort to prepare himself for his the situation, and oahnly balanced
miniRterial calling, first at the school t~e probabilities of a fata.l terminain his native town, and aftE-rwards t1on. In a letter to his friends, writat V ictoria College. He d~:eigned ten just before the vperation he
to have completed a college course, s~id that the result wa11 entire!; dobat was indu ced by impaired health h10us, bnt that, as in any event, he
~fore~o that cherished purpose,and could su r vive but a few weelrs he
enter the ministry of the Canadian should venture it On th
'i '.
e morn1na
W es I eyao C burch, which he did in r
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.,
, "'
the summer of 1 60. At the clo 3e votions, reaJing the twenty-third
·of his four years' probation he was Psalm, and in his prayer committed
united in marriage with Miss Jane all to God, "as he went down into
E . Adams, who has been hi.i cher- the valley of the shadow of death."
ished ally in the ministry for almost He w~lked firn;_ly to th e table, and
twenty years. After his reception jl :~u~rrutted to the operation. All for
into the Conference, he was stationed ~ time seemed fa vorabl e, as he ralone year·at Avenmore, two at N i- hed _hopefully and seemed cheerful,
agara, and two at Port Dalhousie. but lt was a delusive hope. 'l'he end
I t was in no spirit of discontent or was come. He cootemplated its ap·
of ambition that he turned his face proach, and told his wife and a
toward the States, bnt from an in- ! brother who was with them, that be
ter~st gradually acquired by reading I could not surviv_e. All at once he
and conversation, and which · ter- reached out h1s hand and said, ,
minated iri a trip to Michigan in the "Good-bye," and in a moment he
.. winter of 1872. We recall hie visit was gone. His death was heroic. 1
to Detroit, and the sermon which he He manifested no disposition to
preached in the Central church, of yield tf) fear or -to regret, hut ac1. which Dr. Ninde was then pastor. cep_ted cheerfully the will of God,
« Soon after his return he received a
which narrowed his life to a. slenJer
letter from Rev. Dr. Jacokes Pre- thread, and then snapped that thread
'
,
d
•
1 siding Elder of Adrian District, asun er_
proffering him MediJ?a circuit, which
Brother Field was a good mao. ·
was left vacant- b)"- . tbe- failure of · He was a very complete mao in the
Rev. S. P. Murch, which he accepted, enlar_!:{ed sphP.re of humane and
and immediately removed with his Christian duty. He was a dutiful
_. fampy to Michigan.
' son, a faithfut :ind aJ!ectiooate hus' At the session of 1872 he was ad- hand, a tender father, aud a tena\ 1 mitt~d into the Detroit Conference, cious friend. As a Christian he was
and.appointed to R idgeway, Lena- 1 constant, earnest a~~ exemplary.
wee county, where he remained .T he work of the mtn1stry/ was not
three ytlars, and where his labors ~ith him, a convenience or a profe:iwere greatly blessed. In 1 8 75-6 he SIOD, bot a sole life work, pursued
labored at M::mchester. But already ~rom a sense of dnty and love for
~ he bad experienced premonitions of tmmor Lalsouls. When disabled from
the _millacfy which finally terminated preac~ng, he erpressed a hope that 1
f his labors and his life, and at the , he _m.Jght be able, if prospered in
Conference of 1877 he took a super- I h_usmess. pursuits, to support ::1. mis- l
nnmerary relation, and went with St~n~ry 10 the foreign field. As- a
I his family to Southern Califo.rnia. n:-lmster, ~e was devoted and !aboHere he preached but little, and not rtous. His pulpit, though rigidly
experiencing the advantage he had ~van~el_ical, ~as fresh and varied in
L anttcipated, he returned to Michi- tts mmtstratJO_ns. He had tried to
: '"'! gan, and again took an effective preach memortte, but abandoned it
~
relation. At this Conference (1 87.9) as a. profitless slavery.
He did _
1
he was appointed to Caro, where he not read, and fou nd 'his mos t sueremained two year;;. Here also his cessful method in- speaking extern-:
labors were crowned with success . pore from full notes. He came
about forty per cent. being adcied t~ among us in his ripe manhood, after
the membership during his ·term. an early and auspicious experience,
.At the close. of two years at Caro and gave abon~ eight _Fears of1 thehe was, by the earnest request of hi~ prime of his life ~o our work. His
former acquaintances, reappointed to greatest-excellence was evident as ::1.
Ridgeway, where he spent under in- past~r: He reached all classes and
creasing physical infirmities the last condtttons, and all united in accordyear of his ministry, and at' its close ~g him ~he~ confidence and affeche felt compelled to resign ilia t~on. Hts discourses escaped criticharge and retire from the active Ctsm, because the man was enshrined
work. H e then removeJ to Flint in the h~arts of his COD({regnt!on.
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Field, George H.