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Title
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Berry, Joseph F.
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extracted text
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Bishop Joseph Flintoft B..Mry, D. D .
n oru Aylmer, Out., May 13, 10:;6. Died \Vinlor Park, Flo., Fch. 11, 1931
l'hoto IJy At:nntic Photo Scrv
I3ISIIOP JOSEPH F. BE RRY
AND
I3ISHOP LUTHE R 13. WILSON
BISHOP JOSEPH FLINTOFT BERRY
•e
De troi t , Michigan, September 10,1907 .Port Huron, Michigan,Sept ember 14, 1927 .
Bishop Jo seph Fl i ntoft Berry was born at Ayl mer, Ca-ll ada, May 13 ,1856 ,
son of a Canadian Me thodist preacher, and was educated at Milton
Academy , Ont ario.
He entered the Detroit Annual Conference in 1874,
serving at Memphis, Al gonac, Port Huron,Oaro and Mt . Clemens.
He was
Associate Edi tor of t he Michigan Christian Advo ca te,l884- 1890 , and
was Edit or of the Epworth Heral d from 1890 to 1904, when he was e l ected
General Superintendent, at Los Ange l es , Californi a.
He was residen t
Bishop of t he Buffalo Area from 1904 to 1912 and of t h e Phil ade l phia
Area f rom 1912 to 1928 , at whi ch time he was re tired under the age
rul e.
He was a mo st gifted journa list, especially in editorial
par agraphs and even in his Episcopacy d i d
mucl~
to secure journali sti c
ass istance to the work both of his own Area and of the entire Church.
For many years he has acted as presiding officer of t he Board of
Bishops.
At pr esent he occupies a delightful residence in the suburbs of
0J ec1
Binghamton, New York .
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Pap e r : " A FORGOTT3N L:;AD3R : A lUOGl APHICAL SKETCH\
OF BI :SBOP . T 0 1EPV -=<'LINTOFT B ;RRY - 18')6-193 1
\.
___
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i n Paui" rs Pr .. sent e d a
·t nd Hi s tory .
thP. Comm i ss i on on Ar ch i ves
H -61
l
February 26, 1931 ·
Bishop Joseph Flintoft Berry understanding characterized his
administra.~
tion. His bratherly consideration and desire
An Appreciation
not to wound when presiding at Conferences
By G. Bickley Burns
made him lovable and loving. H e never will[The following appreciation by Dr. Bums ingly wounded a brother. He was sensitive
was presented to the Philadelphia Preachers' to the disappointments of his comrades in
M eeting February 16, by a committee con- Kingdom building. H e did not lord it over
sisting of John G. Wilson, G. Bickley Burns, God's heritage. As a presiding officer be was
George W. Henson, Franklin Duncombe, quiet, dignified, patient. His ability to listen
Charles M. Boswell, Robert C. Wells, Milton enhanced his effectiveness.
H. Nichols.]
In theology Bishop Berry was conservative.
The heart of Philadelphia Methodism was However, never static. He was forward-lookdeeply touched by the announcement of the ing in his thinking. He held loyally to "The
home-going of the R ev. Bishop Joseph faith once delivered to the saints." At the
Flintoft Berry, from his residence in Winter same t ime he discarded yesterday's rusty key
Park, Fla., February 10, 1931.
for final interpretation. His preaching was as
Bishop Berry, by his long association with narrow as the New T estam ent, yet as broad as
this episcopal area, became an outstanding that inspired document. H e was mentally
figure, not only in his own Church, but as a awake. H e gaYe attention to reading. He
broad-minded ecclesiastic whose cumulative saw good in the new. H e adopted it. He
influence was felt in other communions.
grew in knowledge with the .years.
During his tenure here, perhaps no other
As a preacher our Bishop was fen'ent, inchurch dignitary was better known, more structive, inspirational.
highly esteemed or more frequently called
On the Prohibition platform he was a perupon to grace public functions than he.
suasive orator.
His zeal and activity in behalf of public
His lecture on "A Tramp Through Ireland"
morals made him conspicuous. The zone of was unforgettable. Here he scintillated. A
his power was known in legislative halls other genuine gift for humor was in evidence. This
than ecclesiastical. H e was always on the side gift was often hidden by the sobering power
of righteousness, Saul-like, he could not be of his work. 'I'he people all over the country
hid. He was in the public thought as a tower beard him gladly. When he preached there
of strength whenever a moral issue was in- was no need to stab their souls awake.
volved.
As a writer the Bishop excelled. His was a
The roots of the Christian character and facile pen. Short, crisp, epigrammatic senachievements of Bishop Berry reach back to tences characterized his style. H e wrote
the constructive and salutary influences of a easily, interestingly, helpfully. Varied were
modest parsonage hearth in Canada. He fol- the themes he treated. He invested a ll with
lowed in the steps of his preacher-father.
an uncommon interest. If he had not been
At an exceptionally early age he began to elected to the episcopacy, he might easily
proclaim the evangel of his Redeemer and have been, during the years of his prime,
continued with growing power until " the Methodism's outstanding editor. Witness the
finger of God Louched him." His mother, like Epworth Herald, which under his regime had
Susanna Wesley, was extraordinary in wis- the largest circulation of any denominational
dom, judgment and spirit. She tarried long paper in the world.
·
·to bless her son and from the episcopal resiBishop Berry was most fortunate in the
d ence in this city went to her coronation.
choice of a life companion. This elect lady
"Happy he
did him good and not harm all the days of his
With such a mother! fai th in womankind ~ life. She greatly helped to make his name
Beats with his blood, and trust in all things favorably known in Methodist gates. Among
.
high
I many achievements of his administration in
Comes easy to him, and though he trip and1 this city was -the securing of the cred1table
.
fall,
episcopal residence in West Philadelphia . This
H e shall not blind his soul with clay."
home was the center of a gracious hospitality.
To native ability Bishop Berry added in- ~~k~~ors were ever open to itine~tes and lay
defatigable effort. He worked incessa~tly.
With Napoleon he could endure sustamed
physical and men tal strain on four or five
hours' sleep out of the twenty-four.
He was always carefully groomed. H e impressed favorably the public by a handsome
presence. He looked every inch a bishop. His
beni ant face was an adornment to the EpiscopalgnBoard.
As
h h
B' h
th r
a de ullrc hmaln our tCs hoptwaH
s cad.do IC . •
H e I ove a w o ove our
ns .
e 1 not
find this catholicity out of harmony with loyal
love for Methodism. He had a genius for our
highly complicated church machinery. His
t emperament fitted into it. He was conversant with Methodist polity and doctrine as
feW are. His zeal f?r his Church was apostolic. Our Methodtst Israel had no more
devoted son.. .
.
As an admmtstrator Btshop Berry was effective. The attritions ~f episcopal duty in administration goaded h1s tender heart. T o this
work he brought an intimate knowledge of
pastors and churches. Large sympathy and
Few in Philadelphia knew that Bishop and
Mrs. BerrY had a hidden sorrow-with Wa lter Scott: They consumed their own smoke
h
and helped ot er people bear their burdens.
In the early days of their ministry their hearts
and hearth were enriched by the gift of two
beautiful boys. Within a few days of each
other these fine lads passed hence through
diphtheria. Was the loss of these lads the
reason why our good Bishop so loved boys?
.
, .
..
.
.
~~shop Berry s d1sposttton was gental. Hts
abthty to make. fnends all over the connection was e~cepttonal. He had power to hold
them as wtth hooks of steel. Hts memory for
faces and nn~es was noteworthy. The life
ourr~nts of hts soul never froze. His sympathtes never hardened. H e was no cynic.
The years. h~d a mellowing .effect.. The romance of hvmg and a deepenmg faith in God
never atrophied. A more delightful and enterbaining guest did not enter our. homes. H e
rad iated good cheer. His was a -winsome personality. Emerson said of his friend .Longfellow when he looked upon his face for the
last time: "He was ·a beautiful soul!" Thus
we think of Bishop Berry.
When his leasehold on earth expired we
believe he could say with Richter: "In the
place where Thou did'st put me ; and with the
talents with which .Thou did'st endow me, I
have done the best I could I"
H is escutcheon was kept clean. His life was
pure. With unashamed face, through grace,
he could' rerider accci_u nt 'to the Bishop of
sorrlB". · Unafraid 'he met the Silent Opener of
the Gate Beyond.
• I
I
"As with a shout
That school is out
And lessons done
I homeward run."
T o us who knew him best his going leaves
"A lonesome place against the sky." In the
Ma nsioned City we find him worthier to be
loved.
To Mrs. Berry we tender our sincerest sympathy ; and assure her of our prayerful remembrance.
"Now the laborer's task is o'er,
Now the battle day is past,
Now upon the farther shore
Lands the voyager at last.
Father, in Thy gracious keeping
L eave we now our Bishop sleeping."
In 1874~he joined the De~rolt Confe rence or the Methodist Episcopal
Church where he served for thirteen
years as pastor. His charges includ, ., • ed Memphls. Algonac, Cairo and Mt.
Clemens, Mich.
He was made an associate editor
or
the Michigan Christian Advocate
THURSDAY
and six years later founded the Ep~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~ worth Hera-ld, a Methodist weekly
issued for the Epworth League in
Chicago. In 1904 he was elevated to
the bibhoprlc and for eight years was
resident bishop of Buffalo.
Since 1912 he had been resident
IJishop at Philadelphia. and on the
Bishop JosephF. Berry
Dl.es Unex·pectedly at•d I~i~e~;n~~:m~~~~forc:~~~~ ~}
Winter Home in FlOr) a
the Board of Missions. He bad been
president of the Methodist Board of
Home Missions since l912 and was
a trustee of Dickinson School and
the Pennington School tor boys.
1
Founded Conference Home
He had many notable achievements to his credit in the BinghamJ~.t f/1~
ton District, amo11g them being the
establishment of the Children's
Home of the Wyoming Conference
Relapse Foil owing Prolonged Illness, From at
Hillcrest.
Under the leadershlp or Bishop
Which It Was Thought He Was Recovering, Berry,
the PhUadelphla. area of the
Methodist Church forged to the
Brought Death on Wednesday Morning
front ranks of Methodism.
The bishop brought his active administration
of the Wyoming ConBinghamton's ~and old man of Methodism has passed on.
tO a close with the annual
Bishop Joseph F . Berry. '75. who resided at 16 Crestmont Road while ~ference
2ssion of the conference at the
in Bin hamton is dead at his Winter home at Winter Park, Fla., mourned Sarah
Jane Johnson Church. visitby th~usands ~f Methodists o~ the Wyoming Conference and friends and ing pastors
and laymen visited and
associates of the Southern Tier.
inspected
the
new home at CrestRegret at His Death Is Universal
mont Road, a. girt of the Methodists
His sudden and unexpected death,•,
of Wyoming Conference. Bishop
brought expressions of sorrow and ~
Berry also had a Summer residence
surprise from Binghamton pastors
on Lake Chautauqua. and a. Winter
and others who had been informed
home in Florida.
that he was believed to have been
Being a llfe-lopg Republican,
on the road to recovery after a
Bishop Berry toured the country In
prolonged 111ness.
the national campaign of 1928. He
A brother of Bishop Berry, a
was a. firm believer in prohibition
noted surgeon of Mt. Clemens, was
and worked personally and delivered
with the bishop during the final
many public addresses in the Interdays of his illness. The bishoP had
est of the Eighteenth Amendment
recovered from an illness caused by
:> nd law enforcement.
1. carbuncle, which necessitated his
He was a member of the Methoremoval to the Orange General
dist Preachers' Association of BingHospital at Orlando, as well as a
hamton and vicinity and the Bing,ubsequent attack of pneumonia,
hamt{)n Mln!sterial Association. In
and was thought to be on the way
1885 he joined Mt. Moriah Lodge,
o rerovery following hls removal I
:'6, F. & A. M. at Caro, Mich., and
.o his home at Winter Park on I
following his removal to this city he
Monday, February 2. Although con- I
later transferred several of his
;!derably weakened by the ordeal,
membersl)ips to local units of the
11e showed some improvement and
Ma.~onic organization.
:1is frien ds ''~re hopeful. However,
He joined the Consistory in Bufhe suffered a relapse and the end
falo and was a 33rd degree Mnson
came unexpectedly W e d n e s d a Y.
and a member of otsin!ngo Consis.nornlng.
tory of this city. He joined the
Last Sundar, before he left for
Knights Templar at Chicago, the
New Jersey, Rev. Leonard o. MurAncient Arabic Order of Nobles or
dock a personal friend of Bishop
the Mystic Shrine at Philadelphia
and 'Mrs. Berry, received a letter
and the chapter at Mt. Clemens. He
from Mrs. Berry ln whlch she ex11lso
was a member of the Binghampressed the opinion that the bishop,
ton Chamber of Commerce.
while weak, would gradually reIn October of 1876 he was marspond to treatment and that they
ried at Wallaceburg, Can., to Olive
would be able to come back to
I.
Johnson of t!1at place. He leaves
Binghamton, some time In the early
lhesldes hls wife, tlu·ee brothet·s:
.
Spring.
J!lshop Joseph F. Berry
Rev. Edward A. Berry, ret:Xed ConNative of Canada
Falber, a Cler.-yman
nregattonal past~r of Los Angeles,
Bishop Berry was born May 1::,
The bishop WN< one of twelve chll- Cal.; W. F. Beny, M. D., of LoS
1856, at Alymrr, Canada. He started dren
o!
Reverend
Francis
and
Ann
Angeles and H. G. Berry, M. D., of
life as a printer's devil and was reHis rather was a clergyman .1t. Clemens, Mich.
ceived Into the ministry when but Berry
and h.ls mother, as the Services for Bishop Berry will be
l'eventeen years of age. He soon for 6S years
often sald, was "housekeeper, conaucted Friday aftemoon at 3
eamed the reputation of being a. biShOP
tailoress, physician, nurse, o'clock at his home in Winter Park
fighter and a wit. For two decades laundress
he was known as a militant leader );dndergartner 'a nd everything else." 1"1~ .• and the body will be placed '
He
r
eceived
his early education at P. receiving vault until April, when
of American Methodism.
He was firmly opposed to child :\1llton Academy in Ontario and re- it will be removed to Mt. Clemens
labor and looked with favor on ~hed the degree of Doctor of Divin- Micl1., B:shop Berry's former home:
unionism which he believed would ity in 1898 at Lawrence College and for interment.
benefit the American working .tnan the Doctor of Laws at Cornell Col- The Tabernacle Church of thiS
He fought for drastic enforcement lege, Iowa, in 1904 and at Syracuse city, of which MJ:s. Berry was a
member and the btshop an attendo! the Prohlbltlon laws and thougt University 1n 1905.
ant, will be r epresented at the servhe never favored chmch participaices Friday by Mr. and Mrs. Edtion in politics he threw his influ
ward H. Johnson and Mrs. Charles
ence on the side of those who he
C. Ash, who are now at Daytona
felt would not falter in the fight
.., (J,/f ,H-1_.:._--
c
lifted pw.t pape r in to it!' immense s uccess,
and inciclcntally lift ed him into church-wide
p rominence. And when he became a
bishop, a nd the n rc:~. system, of which he
was one of t he ea rliest nnd most cffccti"e
s uppor ters, gave him a defini te field, he
a pplied him~rlf with extraordina ry zeal and
patience t o the mastery of its p roblems :mel
its personnel. Ilis ha nd was felt in eve ry
instit ution. H e studied d ist ticts, chmchcs
a nd men, a nd made a n honest effor t to
produce s uch a n a rea adminis tra tion ns a
d iocesan episcopacy mig ht supply. \Vhate\'er tnsk the Church' gnve him he pu t it
through IYith the sa me in tensity of pu rpose
a nd unspa ring energ~· . Some people might
be shol'ed aside in the vigor of his movement, but it \\'as because be t hought t hey
were in t he wa y of t he thlng which ough t
to be done.
Bishop Berry was conscr nttive, regula r,
old-fashioned in his ideas of religion, nwrals.
poli tics.
T he soc i :~ l go,;pcl, propheti c
p rea ching, religion: educa tion seemed to
him-however excellent in themseh·e;;- to
be under cri ticism in so fa r as they tended
to tum t he thought and energy of the
Church aside from its main business of leading inrlh·idua ls to a lil'ing knowledge of
C hrist. This theme, with va riations, provided him with inexhau!;tible sermon lll:lt crial, and bet ween sermons he wrote a rti cles a nd editorin.ls for the church press
and for t he daily newspapers with tlJe sa me
end in view. H e might well say that he
had been a l\Iethodist p reacher for ncar!~·
se,·ent.y yea rs. lie loved his C hurch ; it creeds, a nd it: ndminis t m t ivc m nchincr~·
and methods s ui ted him . H e had lit tic use
for t hose critics who occupied t hemselves
wit h oYerha uling, revising, reforming and
restating. And the la rge following which
he had in M ethodism-especially a mong
laymen-was drawn from t he host of l\Ietbodis ts who a re of like min d. They wi ll feel
t hat Zion is not quite so s:ife now thnt one
of the t rusty watchmen nt the gate 1111.-<
gone.
/larch 19, 1931
Bishop Berry's Dream
\ Vhen I ~me to Wi:t;;'r Park last month
it was with pleasant an ticir,ation of renewed association with these saintly people, but found the good bishop con fi ned to
hi s bed, and now so soon he has left us
a ll so lonely while his pure spirit has gone
w receive a well meri ted reward.
H c had prom ised Dr. Norton, the pastor of our First church here, to preach
fo r him for a week beginning February 8,
but his ~llness prevented this to the g reat
disappointment of the people. Bishop
Berry was a gentle man who wore wi th
becoming grac.e t ~c beautiful ga r m~nts of
h umility and kmdlmess, and so dev01d was
1 . of the .class spirit that the humblest
H so n felt absolutely at ease in his presper
h
.
ence. H e was a very c armmg and companionable man, with rare cul ture crowned
with great fa ith, with no symptom of
selfishness, and was loved by all who
knew him.
~ t was my privilege to \'JSJt him frequctly during his illness and found him a
,·cry patient sufferer. One day he said;
" l ha ve written much but have nothing in
per manent fo rm ; tha t is to say, I ha,·e
never written a book, bu t if the Lord prolongs my days it is my purpose to write '
one to contain about twenty s hort chapters,. to cover among other things, my con,·ersJon, ca ll to preac h, marriage, early
ministry, ed itorial expcriell(.e, work as
secr~tary of Epworth L eag ue and my
electiOn and work as a bishop."
Such a book would have been full of
h uma n interest ·stories a nd a very char ming and readab le autobiography, but
strength !ailed hi m and it was ne1·er written.-\V. L. Sherrill in North Carolina
Chri stian Ad\'oca tc.
Memorial Service for Bishop
Berry
Elmer Houser
HE fi nal funera l obsequies fo r Bishop
J oseph F. Berry were held a t the
Methodist church in Mt. Clemens o n Fri:
day a fternoon last. The remains were
broug ht here from Winter P ark, Florida,
for the las t rites, and in the cemetery at
Mt. Clemens were laid beside the bis hop's
father and mother and two little boys who
died many years ago. Mrs. Berry, Dr.
H. G. Berry of Mt. Clemens, the bishop's
only living brother, and other relatives
were present.
'
Not on ly because the fi nal interment
was to be at Mt. Clemens, but quite fi tting ly because here was his last pastorate,
this memorial sen rice was held in the
church in th at city. The large cong rcgati~n. wh ich filled th e church included many
numsters of the Detroit and :Michigan
Conferences.
The ser vice, in charge of the pastor,
Rev. S. D. E va, was sim ple a nd dig ni fied.
The pastor gave a brief invoca tion; Dr.
Howa rd A. Field and Dr. W illiam H .
Phelps read Scripture lessons; prayer was
offered by Dr. Frederick B. Fisher. Bis hop
Thomas Nicholson s poke briefly, pay ing
tribute to B ishop Berry a nd s peakin g especially of his relations to the two 1Iichigan Conferences.
Bishop William F . Mc Dowell, of Was hing to n, gave the principa l address. H e
was eminently qualified to do so, since he
was elected bishop at the sa me time as
was Bishop Berry (in 1905) and had fo r
t~enty-f?ur ~ea:s been intimately a ssoCI~ted w1th lum 111 the active work of the
epJs.copa~y. T.he address was a class ic, a
cho1~e, d1scenung, di scriminating estimate
of Btshop Berry's life a nd character. T he
paper was prepared by Bis hop McDowell
for th.e Methodis t Review, and will a ppear •n the forthcoming issue of tha t
periodical. . T h.i s Ad vocate hopes to be
a ble to repnnt 1t later, that all our readers
may read it.
The benediction was pronounced by
Bishop W illiam T . Vernon, of the African
Methodist Episcopal church .
The bearers were memb ers of the Detroit .and Michigan Conferences ; John E.
Mar tm, \Vatter R. Fruit, Peter F. Stair,
F rederick Spence, R. E. Meade r and
W. F. Kendrick.
T he conclud ing rites at the cemetery
were conducted in t he presence of a la rge
concourse of people by Bishop Nicholson
D 1·. Joseph M. M. Gray and C. B. Steele:
T
Dr. Potts on Bishop Berry
I n 1884 Dr. J. H . P otts invited young Joseph
F . Berry to assist him in edi ting t he Michigan
Christian Advocate. His success in tha t work
set him on the road to eminence in Methodism. Dr. P otts is still living. From his ret irement at Algonac, Mich., he sent to Dr. C . B.
Spencer this persona l note on his former
helper. It is here reprinted from the Christian Advocate, Central E dition :
T o the Editor of The Central: Your telegram reached me an hour ago. My memories
of "Joe" are so thick I cannot single out one,
or even a few, for publication just now.
His one trait that I admired most was gratitude. H e never forgot that I helped him to
his star t in Advocate work. Again and agam
he referred to me, both in prin t and with voice,
as "noble," "high-minded," and all that. To
his latest hour he was my friend. We never
bad a jar. In social hours he would unbosom
himself to me in the frankest and most t rustfu l kind of way. When he was elected bishop
I wrote on a slip of paper and sent it to him
on the platform, saying, "Good-bye, Joe-Welcome, Bishop Berry." H e smiled in retmn
as much as to say the J oe in him would continue, and it always did. H e was always a
diligent worker, and I almost wonder that he
has paused even t o die. If I meet him again
away out yonder, I will ignore his t itles and
hail him as Joe.
Yours,
J AM ES H ENRY POTTs.
Algonac, Mich.
A Memorial
Tab~
Dr. Fred B. Fisher, of Ann Arbor, and
formerly a colleague on the Board of
Bishops, gave the address on the occasion,
J an. 18th, of the unveiling of a tablet to
the memory of Bishop Joseph F. Berry,
who served his first pastorate in the Memphis church, in 1874. Joseph Waunch,
who was taken into the church that year,
pulled the ribbons that removed the
drapery. "Ma jestic' Morality" was t he
theme of Dr. Fisher's address, comparing
the days when Bishop Berry was a lad
with the present.
Bishop Berry gained his first editorial
experience when he edited the first M em-1
phis paper, called "The Bug." This interest led him to editorship of the Michigan Christian Advocate, the Epworth
H erald, and the episcopacy.
Assisting in th e service were Brothers
W. W. Smi th of Yale, Aaron M itchell of
Capac, Andrew T . F . Butt of Romeo,
W illiam Firth of P eck, and A. P. Landon
of Richmond.-Emerald B. Dixon.
BISHOP BERRY
Some people easily become offended at the
minister. The~ seem to be ever watching for some
slight. They assume that general observations are
intended tor them personally. They resent reproof,
no matter how kindly administered. and declare
open war upon the man who has the courage to
speak pl!Unly o! ~ong-dolng. And the strange
thing about•lt is that they often cease attending
church, refuse · to ftlve financial support, and try
to make the church suffer for what they consider
the mistakes of .~ pastor. This is senseless.
You remember the,_"eJ?lY ~f · the old Scotch woman
to the min !stet wno "lind in some way offended
her. The good man expressed surprise t hat she
should come so reguTarly to hear hlm preach while
she professed to be .very wrot h at some things he
had sa.1d. She replied, · "My quarrel's wl' you,
mon; It's no wl' tn~ 'Qospel."
1
f[ HE above paragraph was taken from the
final installment of the weries of Saturday
sermonettes written for The Binghamton Sun
by Bishop Joseph F. Berry and was to have
appeared in the editions of next Saturday. It
is a characteristic message to the layman and
as a word in parting to the people of Binghamton should be of value to those of us who
may be inclined to mix our personal opinions
with our religion. ·
Bishop , Berry's remarkable insight into
human natur~. his never-failing good humor
and the comtnon-sense viewpoint with which
he was abundantly blessed ace all reflected in
this little paragraph. It explains, more than
any wort!s that may be written about him,
why it was that-he commanded the respect of
those who attend chur'ch and those who do
not. It tells why he reached the top in his
calling and why he ne'ler lost the friendship
and the faith of those with whom he became
assodated.
The Bishop had reached his 76th year.
His usefulness was byr no means at an end
when he was stricken, a few weeks ago. A
career of unusual worth h.a d not been brought
to its close. He waS""stiH active in the work
to which he Had dedicated his Jlte and his
keen mentality was still a force to be reckoned
with uoth in civic affairs . and in the affairs of
his church. ¥et the universal sorrow which
will be felt in his pa:;sing may well be tempe~ed by the thought tnat Binghamton has
gamed much through his residence here and
that the country has profited through his wise
counsel from both pen and pulpit.
The Sun feels a personal loss in the passing of Bishop Berry. A frequent visitor at
the editorial offices, he brought with hirn ~
refteshing and helpful point of view. He was
tolerant, broad-minded, generous and fair. It
was for these qualities he was best loved.
His writings, which have appeared regularlY as a Saturday feature of The Sun, have
produ~ed more favorable comment than any
other single feature. Men and women of every
faith have applauded what he has had to say.
The Sun feels the loss of a valued contributor
and an extremely helpful friend.
=--~~.....:....
~
_:.•_~_Y_•/_ 1_1_/
Page2
Bishop Berry's Funeral
E RVICES in memory of Bishop Joseph
F. Berry's passing were held in the
Methodist church a t W inter Park, Fla.,
Friday, February 13, at three o'clock in
the afternoon. Resident Bishop Keeney
was absent from the state and could not
be presen t. 'The e~prcis es were in charge
of the pastor ~hn Treadwell, who
preached th,c s~l).h J, In vocation was offered by Dr. \V. S. Lockart, of Pittsburgh;
the choir sang "Abide With l\[e." and
N . N. Clark offered prayer. After the
singing hy the choir "There Comes to My
H eart One Sweet Strain," A. ]. Price,
dist rict superintendent, r<'ad as a Scripture lesson I Thess. 4 :13-18.
After reading a short sketch oi Bishop
Berry's life, Dr. T readwell delivered a
sermon on the words, "And now, brethren,
I commend you to God and th e word of
his grace" (Act$ 20 :37).
Joh:l Wean, Elmer C. Dewey, ]. H.
Elder, H. I. Fuller, of the St. J ohns River
Conference, and C. L. Adams, of the Detroit Conference, were the pall bearers.
Ministers from different denominations
and many Methodist· Conferences were
present, among them the district superintendcnt of the Methodist Church South.
I secured the names of the following
thirty-five clergymen:
A. J. P rice, John Treadwell, N. N. Clark,
J . F . Pickard,]. H. Elder, James L. Gardncr, E. C. D ewey, Wm. L. Sherrell, J.
Wesley J ohnston, W. H. Kidd, Robert
Fill, Clyde Lee, ]. A. Cam, ]. S. Custard,
R. H. Robb, A. T. Luther, J. C. F loyd,
Clarence A. Vincent, W . H. Book, A. A.
Stevens, R. P. Ingersoll, W. E. Schmick,
P. M. Boyd, F. W. Z. Barrett, J . H.
Daniels, C. L. Adams, .H. I. Fuller, w.
H. Moore, E. H. Curtis, John \<Vean, J.
W. E~wards, Claude S. 1loore, and the
undcrs1gned.
Undoubtedly there were
more.
Doctor Berry, of Mt. Clemens, brother
of the bishop, was also present. The body
of our good bisho~ was laid t? rest in an
O:lando vault unttl next spnng when it
;-,vJit. b~ tak~n to Mt. O cmens for burial.
~l11s IS gomg to be a fight for life," he
sa1d ~o me, as I took him in my car to the
hos?Jtal.. It proved to be a fight for everlastmg hfe and he won it.-J. G. Haller.
S
Bishop Berry's Death
"H alt I" said the Great Commander of
men.
"Halt I" and a leader of men stood still.
"Up I" And turn ing from pulpit and pen
Like Moses of old he ascended the hill:
The hill whence he saw th e Promised
Land ;
The hill where he la id down his command.
I took him there in my car one day,
And hoped to return him well.
And he said this word while on the way:
(To think that he knew and could tell)
"A fight for life. this fig ht 'will be,
0 , brother of mine," be said to me.
And such it was. H e fo ug ht, went down,
But he won far more than he gave :
To yield his sword for a victor's crown
And to meet whom he labored to save. '
As you rise, 0, let your mantle desce nd
Upon us I Farewell! Good bishop and
Friend 1
-J . G. Haller, Winter Park, Fla.
Bishop Berry
B
!SHOP BERRY, like Bishops FowLER
NICHOLSON and 'VARNE, was born m·'
Canada, and like a large proportion of his
colleagues he was born and bred in a Methodis t parsonage. With rather less of formal
schooling than most ministers, he began
preaching at t he age of seventeen, at first
in Canada, but soon transferring to Detroit
Conference, where his industry soon adnmced him. After a brief schooling with
Doctor PoTTS of the Michigan Christian
Advocate, he was on the spot when a bright
young man was needed to la unch the
Epworth Herald. He had a posit ive genius
for paragraphing, an accurate understanding of what Methodist young people would
read, and he had the invaluable and loyal
aid of STEPHEN JosEPH HERBEN, who sueceeded him in 1904, when his chief took his
seat in t he Board of Bishops.
F
'or a qua~ter of a century Bishop Berry
w~s a consplcuo~ figure i-? the Board of
Bishops. He lmd no claim to superior
eloquence, though he was an acceptable
preacher of a somewhat fervid type, la rgely
addicted t~ vocal emphasis, and presenting
the gospel m the same vocabulary in which
his honored father would have presented it.
He would have insisted that the old-time
religion was good enough for him or for
anybody, nnd be considered it a waste of
time to read the literature of doubt and
innovation. As he said of himself in a frank
moment in t he bosom of his Philadel 1 ·
admirers on the fiftieth anniversa~ of~:
ordination:
"I a m not a brilliant
I
am not
. .
.
. . man.
orchnanly w1se. My fumtations a re man
If I have succeeded at all, it has been b~~
cause for fifty years I have worked hardwork~d all t he time, and up to the limit of
my tune and strength."
This was his own claim to distinctionhis love and capacity for ha rd work. It was
hard work on the Epworth Herald that
Bishop Beny
'ni:;hop J oseph Flintoft Berry, D .D ., LL.D .,
F ebruary 11, at his residen ce in Winter
P a rk, Fla. H e had b een greatly weaken ed by
carbunciCl', but his h ealth had perm iLLed his
return from t he hospita l n. few d ays earlier.
H ear t fa ilure, b rough t on by infla mmation of
t he gall bladder, was the cau!"'c of h is death.
Fun em I ser vices were he ld in Winter P ark on
F riday. The inter ment will be in Apri l at
Mount C lemens, Mich., wh ere his parents and
chi ldren are buried.
ni. hop B erry was born in Aylmer, On t.,
M ay 13, 1856·. H is parent· were the Re,·.
Francis and i\1 rs. Ann Law;:on Berry, who
wen t lo l\lichigan abou t fifty years ago. His
father, a minister of t he l'vlc lhodist Church of
Canada, became a member of D e troit Conferen ce and died in 1!l07. His mother, a woman
of g reat inLellcclual and physical v igor, li,·ed
lo en ter h er ninety-fourt h year. S he was the
mot her of tweh·e, Lo whom she had to be
~Hed
beautiful home provided by the local laymen.
He h ad a summer h ome, Lhc Berry P atch, at
Chedwcl on Cha utauqua L ake, and a win ter
refuge aL Winter P ar k, F la . W hile residen t
in Philadelphia h e ser ved as p rc:;ident of the
B oard of Home !\'f issions nnd Church Extension. H e wa also president of the Ocean
Gro,·e (~. J.) Camp M eeting Association. I n
~898 he was frat ernal d elegate to the G enera l Conference of t he M ethodist Episcopa l
,Churrh, South.
Since 1928 Bishop B erry has b een inces;::anf ly acli,·e-preaching, dedicating churches,
and writing for the church press, until early in
Ute presen t winter.
Bis hop Berry was manicd at Wallaceburg,
Ont., October 19, 1876, to Olive I. Johnson,
who ;;urvh·es him. T heir two sons d ied in
boyhood. T hree brothers are living.
Bishop Nicholson's Tribute
[By T elegraph]
D etroit, Feb. 12, 1931.
EDITOR THE CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE : Sm : The
deal h of Bi~hop J oseph F . Berry uomes to me
as :1. pcr-onal affliction . \Vc were boys in the
h igh ll,Chool togeth er, were as~ociated in our
cad y ministry in Mich igan, an d ha ,·e been
cl o~r: fri ends through a ll th e year::. He has
rend ered many great sen ·iccs to the Churth.
H e wus one of t he most loyal men, fetT en lly
evangeli tic, skilled in expression and phrasing, a hard worker a nd an enthusiastic b eliever in the mission and servi ce of Methodism
for America and for the world. His ,·oice will
b e g reatly missed among us.
THO:\IAS NICHOLSON.
B ish op De rry
IN MEMORIAM
A Tribute to the M emo ry o f the
L at e Joseph Flintoft B erry
N orman L aMarch e
Joseph F. Berry iu 1876
"h ousekeeper, laundress, tai loress, phy~ieian,
nurse, kindergartner and everything e lse," for
h er husband's sala ry never exceed ed 81,000.
J oseph B erry, who had u li LLie schooling al
Milton Academy (Can ada), bega n to prcaeh
in 1873. H e was se,·entcen years old and hi '
cash sa lary was $240. H e ~pent t h irteen year::.
in the pastorale in D etroit Con ferrn ce, and
for io\11 ~.:~r \"::L.: a<·~o('i·dl' ndilnr of llw
Michigan Christian Advocu.Lc, where b e disp layed ~ uch marked talen t thuL in 1890 h e was
roade ed itor of The Epworth H erald, t he organ of the newly organ ized Epwort h League.
Under his direction the paper arhievcd the
JiLTgest circu lation of any d enom inat ion a l
week ly and yielded a large profil. Through
t he Epworth League activities, in which he
was t h e leader, he b ecame fa,·orably known
throughout the Church. H e was a d elegate to
G en era l Conference in 1892, and in 1896, 1900
nd HJ04 Jed U1e D etroit delega tion. In 1900
led t he first ba llot for bi~hop, with 213
10
' rs . on the ninth ba llot h e had 357, but
vooled ' of e lection. J. "vv.
' H !um·rLon and D. H .
fai
l\l oorc were chosen on the scn•ntecnlh ball ol.
H e went back to the ed itoria l chair. At, L os
Anp:.. les in 190! h e headed the poll with 531
,·otcs and b c<·amc hi><l1op. For ci!!ht yrans hi:.
rr~ic!Pn(·e wa:> iu BufTalo, N. Y., und fo r sixtern ~· carl! in Pi">ilarlclphiu. ln !!H6 hr :::u<·r··~n - iott Hs ~f'n:r,r HJ~h 'lP >lt •d
__ ................ .-~L; , ~'-'' IJI
f
rr..
The m o r;1ing o f your sunlit life, possessed
A g low, that never dimmed through all
the years ;
F o r it was g iven you to know the joy
Of pointi ng men to On e, who quells ou r
f ears,
And qualifies the sou l to reach its best.
T he m essage you delivered fro m the desk
W as not weighed d own with psychic pos tulates
And epi g rams, on which th e s toics fed·
But fr01.n th e Livin g W o rd, which God
supphcs
T o meet the crying n eed o f h ead and
h eart I
'
As editor, we loved th e rugged way
In which you dealt wi th problems o f the
soul:
Yo u heeded n ot the critics who opposed
The tru ths you taught; n or w o uld y ou
comp romise
Vlith s in of any sort, that lurked within .
As chief administ rator, you were true
T o every t ru st reposed in you; and soug h t
·wi th undiminished skill, to do the W ill
Of Him, who called you to a leadership,
Demandin g tact, and love, and tireless
zeal !
B rave m a n o f God, fa rew ell! until we meet
Again, beyond the .shadows, and t h e mists;
And may we all, hke you, be una fraid
\Vhcn God s hall call; a nd as w e wing our
way
•
To h eights supernal - we shall find you
t here !
February 19, 1931
BISHOP JOSEPH F . BERRY
deatfl of Bishop Joseph F. Berry comes to me as a personal
T
affliction. We were boys in the high school together, were
associated in our earl y ministry in Michigan, and h ave been close
HE
friends through all the years. He has rendered many great services
to the Church. He was one of the most loyal men, fervently evangelistic, skilled in expression and phrasing, a hard worker, .and an
enthusiastic believer in the mission and service of Methodism for
America and for the world . His voice will be greatly missed
among us.
THOMAS N ICHOLSON.
Bishop Joseph Flint Berry
Elmer Houser
N Wednesday of last week a telegram
from Rev. ] . G. Haller brought the
Advocate word tha t Bishop J oseph F.
Berry had died that morning, at his w inter
hom e in W inter Park, F lori da. A s Advocate reader s had been informed, Bishop
Berry, who with Mrs. Berry was spending the season at Winter Park, had been
at a hospital to be treated for a carbuncle
on his li mb below the knee, which had
been troubling him , and which had appeared again. It had proved very painful
~nd persistent, but was unde r stood to be
yielding to treatment, with good prospect
of recovery. But complications set in,
from which the patient failed to rally.
Thus is translated from earth to heaven
one of Michigan's own bishops, the one
perhaps most widely and intim ately known
of all whom Michigan has given to the
episcopacy of the Methodist Episcopa l
Church.
Joseph Flint Berry was born at Aylmer,
Ontario, on May 13, 1856. He had thus
nearly rounded out three-fourths of a century. He was the son of Rev. Francis
and Ann (Lawson) Berry, the former a
minister in the Primitive Methodist Church
of Canada. In 1875 the father came to
:Michigan and joined the Detroit Confer-
O
lnce. ser l' ing numerous charges, until his
retir< ment in 1892. H e died on Jan. 2,
1907, in his eighty-fifth year. J oseph F.
Berry was one of twelve children, another
of whom, Rev. E. A . Berry, became a
Congregationa l mini ster.
Receiving his educa tion at Milton Acad~.:my and other schools in Ontario, young
Berry began preaching in Canada at a
very early age .. <7oming to Michigan with
his father, he JOmed the D etroit Conference on trial in 1874, at the age of eighteen.
His class was a large one, numbering
twent v. Four others of that class a r e still
living.:_D , C. Challis, F rederick Coates,
L. N. Moon, a nd H enry Nankervis. In
1876 young Berry was received into full
connection. H e was ordained deacon in
1876, and e lder in 1878. For some years
he was known as " t he Boy P reacher."
He preached a t A lgonac before joining
the Cpn ference, and his appointments later
were: Memphis, 2 years; Fort Gratiot,
P ort Huron, 3 years; Mt. Clemens, 1 year;
Caro, 2 yl'ars; Tucson, Arizona, 1 year;
?-.lt Clemens, 3 years.
In 1866 a vacancy in the associate editors hip of the Michigan Ch ristian Advotate
gave Joseph F. Berry the opportunity for
which he longed, and the position for
"·hich he was so admirably fitted. He was
~lec ted associate ed itor and served four
years. He pro,·ed that he had the genuine
journalistic instinct, and made his department of the Advocate fairly scintillate
with his brilliant work. James H . Potts
and J oseph F. Berry made a great editorial team.
In 1890 the Epworth League was getting
under way and the Epworth Herald projected. Joseph F. Berry was called to
Chicago to be it s editor. Th at gave ilim
another qua~!rennium of marked editorial
experience and success. He edited the
Herald with masterly skill and built it u~
to the biggest circulation any paper 111
~ ~ ethodism had ever a ttained.
But J oseph F. Berry was bound to go
still hig her in :Methodist councils. The
General Confe rence of 1904 elected him a
bishop, a t the age of forty-eight. Dr.
Berry had bee n a member of four General
Conierences wh en chose n bishop. Henceforth his name was writte n among the
mighty.
Bishop Berry was in the active episcopacy ior twenty-four years, retir ing in
1928. He acquitted h imself with dignity.
efficiency, a nd honor. H e was one of the
most genial, approachable bishops our
Church e,·er had. H e made fr iends e,·erywhere. As an administrator he mea sured
np w:th the best. He developed int o a
preacher of rea l ability and power. H e
a lways held to ,the old paths, and the
Gospel of Jesus Christ as the fath CJ'S
preached it.
W hen elected in 1904, Bishop B erry
was assigned to have his episcopal residence at Buffalo, w here he lived eight
years. That was before we had "episcopal
areas," and all the bishops "travelled
through the connection." In 1912 he was
transferred to Philadelphia, wh:ch was his
episcopal residence until 1920. In that
year the General Conference first established the area system, a nd Bis hop Berry
had the good fortune to be assig;1ed again
to the Philadelphia area. There he r emained for the limit of another eight
yea rs, making sixteen years in all a t that
important point-a period not exceeded
by any other member of the Board of
Bishops in a ll Methodist history. In 1916,
on the' retirement of Bishop Cranston,
Bishop Berry became senior member of
the Board of Bishops, r emaining such
until his own retirement in 1928.
Since his retirement Bishop Berry has
been actively engaged in writing for the
pr ess, frequent add resses and evangelistic
and prohibition work.
Retiring under the age limit in 1928,
generous fri ends purchased for Bishop and
1frs. Berry a beautiful $40,000 r esidence
at Binghamton, N. Y., wher~ they have
since r esided. Years ago Btshop Berry
purchased a summer home on the east
shore of Lake Chauta uqua, where he enjoyed many happy days.
In 1876 J oseph F. Berry was united in
marriage with l\'iiss Olive J ohnson, a t
Wa llaceburg, On t. Their married life has
been ideally happy. Two sweet littl e boys
(twins, I think) came to the home, but
they lived only a few yea rs. Their deaths ,
quite near together, was a grea t gri ef to
the parents. Mrs. Berry has shared a ll
her husband's joys and sorrows, changes
of r esidence and honors, and now survives
in loneliness a nd sorrow.
Bishop Berry was th e recipient of his
share of collegiate honors. He had the
degree of D. D. from Lawrence University;
LL.D. from Cornell College and Syracuse
t:niversity.
Besides Mrs. Berry, our fa llen leader is
survived by a brother, a physician, Dr.
H. G. Berry, of l\It. Clemens. The burial
will be later at Mt. Clemens, where the
bishop's father and mother and two children have their last earthly resting place.
Dr. Haller writes from \i\l inter Park:
"Bishop Keeney will probably be the on ly
speaker at the funeral here. Mrs. Berry I
wants me and Brother Clnrk to have some
part, as fr iends of his and representative
of Detroit Conference. The body wi ll be
placed in a vault here till spring, then
taken to Mt. Clemens for burial."
Tlhle Sat 1!..ll rdLay
"The Robin~s Early Son'gn
•
' By the ·Late BISHOP JOSEPH F. BERRY
16 Crestmont Road, Binghamton
(BishOJ) RP.J'l'V, who died at bls winter hom •·
Winter Park. F la.. last "iVcdnoMay morning, wA::~ nnr. of :Methodlsm'a l ~ading '1\'rlter~
and ed itor!!, and the day of his dea.th the New
Yorl{
Ohrlstlan
Advocate. d e nomination:::!
orsan, published the clalnty prooe given heJ·c·
with. NotJco th'c keen in s l!;'hl.. exaltation a.nri
beautiful spll·lt of th\l Wl'iter, s hining through
his rlavs of oain in tho Orla.ndo General hos
nl tal. nnd maintained. it would seem , until th•·
la!lt.)
111
·rnE ROHII'\'S EA.RLY SONG
By B is hop Joseph F • .Bcrt'Y
Tho birds came very early to our town la.t~t
spring. lt Is tL sunny p lace, and there arE>
many trees al']d shrubs. A song floated In ont
morning f1·oro a Ioaness treo out on the lawn.
A robin sang it. Y ou do n ot care fo r a robin'"
song, did you say? Well, never mini!.
I said, "ll1r. Robin. I ca.nnot see what you
can find to sing about," for scarcely a blade
of gra.'i.<J wa.s to be seen. Tho trees were bare.
Thfl shrubs had no hlldl. '.rho wlnd11 ble11.
coldly. Tho ice wa.<J still In the rivers. But
robin kept on !!tnglng. I could see nothln;- to
inspire 'a robln'.s son.g. Neither could be.
Rut he ltnew what he was about.
sin~in;;
Be
.....-a.~~
ror the blessing or springtime before
it came. ·He was paying In advance. He knew
\hat in a few days lhe south wind ~·ould blow,
the sun would bathe the eu.rtl1 with Its warmth,
the trees would· be covered with loaves, the
lawns wn1JJrf he C..'Lroeto<l wiUt c:roon. and the
rr~a.nc<• of lilacs and hon eysuckles and roses
would flll tho gardens.
Sp ring came. The robin !<now it would.
F or the God of nature ha.s never once disappointed tho birds .
~fy friend, is il a bit chilly for you jul!t
now?
Aro tho winds harsh, and the si'Y
darlt, and does s pringtim e seem to be long
delaye.d '! Your mood Is one of impa.llenr~c
and dlsc(Juragement. Your ltro has been hard.
'l'lle road ba.<J bee n rough. HJgh hopes have
oflcn bc<'n dash ed to the ground. You h a\•c
bcon lonzlng for sp r ing, something to change
the drab routine of your life. But it is w1nte 1•
still, ann thoro Js no song in your heart.
)(o matter I! sprlngtim~ is slow in comin;;.
SL'IG. Bt~ anyway. Slnl1.' as the rohin did .
!:;lng IJoca.use springtime is on the way. Sin~
because t omorrow Its ' tight and warmth a.nd
fruitfulness a.nd bea.uty shall surely be yours.
Sing in anticlpa.tf.on of the coming glory! Tun c
yout· soul totho Hallelujah Chorus of the skies!
"l<'or our lit;ht arrucUon which Is but for a
moment · ~ rl<clh for us a. ra.r more exceeding
and etcrn..1.l \Voight of glory."
Death of Mrs. Joseph F. Berry
RS. O LI VE L. BERRY, wi dow of
B ish op J oseph F . Berry, died Feb.
20 a t her h om e in Bing ham to n, N. Y.
Mr s. Berry was m a rried in Wallaceburg, Ont., in 1876. Bish op B erry had <~_,
been ordaine d two yea rs before in th e ~
First church , P o rt Huro n, a nd was en- ~
t erin g a minis t ry in th e Thumb Distric t taJ•
wh ic h was to lead him to the b i sh op ric ~
a s th e second bish o p elected from the
D e troit Co nference.
_ Foll owing his re tirem ent in 1928, the
Wyo min g Co nf er en ce, in New Y ork, presented Bi shop and M rs. Berry a $40,000
h om e a t B ing hamto n, N. Y ., which they .J
accep ted on condi ti o n th a t it becom e th e ~
property of the P reach er's A id Society \
of th a t confer ence af ter th eir dea ths.
(
F oll owi ng th e fun eral services a t Bing- 1
ha mto n, th e body wa s broug ht t o Michiga n fo r bu r ial.
Th e interm ent t ook place Thur s d ay ~
a ft ernoon , F ebrua ry 23, a t Clinto n Grove \
Cem etery, Mo unt Cl em ens, Mich . Rev.
Sidn ey D . E va o ffic ia t ed, assisted by Dr. ~
J o hn Vv. F lynn , pas t or of the T a bernacle ~l
Methodi s t Church, Bingham p ton, N. Y., ,1'
of w h ich M rs. B erry was a me mber, and ''II
Dr. J a m es L awso n, St. Mark's Me thodi s t~
Church, Detroit, formerly of the Philadelphia Ar ea over which Bi sh op B erry
presided.
Dr. H . G. Berry, of Mo unt Clemens,
bro th er o f B ish op Berry, Mr s. Weir of
A lgo nac, sist er of Mrs. Berry and several nieces a nd oth er r elatives wer e present a t th e burial se rvice.
Dr. ] . H . P ott s, form er Edito r of the
Michi ga n Chris tia n A dvoca te a t th e time
of Bish op Berry's co nn ectio n w ith th a t
jou rna l, was r eprese nted by his so n, M r.
] . Ri s to n Potts.
Bish op Be rry's fath er a nd m oth er are
bo th buried cl ose by th eir so n a nd his
w ife.
M
f
·j
Widow of Bishop J. F. _Berry
Succumbs Two Years After
His Death ·at the Ag·e of 78
Only Survivor at Bedside;
Funeral to B.e Held
Wednesday
Mrs . Jose ph F. Berry, widow o r
lhe late dean o f the epi sc op acy of
the Method is t Episc opal ch u r c h ,
died at h er 16 C r estrnont Roa d
home Mond ay a!te rn oo n at 78
years of age.
Her si s ter and onl y su•·vi 1·or,
Mrs. Lena .J. W e lr o f A lg on a c.
Mich. , was at th e bedside . Bis hop
Berry d ied Feb. 11, 19 31 . in Florida two years befor·e h e r de a th.
Oli ve I. Johnson B e rry was born
at Wallaceburg, Canad a, April 15.
1855 .
She was m arried to D r.
Berry at Wall ace burg in 18 76 , two
years afte r his ordination in to th e
::\1ethodist m · · ry and w h ile he
was pastor of t
• · t :\~I.E .
church af:t.Gratot, 1 1ch . :::1
She fol ,b wed him th1· lfth h e
v icissitudes of a Methodist mini str~·. as t h ey mov e d from point to
point. He p1·oved to b e a lead e r in
Michigan pastoral worl{ and s t e ac~
ily rose. H e h eld pulpits at :\fernphis, Algonac, Port Huron, Caro
a nd Mt. Clemen s .
Mrs . Berry was a n honorary vice
president of the Ne\v York State
Bran ch, Woman's Foreign :Miss ion a ry society, be ing reelecte d to that
office at the branch co n ve n tion in
Johnson City las t Nov em ber.
also w a s a m'e mb er of the Tab e rnacle 1. E . c hu r ch , boUJ woman·~
h ome and foreig n missionary s ocieties, th e Tabe rnacle Woman's
G uild and the Binghamton Mondap Aft ernoon club.
The f un e r a l will be held f l'om
' Vednesda y at
16 Cres tmo n t R
i\!F..S. ,JOSEPH l •'. UERRV
2 :30 p. m ., wit h t he R e i'. .John
Willla.m Fl y nn , p as tor o C th e Tabe r na c le c hu rch , o f ficia tin g. Th P.
body will be s hipp e d to Mt. CIC' mcns, .Mic h ., for b uri a l.
Berry, Joseph F.