Albig, Orville M.
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- Albig, Orville M.
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I O . I.~ . A lbie; ,
.Mini~ter·s
:
Record-Jlichigan Conference
This inforonation ia being g:uher~ for historical purpos.:!t
O. li. Al b i g
1-:-Name ·······································-··················(a) Date, place of birth ··---~~~-~-~~---~~-~---~~-~~-~---~-~-~!:-~-~--'··· lJ:i c h .
(b) If deceased, date of death
(c) Place of burial
2-~ather's name John Al b ic···················· (a) Birth, date, p~~-;···:s·e-pt"~--- 9·~---i842:···I;~~;;-~yl;~·;;ia
&-Mother's name.. 1t3."ry·· -,y:··· zinme.me~---· {a)
Birth, date, place····J.k·~~i~--6·:···i·a46·····P·~-~~~~i-;~;;ia ·
:-::~~rn::_i;~~~-~~~~~~~~~i!'f~~~:;~~F~~;r~;~¥~~~~~~·;::~~~~~~t:~~~?~J
Name~
6- Marriage, date, place
and places of residence, .if livin~. will be apprtciated
·--~-! .. ~.?-.'....~~~-~--~?._~_:.?.~-~---~-~-?.~_: ______________________________________________ .....................
(a) Wife's maiden name, birth, place
--~~-~-~~---~-: ...~~-?-~~---········-·-···········-··--·-··························-··-·--·
If there were subsequent marriages, please gi•o information
7-Children, pnmes~,date and place of birth, vocation, names of married daughters
(a) Ha.n.L ey v~ . Alb1g
Residence Lansing . Mic h .
(h) .....D.ai8· ··vi~ ---.A]j)ig····· ···························· Residence S~h~;;-~~-t~dy: ·;·· N·:··:y·:··········-···················
(c) --···············-························-························Residence ··············---···-···-··········-··-····-----------------···-·-····--··
{-d)._~·-······························································
Residenee
(e) ....................................... ........... ......... ......... RcsiJcnce ......................................................... ---------·········
(f) ........................... ······························-··········Residence
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It chiltlnm have :1ttained prominence, pleaMe give inforn;;.tion and any other information of interest
8- Educntion-schools attended. Give names and locations
(a) Rural schools #2.. Ra i sonvml le
(b) High schools
~
(c)
(e)
(g)
....... -.- --- .. ...... -.................... ------ .. - .. -- .... -.. -- ...
lion:r;oe ' 1Iic h .
... ---- .. ------ .. ---- .. ---------------------------------------
.
--~
College .?.~~-:':~~-!-~~E~~?:. ..2~E-~E~~---···· (d) University·-·····-············································---·······-·
Seminary
(f) Dl•grees held . A · B • A · M •
' .. -.. .... ---- .. -----------------------·
....... ----...... ...
. --- .... --.... -- .... ------------- .. - - ~ -- -"' ---- ---- .. --- .. ----------.... ,. Correspondence courses
'
,
· ······ ········-~·············· ··· ······ ·· ·-~- .
... ······· ····-;;L··-jJ-···· - ~---- ~·-· ·:····
~
Ct I
I
l 893 --~FLSlc •
• C • B e r ger , p , star
-- -.. -.. ---- .. ·--- -- .. - -----.,------.. - -- ----------- ...... --------------- ---------·-.- ---------·
9-Christian expcrienr.e and training
(u) Conversion, when, wherP, under whose labors
(h)
I'
Religious training
.... .. ........ .............. -
.......... ... - .. .. ... - .. . .. .. . . . - · - - - - .... - - - - . - - . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ,. · - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - .. .. .! .. _ _
(c)
United with church, when, where
(d)
Offices held in local
1 893
Stra sburg ,
,. __ • · - - - · . . . . . . . - - . - · - -
- ·-- -- ·
I da C ircuit, J.!ich . Conf .
------ --------------- ------------------------------------. . . . . . . --------.... ---------------------.. ----:- -- ~J.
church····---~~-~~---······························································································
1()-.-Ministry
(a)
Vocation before entering the ministry Prof essor Greek North Centrql C olleg e
experi~~~~---------~--~-~~~-~-~~-~-~-~-----~-~-~--~--~-~-~--~~----~~~~~~~--~~~~~~~~~~~~~-~y
····-;--~~-~!::~----~-~--~-~E-~.::~---~!!-.<?:~E-~.E~.<?:~~-!:~---~~E~-~---~-~-<?-~~-~-~---?::t!...tA:me...o.L.&rad.uati..Qn,
(b)
Call to ministry, when, where
Use additional 'heet of pape r if n~cessary
(c)
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Recommended by C ongrl'gntion
.
-······································;·····
pastor
R-e-conrr.a:enda t:t·o·rcwaTvea
(d) L1censed, when, where, Conference ·····---~~!--~~~-~~---9.9J':tJ.~J'.en.c.e .. p.er...Bish.o.:p .. S.1u·-e-n(5······
(e) Ordination, Deacon,
1 920
Elder ,l 9 2 2 or 1 923 Itinerancy 5 years
Give d3tes
(f)
·········•· · ·•······••···········
Credentials, from
·· ·············-·················
· · ·•·•···••··•··•·•·••·•· ••·•••·
Denomination, to...... - ............................................
ALo Conference
11 -Pastorates held,wheJ!,where
P ontia c Ca lva ry , L a ns i n g First Church
·------------·············-····---------------·:::.·::~~~~----·-·_·_-_z_c;;-.r_·_·_·_·?·_c;~--~- -_-_·_-_-_-_-_:_t·~-·x::~ :-;rq;_Zf~~~~~~~~---.-_~~-- -~---_-_-_-_..
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'12-0ffices held in Conference None ·
I
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- - --------- -;.-JS(; ·oth~·r
deOo1ni~a tiOi,S,.if·a,,y -----------· · ·-·· ·· ------·-· ---·---· ·-·- --- ---------------------- · · ------
(a) P . E. or D. S:; ('dat es).. ______ __ ____ __ ______ A._I sodi~-t~i~ i~-s.;;~~d----- - --: ............ _________________________ ________ ___________________·-------~(b)
Delegate to Gen. Conf.,· (datrs)............................................ .. -------- .... -------- .... ----- .... ----- .... -- .... -.... --- .. --------------.. ---·
(c)
Othrr offices held, name, date.......... · ...· ·· ·-·- · ··...... ·G iv e- ruiJ ·n~is ................ - .................. _______c - ,-;----,:~ ..............
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........................................................1;.--·····--··---------- ---------------------------------------................ - ............. - ............
13-Literary productions, books writtPn ~ : one .
(a)Pam~hlets and o1her productions . No~-~--.------F·(;~-e-r~y--c.'o·n·t-rihijute'ci"f're-ciuen-tiy"{c)'--ciiurc h
------------------)e·r:tod-:re:al-s--------·---------------------- ·------------------------------....
14-Politir.al affiliations and offices held
Republ ic an . · . No·· offi-ces held
15-0ther information that wm be apprr~-i-~~~;;~i-;_-~~~i·;~~i~---8--y~-a:~-s---~;:;--F-.;{c~ity .. N·o-riii.:.:c-~~nt'~ii ..college
(a)
Number of miles traveled .
·s ermons preached
------.... ---.. ------........ -.. -.. ---.... -. --.. ., · ... (b)- ·--:-.. ------------------------------==--------==-- --
(c)
Conversions _.............._(d) Baptisms..............·__:(e)
(g)
Members received into the church.............................-.....
16-Salary, highest amount received,
17-Fratern~l .relation s
-~-
~
V-ieddings................. JO
Funerals
........ ____________ __
00
19
2
_;}~-~~-~........... Jelll' .-..~~~-~......_lowest ·--q±?
year
g~'
~,
-- .. ------------------- ·--------------------
2'1
None
.-- ......... --------------------------------------·
-------- .... -----------------------------------·-- --------- ----------------------·-....... ----......
18-lnt-crcsting cxperienccs________ __ ~~~-- ~~~-~---~-~~~-::~-~-~~~-~---~-~-~-:r:'-~-~~~-~----?-~--~:f....~-~~-~---~~~-~--~?.:~-f a ct that the Mich i gan Conference never required a sermon of me, a prayer
--- ·a:r--an-:Ytiling---eis_e_~--- m:ore---e-i!:Pec-iaTiY.---~il~c~---:r---iia~i- -t-e-en---s·o--- ione---an--tile---:r-acul t y
·:rarg·e--··iact'o r
-------in--nly---re·i±rrqui:s:ru:·e·nt···ot-··tne--·a:crt·tv~---w-·c.Yrlc·of·--tl'l:~--m::i:trtst·ry;·············---------------------u--r--No r·t-n~ Ce Yi-trar--c-aiTe€fe· ... ---.T :hi s --i:iroke--my-..sp "ii~i-t---and--wa s·--a::·
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·-- ·-...... --- ... --- .... .. -.. . --.... --""="'····- ---------- --- ·--· ... ---..... -- ...... ............ -. -· ..... --................. ----------------.. ·---.......... ....... ------- ....................... .. -- .. -- .. --... -.......... -----------·
19-Remarks
. I J;eqret greatly tnat informa t i on regarding the number of
con ve r"sions·~---b 5::-e-t i·snH'i ·; .. vie(fdJ:iig s
·avuil'aoTe ...t'a··me---
"and.--·:fune-rai·s--ts---no:f'
·-----a-t--tre-- p-re-sent ·· ti-mtr~·-·T.LlP.T~· -~m·re···a:rjp·rox:rma-te'ly--·5o-··a:c c·~-s-gtons·· ·ctur-ing ··my
- -----~h-~~~--Y~-~"£.f?___ §:!..:t...J:..~:nJ:?.~:ng_~ ...Y/~_d.d.ing.s... an0...r::une.r~l-~ .. h9.Ye..."R.e.e.n. ..f.:r.e_q~_e_:n_t____________ _
20- This blank was filled out, date -----~~g~-·--·--~-'- ~-~~-~ place, ·-----------------Lans ing
, ----Mich
.. _____
.. -· -- .. -- ... ·---- .... --.. -.. . . . -.--. ·- -- --------·
By whom
~--~:~~~-1-~~-~------------- -·- _
Notc:Wc are desirous of securing for the Historical files of the Michigan Conference complete and detailed
information conrerning all ministers who havo sprved and are now serving in the Conference. The above outline
is intended to assist in securing such information in more or less uniform outlines. We urge the addition on a
separate sheet, of such other important and interesting information as cannot be conveniently placed on this blank:
In the case of men now living, the information can, of course, be only up to date. Photographs of living and
decl'flsed ministers, diaries, letters and documents of historical interest are earnestly solicited. Your co-operation
in behalf of t he Conference Historical work will be greatly appreciated. Kindly return the blank to the Conference Historian, W. H. Watson, Kalamazoo, Michigan.
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Orville M. Albig
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LANSING - Orville M. Albig,
82, died Monday in his home
here of a heart attack.
Services will be Thursday in
the Estes Ledley Funeral Home
and burial will be in Mount Hope
Cemetery, both here.
Born March 29, 1882, in Raisinville Township, he was the
son of Mr. and Mrs. John Albig. His first marriage was to
Hattie Loose in Monroe. His
second marriage was in Lansing.
He was a graduate of Monroe
High School and North Central
College in Naperville, Ill. He
taught in the college language
department. He was a retired I
minister of the Michigan Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren Church.
Survivors are his wife, Ella;
two sons, Hanley and Dale, and
three grandchildren.
1he-1w0ilil;1hird~sol m
~CJ/hc_ k~rd is m~ shcphCI'd; ~ sho II nd won!.
1
met~
.::.1lc moketh
lie dmvn in 9 r ct.t1 rosht res:
lfle lwddh me- beside. the. sli II waters.
~e rc.slordh mtj StJul: 11c. lc.odc.th me. in the
polhs
ri9hlw usncss ror~ is nomc:ssohc .
~Jto, thou9h ~wal l, lhrou9h thc. valle.~ 111£-
or
or
shodow~r dcoth.
1will
rear
noevil:
for the1 t.l art llJil h me: H,LJI'Od and
ih~ s+arr l~lC.~ comrorl me,.
1hou prcporcsl o table bcrorc mc 1n !he
F''CSCI1CI:
or
111ii1C CI1Cmic.s :
lhot.l anoinlcsl mtj ht.od with oJ
m~ cu p runneth o''c•·.
~urc l~ 9 ood11t. SS and 111CI'C ~ shall rullow
me. all the dotJS m~ Jir v
and ql>.? i II d,,nll in the houst the llsord ror t.vtr
tlr
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or
ORVILLE M. ALBIG
M arch 29, 1882
January 25, 1965
Services at
T he Colonial Chapel
Estes-Leadley Funeral Home
Thursday, January 28, 1965-9:30 A.M.
Clergyman
Dr. Raymond Brow n
Miss Clara \V. Besch, Organist
interment
EVERGREEN CEMETERY
J erome Droste
Otto Kopietz
J asper P age
G eorge Hillman
J esse McCoy
Paul Beach
(.tl1~ I
-Bearers l'·--,.·(.l?k])
Lansing , lli ch ., §ept . 6 , 1 938
Rev . w. H. Wats on ,
1 975 Le sli e Ave.,
Denroit , Mi ch .
Dear Br other Watson ;
T.hanl{ you so much for your teleg ram
of sympathy re the death of my wife . Yo ur p resence a t the
funeral would hav e been c omfort i ng had thi s been poss i ble .
I t hank God for her sublime fa i th a nd confidence in God d uring
her long illne ss . She had had a most convi nc i ng experience
i n Chr i st and the re is no question t ha t my lo ss i s her g reat
gai n. I had made continuous p rayer for he r d ivine healing a nd
had been assure d of mhe p r ayers for her n ot onl y of t he church
here but elsev;Yhere . But God ' s a nswer was 11 no 11 • I must submi t
to the h i gher wisdom .
Several weeks before her de ath I rece i ved your
le tter with form blank to be f i l l ed out . Of c ourse it v1as
i mposs i b l e fo r me to g i ve it the necessa r y a ttention . I tried
to fi ll it olilt ton i gh t a nd will e nclose herew i th . I t is now
Fourteen ye ars s ince I stepped out of the a ctive work. My record s
have not been kept. I c a nn o t c ive figures a t t h is l ate date
much as I re g ret my inab ility to d o s o . Anoth er t h ing , I have no
photogr aph mo re r e cent than one t ake n s i xteen years ago . It wo uld
no t be a t a ll suitable for use toda y . I trust it is not ab solutely
nece ssary t ha t photo g raph s be f u rnished yo u. Be ca use of the peculia r c irsumstances connected with my b rief i t Einera$y in the
conference, I shoul d g reatly p refer that my record be made as
b rief an d inconsp icuous a s p o ss i ble .
With best wi shes for your k ingdom worlc on your
district,
Sincerely yours ,
•
1 17 :fv~ .Jft,_ •
Lansing, Mich ., Sept . ) , 1964
Rev. W. H. vlatsom, Conf. Historian
Ida , Mich .
Dear Sir and Brother : I am finding your life sketches of past gr eats and near
greats very interesting . In sketch of Rev. Jacob Frankhauser you say of his
sons , "Not bad for pr eacher ' s kids. Evident l y the family uas a brilliant and
talented famil y . 11 Here are some fact s the historian could not possibly knovr.
I never saw the Frankhausers . Dates for Jacob ' s tenure of Monroe Ci rcuit puts
them some years before my time . But this pastorate had such tragic r epercussions
in my boyhood and so profoundly influenced my l i fe course that nearly 75 years
years l ater I am led to state the foll01dng.
mothe! ' s parents , Robert and Catherine Zimmer man , ovmed a farm and lived ne>ar·
the East Raisinvill e Church. Hother-'s only brother , John Oliver, born 1856 Has
20 years ol d 1vhen the Frankhausers came in 1876 . He became a close intimate or
chum of the Franmhauser boys . He soon took to the us e of liquor and my mother
al1vays. bl amed her br other 1 s dovmfall on his intimacy Hith the Frankhauser boys .
}fy
John Oliver had musical talent . He attended Hillsdale College and sang in the
choir of the College Church. He l ater marri ed and lived in Monroe Hhere his
use of liquor climaxed in family tragetiy. His wife vras one day entertaining a
group of ladies from her church when uohn Oliver came home and in the presence of
the ladies r emoved his trousers . A penitentiary offence the only thing that saved
him from being j aiied 'was modesty of the church ladies who r efused to prosecute .
The sorro-vr and di sgr ace of this almost broke my mother ' s heart and had such arr esting influence on me , of pr e- high school age that I vowed that not a drop of
liquor woul d ever cross my lips and none ever has . Ho:mroe in those days 1vas liquor
soaked with 28 saloons of old fashioned disr epute. In high school years students
often came to class in half drunk condition. It would have been easy for me to follow their exampl e , but I was kept and back of the horribl e thing that happened in
my family, I like to think w-as t lW Hatch care of God .
Prosecuting attorney, judge , congressman· the Frankhauser boys may have become.
Liquor may have fitted 1vell 1vith these professions . ~till my mot her • s sure belief that her brother ' s d01mtv-ard course came because of .hi ::; chumming l·rith the boys
of t he Vrankhauser family and the ineffaceabl e memory of the disgrace that followed
··makes me put a huge question mark after "Not bad for preacher' s kids . 11
This , of course, r equir es no answer .
not possibl y have kn01m.
It is simpl e recital of things you could
Sincerely,
~
6ij;((!
Lansing, Mich . , Nov/ 19, 1963
Dear Brother Watson: - - This is a sequiter- a final additi ve to our, to me
at least , interesting exchange. I t neither requires nor expects answer. I f
Adam Shier ( as everbody in that day mispronounced the name ) built the Ida
chur ch in 1 89~ , that pinpoints t he time and f i nds me less than 10 years old.
Agai n, if Heininger started \-Tork at Ida nine years before that it is logical
to think the Ida folks would want him to dedicate. Further, since he records
that the nine weeks sickness he suffered in 1891 made him unabl e to stand
while preaching until 1 ~92 , I am r eady to name him as the man since I sharpl y
remember that the preacher at that dedication went into the pulpit on crutches
and remained seated while preaching.
Adam, unlike his more excitable brother, was somewhat corpulent . It was the
day of the two-1-1heeled, horse drawn cart and more than 70 years have passed,
yet I can still see Adam in his cart urging his horse thru the impossi ble Monroe County mud, to and from his East Raisinvil l e appointment. Heininger, who
records that he travel led 264, 650 miles and as a general officer of the church
got into every state, told my father that nmvhere el se does rain stay where i t
falls as in Monroe County. You Ida folks may be glad indeed that some of that
mud is now paved and getting from place to place is easier than i t was in Adam 1 s
time. MY father gave the land on which that United Brethren church adjoining
his land was built and for a time Evangelical s held servi ces there on alternaing Sundays.
Pete was preaching there one Sunday (perhaps when visiting Adam)
and during the sermon his small Arthur misbehaved.
Petie quit preaching, strode
down the aisle, took Art behind the church and gave him a never-to be-forgotten
walloping , then lvent back into the pul pit and went on preaching as though no
unusual thing had happened. Soon after that the United Brethren locked the
doors of the church against the Evangelicals and this l ed to the building of the
Strasburg church (now long non-exi stent ) in 1889. So hot under the collar
were those old time Evangelicals that noone could have persuaded them that 70
years later their descendents would be calling themselves Evangelical United
Brethren .
Those were the days of church warfare. Old timers who lived thru our ruckus
called it "a quarrel amongst the bishops 11 • To them t he factions were 11 Escherites and Dubsites " .
Heininger always calls Escher 11 Senior 11 and quotes him
11
as saying , I will have my way if the church loses 125 , 000 members. 11 You
know, of course, that Heininger was not permitted to finish the l ast year of
his pastorate and went over to the Methodist Protestants.
I do not recall the Y.P.A. convention at Ida in which you say I had a part
but I distinctly remember one in 1903 somewhere on Detroit District. In
March of that year Heiningern~ oldest son Win died in Toledo, Ohio. Win had
been like one of my family since he had worked as a hired man for my father.
He was not a Christian and his brother John asked our Y.P.A. convention to
pray for his conversion . His father records tha~ he heard Win before he died
say that he was trusting in Jesus.
I was present as was Prof. Finkbeiner and many stud~fs from Naperville when(1 911)
a meeting lvas held in the Harrison Streett Church, Ch1.cago looking to reunion
of the warring factions. This we know came about eleven years later in Detroit. That night the Chicago church was packed to the doors.
Escher was
no longer around but on the platform sat Rudolph Dubs and Thomas 'Bowman . Those
grizzled warriors had lost all desire to fight• Students thot thr.- s ~ tuation
funny.
Said one, "They did every thing but kis s " • They shook !hind~, they put
their arms around each other and pl edged themselves t o do all in their power to
bring the hostile faction s together. Quoted Tom Finkbeiner to me next morning,
11
Men grow honest in the face of eternity ".
We of our passing generation may i.rell ask -vrhy so many t hings we thot Her e Christian
didn 11 t prove.....t o be that at all i.rhen He look at them 11 in the light of eternityrr.
Here for the first time on paper are a ·,few facts 50 years old t hat made me something the Michigan conf er ence coul d not use. I did not ask to teach at Northwesternnow North Central.
The then president asked me to t each , offering $50 per month
or $450 yearl y salary. First year my teaching assi gnment -vras JO hours per week
Hhen others had 12 to 17 hours.
Next year 26 hours and $650 salary. When next
the trustees met fello-vr teachers told theJll, 11 This will not do. Albi g is doing
more 1.ro~k than any of us ·and being pai d l ess . 11 When I told the president I could
not support my family on my small -vrage he told me in a sweet Christian? way , 11 If
you do not like it here go elsewher e 11 •
I i·rould not give up but irorked far into
the night, sometimes until near morning to make ends meet . Of course I broke under the strain- any one would - and i..rhen the t rustees released me , no less t han
three or four of them came t o me separately to t ell me what they thot. Now f ifty
years l ater it is interesting to have the pr esent presi dent , Dr. Schilling , write
me thanking me for i.rhat I did for the college .
l;<Jhen four years late~ on the urging of t he l ate Rev. J . M. Nyce I w·ent to Pontiac
to f ill out the year f or hid son-in-law who was entering seminary , I found by
actual count 11 church offices held by the mne manager ial famil y .
Um..risel y I
tried to remedy this . Perhaps a more l'lWD!: experienced man Hould have left things
as they Here. Church trustees met secretly ( something I still think they had no
right to do ) and cut $400 off my salary. Next day a trustee handed me a $20 bill.
Asked why,he pointed heavenward and sai d, 11 There is a God who knows 11 • Of course
t hat then and there cooked my minist erial goose and I had sense enough to know it.
Sti ll I tried doubly hard to make good at Lansing . Here my stumbling block was
my young folks class. It grei.r to surprising size (230 on its best Sunday) . other
teachers could not stand that . Said one , 11 We wish these young people would get
out so that we can get in 11 • Said another, 11 I wil l never do anything for that
S. S. class n.
Verily, if some of the things I have seen ar e Christian then I
have not read my Bibl e right.
I quit . Our faithful God has seemingl y not let all my sincere, earnest effort
go down the t(rain. 40 years later those members of my cl asses , nmv middle aged
and scattered to other cities, continue to i.rrite me , to my surprise , thanking
me for Christian guidance . I wrote much for the old Messenger and I have the
l ate editor ' s word that he could not get better ivork than I gave him . Maybe
some of it was right.
Of one thing 1 am sure . My childhood Christ~am home was right. So were the
ideals idth which I started . NovT it is eventide .
Thanks for your time. You
have waste paper baskets in Ida. May our God sustain and keep you and yours.
Sincerely,
Lansing, Ydch ., Nov . 11, 1963
Rev. W.H. Watson
Ida, Michigan
Dear Sir and Brother :
Will you kindly give me on the enclosed
post card the date on which the Ida church was dedicated?
I wish
to verify a chil dhood memory. This church, I think, was dedicated
by the Reverend s. Heininger, who as you know was the father of the
Rev. John Heininger long prominent in the Ohio conference and grandfather of Bishop Harold Heininger .
I have just finished reading the autobiography of the Rev. S. Heininger.
He was a very close friend of my father, was born the same year as my
father and like my father had served as a soldier i n the Civil War.
He
begain his ministerial career in the Michi gan conference o~ the for mer
Evangelical Association, was then assigned to serve on the Pacific coast
where his first wife died l eaving him with four children. He returned
to Michi gan, placing the children in the Flat Rock orphan home. Among
charges he now served was what was then called the Monroe circuit. He
thus became my father and mother's pastor during the early years of their
marriage. A life long closeness of friendship developed. The Rev, Mr.
Heininger was still living at the time of my father's death i n 1922 and
came two hundred miles from his home and was one of five ministers officiating
at my father's funeral in the now non-existing Strasburg church.
This much is necessary to explain my request. In hiG autobiography ,
the Rev. Mr . Heininger says that while attending a session of the East
Pennsylvania Conference at Allentown he was taken sick and obliged to
return home. I quote, "For nine weeks I was confined to my bed with typhoid fever. Thru skill of the doctor and the blessing of God my life was
spared. I found I had no use of my limbs and not until June, 1902 lvas I
able to wal k without crutches or cane. During my lameness I filled many
appointments and traveled thousands of mil es but had al lvays to rema:iin
seated while preaching{/'
MY childhood memory has the preacher at that Ida dedication going into
the pulpit on crutches and remaining seated whil e preacging. Such unusual things fasten themselves on a child's memory.
If I am correct
the church was dedicated somewgere around 1891 - 92.
I know Heininger 's
daughter Eliza was married to George Schaeffer and lived in Ida and he
was a good friend to many there especially the McFettridges. Incidentall y
my own first faltering sermons were preached in yhat church, so I woul d
like date of dedication.
Thanking you,
Sincerely,
(JJ;[,~
J AN . 13 ,
LA NSI NG, MICH . ,
DR .
8037
1 960
w.• H. WATsoN
F ~AR KL! N
ST .
\
\.
l b A, · MICI1 1GA N
DE AR SIR AND BROTHER :
S I NCE A.N Y RECO RD NOT TRUE TO FAC'f
WORTH LESS YOU WI LL WANT TO CORRECT A N ERROR
CONC ER~J I NG
JbUR t~A L
ME .. T HE
WIT H S I X YEA RS
I N THE RECORD
FOR MAN Y YE ARS HAS CREDITED ME
I N TH E ACT I VE WORK.
l'r SHOU LD BE FOUR AND
I WE NT TO PO NT I AC CA LVARY I N SE PT .
ONE HA .LF YE AR S .
IS
1 9 19
AT THE RqU ES T OF ' J '. M. NYC E TO SUP P LY THE PULPIT VA tT ED BY
J '. H. SO LT MANt f NTENDED TO S ERVE ON LY UNT IL THE NEX T;4.SESSIO N
OF CO NFERE NC E .
Ur:HA PPILY
Y EAR - A L S~ TAREE
HERE AT L ~ -~~§!N G - A TOT AL OF FOU R A ND ONE
ALL THI S HAPPE NED 40 YEARS AGO .
HA LF YEARS .
REM I ND YOU
FE RE I~CE OF
I WAS PREVA .ILED ON TO REMAIN ANOTHER
I ' NEED NOT
THA~
11
MY BR I EF STA Y GAVE A RAT I NG WI TH T HE CO N1p ERSOUA NOU GRA TA .0 t AND THAT T HEREA FT ER AL L DOORS
OF SER V I CE WERE C LOS ED TO ME .
CO LL EGE DA YS
KNOW I NG BISHO P E PP FROM
1· WEN T TO HIM AND ASKED TOB~ENT FAR E NOUGH
AWAY T HAT MY MI CHI GAN RA T I NG WOULD NOT
"HOBBLE
ME BUT TO NO
AVA IL.
l 'r BECAME CLEAR TO ME AS T I ME PASSED T HAT
BE I HG S IL ENCE D AS GENER AL SHERMAN WAS
I WAS
IN C I VI L WAR DA YS
WHE N AT T HE 0 UT S E T 0 F H I S CAR E E R HE SA I D, · 5€f S HAL L N0 T BE
BE S UR P R I S ED
I F. MY E NEM I ES ARE AB L E T 0 MAKE T H I S S T I C Kn '•
AS CHR I ST I ANS WE MUST F ORG IV E IF WE HOPE TO SE F ORG I VEN .
ST ILL SOME TH I NG S ARE EXCEED IN GLY HARD TO FO RG I VE AN D 1·
MUST CO NFE SS T HAT T H I S TREATMENT COMING F ROM THE MI CH I GAN
CONFERENCE
I TRfE D SO EARNEST LY TO SERVE MAN Y T I MES CA ME
VE RY n EAR TO DAMNTNG MY SOU L.
.
. v
§~ io(~ l~
IF
BECAUSE OF MY CH R IST I AN
I SHA LL
~ I N
OUT
IT WILL
HO ME TRA I NI NG AND THE MER -
CY AND GRA CE OF OUR A"LMI GHTY CH R I ST .
LIFE
I S BEH i nD US
TRUE THAT " tMEN GROW HONEST
NO T I N FRONT AND
IT
IS ST ILL
11
IN TH E FAC E OF ET ERN I TY t.
IF I
WAS 11 t1NSAN S 11 t THEN THESE ARE FAIR QUEST I ONS FORTY YEARS LATER . HOW WAS ,I AS LE TO iU IL D AND TE ACH SO ME OF THE LA RGES T
CLASS£S OF YOUNG PEo PLE
THIS CITY HA S KNO WN AND WHY DO THESE
YOUNG
FOLKS ~
~RITE
ME TE L L I NG
MANY NOW SCAT TERED
ME HOW MUCH GOOD
THE ~ORO OF AOD ?
PREAC H FOR
PASTO R,
LANS I NG C HURCHES ASKED ME TO
T H~~ ~ SOME NOT ONCE B UT MA .NY TIMES?
LARGEST, ·
THE YEA R THEIR
AND WHY DO MT .
HOPE
FIFTEEr~
CONTINUE TO
I DID THE M BY TERCHING THEM
WHY HAVE SO MANY
ON E OF o YR
M. E . ,
TO DISTANT C I TIES ,
YEARS
WHY DID MT .
AGO USE ME
HOPE
AS ASSISTANT
PASTOR WE NT TO HOSPITA L FOR MA JO R SURGERY
lD
PEOPLE
YEARS
LATER ST ILL GREET ME AT CHR I STMAS!
NHY HAS A P ROFESSOR OF YA LE UN I VERS I T Y AS KED MY PER M1SSIO N TO
TO
SET MUS IC SO ME OF MY P OETRY?
WHY HAS~ PH . D. FROM M. S . U. ASKED
II
FOR A DOZEN COPIES OF MY
11
DID THE
USE
FOR MER MESSE NGER
WHY D I D ED I TOR
SURELY
I
FRYE WR I TE
~ATTER N
T ·HE
REFUS I NG
POINT OF
O~N
ME WORK.
I CANNOT FORGET .
I " MUST FO RG IVE BUT
YOUR
LETTER .
AT
NA PERV "ILLE
f WAS
IT .
KNOWN AS
SA I D f ' D I D AN .Y THING
SCOUTING ~0
ENC LOSED TAKEN ABO UT
A ND C LEA R A N0
PHOTOGRAPHY
II 1THE
HAS T 1-1 E
FRO M MY
AS
YOU DID NOT WANT A RECENT SEN~ L E
TO
USE
EMBAJY. SSMENT TO ME
~ .
IN
IT
ARE
LITER-
FOUND THE
IS SMA L L BUT SHARP
OF COURSE
R E P R 0 0 UC E WE L L •
PICTURE
STUDIOS
TH E SOLLE GE
ATTIC TRUNKS
I COULD SEND YOU
T0
IS
PHOTOGRAPSE R 11 1•
COL LEGE
FORTY YEARS AGO .
u IS~ .U E E G E E II I
A CHRIST i fiiN
IS OLD STUFF " TO ME " S INCE
P I CTURES.
FIND WHAT
BETTER WORK?
CONFE R E NCE FOR
THEY D I D AMD MANY OF THE CUTS
ANNUA LS OF THAT DA Y ARE
A LLY FU LL.
20 YEARS AMD
I NTENTI C~
I F THE
A
HAVE
W-HY
NOR COU L D ANY OT HE R .
MY PICTURE W ITHOU T CO MM ENT THAT WILL8 fUrHH ER
OF COURSE YOU CAN
GRE ER ?
HE COU LD NOT GET
I ND I GNANT AT MY
CALL I NG ME A LAME BRA I N AND
THE
MY CONTRIBUT I ONS FOR
ME TH AT
HAVE REASON TO BE
To
PRAYER"~ROM
FOR THAT WO ULD
NO T
BE
TRUE TO FAC T .
PLEASE
TO YOU AT
MY F ' I RS T
IDA .
FORG I V E THIS
HOME
GROUND
NECESSAR IL Y lONG
FOR ME
YOU KNOW.
AND
TO
FATHER WAS
ELSEWHERE
RECORD
Goo·
IN
THERE
ON
IT SE LF .
SPOK&
B LESSINGS
I PREACHED
KID SERMON AND WITH WHAT FEAR ANO TREMBL I NG f
OF THAT DAY WBRE VERY K I ND TO ME AND
T I MES .
En t crT OA ~ .
f DA FOLKS
FOR THEM SEVERA L
CLASSLEADER OF " THE NOW DEFUNCT STRASBURG
f DA
CIRCUI~ FOR
CHURCH
50 CONSECUTIVE YEARS-P ERH APS A
JT WAS AT S TRASBURG CHURCH WHERE I GAVE MY HEART
AT THE AGE OF "
11
UNDER TH E P REA CHING
SINCER ELY
YOU RS ~
OF F . C . BERGER .