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Barnes, Leemon

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Barnes, Leemon

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1\.'1-i
Rev . L r m,q n B ~r n e s w· s r-. rn in T., o nd'"ln, Ont a ri , , Se , t . 3, 1 R30,and be
di e ci ei his h ' rr' e i n '1 e c ums e h ~~ ...,v. ?~ . 1 901.
'/ he n Lema n ·"as s i x m0n t hs ol d ,
~ is p a Te nts m'"lv e o to Mi r hi f a n e nd ~ ett 1 e d P ' O r i "'~ n .
HP wa s c 0 nv er te ~ a nd
i,i nod th e M.E . Chur r h whe n 1 4 ye ar ~ ~ · afe . ftt 18 he wa s li ce nsed t ~ e x ho rt.
Be was educ- te d a t G' and Ra ·i ds Albi , n , a nd ~nn h rbo r . In 1 8 56 he r rad ua t e d
w' t h h0 n "" r f r0 @ Mic higa n Uni versit y and later ga i ne d a M.D . ~e gr ee f r ooc Cinci nn ati ~ cl e cti c Col l e ge.
He pr a c tie r med i ci ne fo r 3 years, a nd then ente red t he army a s as sur ge on
in 1 863.
' He wa s ne v e r k now n t o s hr i nk fro m d uty . He wa s i n a c tive s e rvi c e
wi t h hi s c olor ed c ha r ge a t Ft . Fi s he r when t he e xp losi o o f t ha t f or t c a us ed
suc h t erri ble d e a t h and c ~ rn a ge. Hi s d utie s ~ s an army surge o n br J ugh t h i m
i n c o nt a ct wi t h horri ble suffe ri ng , yet wi th fortitude nd l oy a l t y to hi s com ~
rades a nd fl a g , he k r ave d the se dead l y scene s a nd s t oo d wher e d u t y ca l l ed ever
be a r in g a bo ve th e f l a g o f his c o untry , "- hr is t ' s te ;:, c hi ng , "Wha t ..l do t ho u kno wes t
no t now , b ut tho u s halt k now here a f t e r . "'
Le ma n ha d ma r ri e d Ha rrie t Dot y i n 1857 at Ma nc hes ter. Four c hil dr e n were
b'"lr n t o them, a ll o f whom died i n c hi l d ho o d , or e a rly a dul t hoo d.
His c on feren c e ~ e m n i r st t es, " Aft e r l e a vi ng t he Ar my , y ie 1 d i ng to hi s e a rl y c o nvict i ons
'Ji dubr . he en ter ed the mini s try , io i nin P the De tr oi t Co nfe r en c e i n 1868 and f or
19 ve e r s work e d f8it h iully f or t he CPUFe he love d s o we l l. F i s ap o, intments
we re 2 8 f0l ?WR : b d~is ,~ Sout h Ba v Cit v . ~ l u s h i n g , l s h pe min g, Vassar, Lexi ng t on ,
0 r i o n , Wa ~ hinc t nn . a nd Pewab i r. B r '1 t ~e r b rn Ps w· s a f ai t hful pr a c her of the
w0r d and ma ny s eP ~ 1 f h ' s mi ni stry were ~ iven ~ i m in t he s e di f f e rent fiel ·s .
Hi s he al t h was nev Pr r '"ltu -.::' . ~ d ;_ n 1 P,8c:. he ·;a s C' ') mpell ed by poo r he a lth to
su per a nnua te.
1

' He l, c a t e ~ i ~ ~ e c u ~ s ~ h whe r e h e ' iv e ci · n ~ pr a c tic ed me dicine f , r 16 y ears.
Pt h i s de a t h t he p hy si iP ns o f t he cit y ~e t
nd pPsse d t he f ol lowin g : "Resol v e d ,
p r o je s s i, nal br o ther wh , wa s a s i n c e re
Tha t i n the d eat h 'J f Dr . Ba rn P~ we los e
a ni true l ov• r o f h is profe s s io n. To hi s pati en ts he wa s ge nt l e a nd hone st .
And to his p ro f ~ ssi o nal l if ~ , he add e d th e Christian faith, whic h gr e atly sus tained him when he l ay down t o rise no more,
"In the years of his retire me nt fro m a c tiv e ministry , he wa s no t idle , but
worki ng up to the ve r y l a st, be &rin g h i s te s timo ny i n t he p r a ye r - me e ting , in t he
Sunda y Scho o l and o f t e n in the pul pi t . The wr it e r ha d t he gr eat a at i s f a c ti o n o f
be i ng hi s pas t or f or fiv e ye a rs. He a l ways f ound Dr, ~ a r nes to b e a man o f unus ua l mo des t y, who s e pi e ty wa s u na ff ec te d a nd na t ur a l, ne v e r boa s t f ul bu t s wee t
an d a t t r a c ti ve . u e was a mode l S upe r a nnua te . He di d no t c r i ti c iz e nor re f er to
t he for mer day s a s be tt e t ha n th ese , nor s eek t o c o ntrol the a dm i nistr a ti o n o f
his pa st o r , He was a t r ue fri e nd t o hi s pAs tor. rle lov ed a 1 t he min ist e r s , but
t o hi m hi s pa sto r was t he b st mi niste r i. n the deno mina ti 0 n . f he wr it e r was mAd e
a he tt Pr pre ar her o f t he G, s pe l by hi s a ss J c i & ti ~ n wi th ~ r. B8rnes i n t he Ma ste r ' s
w0 r k . No o ~e c0ul d k now him wit hout ~ e i n~ mad e be t t e r. He ha d s u ch ~ hi g h sen s e
, f ho nor su r h a de ep f aith in th e t r ut hs of t be Go spe l a nd pr es e nt ed so be a ut i f ul l y t he wel l rou nd ed c h a r a c t ~ r of a rhristian ,en t l eman .
He "P A t he tr e a s ur er 0 f t h e c h urc h f o r t we l ve years e nd o ne of t h e mo s t
ef f i c i e ~ t we hav ~ e v ~ r k n ,wn. At his d e a t h th e C hu rr ~. The S . S ., the ~ pw or th Lea g ue
.<~ n n the Missi "' nP.r:y So rie~ i P s p l l fel t t hai t h · v hPn s uff e r ~ d a n a l m,.., s t i r re pa r a bl e
, oss , l:-u t e- 11 f el t t hp nk ful t o th e Hea venl y F t he r 1 ,r the 1 i f e Hi s s " r v a nt ha d
liv e ~ i n the ir mids t
whi c h 1 i f e hPd ee n a nd l 0np o ul d be a s ~ ur r e o f i ns piratio n t o el l wh1 kne w t he man . He l e f t a wi dow, wh o a s a l ovin r a n d f a i thful wife
had b een his t r ue hPlper . ch e wi'l con t i nu e t '"l ma ke he r h ome am ng the pe o pl e who
s o muc h appr e riate d her hus t and. '' The wr i t e r o f t he memo ir was ~e v . J o hn P .
Var ne r . a ve ry popul a r and suc c e ss f ul mi nis t e r her e i n t he 18 90 ' s , who s e rv e d
t he fi rs t f ivP ye 8r pa s t or a te , th e n t he l i mit al l owed , a nd who ha d k no wn Le mo n
BP rn e s so well.

Le t us not e 0n fu r the r fact . I n 1905 t r e Ch urch b ui l t on a 2 4 fo ot ad o n the no rth end of the old church, b ui l t in 1863 ~ 4 in Ci vil War days,
which ga ve the Church a ki t c hen and a S unday ~ ch ~o1 r oom upst a i rs. ~ rs. Ba rnes
gave a subst a ~ t ial gift, and the Church in g r Et i tude for the loving s e r vice
o f Rev. Dr. an d ~rs. Ra rne s, made th is add ition a me morial t o t hem. An ri s o
the life, labo rs, a n8 a ract er of this Methodist mini ste r and Chris t ian d oc tor,
we re lon g remembered in the ~ ec umseh Chur c h.
d i ti ~ n