Curtis, David A.
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R3V. DP. 'TI D
-~LOH20
Cl'RTI S .
This ag ed a nd well be love d man a ft e r many y ear s
of grea t useful ne ss i n t h e Christ i an ministry , ha s
ent er ed i nto r est .
For sever a l yea r s he hcs not
onl y been feebl e , but at t i mes h as b ee n a great
s uf fere r, and dea t h i s an es cape f rom h i s phys ic a l
weakness and pai ns that mu s t have been very 11el come.
Hi s Chri s tian exp er i ence
~as
l ong and r ich and the
l a test y ear s \"Jer e mell OYJ a nd golden .
'l'he li ght of
t h e bright 11orld nas ev e r i n h i s heart and it s h a l o
con ti nually sur r onded h i m.
Jvery one ne ar h im fe lt
prompt ed t o exclaim at almos t any time t h e l as t fell
year s ,
11
He h as f ough t a good f i gh t, he has lcept t h e
fa ith , h e has f i ni she d hi s cour s e, hen ceforth t her e
i s l a i d up f or h i m a cr own of right eousness . 11
Br o . Curt i s pass ed away at hi s home in Pet ersburg
l a s t Sunday af t ern oon , Uarch 5 , a t about f i v e o ' el eele
and vJas bur i ed i n th e village ceme t e r y on '.Vednes day
aft ern oon, t he fun eral s ervic e be i ng in cha r ge of
t h e pas t or , Rev . D. Uorton Cl ar k .
Davi d A . Curtis was born i n Smi t h f i el d, l1'1adis on
county ,
n.
Y ., Dec . 1 7 , 1820, and pas s ed t he e i ght y -
four t h an niver s ar y of h i s b i rth s ome weeks ag o .
He
bore a very pr ecious r e colle ction of h i s mo t he r ,
\"lho di e d when h e Vlas eleven y ear s ol d .
I n the s a me
ye ar , 1832 , his f at her r emoved to Lich i gan a nd
s ettl ed on a nev f a r m, n ith timber s till s tanding ,
Rev . David Alonzo Curtis
five mil es from Peter sburg .
page 2
Life under t he circum-
stances meant hard Y.•or k , plain fare, and limit ed
so cial, religious and educational ad vantages .
Tho
l ad of t welve used to be up ear l y in the morning , and
by the light of the f ir e and
~i th out
a t ea cher , do
h i s studying .
Hi s parents wer e rel igious and his ear l y memor i es
of fami l y prayer remained with h i m thr ough life .
He was espec i a lly i mpressed by the prayers of his
mother , who led family devotions i n his f a ther ' s
absence .
in 1 833 and 1834 Rev . B.
a.
Pilcher and
Rev . ."/illiam Spra gue v1ere preacher s on th e l.:onroe
circu it and hel d reviva l service s a t or near
Pe tersbur~
and i n the se Bro. Curtis was cl ear l y converted and
had blessed t i mes of communion
a lmost ecst acies .
~ith
God that became
His exper iences were such as to
ground h i m immovable i n the faith.
His ca l l to
preach came to h i m at the age of nineteen, but h is
timidity and l ack of education caused h i m to shrink
from r espondin g .
Rev . John K. Gillett pe rsuaded
him to accept and use an exhorter ' s license, and
people were converted under his appe al s , which gave
him some confidence and courage .
He v1as licensed
as a local preacher in December 1843, and in January
beg an to preach on the Dundee circuit, which included
Petersburg , Lambertvill e, Vienna, Rainville , Oalcville,
London, !,lacon and other preaching places .
In the
David Alonzo Curti s
Page 3
f a l l of that year , 1844 , he vas received i nto the
conf erence on trial at Coldwat er .
Fr om t hat time,
more than s i xty years ago , up t o t he t i me of h i s
de ce ase , he was in t he ranlcs of our J.Iich i gan Ne t hodi s t
mini s try without a break , forty -three years in t he
effective relation and seventeen in t he superannuated .
Ei ght months during 1863 he vJas in the ar my , and i n
his superannuati on he was abundant i n l ab or s and
useful nes s .
circuit,
Hi s past or a l charges have been : Dundee
1.~il ford
c i rcuit (whe n it i ncl uded Hartland,
Hi ghland , Brighton, Hambur g, 'ihitmore Lalce and New
Hudson ), Lexington , I ngham circuit, Ly ons circuit,
whi ch extended fifty miles along the Gran d River, and
include d Lans ing , to wh ich Bro. Cur tis an d h i s
coll eague , Rev . rim. Fox, went on the assemb ling of
the leg i s l a ture for t he fir st ti me i n the winter of
1 847 - 8 ; ll:edina circuit, Pal myr a circuit, which
i ncluded six app ointments, Clinton , liinne s ota mine ,
Kewenon Indian mi ssion , Pa l myra ( second time )
He dina (second time ) , Dundee , Augusta, Br ighton,
Hamburg, Lambertville, Clayton, L' Anse, Farming ton,
Carleton , Fa irfield and Petersburg .
·;Jhen on the
charge at Cl i nton he rendered to t he ch urch a special
service in v1hi ch he to ole great satisfaction .
An
aged couple comfortably we ll off had no children or
any other relative to need their proper t y , and Bro.
Curtis by long effort got t hem inter ested in missions ,
Rev. Davi d
Cur ti s - PaRe A
1\ l on~o
and our mis s ionar y so cie t y v1as ma de t he ir benefic i ar y ,
receiving some .;?4 , 000 t o
~,: 5 ,
000 . from t he il estate .
1
Bro . Cur t i s v1as ttJice marrie d .
1 849 , to Uiss
one of
~h ich
~a ry
]
1
ir st i n .April
J . Beal of Fairfiel d, five ch ildr en
died i n y outh , bl ess i ng their home .
:r.:r s . Curtis died in 1876 a triumphant dea t h as she
had lived a devoted life .
I n 18 77 Bro . Curtis wa s
marri ed a second time t o I·. as s Ella J . :Dunham of
Peter s burg, who has been a fa ith ful compan i on a nd
helper during the re st of h is life , and now survives
h i m.
Bro . Curtis was one year a super a nnuary, and
for a brief period a superannuate pr ior to his final
supe r annuation .
He had the di stinction of be i ng the oldes t member
i n continuous conferance rela tion i n t he Detroi t
confer ence, or t he olde s t man of the t hree whose
conference member ship began a t t he same time , namely,
in 1846 .
The t wo men joini ng t he conference i n
1846 and st ill living , slightly h i s juniors in years ,
a r e Rev . F . .A . Bl ades and Eev • ::>et h Ree d.
In
consequence of th i s pr iority Br o . uurtis was made the
was
hold er of t he Detroit conference cane , and it placed
i n his hands at a public serv ice held in Pe t ersbur g
Jan . 31, 1904.
He was a S\Jeet- spirited man, had great interest
in the c pread of the
~ ospel ,
nit h the kindest feelings
tov1ards his ure t hern and a wa r m heart for everY __nn_e
David Alonzo Cru·tis .
Page 5
a firm believer in the g reat sp iritual verities , a
man of devout habits and a conscience void of
offense.
,
Rev. David Alonzp Curti s
Sabbath evcnine , llar ch 5, 1905, Rev. David Alonzo Curtis hea rd the Uaster' s ~all
and ent ered into rest, in a higher sr.-ere, urere ~a te r poss~bilities of the divine l'Jill
are forever his.
Born in Srrtl.t hfiel d, t adison County, N. Y., Dec. 17, 1820; thus over f our score am
f our years vrore the days of his pilgrimage . 1't the age o f 12 his father came to l:ichio:m
and beflan pioneer life between Dundee and Petersburg. At a meet ing hel d on the south
branch of Uacon creed, Davi d '\~s conve rted at the age o f 13. The sweet peace of God' s
l ove becaroo his. At 23 he wa s licensed a s m exho Ite r and wa s acini tte d on tria l as o
mini ster b y Bbishop L. L. Hamlin, at Coldwate r , in 1844. After t wo years he '\'llS o roainal
Deacon, ani in 1848, Elder, Q Bi shop J anes. About 43 yea rs he spent in the inineront •s
ranks, and 18 in the super annua · ed relation t o his Conference ; ma ldng 61 years ofministe ticl.
lif e, much being spent in pioneer work and sane am:mg the Indians as a missionary.
CXl the 5th day of "'A pr il, 1849 , he was uni t ed in marri age to Miss Ma ry Jane Bea l ,
sho depa:rted this life Llar ch 17~h 1876. April18, 1877, !!iss Gll oo J. Dunham l:scame his
cam!Xlnion, tllnm he leaves bereft of a kind and loving husband. Th ree of his fi.vechildren
sul"'rive himf Cijarles B. Curtis, o f Ot sego Count y, Mich.; w. F. Curtis of Oklnhoma, and
Mrs . Bll a Campbell, of L' Anse , Mi ch. He al so l eaves one brother,( N rman D. Curtis, of
Fort Sco t t , Kansa s ) one sister, ( Mrs • .ll'mneline Traverse , o f Chic agof and 13 gr and children.
He vms 86ft one of the noble paflr oits of the war of the Rebellion, und served as
chaplain of the 18th Uich. Infantry , llilneteen of the bvency yea rs since the organi ?.ntion
of lloJ:Ean Parker Post o 2Sl., Pet ersburh, he has teen their honored Cha pla in, and t ha t
year he \'SS Canrnander. Tbey diu not forget llim in cea th, but \'li th n ags and tears t he
choi cest i'loror s , they ,·lith their burial oorvice and the Tieman' s Reiief Corps md t hei r
offerin§, duly honored the d:!ad sol dier.
Ai:'~ng t he places where Bo. Curtis preached \Jere Dundee , Petersbutt:JJ Deerfield, Lame
bertville, Vienna, Raisinville, Oakville , London, Mflcon, Uilfo:n:l, •'la rtl and, iilehland,
BI"lehton, Hamburg, Whitmore Lake, New Boston, Lexington, I ngham, Lyons, Lansing, lledinn,
Palmyra, Clinton, Indian Mission, Augusta , Cl ayton, L' Anse, Farmingt on, Carleton and
Fairfield.
Jan 31, 19041 he v.ns honored as the .first holder of the Detroit Conference c ane,
baing the oldest of the three \'Jho \1ere lon gest mem".;ers of the Confe rence, Re'll. F. A.
Blades and Rev. Set h Reed, joing the Conference at the rome time.
The services of i n tennent were in charge of his pastor, Rev . ~!. Norton C ark, held
at the Petersburg U. E. Church, where Bro. Burtis for years has ~en a constant, Q3vout
rorshipper. r;e thing no man VQ S more fai thful to the church of his croiee.
Rev. A. J. Bigelow, a dear friend of this promoted fe llo~w worker, conmended the
fereft into the hands of the Heavenly Fat her at the home . Rev. J . D. YcLouth of Dundee
and Rev. A. lj . Stirtion, pastor of the Presbyterian church, read sele ct protions o f God' s
vork; Rev. H. Vl. v;ri t ht, who was so intim:.1tely acquainted wi t h Bro . Curtis invoked tho
divine favor upon all wl'D kn6\-. the holy life of depa~ed worth. Ilia pastor 1 Rev. N.
Norton Clnrk, in giving a review of his long nod useful live , felt his O\m loss in t he c:tlath
of a personal helper, a wise counsellor, an d a loyal, fa· thful , devout Christian.
His life w·1s as ~meet incense falling on us all. His former pastors, Revs. J . M. Go rom
c. VI. Baldwin, E. U. :t!oore, Vl. G. Stephens, and J. B. Oliver, e~ch as time ms again
'
te¥ea f1'48Pe ule flf t.jeer ;;egj e Peflived over, spoke of thair high n:wrlcintion of
t his man of dOd, when Presiding ~r., Rev. E. B. Bftnl3ancroft., D. o. did I'M honor
to the .faithful oorvant of Jesus Christ.
We close with a few of the l ast words \thile his pastor was with him. He wanted
him to sioo II Praise God from Whom all blessing
He responded 11 Proioe God" ,Jesus
sZives, t hen a oon added "lAY Savior Jesus, glory to the Grea t I im" 1\fter res tine a 11 tle
he s aid, "Prep:lration is the l esson, Perfectly true, perfed tly holy, perfectlyrigh t . "
nm... "
Listen agai n a nd hear him s ay , nTaste and see the eoodne ss of God in this Grea t pl nnet . ''
Then, to rum up his christian life he s aid, "To- day it is a glorious experience , a l::il.essed
rope . II
Peacefully md c almly he sleeps near burled love, on the banl<s of the r-1 ver
Raisin wai t:i.nb the resurrection of the just. "Well Done'' •
N. Norton Clark.
~oieift
Travels in Lake Superior Country in I8SS·
RRV. D. A. CURTIS.
THE :MIOHIGAN OBJ
In the fall of 1854 I was appointed to the Minnesota mine. We landed from the steamer "Bam===================;. my bark snowshoes t>y ·the side of a. tree, leavin
Ward," at Ontonagon. On account of bad roads four o'clock P.M., this spot was so inviting we them for a wonder to any one who might find
we were compelled to rent rooms and stay there concluded to fix our camp and stay over night. them. Night came on, and we could not travel,
for two months. The mud having frozen snffi· We had neither frying pan nor kettle, yet cooked it being impossible to follow the trail. Too tired
clently, we moved to the Ridge mine. No vacant a. supper good enough for a. king or a. Methodist to build a. fire or fix a. comfortable camp, we en~
rooms being found at the Minnesota, Rev. :James •minister. Gilbert had shot two partridges during ' a. few evergreens for a. bed, and fixed others overShaw, my presiding elder, wrote to me about the the day. One of them we quickly dressed, or leaning aga.lnst each other, and crawled into our
time we got settled at Ontonagon, requesting me undressed, by pulling the skin off. Outting deep kennel for a night's rest. With wet feet and
to go to Kewa.wenon Indian mission and take gash es in the Breast, and filling with butter, we only a. cold bite for supper, why did we not take
charge of that work, since Rev. Robert Dubois poked back some coals from our fire and laid our, cold? Surely, the kind Father in heaven cared
was sick. But it was too late in the season.. game on to cook. Talk about yellow-legged for us.
However, in April I took a. tramp through the chickens! They are away in the shade. We i The third day we pressed on our way, hoping
wooJs from the Ridge mine to the mission. Six passed the night all right, sleeping on our ever- to reach home, where we could find rest; but as
times I traveled through those woods. One of greens, but bn~ned up half of the quilt we had ! we came in sight of Keweenaw bay the ice had a
those tramps I will give a. brief description of.
over ns.
l dark, forbidding look which said to us, it is not
Having moved my family through the woods We started early next morning, traveling ere safe. It was three miles across, nine or ten miles
on dog trains, we were compelled to leave some our path was made soft by the warm sun. About · around, and part of that through a cedar swamp,
things. 0 . Gilbert and myself went back after noon we came to the Sturgeon river, and found! with not a trail or even marked trees to guide us.
them. We stopped over night near the Ridge' it full to overflowing. How to cross was the I This task of going around the head of the bay
mine, and started out early. The day was brfgh
must not be undertaken near the close of the
and clear. We traveled about ten miles ver
day; so stopping a.t the last house on that side,
we took our lodging on the floor by the side of a.
comfortably; then the sun had softened the sno
so as to make it almost impossible to procee
stove. I am quite sure that floor was not made
without snowshoes. Fortunately, I had a good
. of soft wood. Wesley and • :John Nelson had
pair, but, alas! Gilbert had none. About ten
j some experience of that kind, if my memory of
o'clock A.M. we reached the Algonquin, a. deserthistory is correct.
ed mine. Here in a. log house I found a. pair of
Starting on our fourth d~y's tramp, we soon
found ourselves in the cedar swamp, parts of
snowshoe bows, took them into the woods, peeled
basswood bark and wove it into the bows, so that
which were impassable. Crooking here and
I could use them. They were very heavy. The
there, we soon lost all idea. of the way we ought
melting snow would load on the toe and throw
to go-could not tell which way the bay was
me down. Imagine, if yon can, how a man is to
from us. The sun was shining brightly, but it
get up when his feet are higher than his head,
seemed out of plMe. So confused were we that
and snowshoes heavily loaded with snow. 1 will
it seemed impossible for u '3 to make calculations _
not undertake to tell how many tumbles of this
which way to go. I said to Gilbert: "Here Is a
kind I took. However, I succeeded in keeping
cedar that reaches above its fellows, and from its
out of Gilbert's way, as he came tumbling after
top I can see the bay." A tall cedar is not
me.
climbed easily, aa the loose bark crumbles off,
In the afternoon of the first day we came to a.
but we must get out of that swamp. Reaching
small lake about a halt or three-fourths of a. mile
the top, the bay was in sight; so getting our
across. The ice was covered with water about
direction, we went on our way. Our next dlftl.
eight Inches deep, and we concluded that it was
culty was the Keweenaw river, but this time we
not safe to venture across. Bearing to the left, question. Having a. hatchet, we went to work were fortunate enough to find some cedar poles
we made our way around. In doing this we to build a. raft of cedar poles. This required among floodwood. Getting two or three of them
1
found arms of the lake extending Into the woods, nearly three hours of our precious time. With together, we floated to the bay. On landing, we
and to save distance we waded a~ross. We wore elm bark and cedar poles we made a first-rate soon found good traveling, and about two o'clock
moccasins, and ice water was not very comfort&- raft and crossed over in good style. But on P.M. reached the mission house, glad to find rest
ble to our feet. On reaching the east side of the reaching the east side of the river we found the at home. Travelers through ~hat country now
lake we found a piece of dry ground, and two water had overflowed, and so were compelled to know but little of the inconveniences experitrees had fallen, breaking near the ground, giv- wade about fifty rods in water from eight inches anced in 1855.
ing a splendid chance for a fire. Although but to one _foot in_ dep~h. __Finding less snow, I se~ Peteraburgh, Mich.
I
l
j
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44
r]) etroit .Annual Conference,
ed so long as he bad health aml strength. He tlicd at the age of sixtyone, of ch ro nic tlyscntcry, in Ypsilanti, DcccmiJcr 21, 1S7G. l3rothc'i:
~haw was a good m :m, a mi did good, a ll(( beyond doubt, has found
many stars in t he bright world, to b e~tud the· erow1i-of Jlis· 'rejoicing:
Mrs.l\fA R¥ JA NE CUJn" IS, consort or llcv. D . A. Curtis, m ember of
this Co n[cr cncc, \\·as born inl'eringlon,' 'K!on roc G~ New Y ork,
JYI:1.n;h 14, 1824. H er nwirlen na me was Heal. l:i hc was Jn:trri cd Lo
our Brothr.r C urti ~. 1\ pril G, 184!!, wilh \l' hOnl s he s haretl tlw l.d cs ~ings
a nd sorrows of life for twcHLy-~·awPn years, in tw c n ly-l'uur of w h ich
she bore her full portion of the t ri al ~ in cident to Ll1e life of :til TLincrant 1\let hodist .Preacher. ]Jc ing of ralher a feeble phys ical constitution, s he n eve r enjoyed very linn heallh, yet was sl1e paLi e11t aHtl ass iduous ill her dcvolion to i nl erest~ of her f amily and th e church.
La s Lfall :>he becam e exceeding anxious for Lhe sa lvation o[ he r ehiltlrf' JJ, a·Hd prayed t•. arn c~L i y for their convnrs iou. ::\he liv eu long
enough to sec t hmu all, four in nllluhe r, co nverted and lll e llliJCr~ of t ho
church during the rcvi va l in tl1 11 winter. Her la~t sickn ess was pneumonia, whi ch liui shctl its work in about three w eek ;; a11d afler mucl1
suJiering, patim1t.ly bom e, Rho fe ll a ~ l er. p , March 17, LS7li, fifty years
old. l:ihe died in great peace, full of the hope o[ a gloriow; immort.n.lit·.v.