Obituary: Louisa Stokesberry

Mrs. Louisa E. Stokesberry, 90, of Route 1, Clinton, died at the Dana Convalescent Home in Dana at 8:30 a.m. today following an extended illness. Mrs. Stokesberry was born March 10, 1870 at Paxton, Ill., and was a member of the Center Methodist Church. Surviving are three daughters; Mrs. Geneva Campbell of Route 1, Dana, Mrs. Alice Sargent of Woodburn, Ore., and Mrs. Dorothy Helt of Route 1, Clinton; three sons, Chester and Donald of Indianapolis, and Ernest of Cincinnati, Ohio; 13 grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild; one brother, William Farrington of Clinton; and two sisters, Mrs. Mary Botner of St. Bernice and Miss Lila Farrington of Route 3, Clinton. The body was taken to the First Funeral Home where funeral arrangements are pending.

Rev McInnes' Ordination

Taken from minutes of the Burr Oak Church: "A meeting was called by the Burr Oak and Wolf Lake Pulpit Committees with Rev. McInnes at the Burr Oak Church for the purpose of hiring Rev. McInnes as pastor of the two churches. A motion was made and carried unanimously to hire Rev. McInnes upon the following conditions. He is to begin work the first Sunday on November [1940] and continue through the annual business meeting of the churches the last of April, 1942. His salary is to be $1,040. Burr Oak is to pay $540.00 and Wolf Lake $500.00. There will be no fifth Sunday off but it may be used as the pastor sees fit. His vacation is to be part of a week the first year. It is also decided, providing it meets the approval of the churches, that the pastor and deacons meet occasionally in consultation, the meeting may be called be either the pastor or the deacons."

When Hugh went to the two churches in Indiana he had not yet been ordained. The following information has been obtained about his ordination. A note from Dan Carlson, current pastor of the Wolf Lake Church, indicates that the Wolf Lake Church had a special meeting on April 26, 1942, and voted to ordain their pastor, Hugh McInnes. Thanks to the investigative work of Bonnie Stump, Kimmell, Indiana, and of Dan Stangland, a member of the Burr Oak Church, it has been established that the ordination service was held at the Wolf Lake Church on May 24, 1942. A Bible was presented to the pastor at this service.

Church Biography

Taken from History of Parke and Vermillion counties, Indiana, with historical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families. Published: Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen & Company, 1913.
Alanson Church was a native of Vermont, where he spent his boyhood and from there he came to Fountain county, Indiana, in an early day. There Josiah Church was born, and there he grew to manhood, was educated and when he was a young man he established his future home in Vermillion county and here was married (to Fannie Ford). He settled first on Helt Prairie, later moving to the old James land, which he bought for one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, which land was entered from the government by Elijah B. James. Here Mr. Church went to work with a will, cleared up the land and developed a good farm, becoming one of the substantial men of the neighborhood. His family consisted of twelve children, namely: Richard F., Alanson L., Nancy, Susan, Merina Jane, Mary Catherine; Josiah Otis is deceased; Eliza Ann, Joel Lincoln, Lewis Morton, George Wilbur, and John Augustus.
Josiah Church was a Republican and for some time was constable in his township.

Obituary: Ralph Campbell

Ralph Campbell, 88, of 614 South Main, died at his home at 7 a.m. yesterday.
He was a well known Clinton resident, having lived here all his life except six years, which he spent in Kansas. Mr. Campbell was born in Vermillion County, and spent most of his life as a farmer. He was a member of the Methodist Church of Clinton and of the Oddfellows Lodge of Clinton.
Survivors include the widow, Eliza Ann (Church); three sons, Claude Campbell, route one Dana, Glenn Campbell, Danville, Ill., Florence Campbell, San Bernardino, Cal.. 11 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.
The body was taken to the Frist Funeral Home and will be removed to the Methodist Church for services at 2 p.m. tomorrow.
Dr. George P. Burdon will officiate the services and burial will be in Helt's Prairie cemetery.

BMM Records

I have gone through old periodicals of Baptist Mid-Missions and have found your grandparents (Ray and Rowena Biddle) listed as missionaries in Hawaii having been accepted for service in August 1939. In our official bulletin of November 1940, they are listed with Mr. and Mrs. H.A. DeGroff and Mr. William Webster as serving in Honolulu. Nothing is mentioned about Hilo. An article in this issue mentions a ministry among our servicemen stationed there. According to minutes of the General Council, they resigned in February 1941 because they could not go to the field. Therefore, their time with Baptist Mid-Missions must have been of short duration and not actually on the field. I hope this will be of interest to you.

Jane Acker, Secretary to the President, Baptist Mid-Missions