USA > Illinois > Church of the Brethren in southern Illinois > Part 19
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AUSBY WARD SWINGER was born in Crawford County, Illinois, May 30, 1905, the son of Jesse and Minnie Colli- flower Swinger. He was married to Mary Senger of Astoria, Illinois, June 2, 1935; they are the parents of one son and two daughters. Mary Senger Swinger was the daughter of Samuel J. C. and Ida Bucher Senger, born in Fulton Coun- ty, Illinois, April 26, 1908. She was baptized by S. G. Bucher August 17, 1918. She has been district aid director since
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1944. Ausby studied for a time at Bethany Biblical Sem- inary. In 1914 he was baptized by Elder Jesse C. Stoner, elected to the office of deacon in 1925, elected to the min- istry September 18, 1933, and ordained to the eldership Oc- tober 6, 1939. He has served the church at La Motte Prai- rie, Illinois, 1914-1940, as lay- man, deacon, and minister; at Hurricane Creek, Illinois, 1940-1947, as pastor and elder; at Walnut Grove and Martins AUSBY W. SWINGER AND WIFE Creek in a joint pastorate, since 1947; at Romine, Pleas- ant Grove and Kaskaskia as elder-in-charge; on Standing Committee once; as a member of the board of administration; as an evangelist in a num- ber of churches.
JACOB SWINGER was born in Lebanon County, Pennsyl- vania, February 8, 1836, to Jacob and Anna Mariah Stager Swinger. He married Martha Hyre of Darke County, Ohio, in 1857; they had seven sons and five daughters. His second marriage was to Mollie Swank of Darke County, Ohio, in March 1896. His last marriage was to Rachel Caldwell of Warrensburg, Missouri, in June 1904. He farmed in Ohio until about 1865, then moved to Crawford County, Illinois, where he also farmed. He was elected to the ministry in the La Motte Prairie church, Illinois, in 1873 and there was ordained to the eldership in 1893. His work was largely in his home congregation, where he served as minister and elder.
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JOHN WILLIAM SWITZER, son of John Henry and Rebec- ca Lambert Switzer, was born in Augusta County, Virginia, April 27, 1856. He married Mary Jane Tawzer, of Roanoke, Illinois, November 23, 1879; to them were born three daughters. Coming with his parents to Woodford County, Illinois, when a young man, he worked for a time for Elder James R. Gish, then farmed for the rest of his life near Roanoke. Baptized by Elder Caleb Brubaker about 1894, he was elected to the ministry in 1899 and ordained to the eldership in 1904. He was the elder of the Panther Creek church and also of the Oak Grove church, did some evangelistic work, and worked with Elder D. L. Miller in Mount Morris, Illi- J. W. SWITZER nois, 1908-1909. He died in Woodford County, Illinois, Oc- tober 2, 1942.
ALLEN TAYLOR
ALLEN TAYLOR was born in Perry County, Tennessee, March 25, 1829. He was baptized into the Church of the Brethren in 1860. Ellen L. Towner of Alton, Illinois, became his wife on No- vember 14, 1850; they were the parents of one son and four daughters. He was self-educated, as he used his spare mo- ments in study, had an excellent mem- ory, and was well versed in the Scrip- tures. While farming in Fayette and Bond counties, Illinois, he did much evangelistic work in the district through the winter seasons. He was elected to
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the ministry in the Hurricane Creek church in 1860. His wife died on September 22, 1896. His death occurred on June 9, 1905.
ROY B. TEACH was born in Clark County, Ohio, June 19, 1887, to David M. and Clara Belle Dresher Teach. On August 20, 1910, he married Alma Dell Barnhart of Donnelsville, Ohio; to them five daughters were born. Mrs. Teach died in January 1950. He was bap- tized by Elder Jacob Sandy on December 18, 1903. His educa- tion consisted of the normal course at Manchester College and study at Bethany Biblical Seminary, 1919-1924; from the latter school he received a B.S.L. degree. From 1908 to 1911 he taught school in Ohio; from 1911 to 1919 he farmed ROY B. TEACH AND WIFE in Ohio. Elected a deacon on August 22, 1914, he became a minister on May 25, 1918, and an elder in October 1924. A summary of his work in the church follows: fieldman, Bethany Biblical Seminary, sum- mers, 1921-1924; pastor, Loon Creek, Indiana, 1924-1927; fieldman, McPherson College, 1927-1930; pastor, Loon Creek, 1930-1937; pastor, Brookville, Ohio, 1937-1947; pastor, Cerro Gordo, Illinois, since 1947; elder of a number of churches in Indiana and Ohio; evangelist in various congregations; Standing Committeeman twice.
LELAND GEORGE TEMPLETON was born in Finney County, Kansas, July 15, 1888, the son of George and Mary Reynolds Templeton. On October 25, 1908, he was baptized by D. J.
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Blickenstaff in the Oakley church, Illinois. He was united in marriage to Viola Frantz of Cerro Gordo, Illinois, Decem- ber 28, 1913. Besides earning an A.B. degree at Mount Mor- ris College, he has attended McPherson College, the Uni- versity of Wisconsin and Pittsburg Teachers' College. The Oakley congregation called him to the ministry on October 25, 1910; he was or- dained to the eldership in the LELAND G. TEMPLETON AND WIFE Southeastern District of Kan- sas. During the year 1913-1914 he was pastor at Colorado Springs, Colorado, and at Larned, Kansas, 1922-1923; once he was a member of Standing Committee. After serving as a school superintendent in Kansas from 1924 to 1943, he has been a teacher in the high school at Decatur, Illinois, since 1943.
WILLIAM J. TINKLE, son of John William and Mary Elizabeth Miller Tinkle, was born in Grant County, In- diana, November 20, 1892. He married Lula Rench of Mun- cie, Indiana, on August 1, 1916; they have one son and one daughter. From Manchester College he received an A.B. in 1916; for one year, 1919-1920, he studied in Bethany Bib- lical Seminary; Ohio State University granted him an M.A. in 1927 and a Ph.D. in 1932. He has been a teacher most of his life. For three years, 1941-1944, he taught at La Verne College, and for ten years at Taylor University; at present he lives on a farm in Indiana and teaches part-time at Ball State Teachers College. He was baptized by W. L. Hatcher in March 1905, elected a minister in January 1914, and or- dained an elder in December 1922. To the church he has
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given service in various capacities: worker for the Mission Board, Little Walnut church, Indiana, 1917-1918; pastor, Bellefontaine, Ohio, 1918-1919; pastor, Portland, Indiana, 1920-1922; elder, Bethel Center, Indiana, 1933-1936; pastor and elder, Cerro Gordo, Illinois, 1939-1941.
DAVID TROXEL was born in Miami County, Ohio, March 1, 1829. In his youth he moved to Indiana. On April 4, 1850, he married Anna M. Zeck; six children were born to them. He was called to the ministry at Ash Ridge, Wisconsin, in 1854. Moving to Illinois in 1865, he located near Cerro Gordo, and in 1880 moved into the town. He was ordained to the eldership in 1876, and had charge of the Cerro Gordo congregation for a number of years, being also elder of a number of congregations in the district and a successful evangelist. His death occurred on August 18, 1908.
HENRY TROXEL was born in Darke County, Ohio, May 9, 1825. He married Elizabeth Bowman of Indiana; she died in 1850, leaving two sons. In 1850 he married Mary Shepard; to them were born eight sons and four daughters. The Troxel family moved to Richland County, Wisconsin, in 1854 and became charter members of the Ash Ridge church. Here he was elected to the ministry the same year. He preached in both English and German, emphasizing doc- trine. Moving at a later date to Illinois, he served in the ministry in the La Place and Oakley congregations. In 1876 he moved to Texas, preaching in Texas, Indian Territory, and Oklahoma for about twenty-seven years. He died in August 1903.
JACOB TROXEL was born in Darke County, Ohio, March 14, 1823. Moving to Tippecanoe County, Indiana, he mar- ried Martha Jane Mahan; four sons and three daughters were born to them. Early in the sixties, he moved to Cerro Gordo, where he served in the ministry and was an effi-
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cient carpenter. He had fifty-five years of active ministry, the larger part of it in Kansas, where he died November 23, 1905.
LEONARD F. TURNER, son of Nathan and Julia Richey Turner, was born March 24, 1872, in Rockingham County, Virginia. He married Alice Fawley on September 29, 1895; one son was born to them. He farmed in Virginia until 1904, when he moved to Piatt County, Illinois. He was baptized by George Fulk in 1896, elected deacon in 1897, called to the ministry in 1898, and ordained to the eldership in the La Place church, December 4, 1909. His services in the free ministry were given at Mountain Grove, Virginia, and La Place, Illinois. He died December 2, 1925.
DANIEL ULERY, the son of David and Elizabeth Ulery, was born December 21, 1852, in Carroll County, Indiana. Early in life he united with the Church of the Brethren in Clinton County, Indiana. The Romine church, Illinois, elect- ed him deacon in 1877 and called him to the ministry in 1881. He moved to the Pleasant Grove church in 1902 and was ordained there. In 1874 he married Susan Ulery; five daughters were born to them. He died December 13, 1919.
GEORGE ULERY was born near North Manchester, Indi- ana, April 11, 1852, to Jacob and Christina Heater Ulery. He came to Piatt County, Illinois, when about twenty-one years of age. On December 30, 1875, he was married to Hannah Kuns of near Milmine, Illinois; one son was born to them. Mrs. Ulery died on November 1, 1941. Brother Ul- ery, a faithful member of the Church of the Brethren, was elected to the office of deacon in the Milmine congregation in 1894. After the disorganization of this church his member- ship was held in the La Place church. He was generous in giving to the church and to missions. In November 1942 he purchased a beautiful home in La Place and gave it to the
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congregation for a parsonage. A successful farmer, he made the General Mission Board of the Church of the Brethren the beneficiary of a splendid farm of one hundred fifty acres near Lintner, Illinois. He died on February 17, 1943.
ALBERT W. VANIMAN was born to Daniel and Maria Kim- mel Vaniman on August 25, 1859, near Dayton, Ohio. When fourteen years old he united with the church in the Pleas- ant Hill congregation and was baptized by John Metzger. When Mount Morris College was opened in 1879, Albert was one of the first to enroll. While at college he met Alice Moore, to whom he was married on June 18, 1882. They together continued school work at McPherson College; then he took a course in medicine in the Kansas Medical Col- lege, graduating in 1896. For five years he served as busi- ness manager of McPherson College. On September 6, 1884, he was elected to the ministry in St. Louis, Missouri, and in 1899 was ordained an elder. He and his wife answered the call for the India mission field in 1892 and were accepted by the Conference in 1894. Then, because only three were to be sent, the Vanimans resigned in favor of Brother and Sister Wilbur Stover. In 1895 they went to Texas and spent three years there in mission work. In 1900, because of a pressing need for a missionary to Sweden, they went to that country and served for five years. Compelled to leave the field on account of failing health, they returned to America and made their home in southern California. He died March 14, 1908, at Raisin, California.
DANIEL VANIMAN, son of Jacob and Mary Bowman Vani- man, was born February 4, 1835. He taught public school. In 1858, on September 2, he married Maria Kimmel; to them one son was born. On June 2, 1860, his wife died. On February 28, 1861, he married Elizabeth Stutsman; to them were born five sons and one daughter. In 1864 he moved
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near Virden, Illinois, and farmed. In 1859 he and his wife united with the Church of the Brethren. On April 8, 1865, he was elected to the min- istry in the Macoupin Creek church; there, on September 15, 1876, he was ordained elder by David Frantz and John Metzger and was given charge of the church. He was a leader in the Sunday-school and missionary movements of the district; six times he represented the district on the Standing Committee, was moderator of Annual Meeting three times, and often served as one of the officers of district meetings. In 1889 he moved to McPherson, Kan- DANIEL VANIMAN sas. A writer of ability, he was a regular contributor to the Brethren's publications, wrote many tracts, and framed the missionary plan adopted in 1884. The same year he was made a member of the General Mission Board, and was its president from 1885 to 1894. As the traveling secretary of the board, he spent many years raising a large endowment and raising the fifty thousand dollars necessary for the purchasing of the publish- ing interests of the church. He died at McPherson on No- vember 15, 1903.
DAVID VANIMAN, son of Jacob and Mary Bowman Vani- man, was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, April 20, 1827. In 1845 he married Elizabeth Bowser; to them were born five sons and one daughter. After farming in Ohio he came with his family to Illinois in 1863. He helped build the Pleasant Hill church house, was a deacon in that church for many years, helped in the organization of the first dis-
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trict mission board and was its foreman from 1885 to 1893. He died in 1897.
JACOB WAGGONER, son of David and Elizabeth Shively Waggoner, was born April 14, 1820, in Montgomery County, Ohio. He married Barbara Wolf on July 18, 1841, and they made their home in Clinton County, Indiana, where their six children were born. His second marriage was to Hannah Ulery Blickenstaff of Clinton County, in 1866. He was elected deacon at Rossville, Indiana, about 1850; called to the ministry in 1857; and ordained elder in 1867. His second wife died on September 10, 1871. He moved to La Place, Illinois, when he married Hannah Shively Wolf of that locality, on January 10, 1872. He became elder-in-charge of the Okaw (now La Place) congregation and was a strong defender of truth. He died at La Place on October 4, 1887.
DAVID T. WAGNER, son of Daniel D. and Esther Wagner, was born near Pyrmont, In- diana, August 23, 1852. With his parents he came to Macon County, Illinois, in 1856. He was baptized by Daniel Neher in 1874. On November 1, 1881, Virginia Peffley became his wife. They moved near Beecher City, Illinois, in 1892, the year the Kaskaskia church house was built. There he DAVID T. WAGNER AND WIFE was elected to the ministry in 1894 and served as their pastor for nearly a half century, dur- ing which time he and Sister Wagner filled an important
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place in the hearts of the people of the church and the en- tire community. Ordained to the eldership in 1900, he pre- sided over this congregation until 1937. He was in charge of the Romine church for thirteen years. He served once on Standing Committee. In 1943 they moved to the Home at Girard, Illinois. He died November 14, 1947.
OSCAR WILLIAM WAGNER, son of William H. and Nannie Blocker Wagner, was born at Franklin Grove, Illinois, Feb- ruary 28, 1889. He was baptized in his youth by D. L. Miller. He was married to Ferne Morningstar, December 21, 1911; they had one son and one daughter. A B.S.L. degree was received in 1923 from Bethany Biblical Seminary. Elected to the ministry on December 1, 1896, he was ordained an elder in 1914. As pastor he served the Oak Grove church, Illinois, in 1924 and the Canton church, Illinois, during 1925 and 1926. Moving to Adrian, Missouri, he became the farm- er-minister and elder of the church. Once he served on Standing Committee. He died at Adrian on March 14, 1947.
J. ELMER WAGONER, son of Eli and Lydia Frantz Wagoner, was born near Hammond, Illinois, November 26, 1881, and grew up near La Place, Illi- nois. He united with the Church of the Brethren in 1900. For several years he taught in the public schools. On March 5, 1911, at Cerro Gordo, Illi- nois, he was married to Ellen Heck- man; they had two daughters. In 1909 he was elected to the ministry at La J. ELMER WAGONER Place, and was ordained an elder in 1919. In 1913 they moved to Mount Morris, Illinois, where he finished his college course, then entered Bethany Biblical Seminary. In
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1919 he received both an A.B. and a B.D. degree. The summer of 1919 was spent in deputation work in southern Illinois. Early in 1920 the Wagoners went to the India mis- sion field. After a year in language study at Bulsar, they were at Vyara a year and then returned to Bulsar, where he worked with the two hundred boys in the boarding and day school. While detained at home on furlough, he served as pastor, 1927-1929, at the Peebles and Marble Furnace churches in Ohio. Returning to India in 1929, with a group of helpers they toured the villages in evangelistic work. It made no difference where he was located, or to what work he was assigned-whether industrial, carpentry, schoolwork or district evangelism-he entered gladly into the task and worked to the limit of his strength. He loved the people with whom he worked and they knew it. While on a preach- ing tour among the villages, he suddenly became sick and died on November 21, 1930.
CHARLES H. WALTER was the son of Edward and Mary Baltz Walter; he was born in Botetourt County, Virginia, on December 23, 1862. The family moved to Augusta Coun- ty, Virginia, where his boyhood days were spent. On Sep- tember 10, 1882, he married Mary Lydia Phillips; seven children came into their home. Moving to Astoria, Illinois, in 1882, he was a farmer and a carpenter. On January 20, 1884, he united with the Church of the Brethren at Wood- land. He was elected deacon on October 4, 1902, and a minister on October 7, 1903. During his twenty-four years in the ministry he held fifty-six series of meetings resulting in nearly three hundred conversions. He died January 11, 1928.
DAVID F. WARNER, son of Lorenzo and Celestia Warner, was born at Greenville, Ohio, August 8, 1875. His educa- tion was received at Ferris Institute, Mount Morris College,
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and Bethany Biblical Seminary. He married Grace Gnagey. He was baptized at Mexico, Indiana, on June 4, 1899; elect- ed to the ministry in the Sugar Ridge church, Michigan, February 20, 1909; and ordained at Virden, Illinois, Novem- ber 16, 1915, when he was serving the first pastorate of that church. He began teaching in the public schools of Michigan when he was sixteen, spent ten years there and taught one year in the academy at Mount Morris. He has served as pastor in Indiana, in Brethren and community churches, and has been editing a religious column for three rural magazines for ten years.
ERVIN WEAVER was born near Bremen, Indiana, on March 26, 1888, the son of Benjamin and Sarah Weaver. He at- tended Manchester College and Bethany Bible Training School. He married Hattie Carbiener on October 3, 1911. In June 1899 he united with the Church of the Brethren at Bremen and was called to the ministry there in October 1908. As a pastor he served churches in Michigan, Wiscon- sin, Indiana, and Ohio, and the Oak Grove church in South- ern Illinois, where he was ordained to the eldership.
CLINTON IRA WEBER, son of Thomas Martin and Lizzie Viola Johnson Weber, was born in Fulton County, Illinois, January 18, 1898. He married Margaret Alice Nelson of Warrensburg, Missouri, June 11, 1919; two sons were born to them. His training was received in Muskingum College, Bethany Biblical Seminary, and Butler University. He was baptized by J. J. Johnson on November 25, 1917, elected a minister on August 22, 1920, and ordained an elder in 1937. C. I. Weber has been pastor of these churches: Chippewa Valley, Wisconsin, 1922-1924; Kansas City, Missouri, 1924- 1925; Allison Prairie, Illinois, 1925-1927; La Motte Prairie, Illinois, 1925-1929; White Cottage, Ohio, 1929-1934; Indian- apolis, Indiana, 1936-1938; Hutchinson, Kansas, 1938-1945;
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Dallas Center, Iowa, 1945-1949; Omaha, Nebraska, since 1949. He has moderated district conference and been a member of Standing Committee.
MARGARET ALICE WEBER was born in Johnson County, Missouri, on October 21, 1899, the daughter of Robert Mitchell and Mary Nellie Polk Nelson. Her marriage to Clinton Ira Weber took place on June 11, 1919. In Novem- ber 1911 she was baptized by J. D. Mohler. She holds a diploma in sacred music from Bethany Biblical Seminary. In addition to sharing in the work of the parishes in which they have served, she has taught piano and voice, and has directed congregational, evangelistic and choir singing.
RUSSEL C. WENGER, son of John V. and Sarah Catharine Cloppert Wenger, was born in Miami County, Ohio, March 23, 1887. He was baptized by William Minnich in October 1906. Ada A. Klepinger became his wife on October 17, 1909; one son and three daughters were born to them. He received an A.B., 1918, from Manchester College, a B.D., 1919, from Bethany Biblical Seminary, and an A.M., 1920, from the University of Chicago, and has studied in North- western University and Ohio State University. From 1919 to 1942 he taught at Manchester College. From 1925 to 1930 he did extension institute teaching for Indiana University. Elected to the ministry on March 17, 1910, he was ordained to the eldership on December 7, 1922. These churches have had his pastoral services: Pleasant Dale, Indiana, 1921-1925, part-time; Pleasant View, Indiana, 1927-1932, part-time; North Winona, Indiana, 1934-1940, part-time; Springfield, Illinois, 1942-1945, full-time; Indianapolis, Indiana, 1945- 1949, full-time; Grand Rapids, Michigan, since 1949.
HARRY ARTHUR WHISLER was born at Udell, Iowa, Febru- ary 15, 1913, to Merton Albert and Sadie Price Whisler. He married Betty Miriam Long of Beaverton, Michigan, August
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2, 1935; they are the parents of one son and two daughters. In 1935 he graduated from Manchester College with an A.B., then farmed near Beaverton and has taught in the Beaver- ton high school since 1944. He was baptized by Orlando Ogden on October 15, 1922; elected a minister, August 30, 1931; and ordained an elder in September 1940. He served the church at Midland, Michigan, as pastor from 1940 to 1941, and as elder from 1940 to 1942; from 1943 to 1947 he was elder at Beaverton. For the past nine years he has served as supply minister for several Michigan churches and has held district offices in Michigan.
MERTON ALBERT WHISLER was born at Unionville, Iowa, February 12, 1886, to Aaron S. and Mattie Ellen King Whis- ler. He married Sadie Price of Unionville on March 8, 1908. To them were born two sons and three daughters. His training consisted of a short course at Mount Morris Col- lege and some study at Beth- any Biblical Seminary. Farm- ing in Iowa, North Dakota and Illinois has been his vocation. He was baptized by Orlando Ogden on February 12, 1905, elected deacon on January 15, 1912, called to the ministry on October 9, 1920, and ordained to the eldership on October 21, 1928. In the free ministry he served the Fairview church, Iowa, from 1920 to 1926, and MERTON A. WHISLER AND WIFE since then has been pastor and elder of . the Oak Grove church, Illinois. For one year, 1931-1932, he was elder of the
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Panther Creek church. He has held a number of revival meetings, has been on Standing Committee twice, has served on various boards in the District of Southern Illinois, and now is the president of the board of administration.
SADIE PRICE WHISLER was born near Latimer, Pennsyl- vania, February 1, 1886, to Theodore B. and Sevilla Hohf (or Hoff) Price. On March 8, 1908, she became the wife of Merton Albert Whisler of Udell, Iowa. She was baptized by Elder J. H. Baker on February 16, 1898. After attend- ing McPherson College and taking a teacher-training course in Iowa she taught in public schools from 1905 to 1908. Shar- ing in the pastoral work of her husband, on various occasions she has served as supply preacher. She also has been active in women's work in the district.
ALBERT LANTZ WHITMORE, son of Bruce C. and Margie Lantz Whitmore, was born on October 15, 1914, in Adams County, Pennsylvania. In 1926 he was baptized into the Church of the Breth- ren by his father. Dorothy Fry of Naperville, Illinois, became his wife on December 25, 1936. They have two sons and three daughters. He studied in Bethany Training School, Wheaton College, McPherson College, Western State Teachers' College, and Bethany Biblical Seminary. Called to the min- istry in 1944, he was ordained to the eldership in the Woodland church, Astoria, Illinois, in 1949. He has served ALBERT L. WHITMORE these churches: Ladoga, Indiana, sum- mer 1942; Heisey, Kentucky, summer 1943; Silver Creek, Ohio, 1944-1946; Loon Creek, Indiana, 1946-1947; Woodland, 1947-,
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