USA > Michigan > The history of the Church of the Brethren in Michigan > Part 13
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J. E. ALBAUGH was born on October 25, 1864, near Mexico, Indiana, the son of Zachariah and Anna Albaugh. When about eight years old he moved with his parents to Saginaw, Michigan. He became a member of the Church of the Brethren in 1880, and was united in marriage to Fannie Somers on July 18, 1885. A few months later, Oc- tober 4, 1885, he was elected to the office of deacon. His election to the ministry came just five years later, and he was advanced to the eldership on December 19, 1905. Broth- er Albaugh died, after having suffered from cancer of the liver, on February 17, 1916. He had served the district as a member of the ministerial distribution board for several years and was a member of the board at the time of his death. He was concerned about the ministerial problem of the churches in Michigan; during his lingering illness he wrote: "Here is a field for some minister. May the Lord send someone to this field, to care for this little flock!" He
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evidently was loved by his fellow ministers, for six min- isters, representing as many denominations, acted as pall- bearers, and two of them assisted Elder C. L. Wilkins in the funeral service. In the death of Brother Albaugh the church in Michigan lost one of her faithful elders and the Saginaw (Elsie) church her only resident minister. His daughter, Mrs. Myrtle Albaugh French, is still an active member of the Elsie church, where she has labored faithfully as one of the prominent leaders for many years.
ZACHARIAH ALBAUGH was not a minister when he with his wife, Anna, moved to Elsie, Michigan, from Indi- ana about 1872. They began immediately to work there in the interest of the church to which they had dedicated their lives in service. These were pioneer days and in spite of the hardships the Albaughs soon had a little group meeting together. The first meeting was held at their house on June 21, 1874. At a communion held in their house on October 9, 1874, two elders from Indiana were present and organized the members into a working body. Brother Al- baugh was chosen deacon at this meeting. He was elected to the ministry on September 22, 1877, and was advanced to the eldership on March 17, 1879. Elders George Long and Isaac Miller of Michigan conducted the ordination service. The church correspondence of the day shows that Brother Albaugh was called upon to minister to the people in many needy places over the state. "The country was a wilder- ness and many were the hardships and discouragements of the early Church there" (Missionary Visitor, May 1907, page 284). At his own expense he went from place to place vis- iting and preaching the Word without pay. He served the church as its elder until June 1885 when he moved to Kan- sas, where in a few months he became sick and died. He is deserving of much recognition and it is unfortunate that the records do not give us more of his activities. His son, J. E.
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Albaugh, followed him in pursuing the work of the min- istry.
FREDERICK DORSEY ANTHONY was born at Hagers- town, Maryland, on March 27, 1873, the son of David and Nancy Anthony. He took his high school training at the Western high school, Hagerstown, and received the degree of bachelor of English at Juniata College. He united with the church in November, 1890, at the Long Meadow church, Maryland. Concerning his conversion he gives this state- ment: "Brother Wilbur B. Stover, our pioneer missionary to India, was the evangelist." He was elected to the min- istry in October 1893 and ordained to the eldership on Oc- tober 10, 1915, at Baltimore, Maryland. On November 12, 1902, he married Susie Clay Shriner. He was pastor of the Grand Rapids, Michigan, church for about two years, and much of the time since has been engaged in evangelistic work among the churches in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Vir- ginia and West Virginia.
HARLEY ARNETT, son of Joseph and Anna Arnett, was born on March 17, 1888, at South Whitley, Indiana. He received his elementary education in the public schools of Indiana and later spent one term at Bethany Bible School, Chicago. He united with the church by baptism on Decem- ber 25, 1900, in the Sugar Creek church in Indiana. The elder of the church, Henry Neff, administered the rite. He married Blanche Rau on October 9, 1909. They moved to Manistee County, Michigan, in 1912. He and his wife were devoted church workers and in 1913 they were called to the deacon's office. The installation service was conducted by Elders John Harshbarger and J. Edson Ulery. Then in 1918 they moved to Battle Creek, Michigan. This church was happy to receive them because both of them were cap- able leaders in Christian service. He served that church as Sunday-school superintendent, and as chairman of the
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trustee board. He has been a member of the district mission board since 1938. He was president of the district men's work council for a term of two years. He possesses a hum- ble Christian spirit, and is willing to labor diligently for the church.
PERRY A. ARNOLD was born in Preston County, West Virginia. The date of his birth was not furnished. He was the son of John S. and Susan M. Arnold. On August 5, 1888, he was married to Mariah Fike. Two children were born in West Virginia and three in Michigan. He received public school training in his home state. He was baptized by Elder James Fike in the Eglon congregation, West Vir- ginia, in 1889. His call to the ministry came in 1895 when he was living in Lenawee County, Michigan. Then in 1911 he was ordained to the eldership by Elders George Stone and Perry McKimmy in the Beaverton church, the church which he faithfully served as elder for a period of twenty-five years.
WILLARD I. ATHERTON is one of the younger ministers of the district. The son of Jesse F. and Lina G. Atherton, he was born at Prescott, Ogemaw County, Michigan, on June 12, 1917. Besides his elementary school training in his home county, he has continued his training for the ministry at Bethany Bible Training School, Chicago, where he has been a student for the past year or more. He united with the Zion church in August 1933. Since his call to the ministry on July 2, 1939, he has assisted in the preaching program and other church work at the Zion congregation. Willard gave this interesting note about his ancestry: "My mother's father, Lynn R. Myers, was born in Pennsylvania and moved to Kentucky when a youth. He then moved to Michigan where he still resides. Thus I am linked in a way with the early Brethren forefathers." As Willard conse-
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crates his life to the Lord's work, may he be blessed with a fruitful ministry.
CHESTER NELSON BAIRD was born at Altoona, Penn- sylvania, on February 11, 1908. His parents are Edgar E. and Minnie Loudon Baird. He completed his high school training in 1925. He graduated from Juniata College, Hunt- ingdon, Pennsylvania, in 1931, and from Bethany Biblical Seminary, Chicago, in 1934, receiving the bachelor of divin- ity degree. He was baptized at the Juniata Park church, Juniata, Pennsylvania, in 1926, by Ira Holsopple. This church elected him to the ministry in 1930. He was married to Merva Detwiler on September 10, 1933. Their work in Michigan was in the Shepherd and Sugar Ridge churches. Since leaving Michigan they have served in the pastorates at Cart Creek, Indiana, and Saxton, Pennsylvania.
DAVID BAKER was born in Pennsylvania. The author was unable to obtain detailed infor- mation regarding his birth, childhood and parentage. It is reported by one of his daugh- ters that he came to Michigan on foot from Pennsylvania when a young man. He located first south of Shepherdsville. After the death of his first wife he married again. He was brought up in the Free Methodist DAVID AND LEVI BAKER Church. He lived near Carson City for a while, and later moved into the territory of the Elsie church. He was elected to the deacon's office, and later, on March 17, 1879, to the first degree of the ministry. He was willing to endure many hardships in order to fill
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his preaching appointments. He died at the age of eighty- eight years. .
LEVI BAKER was born in Ashland County, Ohio, on December 13, 1861. He received a public school educa- tion. He gave his heart to the Lord in his youth. He married Maggie Somers on October 12, 1887. His life came to an untimely end at the age of fifty-three years. He preceded his aged father, David Baker, in death. He al- ways lived in the bounds of the Elsie church. His church elected him deacon on October 13, 1883. On October 4, 1885, at twenty-four years of age he was called to the ministry. His ordination to the eldership took place on May 18, 1889. During his short ministry he solemnized a number of mar- riages, preached a great many funerals, and held a number of successful revival meetings. His labor was not in vain for he had the joy of seeing a num- ber give their hearts to God.
JACOB FRANKLIN BALD- WIN, the son of Oscar and Catherine Baldwin, was born at North Manchester, Indiana, on September 17, 1893. He united with the church at Roann, Indiana, in 1907, and was elected to the ministry in 1924 at Wenatchee, Washing- ton. His ordination to the JACOB F. BALDWIN eldership came on September 6, 1931, at the district meeting at Lena, Illinois. He has held pastorates at Sterling, Illinois, Modesto, California, and Morrill, Kansas; at present he is serving the Lincoln, Nebraska, church as pastor and elder.
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He graduated from Bethany Biblical Seminary with the bachelor of divinity degree. His connection with the church work in Michigan came while he was a student at Bethany from 1925 to 1930. During the years 1927-28 he served the Elmdale church for fifteen months as summer and student pastor.
GALEN ERB BARKDOLL was born June 2, 1898, at Naperville, Illinois. He is the son of William S. and Ida Barkdoll. On August 5, 1926, he was married to Bernice Snavely, and now has six children living and two dead. He is a graduate of Manchester College and has spent sev- eral years at Bethany Bible School. He united with the church at Naperville, Illinois, in November 1907, and was called to the ministry by that church in 1917. In Ne- braska, in 1934, he was ordained to the eldership. Brother Barkdoll has served pastorates in Nebraska and Missouri. He is now pastor of the Marilla and Harlan churches. He said, "Now after two years of associations in Michigan I would rank Michigan fruit second and Michigan folks first in the list of her characteristics. I am eager for the time to come when some Michigan youth will put into story the virtues of the people who make Michigan and her fruits possible, as Bess Streeter Aldrich has written about the pioneers of Nebraska in A Lantern in Her Hand and A White Bird Flying." Brother Barkdoll is filling his place of responsibility very nobly, and is winning the goodwill and favor of the people in the churches and the community. He is now a member of the district ministerial board.
LLOYD CURTIS BLICKENSTAFF was born on May 21, 1893, in Clinton County, Indiana. On August 31, 1919, he married Hazel Butterbaugh. He completed his work for the bachelor of arts degree at Manchester College and re- ceived his master of science degree in education at Indiana
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University. He was baptized in 1910 at Pyrmont, Indiana, and was elected to the ministry at North Manchester, In- diana, in 1920. He was the director of the Civilian Public Service camp near Manistee, Michigan, for a period at its beginning. This was under the Brethren Service Commit- tee of our denomination. While he was here he served the Lake View church at Brethren as part-time pastor.
IRA G. BLOCHER is the son of Samuel Wyland and Mo- linda Catherine Blocher. He was born on July 22, 1873, in
IRA G. BLOCHER
MRS. IRA G. BLOCHER
Darke County, Ohio. His immediate ancestors were all members of our church. His grandfather was a deacon, and his father was a minister and elder. An interesting
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fact worth noting is that "Ancestor Blocher escaped from Germany, pursued by soldiers with dogs on account of conscientious objection to military training." This was about 1750. This ancestor settled in Pennsylvania. Brother Blocher's great-grandfather came to Darke County, Ohio, from Hanover, Pennsylvania, in 1826, and when he died he was laid to rest in the cemetery by the Cedar Grove church of Southern Ohio, which was on the original homestead.
After public school days, Brother Blocher's training was continued by taking academic courses at Mt. Morris College, 1894-95; later he attended the Bible Institute at Canton, Ohio, and also Bethany Bible School, Chicago, 1918-1922. He was baptized in February 1890 by Elder Isaac Frantz at the Poplar Grove church, Southern Ohio. It was here that he was called to the ministry in March 1904. He and his wife were installed by Elder D. M. Garver. His marriage to Laura Anna Wagner was on August 24, 1895. Four children were born to the home. The oldest daughter, Ruth, became the wife of Floyd E. Mallott.
In 1911 they moved from the Poplar Grove church, Ohio, and located in the Zion congregation, Michigan. He served there as a free minister until 1914. His ordination to the eldership occurred at this church in June 1913. He speaks thus of his experience in Michigan: "I am happy to have had a small part in Zion's beginning. Also we have helped to start the church work at Ozark, our only congregation in the upper peninsula. We assisted in the first love feast there, and conducted the dedication service of the present house."
They returned to Southern Ohio and gave part-time pas- toral service to the Prices Creek church, 1922-1928, and to the Eaton church, 1928-1932. He has assisted in the min- isterial activities at the Greenville church, Southern Ohio, since 1932. He was Sunday-school secretary of Southern
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Ohio from 1914 to 1925, and also a member of the district mission board from 1917 to 1923. In addition to his church work, he has assumed many responsibilities in community organizations. His ministry has been filled with rich ex- periences. He has contributed his time and effort to ad- vance the church program.
FLOYD S. BOLLINGER was born on November 16, 1889, at Carson City, Michigan. He is the son of John P. and Sarah E. Bollinger. On May 30, 1921, he was married to Helen E. Myers. He finished high school at Ithaca, Michi- gan, and took schoolwork at Manchester College and at Ferris Institute in Big Rapids. His parents were members of our church, and it was their Christian teaching that in- fluenced him to have faith in Christ.
SAMUEL BOLLINGER is doubtless the oldest active minister in Michigan at the present time. He was born near Akron, Ohio. He is the son of Emanuel and Margaret Bolling- er. He came to Michigan in 1883 and located in New Haven Township, Gratiot County, but after one year moved to Vesta- burg. He worked as a farm hand before his marriage to Alice Palmer in 1889. To this marriage were born two sons and one daughter. After the death of his first wife, he mar- ried Lila Webster in 1902; two SAMUEL BOLLINGER sons and one daughter were born to them. He has only a common school education, but possesses a keen intellect. He united with the church at Vestaburg in 1885. He says that conversion came through reading and careful observation.
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He was elected to the ministry at the New Haven church in 1887 and ordained to the eldership in 1906. It was through his untiring efforts that the Lansing church was started in 1925. He served that church as pastor and elder for ten years on the free-time basis. Before moving to Lansing he had served for twenty-five years in the Rodney and Vesta- burg churches. He looks back upon his work at Lansing with great joy because the work has grown into one of the strong churches in Michigan. He moved back to Vesta- burg in 1935, and was the active pastor at Crystal until re- tirement in 1942. His second wife passed to her reward in 1939. She was a source of strength to him in his ministry. He will be remembered as one of the faithful and loyal elders of the state.
REUBEN BOOMERSHINE, son of W. H. and Orilla Boom- ershine, was born February 7, 1892, at Brookville, Ohio. He graduated from the Brookville high school in 1911, and re- ceived the bachelor of arts de- gree at Manchester College in 1915. He took three terms of training at Bethany Bible School, Chicago, and in 1923 he received the master's degree from Ohio State University. In December 1910 he was baptized at Brookville, Ohio. That church elected him to the ministry on August 28, 1912, and ordained him to the eldership in the sum- REUBEN BOOMERSHINE mer of 1922. He was married to Viola Emma Albaugh on June 3, 1925. His work in the District of Michigan was from 1928 to 1930. During this time he was pastor of the Shepherd church, and also served
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as the district fieldworker. He has also served the follow- ing pastorates: North Winona, Indiana, 1925-26; Muncie, Indiana, 1931-34; Dupont, Ohio, 1936-37; Fostoria, Ohio, 1937- 44. He was called to the pastorate of the Nappanee church, Indiana, in 1944.
GARLAND BAUMAN BORDEN was born near Wood- stock, Virginia, on January 26, 1916. He is the son of Albert and Lenna Ritenour Borden. He is a graduate of the South- eastern high school, Detroit. In 1940 he was graduated from Manchester College with the bachelor of arts degree. He married Marian Fox on September 4, 1942. He united with the First Church of the Brethren, Detroit, in 1933, be- ing baptized by the pastor, Arthur O. Mote, and was licensed to preach by that church. He was called to the ministry at the South Whitley church, Indi- ana, in 1942. He served this church as part-time pastor and is now full-time pastor of the Sugar Creek church. He attrib- utes his aspiration to the min- istry to the Christian influence of the late Arthur O. Mote and of Brother Otho Winger.
ELIEZER BOSSERMAN was one of the pioneer ministers of the Church of the Brethren in ELIEZER BOSSERMAN Michigan. He was the son of Samuel Bosserman and wife, who then lived in Stark County, Ohio. He was born Janu- ary 30, 1834. His first wife's name was Mary Magdalene Thoma. Later he was united in marriage to Alice Donalson. They were blessed with a large family who have been faith- ful members of the Church of the Brethren. Both his first
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and his second wife passed to their eternal reward and were buried in Michigan. His third wife died in 1940 at Eagle Creek, Ohio, aged over ninety-six years. Brother Bosserman was received into the church by baptism in the Eagle Creek church, Ohio. He was also called to the ministry and or- dained to the eldership there. The family moved to Gratiot County, Michigan, in April 1882 and located near the New Haven church. He preached mostly at this church. He was a faithful Christian worker. He stood well in the district, and his name is found on the list of loyal elders who have served the churches. He moved back to Hancock County, Ohio, and passed to his eternal rest in 1915.
WILLIAM OTTO BOSSERMAN is the son of William P. and Nettie Bosserman. He was born on October 4, 1915, in Woodward County, Oklahoma. This was the same year that his grandfather, Eliezer Bosserman, died. As we look back now, it appears that the Lord had brought forth a grandson to follow in his steps, for he, too, was destined to be a min- ister. In addition to a high school training, William has taken a number of courses at Bethany Bible Training School, Chicago, and is now attending Elizabethtown College at Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. He was baptized at the Peace Valley church, Missouri, in November 1925. He was elected to the ministry at this church in 1938, and was installed at the Greenwood congregation in 1942. The churches in which he has served during the past few years are the Peace Valley and Greenwood churches in Missouri, and the Lake View church at Brethren, Michigan. He gave pas- toral service for ten months in 1943 in the latter church. Both of his grandparents-Eliezer Bosserman and Samuel Weimer-were elders who labored many years in the Mich- igan District in the first part of the present century. His father and his uncle are also ministers in the Church of the Brethren.
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WILLIAM PHILIP BOSSERMAN has a place between a father preacher and a son preacher. He was born at New Stark, Hancock County, Ohio, on October 20, 1867. His parents, Eliezer and Mary Bosserman, moved to Michigan when he was a youth. He lived in the state until he was about thirty years of age and then moved to Oklahoma. He went to elementary school in Ohio and Michigan, and after his high school training in Michigan he went to McPherson College, McPherson, Kansas. He has taught school in Mich- igan, Iowa, and Oklahoma. He united with the church by baptism in June 1882 at New Haven, Michigan. He was living in Oklahoma when elected to the ministry in 1895 and ordained as elder in 1909. His first wife, Sarah Neuen- schwander, passed away in 1911. He then married Nettie Weimer, daughter of Elder Samuel Weimer. He had a par- ticular connection with Elder Samuel Weimer in organizing the Sunshine church in New Mexico. He learned then that his father, Eliezer Bosserman, officiated at the ordination to the eldership of Samuel Weimer at the Little Traverse church. He has served churches in Okla- home and Missouri with very little remuneration. He has also preached in the churches of Michigan. He served on Stand- ing Committee in 1909.
JOHN PRICE BOWMAN at one time lived in the Detroit J. P. BOWMAN congregation. It was then that he preached in the churches of the district. The son of Joseph and Susannah Bowman, he was born at Jonesboro, Tennessee, on July 4, 1871. He received a public school education, and took academic train- ing at Johnson City, Tennessee. He was married to Jennie
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E. Garst. He was baptized at the Knob Creek church, Ten- nessee, in August 1887. This church elected him to the min- istry in May 1895, and he was ordained to the eldership here in 1907. The churches which he has served as a free minis- ter are Knob Creek, Tennessee; Beaver Creek, Tennessee; Rocky Ridge and Thurmont, Maryland. In 1900 he gave pastoral service to the Irvin Creek church in Wisconsin, with support from the General Mission Board. His ministe- rial work in the District of Michigan was mostly done in the Zion and Pontiac congregations. He states that all of his ancestors were Brethren people as far back as he has any record.
SAMUEL BOWSER was born in Carroll County, Mary- land, on June 17, 1861. He got his training in the public school, Bible terms, and about eight weeks at Bethany Bible School in 1909 or 1910. In 1880 he was baptized at the Black Rock church, Carroll County, Maryland, by Aaron Baugher, grandfather of A. C. Baugher. He went to Kansas and was elected to the ministry in 1887. He served in Kansas, Minnesota, and Iowa, all on a free-time basis. During his ministry in the West he was ordained to the eldership in 1892. From Iowa he moved to Michigan and gave free-time service to the Zion church and part-time service to the Elmdale church. Brother Bowser was a good leader in this district. He performed many ministerial duties in the churches and gave much time to mission work as a member of the district mission board. He left the district about 1931 and went to Ronan, Montana, in order to be nearer his children. He feels that older ministers should be glad always to place the work in younger hands. "I still regard the ministry as a noble and virtuous calling for younger and better prepared minds," he declared.
CHARLES HOMER CAMERON began his pastoral work at the Grand Rapids church in Michigan, September 1, 1945.
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The family came to the district from the Waterford church, California. His parents are John B. R. and Florence Vir- ginia Cameron. He was born on January 23, 1892, at Salem, Roanoke County, Virginia. His marriage to Orda I. Hanson was on September 13, 1924, at Gran- ite Falls, Minnesota. He attend- ed Daleville College, Daleville, Virginia, and Sorbonne Univer- sity, a part of l'Universite de Paris, Paris, France. He was baptized in the Peters Creek congregation, Salem, Virginia, July 9, 1909. While attending Daleville College in 1916 he was elected to the ministry. Ordi- nation to the eldership was on January 20, 1940, at Long Beach, California. He served as pas- CHARLES H. CAMERON tor at the Waterford church, California, from September 1, 1940, to August 31, 1945. He has filled responsible positions of leadership in the District of Southern California and Arizona, and served as secretary of the district board of directors of Northern Cal- ifornia. This particular work gave him close association with such Brethren church leaders as the late Edgar Roth- rock, C. Ernest Davis, D. W. Kurtz, Lorell Weiss, and J. W. Lear.
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