USA > Michigan > The history of the Church of the Brethren in Michigan > Part 17
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22
GEORGE LONG was born September 6, 1823, in South- ampton, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. He was one of a family of twelve children. He was married to Lucinda Row on August 15, 1850, in Coshocton County, Ohio. They moved to Indiana in 1851 and to the neighborhood of Clarksville, Ionia County, Michigan, in 1871. There were eleven children. He was baptized in 1845. In 1852 he was elected to the ministry, advanced to the second degree in 1856, and ordained as elder in 1867 in Lagrange County, Indiana. He served in the ministry fifty years. Since the division in about 1883 he was identified with the Old Order Brethren. In early years he traveled much throughout the state in the interest of the church.
KENNETH GUY LONG, son of Ira and Della May Long, was born on May 26, 1913, in Richland County, Ohio. He was united in marriage to Grace Elizabeth Gans on August 10, 1940. He received his public school education in Indiana and graduated from the high school at Akron, Ohio, in 1931. He is a graduate of Manchester College and in 1939 received his bachelor of divinity degree at Bethany Biblical Semi- nary. In 1924 he united with the church at White Cottage, Ohio, and was baptized by his father. The Akron church, Ohio, called him to the ministry in 1934. He has held part-time pastorates in Ohio and Indiana. He was the pastor of the Grand Rapids church, having taken over the pastoral
1 Brethren's Annual, 1884. Page 15,
264
History of the Brethren in Michigan
duties there on October 1, 1939, until he resigned to become pastor of the Cedar Lake church in Indiana.
FLOYD ELWOOD MALLOTT was born on February 13, 1897, near Deshler, Ohio. He is the son of George E. and Nettie Mallott. He was united in marriage to Hazel Ruth Blocher on September 24, 1921. After graduating from the high school at Deshler he began his col- lege training at Defiance College, and received an A. B. degree at Manchester College in 1917. Follow- ing his college training he became a teacher at Blue Ridge College. He received the bachelor of divinity de- gree at Bethany Biblical Seminary in 1922, and his master's degree at the Uni- versity of Chicago in 1928. He united with the church at Deshler on January 29, 1911. This comment is sig- nificant: "Deep conviction FLOYD E. MALLOTT came upon me in my thir- tecnth year. I found peace
in baptism." He was elected to the ministry at the Deshler church in August 1914. His ordination to the eldership oc- curred in Chicago in 1922. He was pastor of the First church in Chicago from June 1923 to September 1924. From 1924 to 1927 he was on the mission field in Nigeria, Africa. Since 1928 he has been professor of Old Testament and Church History at Bethany Biblical Seminary. He served the
265
Biographical Sketches
Battle Creek church as pastor in addition to his full teach- ing program from 1933 to December 1942. He resigned from the pastorate at Battle Creek to give more time to his teaching career. He was a helpful teacher and friend dur- ing the author's seminary days.
JOHN A. McKIMMY, oldest son of Perry and Caroline McKimmy, was born in Preston County, West Virginia, April 30, 1863. At the age of eleven he, with his parents, moved to Lenawee County, Michigan. He was married to Ida Berkebile on April 4, 1886. To this union were born three sons and four daughters. Two of the daughters died in infancy. In April 1902 the family moved to a farm south of Beaverton, Michigan. At about sixteen years of age he united with the Church of the Brethren. The church soon saw his honesty of purpose and called him first to the deacon's office, then to the ministry, and in 1914 to the eldership. He endeavored to uphold the good life before his family and the people of the community. He passed away on January 17, 1917, and burial was made at the Dale cemetery at Beaverton.
ROY JENNINGS McROBERTS was born in Odessa Town- ship, Ionia County, Michigan, on October 14, 1897. He is the son of Alexander and Altha McRoberts. He married Ruth Winey, granddaughter of Elder Josiah G. Winey, a pioneer in Michigan, on March 5, 1919. They are blessed with six children. He is a graduate of the high school at Lake Odessa, Michigan. He united with the church at Thornapple in May 1919 and was called to the ministry by his home church in December 1919. Most of the fifteen years' service at the Thornapple church has been with- out remuneration. He was part-time pastor of the Elm- dale church for about one and one-half year. He is the pre- siding elder of the Elmdale and Muskegon churches at
266
History of the Brethren in Michigan
the present time. He counts the association with Elders P. B. Messner and Samuel Smith as being helpful in the early days of his ministry.
ROY J. McROBERTS AND FAMILY
PETER B. MESSNER, son of Peter and Elizabeth Beam Messner, was born in Summit County, Ohio, September 10, 1857. In April 1866 his parents with their family of four girls and two boys moved to Sheridan Township, Cal- houn County, Michigan, where the younger children at- tended the common district schools a four-month term each winter and assisted in work on the farm the remaining part of the year. In May 1875 the mother died; from this time on Peter had his home with his oldest sister and her hus- band, Lewis and Anna King of Devereaux, Jackson County, Michigan, until December 22, 1878, when he was united in marriage to Sarah Maria Hill at Perry, Shiawassee County, Michigan. On October 16, 1881, both were baptized by Elder
267
Biographical Sketches
B. F. Fryfogle and received into the fellowship of the Sun- field congregation of the Church of the Brethren. On De- cember 22, 1882, he was elected to the first degree of the ministry and in February 1907 was ordained to the elder- ship. His preaching was almost entirely confined to filling appointments in the home congregation. He was a member of the district missionary board for about twenty-six years, serving as secretary for over twenty years and twelve years of that time serving as both secretary and treasurer. He enjoyed the privilege of repre- senting his local church as dele- gate to district meetings and several times as delegate to An- nual Conference; twice he was chosen to represent the District of Michigan as a member of Standing Committee. His faith- ful wife and loving companion was taken by death on February 15, 1922. The only child and daughter, Grace, spent her en- tire life in the home and after PETER B. MESSNER her mother's death continued to be her father's housekeeper, do- ing all in her power to minister to his needs and comfort. In his memoirs, written only two years before his death, he recounted many interesting experiences. His memory of the love feasts brought forth the following statement: "The all-day love feasts followed by the evening communion services and next morning farewell meetings were seasons of refreshing never to be forgotten." In October 1929 they moved from the Thornapple congregation into Woodland, first becoming members of the Woodland Village congre- gation, and in 1937 of the united congregation. By reason
268
History of the Brethren in Michigan
of failing health and advanced age he did not take much part in active church work but attended the regular church services as much as possible. He passed away at the Town- send home, which is now the Woodland parsonage, on Octo- ber 17, 1939.
BRUCE A. MILLER was born in Maryland on Novem- ber 17, 1877. He is the son of A. F. and Katherine Miller. In his boyhood his parents moved to Kansas, and it was here that he received his edu- cation in the public schools. He attended McPherson Col- lege. He united with the BRUCE A. MILLER Pleasant View church at Dar- low, Kansas, about 1893, and was elected to the ministry in 1902 by that church. The family later moved to Michigan, locating in the Sugar Ridge congregation. He was or- dained to the eldership here in 1919 and is now the presid- ing elder. His wife's name was Mary Mohler.
ELVERT FRANKLIN MILLER was born in Virginia in 1916, the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Oscar Miller of Washing- ton, D. C. On June 27, 1937, he married Evelyn Roop. He is a graduate of the Eastern high school, Washington, D. C., attended Bridgewater College and George Washington Uni- versity, graduating from the latter institution, and is also a graduate of Bethany Biblical Seminary, Chicago, with the bachelor of divinity degree. He was baptized in 1925 in the Beaver Creek congregation. He was licensed to the ministry at the Washington City church in 1938 and in- stalled in 1940. He served as summer pastor at Bartlesville,
269
Biographical Sketches
Oklahoma, Crab Run, West Virginia, and Damascus, Vir- ginia. The Flint church, Michigan, called the Millers to the pastorate after his graduation in 1942. He resigned to accept the call to the Beaver Creek church, Second District of Virginia, in 1944. He was a member of the district board of education during the last year of the Flint pastorate. He has been active in young people's work and peace activities, and was director of Brethren work camps at Scranton, Penn- sylvania, and at Shepherd, Michigan.
FRANKLIN ELROY MILLER was born on March 14, 1883, near North English, E. F. MILLER Iowa, in the bounds of the English River church. His parents, Michael and Cather- ine Stoner Miller, were from Virginia. He married Bessie Viola Miller on March 20, 1904. His public school training was received in Iowa. He has been a student at Mt. Morris College and at Bethany Biblical Seminary, Chicago. He and his wife moved to Brethren, Michigan, from Iowa in the spring of 1906, and located a short distance from the home of J. Edson Ulery. They lived there nearly four years before moving to the Rodney congregation. He was bap- tized by Elder C. M. Brower in 1899. He was elected to the ministry in the Rodney church on March 13, 1909, and installed the next day on his twenty-sixth birthday. In 1917 he was ordained an elder in the Black River church, Michigan. He served the Rodney church on a free-time basis and the Black River church as part-time pastor for three years, 1915-18. He has ministered to a number of churches in Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, and California. He has served on the board of directors of the Northern District of Cali- fornia. He has held many revival meetings. He recalls the happy Christian fellowship of many church leaders,
270
History of the Brethren in Michigan
both in Michigan and elsewhere, and especially does he remember the good fellowship at the district meeting held at the Sugar Ridge church, Michigan, in 1915. He remem- bers an exciting experience that he had in Michigan on one occasion. While he was with Brother and Sister Ulery and a young driver of mules returning home from a district meeting, they got stuck in Tobacco Creek near the Beaver- ton church. The leaders in former days had many hardships to overcome.
ISAAC MILLER was one of the influential elders during the years when our church was starting in this state. He was a native of Rockingham County, Virginia. He and his wife moved from Ohio into Barry County, Michigan, in 1872. They were the parents of one son, Isaac N., and three daughters. One daughter married David Flory, who came to Michigan as a minister. Another married Moses Warner, and the other married Daniel Williams. Some of the descendants of Elder Miller are members of and are living in the Woodland church at this time. Brother Miller served as minister and elder from the organization of that congregation in 1873 until his death on January 25, 1895.
ROY E. MILLER was born in Miami County, Indiana, on August 31, 1886. He was married to Ruth G. Fisher of the same county. He had a high school training and took courses at Bethany Biblical Seminary. He was baptized at Mexico, Indiana, in 1895. The Rocky Ford church, Colo- rado, elected him to the ministry in 1907. The churches which he served in Michigan were Sunfield, Grand Rapids, and Harlan. He is now located at Pueblo, Colorado. His service has been both part-time and full-time. He cherishes in his memory the late Peter B. Messner and Brother J. Ed- son Ulery of Onekama.
WILLIAM R. MILLER was one of a family of thirteen. The son of Abram and Catherine Miller, he was born near
271
Biographical Sketches
Hagerstown, Maryland, on October 25, 1849. He migrated to Polo, Illinois, when he was about twenty. Here he mar- ried Harriet Josephine Hills. There were three children born to them: Fred, Elwyn and Ralph. In 1889 he moved to Chicago, Illinois, and entered business. He was called to the ministry at the First church, Chicago, and relin- quished his business career to serve the church there as pastor for fifteen years. Following his wife's death in 1903 he accompanied his brother, D. L. Miller, on a tour of the world. He returned and lectured in this country. He made three other European trips and collected material for his illustrated lectures on Bible Lands. In November 1910 he was married to Mrs. Olive Ringler, whom he met in the party on one of his tours abroad. She was a devoted companion through the remainder of his life. For some fifteen years they lived on a little farm at Onekama, Mich- igan. He was stricken with heart failure at his wife's sister's home at Nappanee, Indiana, and passed suddenly to his reward at the age of seventy-eight years. His body was laid to rest in the cemetery at Polo, Illinois. He was an earnest Christian. "May his devotion to his God, his passion for the truth of God's word and its power in the lives of men, his buoyant and childlike faith 'testify of his gifts' and through them 'he being dead yet speaketh.'"
JOHN MISHLER, the son of Joseph and Rachael Living- ston Mishler, was born in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, on August 13, 1867. He was eleven years old when his parents moved to Indiana. On December 9, 1888, he was married to Orpha Ulery. He united with the Pleasant Valley church in Indiana by baptism in 1897. This church called him to the ministry in 1899, and he was ordained as an elder in 1901. He served the Pleasant Valley church for a period of twenty years. He lived in the Grand Rapids, Michigan, church in 1912 and 1913, where he and his wife
272
History of the Brethren in Michigan
served in the pastorate and had charge of the City Rescue Mission. They returned to Indiana and were residing at Middlebury at the time of his death. His health failed, and he passed to his heavenly rest following a long period of invalidism.
ARTHUR O. MOTE was born on a farm near Lake Odessa, Michigan, on June 28, 1888. His public school training was received in his home community. He was a student at Mt. Morris College, and there met Ora Etta Gibson, to whom he was united in marriage on August 11, 1910. He was called to the ministry at the Woodland church in 1916. He received a bachelor of arts and a master of arts degree at Manchester College. He accepted the pastoral call to the Detroit church and began on September 1, 1922. He served from 1922 to 1928. He then resigned and became a Y.M.C.A. ARTHUR O. MOTE secretary. In 1931 he again resumed his pastoral duties and remained until his death. It was on Sunday morning, August 1, 1937, while delivering his sermon to an attentive audience, that Brother Mote was stricken with paralysis. He did not gain consciousness and passed to his eternal rest the next day. The Detroit church grew under his leadership and today is the largest church in the district. He was concerned and qualified to lead in the children's program of the church, and served as adviser to the national
273
Biographical Sketches
children's work organization of our brotherhood. Indeed, he was a consecrated and earnest worker for the cause of Christ.
WILLIAM B. NEFF lived and served in the Beaverton church, Michigan. The author was unable to obtain many facts about his life. In The History of the Church of the Brethren in Indiana, by Otho Winger, it is stated that he was called to the ministry and ordained in the Bethel con- gregation of Northern Indiana. He was the presiding elder there for a while.
DAVID NEHER, the son of Samuel and Rebecca Nevel Neher, was born on January 12, 1863, near Lima, Ohio. He received a public school education. He was married to Alice Lucinda Warner. In March 1884 he was baptized at Leeton, Missouri, by Brother Fred Culp. After he was elected to the ministry in 1907 at the Greenwood church, Missouri, he always preached as a free minister. The churches in Michigan in which he preached were Harlan and Sugar Ridge. He is now eighty-two years of age and has retired from preaching.
GRANVILLE NEVINGER was born in Preble County, Ohio, September 27, 1855. He was not of Brethren parent- age, his father being a faithful adherent of the Methodist Episcopal faith and his mother a devout member of the Unit- ed Brethren Church. In 1868 he moved with his parents to Bond County, Illinois. On December 26, 1875, he was united in marriage to Elizabeth Jane Van Dyke; eight children were born to this union. In 1877 both Brother Nevinger and his wife were received into the Church of the Brethren. He was soon elected to the deacon's office and then to the ministry; later he was ordained to the eldership. His work was among churches in Southern Illinois until 1900, when he moved to Pueblo, Colorado. For the next eleven years
274
History of the Brethren in Michigan
he and his wife worked faithfully in the vicinity of Rocky Ford and also in district work. After his wife's death in 1911 Brother Nevinger returned to Illinois and entered evangelistic work. In 1912 he was married to Sister Mary M. Sadler of Onekama, Michigan. In his later years he served several of the Michigan churches. The end came to his earthly career on March 31, 1925. Had he lived, Brother Nevinger would have represented the District of Michigan on the Standing Committee at the Winona Lake Annual Conference that year. Zeal for the church and fidelity to its principles were outstanding characteristics of his life.
LEWIS C. OAKS was born near Dayton, Ohio, on Novem- ber 7, 1848. He married Susanna Blocher. Their children now living are: Kathryn Townsend and Phoebe Oaks of Woodland, and Daniel Oaks of Grand Rapids. They are all faithful church workers. He was baptized at the Okaw church, Illinois, in 1869. He was called to the deacon's office by the Portland church in Indiana and to the ministry by this church in 1885. In a few years he was advanced to the second degree of the ministry. He lived and served in the Woodland congregation.
PHOEBE OAKS was born on July 23, 1885, at Portland, Indiana. She is the daughter of Lewis C. and Susanna Oaks. She completed the nurse's training at the Blodgett memorial hospital at Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1916. Then from 1919-21 she was a student at Bethany Bible School. She was baptized in January 1906. It was her privilege to participate in mission work at Fairchance, Pennsylvania, under D. F. Lepley. She filled a responsible position in the district during the years when the foreign missionary secretary-treasurer was functioning by serving in that office from 1929-1939. She kept in constant touch with the missionaries who received support from the churches of Michigan.
275
Biographical Sketches
JONAS C. OVERHOLT was the son of William and Elizabeth Overholt. He was born near Akron, Ohio, August 12, 1850, and on December 15, 1928, passed away in Orlando, Florida, where he had gone to spend the winter. He united with the Little Traverse Church of the Brethren at Harbor Springs, Michigan, when he was thirty-one years of age. He was called to the ministry at this church about 1883. Sixteen years later he was ordained to the eldership in the Thornapple church. His wife passed to her eternal rest six years before he did. Their home had been blessed with eight children: one daughter and seven sons. He was a devout minister of the gospel and preached in different churches in Michigan as the need arose. He gave most of his time to the Grand Rapids church, of which he was a charter member. He was very earnest about organizing a church in this city, and made plans to buy the lots upon which the building now stands. His last sermon was at this church on October 16, 1928, on the subject, A Bleeding Heart. He attended many Annual Conferences and district meetings. It was his great joy to see the church progress. Many sought his wise counsel and help. Those whom he contacted were always uplifted by his Christian influence.
HIRAM W. PETERS was born at Lapaz, Indiana, on March 23, 1892, the son of Amos B. and Barbara Peters. On December 27, 1915, he was united in marriage to Mary Ellen Hoover; they are the parents of one son, Homer. He received a public school training and has attended high school. He united with the church at Wenatchee, Wash- ington, in 1905. That church called him to the ministry in October 1926, after which time he took part in the preaching and other church work at Wenatchee. Brother Peters with his family moved to Michigan in 1927. He freely gave his service and leadership to the Lansing church for a period of fourteen years. He was ordained to the
276
History of the Brethren in Michigan
eldership at Lansing in October 1931. He served for five years on the district ministerial board. He was the pre- siding elder of the Lansing church until 1944, and had the oversight of three other churches in the district. He was also the district promotional secretary of the Brethren service program on peace and relief and Civilian Public Service camps. Brother and Sister Peters have recently lived at Niles, Michigan, and served in the Buchanan, Mich- igan, church (Northern Indiana District).
J. PERRY PRATHER came into the district in response to the call of the Detroit church. He is the son of Thomas and Cora Prather. He was born near Oologah, Oklahoma, on November 2, 1893. He is the oldest of eleven living children. He married Hope Lulah Dear- dorff. He finished high school and junior college at Mound City, Missouri, and is a gradu- ate of McPherson College. He continued his training by taking postgraduate work at Bethany Bible School, 1915 to 1918, and at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 1922 to 1925; he was graduated with the bache- J. PERRY PRATHER lor of divinity degree. He united with the North Bethel Church of the Brethren at Mound City, being baptized August 14, 1905. His home church called him' to the ministry October 24, 1914. His ordination to the eldership took place on January 27, 1928, at Ashland, Ohio. Since 1916 he has served pastorates in Missouri, Kansas, Connecti- cut, Ohio, and now in Michigan. He served from August 1925 to November 1933 at the First Church of the Breth-
277
Biographical Sketches
ren, Ashland, Ohio, and from November 1933 to October 1944 at the First Church of the Brethren, Dayton, Ohio. He and his wife were installed in the pastorate of the First Church of the Brethren, Detroit, Michigan, on October 29, 1944. Perry first made contact with the church in Michigan in the year 1925. He spent three months working in Henry Ford's factory as an experiment in in- dustrial welfare and research work conducted by the gradu- ate department of sociology of Yale University. It was then that he visited the Detroit church. He was in turn secretary, vice-chairman and chairman of the pastors' ad- visory section of the International Council of Religious Education during a period of fifteen years. He was vice- president of the Ohio Council of Religious Education for ten years, and president for three years of the Dayton Council of Religious Education. He served on the Dayton board of education, being vice-president for three years. He was associate editor of Walking With God Today for two years prior to his coming to Michigan. He was a member of the district board of Christian education for seven years in Northeastern Ohio and for ten years in Southern Ohio. He has been active in evangelistic work and has spoken in thirteen different colleges and seminaries. He was an of- ficial observer at the World Conference of Christian Youth at Amsterdam, Holland, in 1939, and from there he visited the birthplace of our beloved church at Schwarzenau, Germany, and also places in Switzerland, France and Eng- land. He has been honored by having a record of his life published in Who's Who in the Clergy for 1935 and in Who's Who in the Religious Leaders of America in 1944. He remembers the helpful and fatherly advice of many of the faithful and influential church leaders of the past-D. L. Miller, S. Z. Sharp, H. C. Early, Wilbur Stover, and many others.
278
History of the Brethren in Michigan
LAWRENCE HENRY PROWANT was born on August 10, 1880, in Paulding County, Ohio. He is the son of David and Hannah Prowant. He married Mary Elizabeth Senger on November 10, 1901. He received a common school education. In June 1903 he united with the church at Dupont, Ohio, and was elected to the ministry there in 1904. His ordination to the eldership occurred at Latty, Ohio, on March 9, 1912. He served in the ministerial work of 1 the Dupont church be- L. H. PROWANT AND WIFE fore moving to Michi- gan. About 1920 the Prowant family located at Durand, Michigan. He began working in the interest of the church and served as elder and pastor of the Elsie church during those years. He was instrumental in starting the mission work at Flint, but left that part of the state in September 1937 to take up the pastorate of the Sugar Ridge church. He was pastor here from 1937 to 1940, and from 1940 to 1945 at Rodney. He was a member of the district mission board. This faithful servant of the Lord died in 1945.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.