USA > Pennsylvania > Two centuries of the Church of the Brethren in western Pennsylvania, 1751-1950 > Part 41
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den & Dag October Im Jahr 1811 Ist uns einen fahri auf Die arme mielelige melt gebühren fein namen heist Tabiat blauch gott mol 3hm gnade reenten zu einem frommen und ein letiges leben zu firen bis zu seinem religis ende arment
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Blough Prayer Prophecy
traveling to fulfill the demands of the community. There were ten children in this home, two of whom died young. His descendants are scattered the breadth of the continent.
(6) JONATHAN W. BLOUGH (November 8, 1825-October 16, 1912) was born in a small log cabin near Hooversville, a son of Peter C. and Christiana Blough, his grandfather having been a son of the first Christian Blough in the county. Always a good student and a deep thinker, he was one of the earliest patrons of the Huntingdon Normal School. A son, P. J., was a student, and his oldest daughter, Mary, was the first cook at the institution. His wife, whom he married February 22, 1852, was Susanna Boger, a granddaughter of Elder John Boger. They lived together for fifty-nine years, rearing two sons and four daughters. In June 1856 he was elected to the min- istry and was the first to be installed in the Pine Grove house, built the previous year. Like others of his contemporaries, Brother Blough traveled many miles, mostly on his faithful horse, to help to plant the church firmly in that area. He saw the church grow from a small nucleus to almost four hundred members, and a Sunday school, in which he took a keen interest, established at each meetinghouse.
(7) PERRY J. BLOUGH (March 23, 1859-March 21, 1920) was the son of the above. After his marriage to Emma Shaffer, on November 30, 1884, he entered the mercantile business in Hooversville, later or- ganizing and heading banks there and in Johnstown. Having been baptized while a student at Juniata College, he was elected to the ministry September 4, 1897, advanced the following year, and or- dained as an elder September 3, 1904. Brother Blough, the first of his faith to live in Hooversville, outfitted a room at his own expense and organized the Sunday school, and was instrumental in having preaching, others having moved into the town also by then. A sup-
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Perry J. Blough and Wife
porter of the temperance cause, he was a member of the first General Temperance Committee and the editor of the Temperance Bulletin. He was a member of the District Home Mission Board from 1895 through the following twenty-one years. He was elder-in-charge of many churches and preached numerous evangelistic meetings. The Bloughs were the parents of a daughter and three sons. E. McGary, E. Grant, and E. Percy were gradu- ates of Juniata College. More about the latter follows. Sister Blough having died June 17, 1912, Elder Blough married Elizabeth Rosenber- ger in 1919. She was dean of women at Blue Ridge and Bridgewater col- leges, taught at Juniata, and was well-known throughout the Brother- hood as a writer. Her death occurred in 1951.
E. Percy Blough
(8) E. PERCY BLOUGH (September 29, 1891-) was baptized at the age of ten. In 1918 he accepted the call to the ministry. He has served as needed in the Quemahoning congre- gation and also has given some time to the Wilmington mission, Dela- ware. He is at present active in the Roxbury church, is president of the board of trustees of the Old Folks Home, a trustee of Juniata College,
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and national president of the Juniata Alumni Association, and is active in community affairs. Since 1920 he has been in the automobile business in Johnstown. That same year Mazie S. Cassel of Philadelphia became his wife. They have a son, E. Percy. Mrs. Blough's death occurred in 1945. In 1947 he was married to Lois Coolbaugh.
(1) CHARLES WILBUR BLOUGH (November 8, 1889-April 5, 1952) was a descendant of Jacob Blough, who came to this country with his father, Christian, and later settled in Conemaugh Township.
Charles W. Blough and Second Wife
Jacob was the first bishop of the Mennonite Church in Somerset County. Many of his progeny were prominent in that faith. The Blough family evidently had had deep religious inclinations and convictions for centuries; a Bible brought with them had been in the family since 1543. Just how many generations intervened be- tween this Jacob Blough and the subject of this sketch has not been ascertained, but his immediate paternal ancestor was Simon D., and his maternal ancestor, Agnes (Beam) Blough, daughter of Elder Isaiah Beam. Both parents, with many succeeding generations, were faith- ful members of the Church of the Brethren. Charles W., the oldest, was fifteen years of age, and Galen R., whose story appears later, was the youngest in a family of seven when the father died. Charles assumed a large part of the responsibility for helping to care for the family. He was baptized May 22, 1900, elected to the ministry November 2, 1910, and later ordained as an elder. Although he was denied many school privileges, the education he achieved by study at home, added to his native ability as a speaker and administrator, made him a capable leader in the church. He served the district as treasurer for nine years, and was on the Ministerial Board. His pas-
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toral work was with the Sipesville, Westmont, and Mount Joy churches, to which he gave his full time; also he served as part-time pastor of the Quemahoning congregation, and as interim pastor at Tire Hill, Morrellville, Moxham, and Windber. He married Amanda Kaufman on November 25, 1909. They had a daughter, Anna, wife of Ralph Lohr, and a son, Kenneth, a minister. Sister Blough died November 28, 1935. Sophy Anstead became his wife on April 7, 1937. She has been a real inspiration and help to him during these late years of sickness. Brother Blough terminated active service when he became ill in 1945; in 1950 he suffered a second stroke, which paralyzed him.
Kenneth R. Blough and Family
(2) KENNETH R. BLOUGH attended Juniata College. He was licensed to the ministry in the Windber church, installed into the full ministry at the Tire Hill church on March 31, 1931, and ordained as an elder
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in October 1945. He assumed the pastorate of the Hooversville church October 2, 1942, and the Geiger church, July 1, 1947, and has been serving both to the present. His wife was Neva Rose, a daughter of W. H. and Lydia (Harrison) Rose. They have three sons.
GALEN R. BLOUGH (August 24, 1898-), a brother to Elder Charles W. Blough, was reared through his youth by Elder Samuel P. Zimmerman, who married his widowed mother, Sister Agnes (Beam) Blough, a few years after the death of Galen's father, Simon D. Blough. Galen was bap- tized November 1, 1909. In 1917 he was married to Amelia Thomas, old- est daughter of David I. and Alice Thomas. They purchased a farm, intending to make farming their life's work; but God had other seed for them to sow. On May 15, 1920, the Quemahoning congregation called him to the ministry, which he accepted expecting to remain in that church; but that was not God's plan. After a year of trial and testing, they sold the farm and he entered Juniata College. After nine years, and through the sacrifice of both himself and Mrs. Blough, he was graduated, having taken the academy course, a year of Bible, and the college course. During his college years he pastored the Beech Run church, and for six years served the Bellwood church. He
Galen R. Blough and Wife
was ordained as an elder in 1925. In 1930 he came to the Rummel church, resigning in 1937 to accept a call to the Ephrata church. The Somerset church has been his field of service since January 1941. He has served the district as moderator three times, as camp trustee, and as a member of the Mission Board, and is at present on the Ministerial Board. It is characteristic of both Brother and Sister Blough to take upon themselves the joys and the burdens of their people. The prob- lems and concerns of the parish are shared so deeply and unselfishly
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that at times their own welfare suffers. That was the way of our Lord. The Bloughs have three children: Virgil; Oma, wife of Glenn Hostetler; and Homer David.
NORMAN H. BLOUGH (January 24, 1875-) son of Hiram and Eliza (Fry) Blough, is descended from the emigrant ancestor, Jacob Blough. His entire life has been lived within the bounds of the Quemahoning congregation, where he was baptized in January 1889, called to the
Norman H. Blough and Wife
ministry on June 2, 1909, and ordained to the eldership in June 1920. He is active in his home church and Sunday school and has held evangelistic meetings in many states. He taught eight terms in the public schools and engaged in threshing and sawmill work, which latter occupation caused him the loss of an arm. Since then he has been in the feed business and at present sells automobile accessories. On March 11, 1903, Brother Blough was married to Grace Hersh- berger of Virginia. She was a devoted wife and a faithful and con- sistent Christian until her death.
ELMER D. BLUE (March 20, 1880-March 14, 1949) came into the home of Irish parents, David and Margaret (Swan) Blue, in Indiana County. He was married to Laura A. Rhodes on October 15, 1901. This union resulted in eleven children, among whom is Vesta, the wife of Elder H. C. Hess of Johnstown. He was baptized on June 5, 1903, and was elected to the ministry on December 12, 1911. When the Pleasant Hill church was organized in February 1915, he and his brother-in-law, H. Q. Rhodes, were the only ministers.
JOHN BOGER (1773-1852), brother-in-law of Dr. John P. Cober of Berlin, was a deacon in the church when he moved from Somerset County to near Markleysburg in 1818. Six years later this Fayette County church elected him to the ministry, along with Samuel Haze- lett. Little is known of his church work in earlier years, but "during the last eight or nine years of his life he gave himself wholly to the study of the prophetical books of the Bible."1
1 Susie M. Thomas, History of the Sandy Creek Congregation. Page 30.
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"The walls of at least one room in his house were covered with his calculations concerning those prophecies which related to the millennium. The result appeared in 'The Coming of Jesus Christ,' written 'with a trembling hand in my seventy-third year.' This booklet, written in German, was published by Jonathan Rau of Som- erset, Pa., and came out in 1846. It contained 24 pages, four by six inches in size."2
To Brother Boger belongs the honor of being the first long-time resident of our district to become an author. He is buried on the Boger farm near Brandonville, West Virginia, just a few miles south of the Markleysburg church.
LAURA (SHAFFER) BOPP (August 19, 1898-) is the daughter of Harry E. and Mary (Fyock) Shaffer. She accepted Christ on May 14, 1914, in the Walnut Grove church. Her marriage to Louis Bopp oc- curred on September 18, 1924. Mrs. Bopp has been a faithful member of her church, having served well as Sunday-school secretary, as superin- tendent of the primary and junior departments, as local women's work president, as a teacher in the vacation Bible school, and also as a deacon's wife. Since October 1947 she has been the president of the District Women's Work Organiza- tion and has been rendering effec- tive service in that office.
DAVID A. BORDER (July 26, 1906-) is the son of H. Edward Border (deacon) and Vio Greena- walt Border of the Yellow Creek congregation, Middle Pennsylvania. He joined the church at Bethel, Yellow Creek congregation, where Laura (Shaffer) Bopp he attended church and Sunday school. In 1937 he united with the Church of the Brethren in Cumberland, where he has served in many capacities: church treasurer, member of the building committee, Sunday- school superintendent, deacon, and now a minister. He was united in marriage with S. Agnes Rowe. To this union have been given four chil- dren: Donald William (who gave one year of volunteer service), James Edward, Ella Rebecca, and David Ronald.
S. AGNES ROWE BORDER (July 31, 1908-) was born at Frostburg, Maryland. Her parents were James T. Rowe and Ella Pepple Rowe. She attended the St. John's Lutheran church, becoming a member in 1921. In 1928 she united with the Church of the Brethren by baptism at
2 O. F. Morton, History of Preston County. Page 324.
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Cumberland. The same year she became a Sunday-school teacher, and on January 13, 1937, was called into the office of deaconess, along with her husband. Sister Border was licensed to the ministry on De- cember 19, 1938, and was granted a permanent license on April 2, 1940. During 1946 she served as part-time pastor of the Wiley Ford Church of the Brethren, West Virginia, and from January 1, 1948, to September 1, 1949, as the full-time pastor of that church. She also served as the peace director for the First District of West Virginia during 1948. At present she is a Sunday-school teacher in the Living Stone church at Cumberland and preaches as needed.
GLENN H. BOWLBY (April 2, 1918-) is the only son of William H. and Kathryn (Horner) Bowlby. The family moved from Meyersdale to the vicinity of Rockwood when Glenn was quite young. At the age of eleven he was baptized, and when he was twenty-one he was elected to the ministry in the Middle Creek congregation. In December 1939 he was installed into the full ministry. Brother Bowlby graduated from Juniata College in 1941, and from Bethany Biblical Seminary in May 1944 with a Bachelor of Divinity de- gree. He received a Master of Arts degree from West Virginia Univer- sity in June 1947. He has also stud- ied at the Oberlin Graduate School of Theology. He has served as sum- mer pastor at Wichita, Kansas, and also at the Waynesboro church in this state. His full-time pastoral work began with the Morgantown church, West Virginia, on June 16, 1944. On July 7, 1947, he went to the Canton church, Ohio. In September 1951 he began pastoral work in this district in the Pittsburgh church. Glenn H. Bowlby He was united in marriage to Helen S. Hackman of the Chiques congregation, Eastern Pennsylvania, on Au- gust 5, 1944. They are the parents of three children.
CLARENCE RUFUS BOWMAN (September 19, 1903-) began life in a log cabin in Franklin County, Virginia, in the home of Joseph and Mary (Barnhart) Bowman. In the fall of 1916 he accepted Christ. In 1920 the Bowman family moved to a farm near Union Bridge, Maryland. There, Clarence returned to school, this time to the academy at Blue Ridge College. The course was completed in three years and he con- tinued in the college two more years. The last two years of college were spent at Bridgewater, where he was graduated in 1929. In May 1932 he was graduated from Bethany Biblical Seminary with a Bachelor of Divinity degree. In 1927 he accepted a call to the ministry and was
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Clarence Rufus Bowman and Wife
licensed January 1, 1928. He held a summer pastorate jointly at the Crab Run and Damascus churches in Virginia during 1929. From Jan- uary 1, 1933, to August 31, 1936, he served the Myersville church, Mary- land. Moving to Christiansburg, Virginia, he worked there until February 28, 1938. While he was there he was ordained as an elder. He was pastor next at the Pleasant View church, Ohio, where he served until coming to the Roxbury church, Johnstown, on December 1, 1945, where he is now working. Brother Bowman was married to Mary Idell Cover, a daughter of Elder S. L. Cover, on May 22, 1932. She is talented in many fields, especially in music and in working with children. Her training in these fields and her early years spent in parsonages make her a great asset to the work. They have three children: Robert C., born December 2, 1934, who has recently been licensed to preach; Beverly Ann; and John David. Both of Brother Bowman's grand- fathers, his father, four uncles, two brothers, and a son are ministers. This is a creditable record. Brother Clarence has contributed much, aside from pastoral duties, to district work and camp projects.
J. L. BOWMAN (March 1, 1866-March 7, 1950) was born near Jones Mills, Westmoreland County. His parents were Daniel and Agnes (Lohr) Bowman, members of the Baptist Church. He graduated from South- western State Normal School, California, Pennsylvania, and the theo- logical department of Juniata College, which training gave him success in both the teaching profession and the Christian ministry. He was united in marriage to Miss Martha Logan, daughter of William and Sarah Logan, who stood by him in all his labors. Much of his success in the ministry was due to her untiring labors. Brother Bowman was one of those fine leaders who could serve equally acceptably to either the Brethren Church or the Church of the Brethren. He was pastor of
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the Brethren Church at Vinco seven years; Berlin, four years; and Louisville, Ohio, one year. Likewise, he served as pastor in the Church of the Brethren, including the Red Bank and County Line congre- gations.
S. LOREN BOWMAN (October 7, 1912-) was born in Callaway, Vir- ginia, a son of Deacon and Mrs. C. D. Bowman, and a nephew of four Elder Bowmans. He was licensed to the ministry in 1931, installed in 1933 at Pipe Creek, Maryland, and ordained as an elder in 1942 in Vir- ginia. Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Divinity degrees were received from Bridgewater College and Bethany Biblical Seminary in 1934 and 1940 respectively, and graduate work was done at the University of Pittsburgh in 1947. He has served as pastor of the Melvin Hill and Mill Creek churches, North Carolina; West Marion, Indiana; Mount Vernon and White Hall, Virginia; Meyersdale, 1945-1948; and We- natchee, Washington, his present charge. He has been a highly valued member of many boards, including the Board of Christian Education in this district, under which the present history project was begun, and of the Hymnal Committee for The Brethren Hymnal. The church membership manual, Choosing the Christian Way, was written by Brother Bowman in 1951. He married Claire M. Andrews in 1935. They have two daughters, Barbara J. and Carol S.
STANLEY K. BOWSER (March 12, 1903-) was a son of John A. and Elizabeth Arminah Bowser of Armstrong County. He was baptized at the age of twelve. On June 29, 1927, he was licensed to the ministry and was ordained on December 6, 1928. On October 23, 1946, he was ordained to the eldership. He at- tended Moody Bible Institute and Bethany Bible School. He was mar- ried to Miss Alice Mary Painter on June 21, 1928. To this union three children were born: Rebecca J., Vivian L., and Stanley K., Jr. Broth- er Bowser's first church work was done in the Natrona Heights church. There, in the summer of 1928, he be- gan to preach in an old schoolhouse where Sister Effie Hetrick, several years prior to that time, had started a Sunday school. It was a source of encouragement and great help- fulness to be associated with Sister Hetrick, who is still active at this writing and a loyal worker in the Natrona Heights church. Brother Bowser did supply preaching in his home congregation, Center Hill, in Stanley K. Bowser the Robinson church, the Cowan- shannock church, and other churches in the district. In December 1940 he accepted a call to move into the Natrona Heights congregation,
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where he preached until June 1943, when he moved to Kittanning. In January 1946 he accepted a call to the Oakdale church, where he has since served.
SAMUEL BRALLIER (September 2, 1824-October 1, 1894) was a native of Morrisons Cove. At the age of ten he came with his parents to live in Cambria County. There he grew to manhood. In 1851 he was united in marriage with Susannah Good. Soon after their marriage they both united with the church. His daughter wrote of him thus in the Blough history: "This was the beginning of an epoch of concentrated thought and effort which signalized the trend of my father's entire afterlife. . . . In regular succession he rose from one official position to another, until he wielded the supreme authority of the bishopric. . .. Perhaps few men have traveled a rougher or thornier path-partly by making other men's disasters his own personal calamities; partly by other men making his calamities their exceeding joy." Brother Brallier was the bishop of the church in the Conemaugh Valley, living near the old Horner church, when the division occurred. That was, per- haps, responsible for most of his troubles. He was the father of four- teen children.
URIAS D. BRAUCHER (April 9, 1847-December 6, 1907) was the son of Daniel and Lydia (Hersh) Braucher. His father died before Urias's birth, and Urias spent many youthful years in the home of William Hay. He was a musician of note, having studied under excellent in- structors. He conducted many classes in singing in our own denomina- tion and in other denominations. On January 9, 1868, he was married to Barbara Hostetler. After his marriage he united with the church. About 1877 he was elected to the ministry in the Meyersdale church, which congregation, with Middle Creek, profited by his labors. He did much work in the Sunday school while with the former church. For many years they lived on the farm on which the old Fairview church stood, a few miles north of Somerset.
MAHLON J. BROUGHER (October 27, 1885-), the son of Madison and Maggie (Meyers) Brougher, was born in Turkeyfoot Township, Somerset County. He was baptized at the age of ten, called to the ministry on May 19, 1906, advanced on September 22, 1906, and ordained to the eldership in 1913. He acquired a teacher's certificate, and later, professional and state permanent certificates. His religious life was deepened through attendance at many Bible institutes and through con- stant study and much time spent alone with his Master, upon whom he has depended completely for guidance and power through the years. In all things Brother Brougher can see His guiding hand. In early life, he was led across the mountain to the Waterford church at Ligonier, where he met Mary Wolford, daughter of John A. Wolford, whom he married May 11, 1911. One day later they began work together at the new mission point at Greensburg. Through their efforts the small group grew into a mature church. After forty years, in August 1951 they asked to be retired because of failing health. However, he con- tinues to work until a successor can be found. Brother Brougher is known to the community as the dean of ministers. Sister Brougher and
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the Greensburg church have generously shared him with the district and the Brotherhood. He has held innumerable evangelistic meetings;
Mahlon J. Brougher and Wife
served on the General Ministerial Board fifteen years; is in his second term on the General Brotherhood Board; was a member of the Frater- nal Relations Committee; has been a trustee of Juniata College, which institution honored him with the degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1939; was missions treasurer of the Sunday School Association for thirty years; was a trustee and also dean of Camp Harmony for twenty-one years; and has served in many other offices. At present he is a member of the District Historical Committee. Through all the years Sister Brougher has been at his side, giving him invaluable assistance in his work. They have a daughter, Gladys E., wife of Ronald, son of Music Professor C. L. and Margaret Rowland and at present a member of the National Men's Work Council. Brother Brougher is a contra- diction of the idea that men past middle age must decline in usefulness. Both Sister and Brother Brougher have ever continued to grow and develop new methods and ideas for Christ's church, and years of ex- perience have increased their usefulness to the Kingdom. A longer biography of Brother Brougher appears in the book, Brethren Builders in Our Century, published by the Brethren Publishing House in 1952.
[He passed away in his sleep, June 22, 1952, while at the Annual Conference at Richmond, Virginia. See the Memorial plaque on page 6 .- Editor]
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Philip J. Brown
PHILIP J. BROWN (October 14, 1827 -? ) was born in Som- erset County. He was elected to the ministry by the Mark- leysburg congregation in 1850, when he was only twenty- three years of age. In 1858 Brother Brown and Elder John Wise was sent out on an evan- gelistic tour, supported by three congregations of the dis- trict. In 1879 he was ordained to the eldership in Wayne County, Ohio, and the next year (1880) served on the Standing Committee at Lan- ark, Illinois. Brother H. R. Holsinger credits him as being the "only elder who had served on Standing Committee" who went with the Brethren Church in the division.
JOHN WILLARD BRUMBAUGH (February 18, 1896-) was the second child of Elder Henry H. and Emma (Mohr) Brumbaugh. He was mar- ried to Ada J. Foor of Bedford County on January 20, 1917. To this
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