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 - Shelby County, Illinois - This is the Shelby County, Illinois, section of the Genealogy Trails Project. |
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| OBW 9.19.1891 3:1 |
OBW 9.19.1891 3:3 | OBW 9.19.1891 3:4 | OBW 9.19.1891 3:5 | |
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The Village Preacher
And e’en his failings leaned to virtue’s side; But in his duty prompt at every call, He watched and wept, he prayed and felt for all; And, as a bird each fond endearment tries To tempt its new-fledged offspring to the skies, He tried each art, reproved each dull delay, Allured to brighter worlds, and led the way. — From The Deserted Village by Oliver Goldsmith |
 “Auntie” Graham The above represents one of the good old “mothers in Israel” whom all Shelbyville loves and honors and who is an “aunt” and mother to everybody. “Auntie” Graham has so long been identified with Shelbyville and her best interests that an edition of a newspaper such as this without an account of her would be incomplete, to say the least. She was born near Somerset, Pulaski County, Kentucky, Dec. 5, 1813, and was christened Phananda Williams. Shelbyville was her home as early as 1830 and in 1835 she was married to Martillas Graham. For a while they tried living in Coles County, but after two years returned to Shelby. Five children were born to them. At the death of her husband in 1850 she was left with limited means with which to raise the children which remained, two daughters and one son — the latter Thomas Headen Graham, our present circuit clerk. “Auntie” Graham has lived for about fifty years in the same house on North Morgan Street and has witnessed the change and improvement in the business and resident portion of Shelbyville. As stated elsewhere she was one of the members of the First Methodist Church organized here some sixty years ago and makes attendance at church as much a matter of course as taking her meals. The Graham home for years was the rendezvous of the Methodist preachers who came this way, and was known as the “Methodist hotel” so that “Auntie” has quite a wide circle of acquaintance among the older ministers. Lutheran Church The Evangelical Lutheran St. Paul’s Congregation of Shelbyville and vicinity has been in existence since 1844. The present brick church costing $2,300, was built on some lots donated in part by M. D. Gregory, in 1859, in what was then Moulton, now a part of Shelbyville. A $700 parsonage was built shortly after and the society now owns besides this property a graveyard of about three acres. The church was long under the ministry of Rev. G. Mochel, now of Galion, Ohio, and later of Rev. H. L. Ridenour. Rev. L. H. Burry now has charge and things prosper. Services are held in both English and German and both languages are used in Sunday school. Dr. J. A. Bowman superintends the Sunday school of about seventy-five members. The membership of the church is at present about 145 communicants. |
 Thomas Headen Graham The above is a good picture of our present efficient and accommodating circuit clerk, T. Headen Graham. He is the only surviving son of “Auntie” Graham whose portrait is given elsewhere and was born in 1839. Attended Shelby Seminary and learned the printing business as part of his education. He tried living in the (continued) |
West
spending some time as a printer in Kansas and also worked in a saw
mill and as a trapper and hunter. During the war he entered the army
and remained until the close of the war. After the war he lived several
years in Kansas as city assessor of Lawrence, as manager of a saw mill
and as a journalist. He returned to Shelbyville and spent most of his
time working in abstract and law offices as a clerk. During most of his
life in Shelby he has been identified in some way or other with the
Court House so that having an accurate memory he became one of the
best, if not the best, informed persons on matters of legal record in
Shelby County and it was thought eminently fitting when in 1888 he was
elected to the office of circuit clerk by an overwhelming majority. The science of how to make true men and true women is the greatest of all sciences. |
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 The first M. E. church is situated on Main street, three blocks west of the court house, one of the most central locations and the best for a church in the city. The present society was formed back in the thirties, Auntie Graham, whose portrait we present elsewhere, being the only one of the members now living. The present brick edifice costing some $10,000 was built in 1865. A good two story brick parsonage was added later. The society has a membership of about 250, and a Sunday school of 200 or more, with E. J. Scarborough as superintendent. An Epworth League meets weekly. The present pastor, Rev. A. T. Orr, whose portrait and sketch we give elsewhere, took charge last October. The church is furnished with a large pipe organ, the largest and costliest in the city. Miss Annie Cooper, one of Shelbyville’s native talented musicians is organist. The singing is congregational, led by a choir, under direction of Shelbyville’s fine tenor singer, E. Homrighous. |
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| The Catholic Church was organized early in the sixties (ed. 1860’s) and a small frame church built in the south part of town. In 1879 the present brick structure, at the corner of Washington and North First streets was dedicated by Bishop Baltes of Alton, Ill. The church is handsomely finished and decorated on the interior, and a substantial brick parsonage has been added to the rear. The number of Catholic families belonging to the congregation is about fifty. For many years Father J. Storp ministered to the spiritual needs of the flock. At present Father H. J. Hoven is in charge. He is a man of broad scholarship, liberal views, and is an honor and credit to the church which he represents. | ||||
 Almer M.
Collins was born in Michigan, May 18, 1844. He was converted at the
age
of 13 and at 14 preached his first sermon at Troy about 12 miles from
home. He subsequently was called to several large places to conduct
revival meetings and for a while was known as the Michigan boy
preacher. He has always been successful as a revivalist. At several
meetings there were over a hundred additions each. He was educated at Hillsdale College,
Mich., and also graduated from two Medical Colleges.
He preached at several points in Michigan, New York, Ohio, Iowa and
Missouri. He gave much of his time to temperance work and while at
Marion, Io., lectured throughout the state and it has been said did
more to secure prohibition in Iowa than any other one man in the state.
He is now in his third year as pastor of the Christian church of this
city. He also devotes time to the practice of medicine. His family
consists of a wife and one son. Dr. Collins has delivered over 4,000
public addresses, was for a time associate editor of the Chicago
“Lever” and is the author of a valuable and complete
interest
calculator and several temperance and religious books. He is a man of
scholarly attainments, rare pulpit ability, genial address, outspoken
in his convictions of right and ever ready to plead the cause of the
poor, the tempted and needy.
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I
Love Thy Church
[Correction: selection
"Love to theChurch" by Timothy Dwight.]I love thy Church, O God! Her walls before Thee stand, Dear as the apple of Thine eye, And graven on Thy hand. For her my tears shall fall; For her my prayers ascend; To her my cares and toils be given, Till toils and cares shall end. Beyond my highest joy I prize her heavenly ways; Her sweet communion, solemn vows, Her Hymns of love and praise. — Bonar.
If the church is worth
anything to you, it is worth everything; because it teaches you of,
and helps you to, the highest concerns of your being.
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This church was
organized in 1836 as the Free Will
Baptist church under the ministry of Elder Bushrod
W. Henry. The name
“Baptist” was soon dropped and the members called “Disciples of
Christ”
and the church “Christian” which name it has since retained. The
present two story brick place of worship at the corner of Broadway and
South First Street was built at a cost of $15,000 and has a seating
capacity of 600. The present membership of the church is 250 with a
Sunday school of over 150 of which John D. Miller is superintendent.
Dr. A. M. Collins, whose portrait and sketch is presented elsewhere, is
in the third year of his pastorate. A young peoples society and ladies
missionary society also is connected with the church. The singing is
wholly congregational. Among the noted ministers who have been pastors
of this congregation are Wm. H. Williams of Aspen, Colo.; John W. Allen
of West Side Christian Church, Chicago; J. G. Waggoner of Eureka, Ill.;
Dr. John Harris and Theodore Brooks.
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African
M. E. Church The
colored brethren of the Methodist built a church of their own in 1885
and dedicated it the same year, and they now worship in a neat frame
house in the north western part of the city, entirely free from
indebtedness. Rev. Joseph Stephenson is their pastor, the church
membership is about 24 and they have a Sunday school of some 30 members
with Chris. Clayborn as superintendent.
Rev.
L. H. Burry
Leonard
H. Burry the pastor of the Lutheran church, of this city, spent his
early years in Pennsylvania, born March 9, 1857, in Butler Co., and
attended school at Alleghany City, and in an academy at Pittsburg. He
graduated from Capital
University, Columbus, Ohio, in 1878 and from the
theological department three years later. In 1881 he received the title
A. M. from the same institution. For about five years he was engaged in
the home mission work in Maryland and Ohio. Two years ago he accepted a
call to his present pastorate, St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church.
In Sept. 1881 Mr. Burry was married to Miss Laura Oberlin at Canton,
Ohio, which union has been blessed with five children, two sons and
three daugh- ters. Mr. Burry is a studious gentleman of genial manners
and zealous in the work of his church.
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 A. T. Orr was born in eastern Ohio sixty years ago. Came to this state in 1852 and eleven years later joined the Illinois M. E. conference. During these years he has served as pastor in Taylorville, Irving, Farmer City, McLean, Marshall, Greggsville District [Griggsville], Delavan, Tuscola, Paris, Clinton and Mattoon. In 1890 he was sent as pastor to the First Methodist Church of our city. He has a son at Wesleyan University and a daughter at home. Pastor Orr is a studious man of quiet manners; but when thoroughly aroused in the pulpit makes appeals full of Gospel fire. He has large sympathy for all in sorrow and distress and does not hesitate to declare the whole truth as God gives him to see it for the salvation of mankind from sin. |
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