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Jersey County Page Jerseyville History
Cooper’s History of Jerseyville, pp. 28 – 40
The Clergy of Jerseyville, Illinois
Rev. Marshall M. Cooper, History of Jerseyville, Illinois 1822 to 1901, Jerseyville Republican Print, 1901, pp. 41-47. Not a complete transcription, there will be errors, typos.
Rev. John G. Klene, A.B.
Rev. John G. Klene was born at Sparta, Illinois, and before he was two years of age removed with his parents to a farm in Washington county, Illinois, where he resided until he was almost grown. He began his education in the country school, and after a term in the high school, taught during the winters of 1884 and 1885.
In the fall of 1886 he re-entered the Sparta high school, from which he graduated in June 1888. That year he entered Monmouth college and graduated with the degree of A.B. in June 1892. Up to this time he had been a member of the United Presbyterian church since his conversion, but now decided to change his ecclesiastical relations, and entered McCormick seminary, Chicago, to prepare himself for the ministry in the Presbyterian church.
During his summer vacation, between his junior and middle years in the seminary, Mr. Klene supplied the church at Nashville, Illinois, and, between the middle and senior years, the church at Marion, Iowa. Mr. Klene graduated from McCormick Seminary with the class of 1895. Shortly after his graduation he was united in marriage to Miss Sarah B. Hood of Sparta, Illinois. Shortly after his marriage he accepted the position of supply, for one year, of the Presbyterian church at Deer Lodge, Montana. Returning to Illinois, he was at once called to the Presbyterian church at Belleville, which he served for two years. That charge was resigned to accept a call to the pastorate of the North Presbyterian church of St. Louis, Mo. This church he served for three years, and entered upon his work as pastor of the Presbyterian church of Jerseyville, April 1, 1901. He was installed over said church, May 1, 1901.
Rev. J. Arthur Ford, Ph.D.
Born in Newark Valley, Tioga county, N.Y., June 15, 1850. He prepared himself for the profession of teacher in the Holly Normal School, Holly, Michigan. He began his profession as teacher at Rosedale, Mich., in the fall of 1867, at the age of 17 years.
During the following three winters he was principal of the schools at Smithfield, Mich., and in the summers he studied law in the office of Byron L. Ransford, Holly, Mich.
At the age of 20, in the year 1870, he entered Colgate University at Hamilton, N.Y. He studied there for three years, until 1873. Returning to Michigan, he passed his legal examination and was admitted to the bar in the fall of 1873. He then returned to New York and practiced law in the city of Binghamton, N.Y., until 1879. He then sold his law practice and became the editor of the Bay City Daily Tribune, of Mich., the successor of Hon. A. M. Birney, U.S. Minister to the Hague, under appointment of President Garfield. He afterwards became the editor of the “Saginaw Daily Herald,” and while editor of that paper, preparing the city ministers’ sermons for the press, he began to contemplate his need of salvation. Being fully convicted thereof, he at once sought, with all his heart, and found his Savior.
Returning again to New York, he spent a year in the Y.M.C.A. work. In January 1882, he was baptized and united with the First Baptist church of Maine, Broone Co., N.Y.
In 1883 he moved to Hamilton, N.Y., and took is theological course in Hamilton Theological Seminary, graduating in June 1885. Immediately after graduating, he received a call from the First Baptist church of Frankfort, N.Y.
In 1888 he became pastor of the First Baptist church at Battle Creek, Mich. In 1896, he accepted the pastorate of the First Baptist church at Lincoln, Ill. January 1, 1900, he accepted a call from the Baptist church at Jerseyville, Ill., where he now remains as pastor.
Rev. C. B. Besse, D.D.
Rev. C. B. Besse, D.D., was born in Jefferson, Lincoln County, Maine, June 3, 1841. Here he spent his childhood and youth, securing the fundamentals of an education in village, and occasional private schools. He commenced teaching in the country schools at the age of seventeen, at which he continued for four years, when he entered Lincoln Academy at New Castle, Maine, to prepare for college.
In 1864 he entered Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Me., from which he was compelled to retire before graduation on account of failing health. After more than a year of persistent but unsuccessful effort to regain his health, so as to resume his college course, in great depression of spirit, disappointment at the miscarriage of his life plans, he sought the consolations of religion. There is a history here which the necessary brevity of this sketch compels us to omit.
In the month of May 1867, after weeks of sorrowful seeking, a great peace came into his soul, and, in response to the call of God and the church, he preached his first sermon in June, just five weeks after his conversion. In 1868 he was sent by his Presiding Elder to serve the M. E. Church in China, Maine. In 1869 he was received on trial into the East Maine Conference. In 1871 he was ordained Elder by Bishop E. R. Ames. In 1873 he was ordained Elder by Bishop L. W. Wiley. In this conference he continued till 1888, serving the following charges: China, Pittston, Dexter, Rockland, Vassalboro, Bucksport, Orrington, Bangor and Thomaston.
In 1888 he was transferred by Bishop Warren to the Arkansas Conference, and stationed at Main Street M.E. Church, Little Rock. Here in 1889, he received his title of D.D. from the Fort Worth University. In 1890 he was transferred by Bishop Thomas Bowman to Southern Illinois conference and stationed at Effingham. He has since served the churches at Vandalia and Carbondale; and was appointed to Jerseyville by Bishop W. X. Ninde, Oct. 1900, where he is still to be found in labors abundant.
Rev. Francis A. Marks
Born in St. Louis, Mo., June 28, 1859. In the year of 1861, when about two years old, he moved with his parents to Breese, Clinton county, Ill. Here he received his common school education. In the fall of 1872, he entered the St. Francis Seminary, near Milwaukee, Wis. Here he remained in the seminary until 1878. From there he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, for one year. From there he went to St. Minard, Spencer Co., Ind., remaining there until the spring of 1883. Ordained to the priesthood May 20, 1883, at Breese, Illinois. He was temporarily stationed at Chester, Ill., whn on Thanksgiving day 1883 he arrived in Jerseyville, Ill., where he has ever since, and is now the pastor of the church of the Holy Ghost.
Rev. Patrick Fallon
Was born in Montreal, Can., Aug. 27, 1858. Received his early education in the Christian Brothers’ school in Montreal. Entered the Montreal college September 1874, and remained there until 1879. He entered the Seminary of Philosophy in 1879, and began his studies in the SEminary of Theology, Sept. 1881, and graduated there Dec. 1884. He was ordained to the priesthood Dec. 20, 1884. Began the ministry as a substitute at Litchfield, Ill., Jan. 1 to April, 1885. From Litchfield he became pastor at Murrayville, Ill., from May 1885 to May 1887. Next, pastor of St. Patrick’s church, Alton, Ill., from May 1887 to Jan. 1897. From Alton, Ill., he went to Montreal, Can., from Jan. 1897 to Aug. 1899.
Aug. 1, 1899, he became pastor of St. Francis Xavier’s church, Jerseyville, Ill., where he remains pastor to the present time, 1901.
Rev. Stephen Catt
Born in Rotherfield, County of Sussex, England, April 10, 1844. Youngest son of Jas. and Harriette Catt (nee Harmon); came to the United States, arriving at the city of New York, May 18, 1861.
He entered the United States service Nov. 24, 1863, in Company F, 4th Regiment Illinois Cavalry Volunteers. He was honorably discharged on August 29, 1865, by order of the Surgeon General Department, at Washington, D.C.
Rev. Catt received his early education in England in private and public school; attended public schools near Jerseyville in the winters of 1861-62. He was licensed to preach by the Jerseyville Baptist church Jan. 30, 1876; was ordained at the Baptist church in Jerseyville, June 26, 1879, by the following council: Revs. B. B. Hamilton, moderator, C. E. Taylor, A. Dodson, J. W. Place, J. E. Roberts, and John Costley.
Rev. Catt was for eleven years missionary of the Carrollton Baptist Association, and during that time built the churches at Roodhouse, Palmyra and Greenfield. During that period he added to the churches of Carrollton Association about ten percent of their membership through his missionary labors.
Rev. M. M. Cooper
The subject of this sketch was born in Kane, Greene county, Ill., July 15, 1838. When about three years old his father and mother agreed that he should be the adopted child of Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Cooper. Agreeable to their covenant, Mr. and Mrs. Cooper, by an act of the Legislature of the State of Illinois, he became their adopted child and heir at law.
He received his early education in the common schools near his home, and in the winters of 1858-59, he attended a young men’s Academy, held in the upper room of the Hall of the Sons of Temperance, taught by Rev. Mr. Gilford, a Presbyterian preacher.
In the fall of 1859 he entered Shurtleff College where he took a classical course, remaining until 1865. He spent the ten following years teaching. He taught four schools in Litchfield, Ill.; was principal of the schools at Pocahontas and Oconee, Ill.
In 1874 he was received as a licentiate into the Presbytery of St. Louis. In 1875 he was ordained at Nashville, Ill., by the Presbytery of Cairo, while pastor of the Presbyterian church of Pinckneyville, Ill. He has been pastor and stated supply for twenty five years, besides teaching ten years.
Rev. Caloway Nash, A.M., D.D.
Rev. Caloway Nash, A.M., D.D., was born in Clayborn Co., Tenn., March 18, 1840. Brought up on the farm and received his early education in the common schools of this county, and at Walnut Grove Academy near Knoxville, Tenn. Entered Shurtleff College in 1863, and was there two years. Received into the Southern Illinois Conference of the M.E. Church in 1865. He was first assistant pastor in charge of the Edwardsville circuit for one year.
His second charge was the Brighton circuit, where he labored two years. Afterwards pastor at Upper Alton, Edwardsville, Centralia, Fairfield and Mt. Vernon. Following these labors, he was Presiding Elder four years of the Mt. Vernon District. Afterwards pastor at Carbondale, Mt. Carmel, Olney and Jerseyville; at this place, on account of failing health, he took a superannuated relation, but his health has so far improved as to enable him to be active in the ministry among country and village churches of his vicinity.
He was married to Miss Emma Pinckard of Alton, Ill., May 16, 1886. Of the eight children born to them only three remain, viz., Clara L., Henry Raymond, and Albert Earl.
Brother Nash joined the Union army May 1864 and was honorably discharged Sept. 1864. He belonged to Company D of the 133 Ill. Infantry, made up principally of students from Shurtleff College. He is an enthusiastic member of T. S. Bowers Post, G.A.R., of Mt. Carmel, Ill.
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