The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-12-14
In Memoriam.

D. Gregory, from Beloit.. Wis, paper
will be of much interest to many in this
aud Rutland counties
The death of Deacon Gregory has
Withdrawn from our community one
whom physical weakness had for several
years Withdrawn from the activities of
our daily life and yet not from his in
terest in and sympathy with that life.
lie had thus in part passed out from our
memories before he passed away from
earth 1t is fitting, therefore, that we
recall what he was in the earlier years Of
his life among us. Deacon l.. D. Greg.
ory was born in Hubbardton, Rutland
county, Vt, July 20, 1903. In 1887
he removed to Weybridge, VT, and
there for some years he was the financial
agent for Middlebnry college, engaged
successfully in The effort to secure for it
a larger endowment, In 1855 he re-
moved to Belolt, and the last twenty
years Of his life were spout in this com
munity. For nearly fourteen years he
was the treasurer for Beloit college and
with conscientious minuteness Of detail.
with painstaking thoroughness and fdel.
ity he cared for its financial interests,
heartily identifying himself with its
aims and spirit. Before his withdrawal
from this work slight stroke of
paralysis came to remind him and US
that at any time he might bo taken from
his work. Even then, as he said to a
neighbor, he had no preparation to make.
His business was all so arranged that no
interest of his own or Of the college
would suffer from his DEATH and he was
ready to go. Other strokes Of paralysis
followed, and gradually he became almost
helpless, and with powers of speech go
weakened that he could with difficulty
communicate with others. 1t was pecu.
liarly hard for this strong, practical. self
reliant man to be thus set aside, and for
shore Wife bf the te Bf naafs IN tbs
and sympathies and interests swept by
just beyond his reach. But he learned
to know that it was part of the wise
discipline from his Fathers hand, and
that it was all right. At last, on Sun.
day morning, November 81, with no pre-.
monition except little increased weak.
ness, in moment his release came, and
be entered into the perfect health and
eternal vigor of the life of a son of God
He had lived sixty. seven years and four
months.
Deacon Gregory made profession OF
religion at the age of twenty-five, and a
little more than a year later was elected
deacon OF the church in his native town.
And for almost forty years, in the several
places of his abode, he discharged the
duties of that Office with great fidelity.
He seems always to have had high
sense of the responsibility that rested on
him as an officer 10 the church, and, even
more, as Christian man, and he was
ready always to do his part in all Chris
tian work This high sense of Christian
duty penetrated and controlled every part
of his life. He was man Of very clear
perceptions of duty and Of right, and so a
man of strong, deep convictions. Those
CouNlctiOuS Hc Cucilsncu anu CluuS "
with great tonacity. They formed the
granite base Of character Of singular
uprightness, of uubending integrity, and
Of conscientious fidelity and exactness
in the discharge of duty in little things
and in great things that made no account
of personal convenience or preference.
1t was his aim, and he never lost sight OF
it, to do always exactly right. And so
by all the force of his strong native bent.
and Of his moral aims, and of his life.
long habits Of thrift and exactness, he
was intoleraut of all loose ways of doing
BUSINESS and loose modes Of living.
Shiftlessness and carelessness and waste.
ful expenditure were to him simply
wicked. And yet he was wisely liberal,
giving freely not alone time and work
but money also, which it had cost him
self.denial and painstaking care to earn
and save. la tho erection of the First
Congregational church in this city he was
among the most liberal contributors
very naturally and very wisely the care
Of the property and interests of many o
widowed and orphaned one was entrusted
to him. And with great good sense and
good judgment and the most exact fdel.
ity he watched over those interests as
though they were his own, sparing neither
tine nor care that he might do the very
best thing possible for them. Now we
may safely say that only great kindness
of heart and genuine 6neness Of feeling
could have prompted to such constant