Union and American. [volume] (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1875-1877, 1875-11-10
OBITUARY.

i.
Rev. John T.. Holtsipgcr was
born IN the year 1913, in Washing.
ton county, Tennessee. HIS fathei
was an honest aud Industrious man,
and a good CITIZEN. His mother
was a most worthy Christian lady,
and very early and carefully im-
parted to her son the religious in
structions peculiar to the Presby-
terian Church, of which she was a
consistent member. IN
By his father he was early
taught, both by preecpt and exam
pie. industry, economy and strict
honesty; by his mother he was
carefully taught the elementary
principles of our holy rel gion.-
These combined formed the eie-
ments of his character in after life.
Before he had reached the years of
his majority, he made a public pro-
~fession Of religion, at a meetiHg
held at what was then called Nc
KEGS School house, in Washington
county, not far from his fathers
residence, and united with the
Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
Unlike many others who enter the
Church, he Immediately entered
upon all the duties he conceived
To be binding on all Church mem
bcrs, Soon after he united with
the Church he became deeply inn
pressed that it was his duty to
! preach the Gospel. Under these
impressions, he cast about him for
some one to instruct him in relation
to a work OF such magnitude, at
once he thought OF his faithful!
mother, to whom he made known
his feelings, who commended him
to God and directed him to obey his
impressions.
Ire very soon after presented
himself to the Knoxville Presby-
terry of the Cumberland Preshy-
terrain Church, in session, at Madi-
sonville, Monroe county, Tenn, and
was received y candidate for the
ministry. as.I .e I'D
On his return home, from Pres
bytery, he made his arrangements,
and entered Washington College,
then presided over by Rev. Mr.,
McLin. Here discontinued, max
ing rapid progress in his studies,
.Hntil the year 1887, when, he was
licensed as a ProbatiOneE te,preachf
the Gospel. .--L h
. Soon after his litenSaEe, by the
Presbytery, he was most happily
united In marriage with Miss Nacky
Roberts, who proved to he to him,
in all after life, a true and faithful
help-meet, and yet lives to mourn
his loss. They raised three child
rem, two sous and q daughter. The
oldest son is an eminent minister Of
the Gospel of the Cumberland
Presbyterian Church, in OfIio.-
The second son was lost during.
the late war. The third is adaugh-
ter of 6ne promise, and quite &C,
complished. 90 g.
In the year 1898 Bro. Holtsinger
was set apart to. the whole work of
the ministry by the laying on of
the hands of the Presbytery.
AS a minister he was Jealous,
earnest, Industrious and eminently
successful in his work He was
not only possessed of fine INTEL sct-
ual powers, but wasa well de, ,eloped
specimen of our human;,v. of Great
muscular powers, waich well suited
him to the tas1S he had to perform
IN his ministry. eGl "a
SoO2 after he entered the minis
try,, tile Knoxville .Presbytery -Ess
: divided and the Aiwassee Presby-
terry was formed, cutting off all the
-older ministers from the Knoxville
Presbytery. Al this time the
writerccannot remember that,there
was q. single Cumberland Presby-
! terrain Church, house in what is
now the Knoxville Presbytery.-
There were few organizations OF
the body. widely scattered over the
country. AT this time all the
I Churches combined, inthe Knox
vile Preshytery,d did not contribute
J to the sappost5 of the4 ministry
1enough to constitute what would
now be a salary for one man.
= To supply these young and fee
-Fble Churches and plant Others, was
no ordinary task for few pour
1yomg men to undertake. yet Bro.
Holtsinger stepped forward and
! cheerfuAy entered upon The work.
| With a zeal and courage almost un,
.tparalleled..4 His voice could be
heard al along the Hneof work.
clleerirgandstipr al into action.
iIn aaRord he yassallIYe man. He
was often hesEa 70 say thatiIt cost
fhrm from one TO two hundred dol
lars a year to be a preacher+mean.
ling that his salary was short that
mueh,l which bhadrteE be supplied
tout ef his private means 5s
he would often work hard on, his
farm two. parts OF the day, then
saddle his morse, and from two to
Eve miles he would ride to assist
in holding protracted meetings.
During the late war he took
sides with the Government, and IN
the year 1862, went through to
kentucky making his way on foot
alone, through the Mountains. On
! reaching the Federal Army he vol