River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-01-06
Father Boebn, the Ccntenarian Meth :
0dIst Preacher.

Oulst Preacher.
The Rev. Henry Boehm, who died at
the house Of his granddaughter, near
Richmond, Staten Island, Dec. 2Sth, was
born at Lancaster, Pa, June 9Th, l775,
or nine days previous to the battle of
Bunker Hill. lie remained little over
twelve months nominal subject of
George Ill, and cast his first vote for
John Adams as President of the United
States in 1895.
He lived in stirring times, remembering
the Revolutionary war, the French
Revolut on, the Neapoleonic and other
wars-in short the most striking events
OF two centuries occurred in his youth.
His manhood witnessed changes and for
tunes no less remarkable, and in his old
age the din Of great events was still in
the ears of this privileged mortal. Father
Boehm joined the Methodist Episcopal
Church in 1907, being then in his 22d
year, his father having been for
many years minister among
the United Brethren, and for some time a
Bishop of the same denomination. The
old gentleman joined the Meth0dists be.
fore he died, and built Boehm's Chapel,
which still exists, being the First Metho.
dist church in Lancaster county. Father
Boehm was licensed to preach by the
Rev. Thomas Ware, January 8. lS00,and
was appointed to travel in the Dorches.
ter district, on the eastern shore Of
Mary land. He attended the General
Conference of his church at Philadelphia
four years after he became a preacher,
4 4 4 al Al.
Colbert in Annamessex circuit, gaining
numerous converts to the Methodist
Church.
lie subsequently Travelled all over the
East with Bishop Asbury, and had a uni
formly successful career. He travelled
with the BiShOp-who was one of the
greatest lights Of the American Episcopal
Church 1908 to 1918. when he was
appointed Presiding Elder of the Schuyl.
kill district, which comprised the entire
territory from Wilmington to Strouds-
burg, between the Susquehannah and the
Delaware.
His travels with Bishop Asbury were
religi0usly romantic, en attracting the most
picturesque region Of the East, along the
Blue Ridge Mountains, the Alleghenies,
and all the rivers and magnificent valleys
of Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
He next made acquaintance with tho
most prominent Methodists Of the South,
including Lovick Pierce and William Ca
pers. both Of whom are well-remembered
as guiding-stars Of the Southern Mctho.
dist church. The division was always
heartily deplored by Father Boehm, who
used all his exertions, in latter days, to
bring about union of the two churches,
nominally divided.
The venerable deceased attended near
ly all the great Methodist Conferences,
and was ever listened to with profound
respect, because OF his acknowledged
zeal, great ability and wonderful expert
ence. The old man saw a steamboat for
the first tim, in his life at Elizabethport,
n. j., some ii ne in 1909. 1t was a very
crude affair, altogether unlike the float.
'ng palaces Of which Father Boehm had
experience before he departed to his re-
ward, lie attended Bishop Wheatcoat,
the parent of Pennsylvania Methodism,
in MS dying hours, at the residence of
Gov. Bassett in Delaware, III the year
1906 Father Boehm was acquainted, he
said himself, with all the Methodist Bish-
ops from Coke to Peak, but Asbury was
the greatest and best of them all. To
the last the ancient minister preserved
his zeal for the work of his choice, and
he has left behind him a reputation for
sc { sacrifice and earnestneSs Of purpose
uneycelled by any minister Of the Cos.
p,l.