Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-08-10
DEATH OF AN OLD PIONEER.
Vacant Spot Left In Many Homes by the Death of
Father Rruusou

Father Brunson.
The Rev. Alfred Brunson, ID. ID. who
is well known throughout Grant county
and southwestern Wisconsin as Father
Brunson," died at his home in Prairie
du Chen, Thursday morning, Aug. 8.
at the age of eighty-nine years and six
months. The Madison State Journal
gives the following sketch of his life:
Alfred Brunson was born in Dunbury.
Fairfield county, Connecticut, Feb. 9,
1898. He received only the education
of the common schools of that early day,
which was extremely limited; but his
active mind and energetic character
caused him to press forward in obtaining
know edge, and his success was remark
able. In 1900, the family removed to
Sing Sing, n. Y, where his father was
drowned in 1906. The mother with sew
en- children. of whom our subject was
the Oldest, returned at once to Dunbury.
Alfred was then apprenticed to learn the
trade of shoemaker, in which calling
he spent five years. He read extensive
ly and possessed an ambition to lead a
higher life. He studied law, determin-
ed TO rise in the profession. In the fall
of 1908, he started for Ohio, where an
uncle resided. Soon after he went to
Carlisle, Penn. He had been relgiously
inclined from the time of his fathers
death; and being in Methodist family,
attending church with them, he was
thoroughly awakened in 1909. and join
ing the church. he devoted his time in
preparing for the ministry. In the fall
of that year he returned to Connecticut,
where the way was open for him to
commence religious services, having
been licensed to sexhort. He was mar
ried in 1911, and soon removed to Ohio
and worked a while upon a farm. He
entered the army in 1913, for one year,
under Gen. Harrison, and was at the
taking of Maiden and the retaking of
Detroit.
Returning home at the close of his
term of service, he was in 1915, licensed
to preach. He has therefore been in the
ministry sixty-seven years. He labored
in Ohio and Pennsylvania, with decided
success, until in the year 1885, when he
learned of the sad condition of the Ind
ians on the upper Mississippi, and de-
termined to press his way to aid these
and other poor sufferers. On the 18th
of October, 1885, he located in Wiscon-
sin. He was made presiding elder of
a district extending from Rock Island TO
the head of the Mississippi river, includ-
ing the Indian Mission. He located at
Praire du Chen. His good wife who
had remained in the east, contracted for
boat and material for a house, prepar-
ed to be put together to be moved with
the family To his new western home
This work was successfully accomplish
ed. He was the first Methodist minister
who set foot on the soil north of Wiscon-
sin river. Ill health compelled Mr..
Brunson to relinquish the ministerial
labors in 1889, and being without income
he accepted some low official positions
that brought him about courts, and was
admitted to the bar very soon, and prac-
ticed the profession of the law for about
ten years. In 1910, he was elected to
the territorial Legislature; in 1912, he
was appointed Indian agent at La
Pointe, on Lake Superior. In 1850. he
ran for judgeseip but was defeated,
and Immediately returned to the minis
try and was located at Mineral Point.
In 1858, he was appointed presiding ell
del of the Praire du Chen district, then
one of large territory. In 1862, he was
appointed chaplain of the army;
went with his regiment to Kentucky, but
was soon compelled to resign on account
of i'll health, Having partially recover
ed his health, he performed considerable
and valuable service in the ministry till
1871, when he was compelled to retire
on account of his health.
During the ministry of DIR. Brunson,
he had been sixteen yeals presiding
elder, and delegate to the general con-
ference four times; has written extern
sively for both religious and secular
papers; assisted in building about thirty
churches; has preached thousands of
sermons, and, fully ripe in years and in
honors, has now gone to receive his re-
ward from his Divine Master, in whose
cause he has earnestly labored for so
long atime. In his death. the denom-
ination with which he Ii ored has lost
an able expounder of the principles up
onswhich it is founded, and his friends
mourn true, tried Christian adviser.