The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-12-16
ELDER DAVID MENTZER.
Funeral Address Of RsV. B. BaltzIy
Upon the Death of that Gentleman.
Review of the Career and Worthy Life
Works Of Mr Mentzer--A UOnscien-
tiou4, Earnest Mau aud
CurlstIan.

Q6nCH Ill NtNNTEb, NY htNs De d. DhlNAtJS
Monday, December 9th:
Elder David MentZer was born July
16. 1874, In Franklin county, Washing
ton township, Pa, He was the only child
of Joseph and Catherine MentZsr. In
early infancy he was cOnsecrated TO God
by the ordinance Of Chr stian uept.s.2,
administered by the Rev. j. Gru0b.
When he was but eight months old he
was bereft Of his mother; ana at the age
of six years his father departed this life,
leaving him a lone and desOlR-e orphan
with no earthly store. la 1922, soon az
ter the death of his father Mr.. Lind
took charge of him, and with him he re
moved to tie State of Maryland. In
1924 Mr.. Lind was appOi ted his guard
Ian. Ia 1927 he removed from Mary
lard tu Plain township, Stark county,
Ono, with five miles of the city Of
Canton. In hi seveute nth year he en-
tered upon a course of catach6tical
lectures, delivered by the Rev.
John j. Fast, which continued
for the space OF two years. In
the second year of tn 90 lectures, be
became deeply impre7se with a sense
of his unwOTthiness, a00 q neen or au
interest In the c,e elnsiug blOodOt Christ
He became a seeker Of j -us, anl soon,
like all humble, paniten, bslipying in
uuirprs, found HIM " ON ma Lived
Wi b ID intiDg, he sou .hta union with
"the body of Christ" tn visible churcr
and in his lS.h year, wa received into
the Evangelical bntheT church, IN
the branch thereof k Ow as the War9t
Ter cOngrp cation, near Canton, Ohio, by
the solemn rite of confirmation admin
istered by his spirituai Instructor aud
father
And this taking on of Christ inwardly
by repentance and faith, and OUtWaTdly
by Christ-cOnfessiOn and rhurch.cOnnec-
tiOn, was sincere and hearty, as life OF
over "a years Of unTem ting contiHu
ance of holy living and we'll doing, Is
full proof.
On the 20th day of January, 1885, he
was united the holy b nds Of wedlOck
to Miss EIiz lbeth 4 sig. In this union
came to them six chil 'ren-twO sons
and four daughters. o. these one sou
and two daughters are not, because the
Lord took them In the early dawn aud
bloom of their earth-life, aud planted
them In His Celestial Vineyard, to de-
unpoisoned and uDsoiled by the touch
of earth and its nngenial air and In
huences; and one son and two daugh
ters are yet mortal pilgrims, seeking, as
we trust, better cOu1try. One half
have crossed the swelling blood, and
are at home; the other half yet liDReT
here, but are coming nearer, every day,
to the border land Of the world unseen.
This marital union continued un.
marred and unbroksn, and of felicitiOns
relationship, for the period OF over 81
years.
Imme iistely after his marriage, he,
with his wife, removed into Perry town.
ship on farm known as the EVerhsrd
farm. In one year thereafter he re-
turned again into Plain township; from
thence he removed into Pike township
In 1848, ne, ith his family removed to
and settle on parcel Of ground which
he had pu, cha ed In Bethlehem town
ship, near what was known then as the
town of Bethlehem. In 1862 they re
moved into Navarro, Whrrr the year
after be entered into the merchandise
and grain business, which he followed
to within few weeks Of his death.
He was an hOnored and worthy citi.
zen of Navarro for over tweDty-fOur
years, beloved and esteemed by all In
the line of his scquaintsnces.
Upon his removal from near Canton
to the vicinity Of Navarro, he transfer
red his ecclesiastical relationship from
the Wsrstler congregation to the Luth
ersn church of this place. In this church
he was a meek, unassuming, devoted
and faithful member for thirty-eight
years, during the greater portion of
which time he was an office bearer
therein, either as deacon or an elder,
and we'll did he bear her standard and
discharge the duties of his Office. He
was man Of few words, both in bust
ness and in religion. In his Christian
life he was unostentatiOus, preferring
to live his plety rather than
talk 1t. He was one of the
Lords noblemen, sincere In his con-
victiOns, honest In his purposes, upright
in his dealings, and godlyIn his life. He
was devoid of all duplicity. What he
meant he said; and what he said he
meant He was equally devoid of dis
play. He was kind to the poor, and his
purse was always open to the calls of
benevOlence; but his left hand often
failed to discover what his right hand
did. Many a relief of poverty, many an
act of charity, many deed Of kindness,
many q response to calls of benevOienCe
unheralded and now only In the men,
Ory Of recipients, together with a per
petual scholarship In Wlttenberg Col
Iege at cost of $3.50, stand among the
sweet memorials of his well.doing. He
was a good man and has gone to the
home Of the good. HE last illness,
which ended his useful life, was of about
eleven weeks continuance, during which
he suffered greatly, but bore 1t all with
Christian fOrtitude and resignation. His
faith In God, like that Of the immortal
Luther, was simple, childlike, trust
ing, so that, when questioned
by his pastor as to his future
prospects, his expressions of hope were
uttered without any fearful, tremulous
emotions, but with utmost calmness,
sweet cOmpOsure and confident assur.
anCe Of blessedness In the great here
after. He knew and felt that he was q
sinner, unable to redeem himself by any
effort Of his own, and possessed continu.
ally conscious realization Of his utter
helplessness; but he also knew that the
blood Of Christ cleanseth from all sin;
and he trusted, not In his own merits,
but In the efficacy of that blood to
cleanse, and thus came into the con-
seriousness of the forgiveness Of sin and
hope of eternal life, 10 this faith he
lived, and therein he ended his life In
full assurance Of glorious resurrec
tion and one eternal day Of rest in the
bosom Of his Father.
On Friday, December 80, 1886. as the
day was far spent and his work was
done. the angel Of death came for him
and bore him away to the land Of rest,
and there he abldes in peace.
The years and days of his earthly
mn ma klnnnn Inn