The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1889-09-28

Rev. John Turner Jenifer, D. D., was
born of slave parents, March 10. 1885, in
Upper Marlborough, Prince Georges
county, Maryland. His father, John H.
Jenifer, of New Bedford, Mass, belong
ed to David Crawford, of Maryland.
His mother, Catherine Burgess, was the
slave of Grace H. Dorsey, the daughter
of Truman Tyler, nephew of President
Tyler. He was separated from his par
ents at seven years Of age, and rendered
his first service in doing general house,
work. One of his chief duties was to
carry the books of his young master to
the school house door, Death and mar
riages having wrought changes in the
old Marlborough homestead, he was
taken by his ownersto Baltimore at the
age of eighteen. He learned to read,
and his love ofsbooks and apt business
tendencies made him serviceable in his
young masters dry goods store. Young
Dorsey (his mastery having failed, he
hired his time and secured position
as shipping clerk in large dry goods
house, Baltimore.
He was converted in the Sharp Street
M. E. Church, Baltimore, Md, April 4,
1855. He was one of the founders of the
King soloman Lyceum of that city, and
it was in that organization that he was
first seized with an intense ambition to
lead life Of usefulness. Having earned
for those who claimed him over fourteen
hundred dollars, in 1859, learning of the
whereabouts of his father, who had left
Marlborough many years before, he
moved to New Bedford, Mass, Oct.,
1860, where he entered commercial
college with the view of preparing him
self to engage in the dry goods business
in Boston. This purpose was not &C.
complished. The divinity that shapes
our ends" called him to another path of
duty. One Sunday night, while walking
the streets of New Bedford, he was
solemnly impressed that God had chosen
him to the work of the ministry. In the
winter of 1861 he Joined the New Bed
ford A. M. E.. Church, then under the
pastoral charge of Rev. Henry J. Young.
He was licensed to preach by Rev. w.
w. Grimes, February 5, 1852. At this
time he felt a strong desire to enter an
institution oflearning in order to fully
prepare himself for the work 20 which
GoI has called him that he might OBJ
tain the means to go to college, he bor-
rowed money and sailed for California,
July, p, 1862, where hearrived the 18th
of the following month. He Immediately
sought out Elder (now Bishop I. M. D.
Ward, who appointed him to the charge
of station in Sacramento City, in No
vember, 1862, in which city he had
great success.
His next appointment was to the
Placeville circuit, where he bought vala-
BILE property and built church and
taught the district school. In 1864, up
on the organization of the California
Annual Conference by Bishop J. P.
Campbell, D. D., IL. D., he was chosen
one of its secretaries. He was ordained
a deacon by Bishop Campbell April l3,
1865, and appointed to the Virginia City
Station. Having by this time saved
about $500 and by diligent study nearly
completed the ordinary preparatory
course, he was transferred to the Ohio
Annual Conference and entered WILDER.
force University January %, 1865. He has
been trustee of Wilberforce since 1866
served two years as superintendent O.
its buildings and grounds, and three
years Secretary OF the Board of Trustees
and Executive Committee.
\ He was in 1867 appointed, under the
recommendations of Hon. Ben Wad,
and Judge Bingham, Of Ohio, postmaste1
at Wilberforce, being the first Coloret
man appointed to that position by til,
United States Government.
(cONTINITrn ON arco,rr