Smyrna times., 1891-10-21
Death Of Rev. Thomas 0. Avres.

his mortal existence at his home in
Delaware City on the evening of the
18th inst. He was in his 54th year,
having been born May 9th, 1888, and
was in the prime of life for effective
ness and usefulness for men in his
position. His death is not only an Occa
sion of more than usual sorrow to his
bereaved family, to the church he was
serving, to the friends of his former
bone in Smyrna, but throughout the
Wilmington Conference. The grief is
the more poignant because it is felt his
death was not in Gods time, for then is
would be accepted as in the order of
his Providence, but as the result of
mans inhumanity to man."
If this were the time and place it
might be shown how he was removed
from one district where he had been
chosen by vote of his fellow ministers
to take the place of Presiding Elder
Milby on his death) to make "a place
for the "phenomenaln Presiding Elder
who had finished his time on Salisbury
District, how subsequently he was
bounded by the same elder to have
him removed, how failing at the Mil
ford Conference to impress the pure
minded Bishop who presided, he did
with the Bishop at the Centreville
Conference, and the conspiracy was
accomplished. 1t was not that he was
to take a more cirCumscribed field, for
that would have followed in a year or
two in due course, but that he was
removed without charges expressed or
implied apparently to crafty one man
who had the cOnnivance of the Bishop.
The records of the churches on the
Peninsula, it can safely be said, does
not show anything near so Jesuitical.
Conscious of having done bis duty
(which the official records fully cOrrOb-
Orate) he felt il Il stigma and personal
injury which the lapse of time only
intensified, and the testimony of his
physicians Is that his death was the
result of deep mental anguish. Doubt
less in letting him down." his perse-
cutOrs accomplished more than they
intended.
The deceased came to Smyrna from
the Eastern Shore of Maryland when
he was IL years of age to learn the bus
mess Of Understanding with Jas B.
Ruth. He was diligent in business, at
the same time building up his charac-
ter, and year after completing his
trade bought his employer out. He
went through the evolutions of mind
incident to his age with one of an
acquiring mind, and after look
ing at life, its duties and prOba-
tiOnary responsibilities, he decided
it was time for him to become a
christian. The act pOrtrays the char
acter of the man. There was no re-
vival, no religious impressment, but a
matter thought out and reached in the
councils of his own mind. 1t was a
conversion Ofthe mind and will as well
as the emotions. AT proper time be
appeared before the altar of the church
gave his name to 90 on its records and
at once identified himself with all its
means of grace Of prayer meeting,
class meeting &c. He followed in the
successive steps of class leader, exhor-
ter aud local preacher and at the end
OF ten years, 1870, was admitted into
the Wilmington Conference. During
the civil war he was an earnest patriot
and served as Sergeant in the sixth
Delaware regiment. In the two sub
sequent years when calls were made
for 30 days men he responded, serving
as Lieutenant the first time and Captain
the second, and showed great aptitude
in mastering its duties. His chief
battle of life was, however, to be
in another sphere, and in this
there was constant advance until the
present year. He filled successfully
the following appointments Mills
borough, Frankfort, POcOmoke CITY,
Asbury Chrislield, Leipsic, DOrches-
ter, Denton. On the death of Presid-
siding Elder Milby in 1886, he was
chosen as his successor, but at the fol-
lowing conference was transferred to
Salisbury District, serving there until
the past spring, when, as stated in the
first part of this article, he was sent to
Delaware City.
The funeral services conducted by
Presiding Elder Murray, were held at
his dwelling at o'clock on Friday
evening, which was crowded by SYM
pathising relatives and friends and
brother ministers. The floral offer
ings were of rare beauty and design.
The funeral procession started at
$50 on Saturday morning for Smyrna.
A number of ministers, relatives and
friends were in waiting, and moved
directly from the station to the Odd
Fellows Cemetery where the last sad
rights were administered by his fellow
ministers who surrounded the grave.
and he was laid away to rest. This
was followed by the ceremony of the
MasOns, who had charge Of the servi-
ces and had marched in the procession In
their regalia. He was a member of
the Lodge in Denton, but the order of
this town had charge of the services.
joined by those of Denton and Della
ware City.
The following ministers of the Will
mingtOn Conference were in attend.
ance: Presiding Elder Murray, II. L.
Hubbard, Isaac Jewell, Wilmington /!
7. p. Martindale, New Castle A.
s. Mowbray, Newport; F. f. Nc
Kinsey, Port Penn; N. NJ. Brown.
Middletown, H. S. Thompson, Odessa !;
G. l.. Hardesty, st. Georges Frank
Fletcher, Townsend; A. Chandler.
KentOn T. E. Terry and John r.
Todd, Dover; p. H. RawIins, Camden:
A. Green, Wyoming; T. H. Haynes
FELTON, V. S. Collins, Ceptreville'
Md; S. n. Morgan, Hillsborough Md
r. @. MaonichOl. Sudlersville Md
Presiding Elder Smith, Rev. w. w, w.
Wilson, r. K. Stephenson and Her.
man Roe, of Smyrna. There were
besides, J. Miller Thomas, Wilmington.
Prof. w. l.. GOoding and J. E. Carroll
of Dover, and Prof. James Swami, OF
Denton.
The following members of Jackson
Lodge No. 10, Delaware CITY, were
also in attendance Frank r. House
holder, Geo. w. Craig, Geo. r. Whar-
ton, Isaac H. Ubill, VIM. NJ. Wingate.
M. w. Hibshman, Robt.A. Moody.
The deceased married April, 18th.
1861, Rebecca Taylor, daughter of
Joseph and Phoebe A. Disoh, of
Smyrna. Besides his widow he leaves
three sons and one daughter, all grown
but one. These, with the visitors left
on the afternoon train.
A SPECIMEN of growing and ripen-
ing Brandywine raspberries has been
shown us, brought by Mrs. John Helm
old from Pennsylvania.
--=s-sssz -----
Hymeneai.