The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-12-15
REV. DAVID JEwETT WALLER,


most prominent, and most enternrie
ing citizens. The funeral was held
on Monday afternoon at three o'clock
and from that hour until five all places
OF business were closed as a mark of
respect to the deceased. The services
were conducted at the house. Rev
Z. A. Heilman read hymn. Rev. DR.
5. Mitchell OF Mt. Carmel offered
prayer, Rev. l. NJ. Patterson. read a
biographical sketch of Mr.. Waller. and
stated that the wish of the deceased
was that no eulogies should be pro.
nounced over his remains. Rev. DR.
McAtee of Danville announced an.
other hymn followed by prayer by
Kew. DIR. N. G.. Parke of Pittston.
lhe hymns were sung by the Y. M. C..
A. Choir. Numerous beautiful floral
offerings were contributed by relatives
and friends
Below is printed the biographical
sketch, which is SO complete as to re.
quire no additional statements.
Rev. David Jewett Waller, born at
Wilkes Barre, Pa, January a6th, 1878,
died at Bloomsburg, Pa, December =,
1893, aged seventy.eight years, ten
months and sa days. Mr.. Waller was
OF Puritan stock, having no strain of
other than New England blood in his
ancestry for a period of more than
two hundred years. His religious train
ing by the earnestly devout aunts with
whom he lived is indicated by the
facts that family worship was habitual,
and that Sunday was observed from
Saturday at sunset. When old enough
to read he drove the conveyance each
Sunday for two aunts engaged in
teaching Mission Sunday School and
was himself installed as teacher of
those much older-some adults.
AT the age of fifteen he entered
Williams College, from which he was
graduated in 1884. In the fall of that
year he entered Princeton Theological
Seminary, from which he was gradua-
ted in 1887. After his licensure by
the Presbytery OF New Castle, and
while engaged in ministerial labors at
Bloomsburg, he received call to the
church at Milton, as he did in subse-
quent years to all the leading churches
of the Presbytery; but declining it, he
was ordained to the gospel ministry
and installed the first pastor of the
Presbyterian church in Bloomsburg at
an adjourned meeting of Presbytery
held for that purpose Wednesday, May
Ist, 1889. In this his first and only
pastoral charge he continued for thir.
ty-three years, resigning in 1871. In
addition to his ministerial labors in
Bloomsbury, he for many years sup
piled all the English Presbyterian
churches between Danvile and the
wyoming Valley, from the Susquehan-
ma to the North Mountain, These
flocks are now in charge of four pas
tors. Over this area more than forty
miles square, before it was divided, he
travelled on horseback or by wagon
about five thousand miles a year, and
preached in almost every church and
school-house, often having three SER
vices on Sunday besides conducting a
large number of the funerals of that
early time. He preached regularly
for considerable periods at Catawissa,
Espy, Salem, Berwick, Briarcreek,
Light Street, Orangeville, Rhorsburg,
Coles Creek and New Columbia. No
depth of mud or severity Of storm was
ever allowed to serve as an excuse for
not meeting an appointment. During
his pastorate the church in Bloomsturg
leaving the frame edifce on Third
street, built the brick one on Market
street in IS4S. His persistent efforts
in securing the erection Of the present
stone church in ISS9-9I are SO well
known as to require no detailed state
ment.
Profoundly impressed with the i'm
portance of systematic instruction In
the truth of the Bible, he organized a
Bible class in the first year of his pas
torate, on Thursday, June s7th, 1880,
that met first upon Friday evening
and afterward upon Monday evening
throughout almost the whole period OF
thirty three years. This exercise was
always one of very deep interest to
him. The weather, the attendance,
the passage studied, the apparent In
terest or want of it, his feeling of hap
piness or depression, and humble de
sire that the exercise may be used by
his Saviour for the advancement OF
His Kingdom, are frequently men
toned in his journal. The greatness,
mercy, goodness and glory of God
were iavorite themes, by consideration
of which he sought to expand and ele'
vate the minds of his pupils. This
Bible class is well remembered by
many citizens who therein received
Biblical training, thoug h not all mem
bers OF his congregation. After &C.
signing his charge, and though always