Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1894-11-28
DEATH OF DR.. DUDLEY /.
Formerly q Resident of Milwaukee
and Lake Mills.

Formerly Resident of Milwaukee
and Lake Mills.
The Rev. John l.. Dudley, known
to many people in Watertown, and
who up to few years ago spent his
summers at Lake Mills, is dead. He
was brother-in-law of Mrs. J. H.
Keyes, wife of the former proprietor of
The REPUBLICAN. Saturdays Sentinel
gives the following particulars of his
death and some incidents of his life:
The Rev. John l.. Dudley, formerly
pastor of Plymouth Congregational
church Of this city, died in Boston,
Wednesday, aged "a years. He had
been in feeble health for some time
and several weeks ago received severe
injuries from a fall He was getting
over the effects of this, however, and
seemed to be on the road to moderate
ly good health when he contracted
cold hich developed into bronchitis,
from the effects Of which he died.
The remains were buried at Mount
Auburn, near Boston.
Mr.. Dudley came from Connecticut
TO Milwaukee about 1865 or 1866 to take
charge of Plymouth church, pastorate
w
He later accepted call to Boston and
after serving there for several years re-
turned to Milwaukee to live. Five or
six years ago he bought home at
Lake Mills, where he and his wife,
Mrs. Marion V. Dudley, remained un-
til September, 1893, when they started
away to travel. They spent the greater
part of the winter in Florida and dur
ing the summer travelled through New
York state and New England.
Mr.. Dudley was man Of original
ideas, with most attractive personal
ity, powerful pulpit talker and a
strong believer in the religion of good
fellowship. At the time he was called to
Plymouth church that body was brok-
ell and dismembered and he came to
empty pews, depleted pockets and dis
cOuraged hearts. He had just returned
from an extended tour in Europe and
came from pastOrate Ofeighteen years
in Middleton, Conn. He soon became
! known as most attractive talker and
attention was drawn to him by his en-
| phatic deviation from so called ortho-
dox methods. He built the congrega-
ton up rapidly and soon the Unitarian
church closed its doors and the congre-
| CATION went to Plymouth church to lis
ten to Mr. Dudley's advanced ideas. His
sermons were published and were read
with interest. The church was crowd
ed whenever he preached. 1t was
even said of him that he was Il e
! Henry Ward Reecher of the West.
Some people finally began to object
that Mr.. Dudley's teachings were here
teal and from gossip this grew into
severe criticism, which assumed such
proportions that he finally resigned,
and Plymouth reluctantly gave up it's
| pastor. In submitting to the charge of
| heresy without making defense Mr.
| Dudley was shut out from all orthodox
| churches. He went by invitation to
Denver, and succeeded in saving from
| the auction block the Unitarian church
of that city. After he had got it out of
| debt he was offered the pastOrate, but
refused 1t, and also refused to accept
| pay for bis services, except travelling
| expenses. He then did church work
| for a while at Madison, Sparta and
GAINESVILLE, after which be went to
| Boston and remained several years
After bis retirement from Plymouth,
| Calvary church invited him to its pull
| pit, but he declined. The late John
Plan kinton was the leading spirit of
| this invitation. For some time while
In Boston be filed the pulpit of the
Rev Theodore Parker. Mr.. Dudley's
widow is Marion V. Dudley, formerly
Miss Churchill, whom he married in
| th1c oft