The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1896-10-01
Rev. David Henderson.

NeV. DIVlu f1e1llcrSOl. '@sh:;
On the 22nd day Of September
1896, at Elk River, Minnesota, Rev
David Henderson, pastor of the
Union Congregational Church in that
place, departed this life. The de:
ceased was we'll known here and the
intelligence of his death was received
with genuine sorrow by his many ac-
quaintances in this community. A
brief allusion to so much of his per-
sonal history as we have been able
to acquire will be of interest to our
readers. =
Rev. David Henderson was des-
cendant of scholarly and pious an
ccstors. His father was Rev. Mr.. Hen
derson, Doctor in Divinity, and pass
tor of the Presbyterian parish Of Kin
claven, in Perthshire, Scotland. The
church and manse of Kinclavien stand
in beautiful rural settlement on the
Tay. remote from any village or city.
David, the subject of this sketch, was
an elder son and brother in large
family. It was the custom of Dr.. Hen
derson to educate his own children
until they were prepared to enter col
lege, hence David was the pupil and
companion of a cultured father until
he was sent, in his fifteenth year, to
receive his classical and theological
training in the colleges and semina-
ries of Edinburg and Glasgow, Be-
sides the subject of. this memoir there
went forth from the Kinclaven Manse
two sons who became missionaries,
one going to India, and another to
become the founder of the Blantyre
Mission in Central Africa, and whose
early death from exposure in the pio
neer work of missionary earned for
him the title of 1.-The Martyr of Blan:
tyre" Other sons went into other de-
partments of public life. only one of
whom, if are rightly informed, now
survives. Two daughters of the fam
lily are living in the old country, one
unmarried, the other the wife of a
Presbyterian minister.
On finishing his theological course
and receiving his license from Pres
bytery he supplied for a time his
fathers pulpit in Kinclaven. He de-
clined oyertures made him to become
his fathers successor, and came to
America to pursue the calling for the
duties of which he had been SO well
prepared.
Hehad charge of a classical school
in Canada for time before coming to
the United States. We are not in
formed of his earlier ministerial SER
vice. In Minnesota he has been pas
tor of Congregational churches in
Princeton, Sauk Rapids, Worthing-
ton, Cannon Falls and Elk River.
He came to the Worthington pulpit
in 1883, and retired from it in 1887.
Here he made many steadfast and
admiring friends to whom he mani
tested his regard by occasional visits
in his vacation times. He expressed
to some friends he met in St. Paul
few DAYS before he was seized with his
last illness his purpose to visit Wor-
thington at an early date. But he was
called to higher fellowship where
more precious reunions have taken
place.
Mr.. Henderson was an exceptionally
attractive and able preacher. The
polish and vigor of scholarship was
upon his sermons, which were prac-
tical and instructive, as we'll as good
examples of literary work. He never
married and hence did not enter into
the social life of his parishes so COM
pletely as under other circum stances
he might have done. But to those who
knew him intimately he appeared the
warm hearted, kindly christian friend,
that he was and that he desired to be.
His dignity was softened by christian
berignity at all times. He was very
free from professional pretension or
ambition. He was quiet man in the
ministerial gatherings he attended.
He preferred the quiet of country
parish, the inconspicuous place OF
usefulness, rather than to seek the
more prominent places in which his
superior qualifications would have
shown to great advantage.
Mr.. Henderson's illness was of but
few days. When warned by his
physicians that his end was near he
made his will directing the disposal
of considerable estate. He was
member of the Masonic fraternity,
and belonged to the Princeton lodge.
Rev. J. H. Morley, of Minneapolis,
made the funeral address, aided in
the service by other clergymen. So
closes the earthly career of humble,
gifted, and useful man whose memo
ry will be affectionately cherished in
many communities.
The easiest way to send money
anywhere is to buy draft at State
Bank of Worthington. 1-S