The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-09-04
JOHN NEWTON LEE, D. D.
Incidents In the Life of the Founder
of Bethany College.

The Rev. J. N. Lee, formerly of To-
pelxa. died at his home in Waukegan,
IN. Friday, September l, 1899, aged Il
years. - r.,
90 1928 in Richland county, Ohio, was
the eldest son of William ana Mary
(Sinkey) Lee. both of Scotch irish
stock traced back to the 18TH century,
In 1854 with his younger brother, James
Henry, two years his junior, now con-
nected with St. Johns Military school
at Salina, he entered Kenyon COZ Golle eye,
They were graduated in 1858. He was
ordained deacon October 80, 1860, at
Sandusky, O., by the Rt. Rev Gregory
Thurston Beden, assistant blShop, ana
presbyter by the same, June 70, 1867
at Mount Union, Ohio. At Sidney, Ohio,
on April 9, 1861, three days before the
firing upon Fort Sumpter he had mar
ried Miss Julia Sheldon, daughter OF
Rev. Henry o. Sheldon OF the Ohio NJ
e conference. Bishop BedelI oftlclatlnS-
The early European Lees We're mem
hers of the English church, but their
American descendants were thrown
aToone the Presbyterians of Virginia
and Ohio and knew little of other re-
ligious thought until William Lee ana
his family moved to Medina county,
where there was an Episcopal chufch-
rTbea rector of this was Rev. William
Granville, VINO had labored IN England
with John Wesley, but VINO IN America
found the Episcopal church more con
genial than the Methodist Under ms
preaching supplemented by that OF the
eIoduent and magnetic Bishop Neil
vane, the entire family returned to the
church Of their ancestry.
The life work of the Rey j. n Lee Pc
CON in Kansas at about the close OF the
war After his ordination in 1862 he work
ed as missionary at Layton a an ,o 81 81
Vile, Ohio, coming to Kansas III 1opo- ms
Vas accompanied with all the hardships
of pioneer life to which must pc added
thinIy settled country. The country was
not only new but the Episcopal church
All md Txyad
this there were religious preludices to be
overcome and recognition of the church
the DAYS of trial and labor of the late
Bishop Vail. DR.. Lee was one OF ms
were the practical founders and for eight
years We're the lie OF Wh4d Is nov kS1E1l
In this schoolin 1869 there We're less than
one hundred and thirty. New buildings
ticallv free from debt and self supporting.
This had not been done without much
1 E.ere aided BY Mrs Ruth Baldwin. a sis
ter of Mrs. Lee and mother of Mrs.
Brooke wife of the present Bishop Fran
els Key Brooke of Oklahoma After
turning this school over to the bishop in
1873 with which Mrs. Baldwin remained
6etic Teacher. Dr. Lee was rector of st.
Johns church at Leavenworth and later
Eau. Bolivar, Tenn. In 1884 he returned
to Kansas and spent four more years as
herd at North Topeka, which prospered
under his ministrations as never before
nor since
under Bishop Brooke to Saltwater and
afterward to McAleSter in the Indian Ter
ritory as missionary until failing health
compelled him to seek rest. Meanwhile
his children except Mary, the only daugh-
ter now in the office of Edward Wilder.
had located in w -ukegan. Here he was
stricken with paralysis nearly a year ago,
since which time he has been nearly help
less
The Rev. J. N Lee was a man of strong
character and left an impression in every
community where he lived. He tall,
straight and well proportioned, a fine
specimen of physical manhood Intellec-
italy he was also strong He was not
what one would call pulpit orator, but