Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1903-04-23
WALPOLE.
DEATH OF REV. ELISHA AVER KEEP.

DEATH CF REV. ELISHA AVER KEEP.
The death of Rev. E. A. Keep came, not
unexpectedly, Saturday afternoon, April
Is. He had been seriously i'll for five
months past, and in failing health before
that time, but up to Thanksgiving had
oravely carried on his work. He came to
Walpole as pastor of the Orthodox Congre-
gational church, and was installed October
b, 1897. In religion, like his father, also
agodly minister, he cared more for simple
faith, honest and Christlike character, than
Tor religious formalities." His pastorate
abounded in good works. and strongly
united his people in every worthy effort.
lie was not great preacher, but his
simple, direct, and earnest appeals to the
better nature of his hearers worked for
more good than is often accomplished by
lofty eloquence, or the exhaustive fervor
of the pulpit. His church will miss him,
and will not soon find one so we'll fitted for
his work
AS citizen, too, the town will feel his
loss even more strongly, for there he W as
foremost in every movement for the public
retirement. He had way of putting
things in town meeting that carried his
audience with him most effectually. He
came to Walpole in time of much excite
ment in our local politics over school mat
tiers, in which he took the deepest interes t,
believing thoroughly that Gods cause was
best advanced by the enlightenment of the
young. WalpOle was a town peculiarly
situated, one end being entirely under the
control of that great church which appre-
ciateS, as only few men like the late Mr..
Keep do, the absolute Importance of the
education of the young, and believing, too,
that that education should have for its
basis a special religious training in their
tenetS; but so broad and fair-minded were
Mr.. Keeps views, and so wise and mOder-
ate was he in their expression that he
united all sections of the town in support
of the common end, and today our public
schools show a wonderful advance, owing
largely to his ministratons. During
almost the whole of his ministry he served
as chairman of the board of education, and
in this position he was never chairman
emeritus, but the active, persuasive and
forcible head
Mr.. Keep was born at Ashland, Me,
December %, 1854. He received his educa-
ton mainly in the common schools, studied
law, and was admitted to the bar both in
Maine and New Hampshire. He practlced
law for six years at Newmarket, n. H., most
successfully for young man, but he could
not control the religious bent of his nature
and therefore abandoned that profession
and in 1885 entered the Andover Theologi.
cal seminary from which he was graduated
in 1888. June IS, 1885, he was ordained and
installed as pastor of the First Congrega
tional church at Merrmac, n. H., where
he remained nearly seven years, carrying
! On u lIOSb SbCCtSSlltl IdSboI dGe, anu bSlhs
active in the movement which resulted il
the establishment of free public library
in that town. He was then pastor of thu
church at Conway, n. H., from June, 1897
to October 6, 1897, when he was installed il
Walpole. He was twice married, first t.
Lena A, Henderson of Merrmac, who dice
at Conway December 3, 1896, second tt
Jane Conway Hale of Conway, October IS
! 1S99 who survives him. He left one child
son, John Marcus, born April 10, 1895
Funeral services were held at his churcl
here Wednesday afternoon, April %, at 13O
PROGRESSIVE EUCHRE AT PARISH HOUSE.
Under the auspices of the Ladies Sew
ing society and in especial charge of Miss
Lille Webster progressive euchre party
was held in the parish house Friday even
ing, April II. The usual number ATTENDED
and entered the contest which proved de
lightfully social and full of interest to thu