Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-31
Rstires from Service.

then we moved back to our old home in
Ottumwa
Rstires from Service.
In 1885, Elder T. d. Foster invited
me, Pastor Ely and the members Of
this First church concurring, to hold
regular preaching service at the
chapel, near the packing house. Six
years of diligent labor was permitted
to fulfill there, adding one hundred
names to the communicate roll of this
First church, and resulting in the or
ganization of the < East End church
with 116 members in 1888, and con.
tinuing until, by the ordering Of Proyi
dence, retired from active service in
1891. q
Pioneers Not Wealthy.
Il have never for an hour regretted
entering the ministry, nor regretted
that my footsteps were directed to OF
tumwa. Most Of the pioneers in Iowa
had but small pecuniary remunera-
tons, majority Of them being under
the necessity of exerting themselves in
the way of self-support, by educational
work, fruit growing, and some by
trades and some by medical practice.
The requirements in the way Of style
were not high, and the cultivated from
the east could be politely cared for in
a house of two or three rooms. and
lodged, two or three ina bed, in very
small dormitory ,s.
Had Many Calls.
"It is but proper for me to say that
my continuance for fourteen years in
this field was not with me q matter of
necessity, but was from a sense of
duty. had repeated solicitations to
go to other fields in Iowa, In Illinois
and in Ohio, some of these very attrac-
tive, but after 1857 and during the war,
felt that to abandon the field would
involve much loss and injury to this
mission work in Ottumwa, and SO both
inclination and a sense of duty re-
CURED me to remain,
Tribute to Life Partner.
1T is but right, also, that / should
place on record my tribute to the help
fulness of my life partner in the home
and in the church-sharer in joys and
sorrows, in failures and successes. AS
pastors wife. Mrs. McElroy carried
her full share of work and responsible
ity. She never complained of her lot
never expressed regret that she had
come to these ends of the earth, and
never even suggested that we had bet
ter abandon Ottumwa If she had not
been economical and understood the
art of living within our means we
could not have kept our heads above
water. On one, occasion Mrs. McEl-
roy was somewhat contrary. | was
seriously considering the matter of
entering the army as chaplain, and
proposed to her to take our two chill
dren and return to her fathers house
in Pennsylvania whileI went into the
army. She replied that she: thought
my health was not such as to. warrant
me entering the service but that was
a question for me. II I went, however,
that she would stay right here and
take care of our little home and fam
lily. That kept me at home. sup
pose now that her judgment was bet
ter than mine in that matter
EstimabIe Work of Women.
wish to record my personal APP
probation of the good women, who
were members and workers in this
church during its early history and
especially to mention their womens
society. 1t was called the Sewing
society, was organized before the war
probably about 1858. and its especial
object was to earn and save money
for larger and better church build
ing. It's membership was small, at
first six or seven, gradually growing
to the dignity of dozen or more in
The needle and the knit
ing needle, the thimble, scissors and
tongue, were the chief implements.
When the war came on they kept up
the society with growing interest. Most
Of the members had deep personal
in the soldier-men who were
at the front. In the home and in the
heart were many anxieties and wake
full nights. From these the. society
was grateful and helpful relief. Grad
ually they were led into the way Of
holding festivals and public. suppers,
which were literally patronized. The
general public had some admiration
for those heroic women and were dis
posed to help. They had heavy bur-
dens to bear and cares to carry Hus-
band, brother father, son, We're far
away in the army, but these women
would come with busy hands and
bright faces to try to make a festive.
bright social evening for the public;
and they succeeded. The times were
favorable as they might not be now.
The follies and things undignifledt
which sometimes appeared in the
church festival they tried to avoid.
There are better ways Of s raising
church funds in normal times and or
binary circumstances than by fair and
festival but in those extraordinary
times there was a general disposition
to look upon the efforts of those good
women with favor. How it would
have been possible to have succeeded
in erecting our first respectable house
of worship without their leadership
and help have never been able to see.
In the course of seven or eight years
they raised for church purposes ST.
500. Most of them have already pass
ed to the other shore, their graves are
in yonder cemetery, but their memory
is in our hearts, and their work be-
longs to the history of our church,
DR.. w. L. Orr's Sketch.
The address of DR.. Orr was as fol-
!