River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-03-02

X
graduated from Marysville College,
Tennessee, in 1874; from Oberlin
Theological Seminary in 1878; took
postgraduate work at Andover
Seminary in 1889-8l. He began
his pastoral work at Rochester, VT,
in 1878; was ordained in 1879;
preached at Green River, Wyoming,
during the summer of 1881; organ
lied Pilgrim Church, Des Moines,
Iowa, and was their pastor until
1884; Rockford, Iowa, 1884-87; Lam
caster, Wis, 1887-1890; River Falls,
l89O-94; Alpena, Michigan, 1894-96;
without charge at Pasadena, Cal,
from November, 1896, until the time
of his death, Dec. II, 1897.
We can scarcely be said to know
the real character of man until we
come to know something of his in
ner life, his life at home and among
his intimate friends. 1t was my
privilege and honor to enjoy an in
innate acquaintance with the de-
ceased during period of nearly
four years. In brief way l want
to give you my personal estimate of
him, and put aside if | may the cur
tain, so you may see what kind of
a man he was-how generous his
sensibilities, how noble his i'm
pulses. He sought the happiness
of his fellow men rather than his
own. He fought for what was right
and not for himself. Through his
features shone the light of a glori-
Gus soul. His fidelity was unfail-
ing. He was an earnest and sue
cessful soul winner, a diligent stu
dent, with a COL slant ambition to
make the most and best of himself
for the furtherance of his mission
as an ambassador of the Lord Jesus
Christ. He was a man of sound
judgment and good common sense,
of sterling integrity, and his private
life was unimpeachable. A devoted
husband, loving father, warm
and trusty friend, safe counsellor
and faithful man of God. He had
great personal dignity and a stately
courtesy of manner, blended with
the utmost simplicity of nature, a
carefu1ly-trained and well-stored
mind, with his more than ordinary
ability and accomplishments, his
modesty was supreme, and to those
who saw only the grave face of the
preacher in his daily rounds, the
essential superiority of the man
was wholly unknown. The life of
every such man must be largely
solitary and when it is ended it pre-
sents itself to memory with tender
pathos. He believed in the divini-
ty of Christ, the inspiration of the
scriptures, in the efficacy of prayer,
of repentance, forgiveness, saliva
ton, and all of the essentials of an
old-fashioned religion, and his
preaching was consistent with such
belief.
Mr.. Grinnell was handicapped by
i'll health and during all the time he
was here suffered from an incurable
yet l never heard him COM
plain. At about middle life his
physical house became uninhabit-
able, his soul could no longer ami
mate his body and was compelled
to take it's flight. There are many
in this community to
which his coming was ministry of
sympathy and who will cherish his
memory as that of one of the most
faithful of friends and most guile
less of men. My inner life has never
been unfo1ded so that have felt the
ecstatic thrill of spiritual delights,
but l have faith to believe that the
exit of such a man from this world
is but the birth into grander one,
and if in that world, as l believe,
the weary find rest, the good receive
their reward and the highest aspira-
tons of the soul are satisfied, from
what knew of Rev. S. S. Grinne11,
l believe his spirit will take high
rank among the heavenly host. Let
his many virtues act as an example
for our following and let US live on
in hopes that our lives may be as
fruitful of good results in this world
and as prophetic of still grander
career in the next, The most and
best of life is to so live and do that
we leave behind US an affectionate
memory of our friends; to be missed
and remembered is the desire and
hope of all men. To gain or lose
this rests with ourselves. 1t can
not be purchased by display or
funeral professions; monuments and
costly tombs are but show places TO
MARI the deDoSit of human homes