The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-03-15
Vest RiUer TOlUns
TOWNSHEND.
Interesting Sketch of Rev. Isaac D.
colburn Formerly Of Townshend.

COlDuIn toIhSAls Va
The following obituary OF Rev: Isaac
d. Colhun. which appeared IN the
Nashua. y. H., Telegram VIII 6e oil III
terest to his Townshend friends; =,
Rev. Isaac d. Colbum was born IN
Hudson. y. H., Sept. 80 1881, OF teiolu'
tionary ancestry, one of seven children,
ON tbe farm owned in the family Tor sew
oral generations. While working ON the
farm nj the aue OF 10 years he was, con
yerted TO personal faith in Jesus CHRIST
and was baptized into the Baptist church
Inv the Rev. Joseph Storcr lie was aG-
live in church life, and soon the Ghuleh
indicated ms life work by voting MN a
"Erense To preach the gospel lie pc
gan his studies at New Hampton, y, H.,
and when the school was removed TO
Fairfax. VT. he went thither, and m
ished his preparation for college III
1855 he entered Brown university IN lhG
class with men who have since attained
celebrity in many directions. foremost
among them were DR.. W. w; heen OF
Thila5elnhia. famous SURGEON; DR.. \. Is.
hudson of New York; Prot. Robert H.
Thurston of Cornell; Prof, I. W. ban-
croft, of Brown university; Judge r. ~
Llv of Boston: Rev. Drs. \. h. fotter
and David Weston. John Hay oil class
of 1858. was also an intimate inenu ana
Compnnion. He received much lnspila,
lion from these his fellow students ana
he kent in sympathetic touch with them
ali nj, life. Worldwide missions received
additional emphasis from the presence ~
his class of Elnathan JudsOn, son OF I1e
apostle to Burma. Adoniram Judson: lie
determined to give his life to missions
and entered Newton Theological lhsIllu'
tion in the class of 1868, having as class
mates Rev. Drs. \. J. Gordon OF Boston
and D. 4. w. Smith, president OF the
Karen Theological school in lnselu. bur
ma, After his graduation in June, 1858,
Mr. Colbun and Miss Mary +. Bland
inc a teacher in the academy at Towns
bend Vt, were united in marriage Aug
90 1868 In company with Key. D. y
w Smith and wife. Mr. and Mrs. Col'
burn went to England to sail under the
English flag for fear of Sout heln prlva-
teers around Cape of Good Hope At
ter an cventful voyage OF SIX months
they reached Burma where his lie WORK
was DONE For four years he was eNpoSed
to the severe climate in Tavoy,, where ms
health suffered serious break. After a
year at Tongoo he went to Rangoon,
where he wrought 10 years before the
final break in health that caused HIM to
relinquish work and return to- his coun'
try in 1880. He superintendent the Mis-
sion Press at Rangoon, was treasurer lol
the Burman missions; was engaged IN
school work and jungle work among the
Sgau Karens. He rendered strong
faithful service in Burma. His wife 5
health caused her to return with heI
children in 1874 They made. stheir resi-;
dence in Townshend, Vt, for several
years. coming to Nashua in December
1887. lie has lived in our city ever since;
at times supplying pulpits and dong
other religious work as his strength al
lowed. The call to renew his service IN
Burma came frequently until his, Invalid
ism was so pronounced as to preclude fur
Their service in that direction, He has
spent the evening of life quietly, on Front
street, in his garden and in his study,
until on Saturday morning sudden at
tack of total blindness merged into a
paralytic shock from which he died at
) o'clock Tuesday night He was a good
man: faithful to all the tasks committed
to him. His memory is blessed; He ], i
Colburn. and by two daughters, Miss
Mary Belle of this city and Miss Mar
tina S., assistant to the pastor OF the
Worthen Street Baptist church in Lowell,
and one son, Prof Guy Blandin ColbNrn
of the University of Wisconsin. Two chill
dren preceded their father, FREDERICK H.,
who died in 1889 and Miss Jennie f.; in
1891. lie is also survived by brother,
Henry Colbun of Hudson.