The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1908-01-20
SOLDIER OF CROSS
REV. ANGUS JOHNSON EXPIRES
AT HIS HOME AT
AVALON.
NEARING CENTURY MARK
Oldest Preacher in United States
Lacked Only Few Months of
Being qentenarian-oth-
er Deaths.

! Rev. Angus Johnson, reputed to
be the oldest minister in the United
/ States, died Sunday about IL o'clock
! at his homeiat Avalon, where he had
resided for about twenty years. Had
| he lived until the 26th of next Au-
| gust Rev. Johnson would have at
! tanned the age of 100 years For a
| man of his age he possessed Won
derful vitality, and was actively en-
gagged in the ministry until a few
months ago. He had been sick for
some time but his condition did not
! assume a serious phaze until about
a week ago. From then he continued
| to sink gradually until the end
came. The remains were brought to
! Waxahachie Monday afternoon for
| interment. At o'clock a funeral
| service over the body was conducted
at the First Presbyterian church by
! Dr. Hill of Dallas. At the conclusion
! of these services the burial exercises
| took place at the city cemetery. The
/ funeral and burial services were at
| tended by large number of rela-
| tives and friends. The deceased was
one of the most familiar figures in
| Ellis county, and was beloved by a
large circle of friends.
! Rev. Angus Johnson was born in
Robinson county, North Carolina,
Aug. 26, 1909. At the age of Is
years he went to Cheraw, S. c., and
was bound for period of four years
and eight months to learn the tail
or's trade under Archibald McIn-
| tyre. During the time he was at
Cheraw he professed religion and
| joined the Presbyterian church at
the age of 19 years. 1t was at this
time that he felt call from God to
preach the gospel and Young John
4 son was received under the care of
Harmony Presbytery, South Carroll
ma, as a beneficiary for the ministry,
!
ties he began his educational work
He went to school at Cheraw and
| Camden and also the military school
at Rice Creek Springs at the age of
23. A year later he went to Column
bia Theological Seminary and grad
uated in 1886. In the same year he
entered actively into ministerial
work serving four appointments
Keith, Hopewell, Mt Williams and
Rockfish churches in Dublin county
North Carolina
He organized his first church OF
seventeen members in the year 1874
where the city of Water Valley Miss.
which contains about 5000 people
now stands He mad no house in
which to worship before he organlz-
ed the church and first began
preaching under an oak tree In
Hugh McMorrison' yard.
Afterward he organized and serv-
ed other churches in the immediate
neighborhood. He has acted during
his ministry as domestic missionary
for a number of churches. He had
been preaching for period of fifty
years before he came to Ellis coun-
ty in 1886, where he remained with
Albert Thomas near Waxahachie fol-
nearly three years, moving to his
late home at Avalon, where he resid-
ed until called from the walks OF
men.
He soon became identified with
Texas people and seeing the great
need of evangelization he began al
once organizing Presbyterian chur-
ches in this county. He founded
Woods Chapel at Italy, Johnson and
Slay. The Italy church was organic
/ ed in 1890. He had not served the
Italy church for several years, but
was still serving the other three, to-
gether with Mission Point, at Ran
| kin Rev. Johnson has been pastor
OI dUOQl tWcHly-HNc SAui OhOS, Wv
ering a period of over seventy years
/ The length of time devoted to
pastoral duty ranges from one
month to twenty years and the ter
/ ritory embraced are the states OF
! North Carolina, Mississippi, Florida
] Tennessee and Texas. He has been