The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-02-11
Pastor Of the Park Avenue N. {.
Church Passed toHis Reward
Early Sunday Morning
DEATH ENDS NOTABLE CAR EER
Unselfish Devotion to the Work of His
Church Won for Him the High
est Regard Of the People
of the Entire City


The Rev. w. w. Stevens aged IS
years, pastor Of Park avenue Methodist
church and probably the most wide
ly known of the members Of the clergy
in Kenosha, died at the Kenosha Hos
pital just before two o'clock Sunday
morning. Death came as a result of a
structure of the bowels from which the
minister had been suffering for many
years, but his condition had not been
considered critical until a few days be-
fore his death. Death came accom-
panied with perfect peace for early
Saturday evening the vitality which
had stood SO great test gave way and
the patient sunk into a stupor from
which he never awakened The final
summons was SO peaceful that only the
physicians watching at the bed side
knew when death came
The announcement of the death of the
minister came as a great shock as peo-
pie outside his immediate family and
Ia few dear friends had been hopeful
that he would be spared for further
life of usefulness. Mr.. Stevens was
taken critically i'll. a week ago last
Thursday and taken to the hospital on
the following Saturday. It at once be-
came apparent that an operation would
be necessary to save his life and the
best known physicians Of Chicago and
Kenosha were called in consultation on
the case. He was operated on on Fri
day and while he seemed to stand the
operation well his vitality had been
so used up in fighting his ailment that
the rally following the operation was
only a. temporary one and he sunk
rapidly on Saturday. Mr.. Stevens was
aware that the end was approaching
butShe approached it without fear and
in the last hours of rational life he
gave directions to his sons for carrying
out the many labors the sudden sum
mons had left uncompleted. The last
message of the minister was a message
of thanks to the many people Of Ke-
nosha- who. had aided him in carrying
out his cherished wish of building the
new Park avenue church and this
church will stand as a. monument to his
work in Kenosha.
His two sons Warren I'll. and David
Harrison Stevens were with him at the
end. a.
The announcement of the death of
the minister was made at Park avenue
church on Sunday morning and tears
eoursed down many checks to show the
high appreciation in which the deceas-
ed minister had been held Similar
announcement was made in the other
churches of the city Sunday morning.
During the day Mrs Stevens and
the children received many messages
Of sympathy and coincidence from the
people in different parts of the state
while many Of the members of the
church called to express their great sor-
row at the loss that had come to the
family and the community.
The death of Mr.. Stevens marks the
passing of man who had done much
for Methodism in Wisconsin and who
had great influence for good in Keno
sha. In keeping with the wishes OF
the deceased the funeral services will
eaReldl from the church he served SC
long as pastor at two o'clock Tuesday
afternoon and the remains will be laid
at rest in the family plat in the Keno
sha city cemetery.
William Waters Stevens was born
on May 81, 1853 at Meadow Gap
Penn. He was son of the late David
Stevens. When the younger Stevens
was but eleven years of age his father
who was soldier in the Union army
was killed in the battle of the Wilder
ness, but the son took the place of the
father and while young in years was
strong in body and he took up the man
agement of the farm and the care oil
his widowed mother. He continued tt
ljority when he entered the WILLIAMSON
Seminary. He was self-made man il
every way. He worked his way
through school by teaching in the win
ter and clerking in a. store in the sum
mer and at the same time lending hi
aid to his mother on the farm. Ate
he had completed the course at tn
ISeminary he decided to enter the min
Eistry and he went to Drew Theological
ISeminafy at Madison, New Jersey
Ifrom which he was graduated in 1879
| On jan. IA, 1880 he was married t,
Miss Katherine Mccoy at Mt. Union
Pa, and their wedding trip was tn
i Journey to Wisconsin which marke,
the entrance Of Mr.. Stevens into; tn