The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-01-22
Memorial Services for Or. W. S Ament

Memorial Services for Dr. w. S Ament
The members of the Congregational
che1ch and society together with many
old time friends gathered at the church
Sunday evening to honor the memory
of the late DIR. William s. Ament,
Owosso's most distinguished son. The
service was deeply impressive through
out, the words OF the speakers carrying
a lesson to all which will not soon be
forgotten. 1t was indeed fitting me-
mortal to man who was loved and re-
spected not alone by the people OF
Owosso but by hundreds all over this
country and across the sea where he
gave his life for the cause OF the Master
Rev. G. II. Hanks in opening the SER
vice said it seemed appropriate that the
service should be held and that some of
those who he'd known DR.. Ament dur
ing all the years since his young man
hood should express their appreciation
of him and to that end he had invited
S. E. Parkill and j. G. Shattuck to
speak.
Owosso for her years and popula-
ton, said Mr.. Parkill, has been more
than is usual blessed in her citizen
ship with splendid men whose lives
and labors are still with us, though
they have passed to their reward.
He mentioned DR.. Barnes, DR.. Per-
kins, B. o. Williams and Deacon
Guile as such characters. But OF all
who called Owosso home, he knows
of none who left his impress upon
more of the boys, who have become
the men of the city, than Gid DR.
Ament. DR.. Ament, we call him In
public in recognition of the honors
he has won, but in our hearts and to
each other we who knew him in the
old days will always call him VIII
not I'M Familiarity but in love.
The speaker first recalled him as
a high school student, while he him
self was a boy in the intermediate
department. Will Ament was brave
free-hearted boy, whose eyes fairly
danced with fun and frolic, a boy
swim and play ball with the best
He went to Oberlin after leaving the
high school and during vacation
times we formed very pleasant ac
auaintance, and / believe our frs
visit, sitting on the top rail of a pas
ture lot fence, ended in an earnes
exhortation to me to become clear
Christian boy and man, and what h'
tried to do for me he tried to do TO
all the boys. Even then DR.. Amen
mad become missionary, laborin!
with the heather at home, and hi
subsequent life was but the fulle
development of his earlier activities
His courageous spirit made it pos
sible for him to work his wa,
through college. He told me he of
ten went back to college with onl
enough money to pay his fare an
get settled. The rest he must ear
and somehow he did it even for hi
advanced seminary courses.
would not have you understan
that l hold up DR.. Ament as an ex
ample of perfection, though | knoN
of nothing to his discredit. We ar
all human and have shortcomings
Labor as we may there are som
streaks that we do not fully control
Some sudden gust may take us OF
our balance, and probably VIII
Ament was not an exception. Lik
all strong personalities he was quicl
to resent an injustice, to defend a.
absent friend, defend the doctrin
and the propaganda for which h
spent his life, and these are anon
his virtues, not his shortcomings.
Mr.. J. G. Shattuck, was introduce
as having been present and having
vivid recollection of ordination f
DR.. Ament as a missionary. In be
ginning his remarks he spoke of hi
impressions of that event. The so
cial life in Owosso thirty-five year
ago was very different from today
The town was so small that every
body knew everybody else almost in
timately From such communit
Will Ament, as We familiarly calle
him, went forth to college and semi
nary to fit himself for the ministr
and especially for missionary servic
it required larger ambition and viii
power to enter upon such a caree
then than now for there was not tn
spirit of emulation, and too, it re
quired the spirit of the pioneer, 70
scarcely had path been blazed II
the wilderness. of China's heathen
dom before this.
The greatest local event in Owos
SOS history up to that time was tn