News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1913-01-29
Death of Rev. j. X. Fuller
Late Pastor Of Johnson Congregational Church
Highly Esteemed and Dearly Beloved His
Death Is Sincerely Mourned

Fuller, minister of the gospel, came tC
g an end Thursday morning, Jan, %, at his
home in Johnson. He had been great
p sufferer for a long time and his disease
hardening of the arteries, made rapid
, and fatal progress after heat prostra
ton last summer. During the latter
stages of this disease, he suffered more
and more intensely from the excessive
blood pressure and was subject to periods
y of acute melancholy and mental disturb.
ance. Apparently it was during an at
- tack of unusual intensity that his mind
= gave way and he yielded to an uncor-
troIiabIe impulse TO end his life by his
own hand, using small rifle. There
! were no indications of generalization.
NE was born in Montgomery May 10,
1913, son of Samuel and Elizabeth
Kingsley Fuller, and lineal descendant
of DR.. Samuel Fuller of the May flower,
the physician of Plymouth. After COM
pleliug the courses offered in the local
schools he began tie study of law in the
office of john ). upper. He worked
large law library, hut also to fine col
lection OF theological and historical
works, his reading covered wide field.
At the same time he taught school.
BY his own desire and the advice of
friends he began preparation for the
Christian ministry. Pursuing for four
years the course of study prescribed by
the Methodist Episcopal church, he was
ordained at st. Johnsbury in 1873. He was
stationed at Eden 1S72-'73 and at Rich
ford lS74-'76 He handed his resignation
to the Vermont Conference, and accepted
call to the Congregational parish of
| Bakersfield, where he ministered to the
people for twelve remarkably fruitful
years. His next pastorate, at Barton
Landing (now Orleans,) was of ten years
duration, and his impress on the relig-
ious, social, educational and civic life of
that community is indelible. Successful
pastorates followed at Windsor and John
son. While in Windsor Mr.. Fuller was
chaplain of the State prison. After spend |
ing three and half years in the johnson
parish he resigned i'll 1868, on account of
ill health, and lived two years at Lyndon, |
preaching only occasionally. But the |
church in johnson called him back and |
he was glad to resume the labors which |
he had temporarily laid down. Last |
September, however, he finally relin-
quished his active connection with the |
Christian ministry.
AS Congregational clergyman Mr..
Fuller early became prominent in the
of the very first men in the state to grasp |
and preach the new theology of father
hood and brotherhood and the interpre-
taton OF eternal truth in terms of present
changing needs. To this fact many spler-
did tributes have been paid.
Mr.. Fuller was instrumental in organic
ing Congregational churches at East Fair
field, Westmore and elsewhere. He held
important offices in the State Convention
of Congregational churches, in the Con-
gregational Club of Western Vermont, of
which he was an original member, and in
the Passumpsic Congregational Club.
For many years he )ectured frequently
on a wide range of subjects, including
political ethics, certain phases of econom-
les, farm life and prison reform.
Mr.. Fuller's interests and activities in
the cause of personal and community
welfare were various and sympathetic.
In recognition of his work and Influence
he was honored in definite ways. For
six years he was superintendent of schools
at Bakersfield, where he aided in the es-
adjustment of Brigham Academy. In
appreciation of this service he was made
a life member of the General Theological
Library of Boston. He was superinten-
dent of the schools of Barton several
years, was chairman of the board of
school directors of that town and d.
rector of the Orleans County Summer
School. He was elected member of the
Orleans Historical Society, an honorary
member of the American Board of Com
missioners for Foreign Missions and
member of the American Academy of {
Political and Social Science. He served
for four years under President Harper as
examiner in the American Institute of :
Sacred Literature.
The town of Barton sent him to the
State Legislature in 1894 10 the COM
mittee room of the Committee on Educa-
ton and on the floor of the House he iden.
titled himself with progressive education 7
al legislation. The House of'Representa- j
lives chose him for their chaplain in $685. 1
thoughIhe was not candidate.
Mr.. Fuller married Gertrude Florence I
Smith of Richford, September IS, 1875. 4
lie is survived by his wife and three sons. 4
John Harold, principal of the high school
1t Brandon; Ray mond Garfield, with the 1
Boston Transcript; and Robert Samuel, of r
Johnson; by two grandchildren, John L
Longworthy Fuller and Mary Constance
Fuller of Brandon; and by a brother. =.
bethuel Hawley Fuller, of Montgomery,
One son, Howley Leigh, died in 1895 at
he age of seventeen.
A |