Putnam patriot., 1913-12-26
An Appreciation

In modest, comfortable, Christian
 home, on an isolated hill of the little
 town of Union, Conn, Mr. Kinney began his life on February 24, 1853. lie
 was the second child and eldest son of family of six children-three sons
 and three daughters. Of these, two sisters land one brother survive him.
 Their parents were Nathan and Lucy
 Wales Kinney.
 He received nssst Eof his education in the ungraded school of the town, the 1 last years of his school-life being spent in the "select school" as 1t was called in those days. Reared as he was on farm, he became familiar by practice 1 with the varied duties of farm life, at | the same time learning the details of | the lumber business in which his ia. ther was engaged. The death of his father just as Mir. Kinney was enter ing upon young manhood, left 10 him 1 the responsibility and care of the fami- | ly and of the business.
 In January of 1864 he was married
 to Mary Jane Corbin, daughter of Pen uel Corbin of Woodstock. She also was the second child tand eldest
 daughter in Il family of six children
 three sons and three daughters. MT.
 and Mrs. Kinney's first child, a
 daughter, Mary, died in infancy. The l four other children who came into
 their home later, ali of whom survive
 them, are Miss Emma Jane Kinney,
 Mrs. Ellen Lucy Kinney Beard, Mrs.
 Etta Louise Kinney Humes, and El- 1 bert Corbin Kinney,
 At the age of eighteen he joined the
 church and was from that timeitill he removed from the town one of its strong supporters by his regular at.
 tendance, contributions, personal work
 and influence and his spiritual life. In
 1855 he was elected deacon of the
 church and served in that capacity un-
 til he removed his residence from l Union in 1878. For sixteen years he
 was also it's clerk and treasurer, being elected in 1862. His interest in the
 work and influence of the church in
 the community was deep and vital ' and he was one on whom his pas DTS
 could always depend for sympathetic
 support in any effort toward the fur therance of the interest and efficiency
 Of the church.
 His very early and lifelong interest in Missions was notable. We almost
 wonder how this young man reared in
 the quiet little rural town Of isolated
 farms, remote from any centre of mis-
 sionary interest and activity became enthused with desire to hear and learn about lhe work Of carrying the
 Gospel to the unchristisnized people. But 1t was doubtless due in large measure to his Christian ancestry; for
 altho his children never knew their pa ternal grandparents, they learned from their fathe! that he had ia praying
 mother and praying grandmother" This inherited interest was also foster
 ed by one Of his earliest pastors, Rev. Samuel I. Curtis, father of the late celebrated Rev. Samuel Ives Curtis, Ph. D., D. D., former professor of Old
 Testament literature in Chicago Theo-
 logical Seminary. This pastor held regularly in his church the old-fashion-
 ed missionary concert and encouraged the reading of the Missionary Herald. ! a m agszine of which Mir. Kinney has been constant reader for nearly sixty
 years. As far back as the early sixties MT. Kinney began ihis life long prsc- tice of attending the annual meetings