The Johnson City comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1916-1917, 1916-11-02
REV. JAS. A. RUBLE
JOINS COMRADES s

80 years and chaplain of the National
/ Soldiers Home here for many years,
died at 12:45 p. m. here Sunday He
had been i'll something more than a
week, being stricken with an attack
of ASTHMA about ten days ago,
Funeral services were held in Me
mortal Hall at the Soldiers Home on
Monday at II a. m., ana were con-
Quoted by Dr.. }. J. Robnette. The
body was forwarded to Knoxville, ar
irving Monday at 7 p. IN.
Burial was at Maryville, Tuesday
at 9:15 a. m. The services at the
grave were under the charge of Dr..
o. r. Tarwater, pastor of Trinity NJ.
E. church, Knoxville.
Rev. James A. Ruble was a well
known minister of the Methodist Epis
copal church and first chaplain of the
Mountain Branch of the National Sol
diers' Home at Johnson City. He had
bene in declining health for some
time and friends in this city were not
surprised at the news Of his death.
Dr.. Ruble was native of Tennessee
and was left an orphan. He was rear
ed by his uncle, James A. Ruble. who
resided near Campbell's station in
Knox county.
He entered the union army in 1862
as member of the Fourth Tennes-
see cavalry, being private for a
time and was promoted to chaplain.
The late Jacob NJ. Thornburg was
lieutenant-colonel of that regiment
and was general in command.
Dr.. Ruble was admitted on trial in
Holston conference in 1866 and was
received into full membership in the
conference in 1868. He was ordained
deacon by Bishop Kingsley in 1867
and elder by Bishop Scott in 1870.
The following are his apointmpents
during his career as a Minister.
Maryville 1866; Jonesboro. 1867;
Cleveland, 1S68-1S69; Greeneville,
1S7O-1S71; Eliazbethton, 1S72-1S73;
Presiding elder of Greenevillo district,
lS74-1S77; same. Knoxville district,
1S7S-18S1.
He was then made financial agent
of Grant University at Athens for
period beginning in 1882.
For the years 1883 to 1886 he filled
the pastorate at Maryville NJ. E.
church and came from there to Sec
ond church. this city
His next service was a four year
term as presiding elder of Clinton
district, 1SS9-lS94; presiding elder of
Knoxville district, 1895 to 1900.
He then served as pastor at John
son City 19011902, and chaplain of
the National Soldiers Home, Johnson
City, from 1903 until the time of his
death.
In the demise of Dr.. Ruble, Meth
Odism in this section loses one of its
Staunchest advocates. He was pre-
siding elder of the Knoxville district
from 1873 to 1881 and AGAIN from
1898 to 1900. He was pastor at John
son City in 1901-1902, and was then
appointed chaplain of the Mountain
Branch National Soldiers Home. He
was widely known all over East Ten
nessee and has ministered on occas-
ions in hundreds of homes throughout
this section. His fifty years of la
Dor i'll the Holston conference. Meth
odist Episcopal church, were blessed
with fruitful harvest for Christian
ity.
Although the evening of his life was
spent among the comrades of the Sol
diers' Home, Dr.. Rubles wonderful
influences for. good were felt through
out the community, as he was ever
willing to counsel for the advance
ment of the cause of Christ. On May
Both, this year, the deceased divine
was invited to this city to deliver the
annual memorial day address under
tn auspices of the local posts of the
Grand Army of the Republic. AL
though the venerable minister was
not feeling in the best of health he
consented to come to hte city to nav
a fitting tribute to tn edeparted COM
rades of tn army that had almost
passed over the river of life. Des-
pite the drenching rainfall on May
goth, DR.. Ruble braved the storm and
delivered the memorial address at the
Market hall in this city. The ncle-
ment weather prevented tn exercises
being held in the National cemetery,
where repose the remains of departed
comrades of tn esixties.
The deceased was forceful and
convincing speaker and was firm in
his stand for whatever he considered
just and righteous and for the bet
terment of humanity In his declin-
ing years he remained steadfast in
the faith of the Nazarene. His career
was successful as minister and 10y
al citizen and the news that he has
fallen into eternal sleep will be re-
ceived with sincere regret by hun
dreds representing all walks of life.
For half century his labors were
confined mainly to this part of the
conference district. he having served