Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1916-08-10

OF the enterprise theoretically, secur-
ed the subscription, a large part Of
which he collected and turned over to
the treasurer of the Official Board.
During the winter, all the material for
the new church was purchased, paid
for and delivered on the site of the
present church, which had been deed
ed as q church site May 9Th, 1850, by
Mrs. Pease. Work began on the
church in the spring and il was made
ready for the roof when United States
troops came to Ironton, and seeing
the military strategic advantage of the
hill, occupied it and built a fort there
on; hence the name "Fort Hill.n
Brother Aspley went to his fathers
in Southwest Missouri, and later on to
Illinois, where he helped to organize
the Illinois Conference. Returning to
Missouri, he had a long and useful
career as a member of the st, Louis
Conference, filing various important
charges, among which he three times
served Arcadia. where closed his
career as an "itinerant preacher by
taking the superannuate relation,
after a service of ifty-three years,
and at the advanced age of 70.
He was several times appointed
presiding elder, in which position he
served his church we'll, winning the
confidence and love of his preachers.
He was a good pastor, a popular
preacher, a fine personal worker and
quite a %revivalist. l believe he never
had an evangelist, but always depend
upon his brother pastors for such help
as he needed in his revival meetings.
After his approximation, Bro.
Aspley settled down in Arcadia,
where he had spent SO much of his
ministry, and here he resided until
released from his s~ufferings, which,
much of the time, we're very great.
1t was a great disappointment to him
that his feebleness kept him SO long
away from the Lords house. All
through his afliction he preserved a
marvellous memory, quoting whole
chapters from the Bible, great num-
bers of hymns, and instantly recogniz-
ing friends whom he had not seen for
many years. He preached little SER
mons to his friends visiting him as
long as he could talk freely. He sent
messages of affection to his brethren
al he had opportunity, and the bur-
den of all of them was, "Preach the
love of God'.'
His end was just as he wished it
might be-peaceful. The fire refused
to longer burn, and the vital spark
slowly went out. The members of
his official board the last year of his
active ministry were the pail bearers.
| His pastor was in charge of his funeral
services, assisted by Rev. H. P. Grove,
M. II. Markley, and Dell Longgrear,
and the sermon was d~elivered,by Rev.
M. T. Haw, who remembers the
sainted servant of God as his first
Sunday School teacher, and the first
pastor he can remember-and all by
our late brothers. W appointment.
The hymns, it seems, were also of his
selection; the only thing on the pro-
gramme not by his appointment was
"Face to Face" u beautiful solo by
Mrs. Mildred Langdon.
The funeral was largely attended
notwithstanding it was held on the
day of the primary election. The re-
mains were taken to the K. P. Gene
terry near Arcadia, and laid gently to
rest according to the Methodist Ritual
This sketch could not be properly
closed without reference to his part
ner in life for more than fifty years.
Her devotion to him was not only
beautiful, but wonderful, 1t was not
her wish, as long as she was able to
attend him herself that any one else
should have a part in that service. He
was practically helpless for more than
two years, :during nearly all of which
time his good wife ministered to him
with her own hands. When they
failed, as they did at the last, her
sister, Mrs. Anderson, took her place
in the loving service.
NELSON B. HENRY.