The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1917-03-29
her gracious manner, which follows:
ministers l Have Known in Minot
Presbyterian Church.

"Some of you listened last week
with good deal of interest to DR.. w.
c. Hunter when he told of searching
the church records to get acquainted
with his flock, and finding that one
family of good Presbyterians lived off
among the hills southwest of Minot,
and that his friendship with the fam
lily, begun in the early days of the
century, is still living thing, bless
ing both Of them. This was his trib-
ute to a mother in Israel whose chill
dren rise up to call her blessed, and
10, her good works do follow her.
Well, my acquaintance with DR..
Hunter began in 1902, or may be it
was 1901, when Minot was halfway
house on my trip from Towner to
the south end Of my own county, and
l had to travel by two lines of railroad
to get to a pretty school in the great
bend of the Mouse, where the early
settlers of this country had founded
homes in the early $685. and man
who was long chief commissioner of
my county used to comb the country
side for teacher to his mind, to deal
with his own children, and those of
his neighbors. In the early '9O's he
used to find Miss Weber, long the
County Superintendent of Ward, while
the County Superintendent's office
paid only a small salary. When it
grew with the country, the men want
ed, and they shifted the date of cleo
ton from June to November so they
had something to trade with, when
they sought the nomination in the con-
vention. So Ward County has had
several superintendent since then,
and nearly all of them have found
church home with the Presbyterians.
when l was going or coming, I
Travelled on Saturday, of course, and
stayed over Sunday and attended
church. Well remember the greatly
thoughtful sermons of DR.. Hunter
which l heard on Sunday mornings,
and much | enjoyed the music and
songs from the Presbyterian hymnal,
for these handsome volumes were be-
You'd the reach of the little congrega-
ton in Towner, where helped to build
the church, and to dedicate it free of
debit was one of it's first trustees.
"Well l remember meeting Mrs.
Hunter, and learning that we are both
Foreign-born folk. But we are not
hyphenated, though we like to sing
Scotch song and eat the Haggis.
$50 l offer my tribute of respect to
Dr.. Hunter and I enjoyed sitting in
his Bible class the last time l attend
ed Sunday school in Minot.
"Then there was Rev. Mr.. Chamber
lain, whom l saw painting the old
church in Minot with yellow ochre
and buttermilk He made it clean and
sericeable, if it was not pretty. He
came down to Towner at the request
of the Minnewaukan Presbytery-(it
covered our empire) and moderated in
our Kirk session when we had trouble
with Rev. Mr.. Cresswell. But we let
that flea stick to the wa.
He came, too, when bonnie lassie
whose name began with a Mac wanted
to be married by minister and was
to be a guest. l asked him to come.
When he finished tying the knot he
said it was great pity to waste such
a good opportunity, and he offered to
help the four pairs of fine folk who
stood up with Kate McDougall and
Frank Leach, and the man with whom
l have had happy home for twenty
four years said to me, 81 am willing if
you are" but was too bashful to say
syes'-before the neighbors. Frank
Leach became an elder in Towner
church, but both he and his bride have
gone to their reward.
maybe Minot will remember the
wedding Of Rev. Chamberlain when he
persuaded his bride, an instructor in
Greek from Grinnell College, Iowa,
that it would save much, if She would
accept the invitation of Mrs. William
Hope and the Minot congregation, and
come up here to be married. She
came, and she proved to be Salt of the
Earth. The ceremony was performed
by the Synodical Missionary, Rev. Mr..
Wood of Fargo. The church was hand
somely decorated for the occasion, and
the wedding supper was served by the
ladies in the Manse. The Baptist min
lister was detailed to be my partner,
and he beguiled the time by telling me