The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1917-12-14
REV. j. 3. LEY GOES TO HIS FINAL
REWARD

D1ed, Dec. ~, 1911.
This is very brief statement, but
between the years and between the
lines much rmains to be told.
| Rev. John B. Ley was born in Thorn
asville, Ca. and at very tender age
was brought to Florida, his parents
! locating at Micanopy.
His father, Rev. John C. Ley, and
mother, Mrs Martha Pottle Ley. were
pioneer Methodists, and TO their unit
ed and faithful efforts, amid many
i Iardships of pioneer life Methodism
was planted in many places in the
state.
John, the son. was educated at West
Point and at Vanderbilt University,
receiving liberal education, which
stood in good stead all through his
life, especially in his chosen profess
sion, the ministry of the gospel.
He was married to Miss Mary Es-
telle Roux in January 1880. His first
church given him after being ordain-
ed was the Volusia Mission, and his
! life work ever since was given with
out reserve to many of the hardest,
and following that to many of the fin
est churches in the state among them
Tallahassee, Tampa, Lakeland, Jack
sonville. Ocala and Orlando.
His three years service in Orlando
were among the best, and the last
year proved browning effort.
He was a hard worker, a fine
preacher, a godly man, a ray of sun
light, a cordial pastor and a firm
friend. Everybody loved him, and the
visitors to our city were with one ac-
cord great admirers of him and his
sermons. His home life was the most
sacred and consistent thing about
him. Never an impatient mood or a
cross word, always ready to meet his
children on an equal footing and, no
matter how pressing his other duties,
patiently explaining every difficult
problem.
| He rounded out the three years of
his work in Orlando, coming to the
church at time when the new edi-
flee had just been built, with a load
of debt upon it, and each year of his
pastorate he had a large addition to
the membership and was instrument
al in meeting every obligation.
During the past year all obligations
were met and twenty thousand dol
lars of debt upon the church was paid
and Brother Ley had one of the fin
est reports of his life to read to the
/ annual conference which met at Mi
ami.
He had planned to go to conference
with the presiding elder and his SON.
in-law, Mr.. 7. f. Alexander, of Tampa,
in his automobile, but Sunday week
ago was taken i'll and though it was
thought he would soon recover he
grew worse, suffering greatly during
the following days.
Wednesday he felt so much better
that he was about his room, but soon
had relapse and Saturday it became
necessary to operate. At first it was
/ thought he might rally. but the burst
ing of an abscess speedily terminated
his useful life, for at two in the morn
ing of Monday he slept away into the
other life OF which it was his dearest
pleasure to tell to mortals below
He is survived by his wife, his
daughters, Mrs. T. F. Alexander of
Tampa, Mrs. Frank Smith of Orlando,
Mrs. L. A. Bell of Cairo, Ca, Miss
Ruth of this city, and his son, J. G..
Ley, of Tampa.
The funeral will take place Tues
day at 3 p. M, in the Methodist
church. The pail bearers will be chos-
en- from among the board of stewards
Rev. B. K. Thrower of Tampa, who is
now in Miami attending conference,
will preside. The funeral arrange
ments are in charge of the Hammand
mpany-Monday's Orlando Report
er-Star.
Rev. Ley, at two different times dur
ing his long ministry, served the
Ocala church. During his first min
istry the present church edifice was
built, and during his second ministry,
which preceded the ministry of DR..
Gross, he built the present Methodist
parsonage on Fort King avenue.
Ocala friends of Mr.. Ley learned
with a great deal of sorrow of his
death, which came as a great shock to
everyone here, as it was not known
that his illness was at all serious.
Some thief broke into Mr.. NJ. l..
Payne's stable at Fairfield Monday