Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-10-28

cation he also followed his father and
| brother, the father was graduated
from Colby college in. 1897 and for IS
years was q trustee of the c3llege. the
1 brother In 1868 and Mr.. Merlin In
1879 with the degree Of A. B. In
1882 Mr.. Merlin received the degree
! Of A. NJ.
Mr.. Merriam took his theological
training at the Newton Theological
Institute at New Center from which
he was graduated. Mr.. Merriar was
ordained to the ministry at Abilone,
Fan, in January 1888.
In the same year 1853 that he was
| graduated from the Theological In
s'itute Mr.. Merriam was married to
Eugene Rennell who was the daugh-
ter of a sea captain and had been
| in this country only about a year.
I, Mr.. Merriam's first ten years in
/ the ministry were passed in Kansas,
! where he served in the towns of
/ Abikene, Solomon City and Usage
City. In 1882 Mr.. Merriam returned
| to Maine and for 12 years he was the
| efficient and loved pastor of the Bap-
| fist church in Freeport and even after
having been away from Freeport for
nearly two decades he is frequently
| called there to officiate at either
wedding or funeral service in the
| families where he was once the pas
tor In the fall Of 1904 Rev. and Mrs.
Merriam and eight children came to
| reside at the Bethany Baptist par
| sonage on the corner of Madison ave-
nue. and Winter street. The oldest
son George has never made Skowhe-
gan his home as he was employed in
FreepOrt at the time of the removal
of the family here and did not come
to Skowhegan with them.
During this long period of IS years
Mr.. = Merriam has not only given
faithful and loyal service to the
Bethany church but he has conducted
religious services for many months
at a time at the village church in
East Madison and Canaan and at the
Fcderted church at Hinckley He has
always spent much time in calling,
especially upon the aged and shutins
and those who were ill in his own
parish and those who were not con-
nccted with any church. For many
years Mr.. Merriam drove a faithful
white horse which came to Skowhe-
gan from Freeport with the family
and with his team Mr.. Merriam be-
fore the days that automobiles were
in common use has Travelled many
hundred miles to render aid when
there was sorrow or trouble in the
homes of people of the western part
of Somerset county and often to per-
fern the marriage ceremony as. he
has been popular with young people.
Mr.. Merriam has ofliciated at very
n large number of weddings during his
long pastorate, which are estimated
by him to be over 600 during his
ministry. His services are even more
frequently sort to attend funerals.
The church has during the time Mr..
Merriam has been here had a steady
gain in membership and a healthy
growth and Is happy and prosper
Gus body of Christians endeavoring
under his leadership to follow in the
footsteps of the Master.
-ation no iGflO-Gei etao etaoin bmb
Mr.. Merriam at the present time
is the honored chairman of the Board
of Education of the United Baptist
Convention of Maine which is one
of the most important offices in the
convention slate; he is also member
of one of the three ordination COM
mittees Of the convention, the one
on which he is serving being that
Tor central Maine. He is a trustee
Of the Coburn Classical Institute of
VaterviIe, and for 10 years has ,reeI
The Maine correspondent for the
Waterman Examiner; he is also a
member of a committee appointed
from the Educational Board of the
Convention to make official visits this
year upon the following educational
institutions: Colby college, and Co
burn Classical Institute at Water
willie and Maine Central Institute at
pittsticld.
Mr.. Merriam performs all these
many duties with the ease and
promptness of man of much young
er years and is often called upon to
speak and preside at social affairs
which he does in a most pleasing
manner.
Of the nine children which Rave
been born to Mr.. and Mrs. Merriam
| al except the younger daughter,
Miss Abbie Marguerite Merriam,
who died the summer following her
junior year in high school, are living
and are a family which any parents
might justly be proud.
The oldest is George r. Merriam
WHO is a Massachusetts State Y. NJ
C. A. secretary and doing splendid
work, being located in Boston; the
second son, Frank l.. Merriam, q
graduate of the University of Maine
is an efficiency expert in mechanical
engineering and is now employed in
Franklin, n. H.; Arthur B. Merriam
a graduate of the Boston University
is at Boston and is connected with
! the Bemis Bag Company; Thorton
w. Merriam, q graduate of Harvard
who has this summer spent several
months abroad studying the social
conditions, has returned to. Clepe-
land, Ohio, where he has accepted a
new position, being the director of
the religious work at the Western
d Reserve University and Case School
Of Applied Sciences; the young est
son, Ralph F. Merriam has an ex-
cellent position with the New Proc css
Stove Co. in the city of Cleveland,
Ohio. There are three daughters. the
oldest Ethel. graduate of Colby
college is the wife of the assistant
professor in chemistry at her Alma
Mater, Lester f. Weeks and thew
| rncida