Rev. A. E. English 1972-1956

ENGLISH, ESTES, LOSS

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 11/29/2016 at 11:19:33

19 January 1956 - The Clarence Sun

A few of the older folks in the town of Clarence will remember this man. He was a pastor in the Presbyterian Church many years ago, Rev. Alexander E. English.

The Rev. A. E. English died Jan. 6th, 1956, at the St. Ann hospital in Algona, Iowa, where he had for 52 days been a patient. He was in his 84th year at death; his birthday was December 14th. He had for several years suffered from hardening of the arteries and consequent heart trouble.

Funeral services were conducted at the Presbyterian church at 2:00 o'clock Monday afternoon, Jan. 9, by the Rev. Bower, pastor, with burial beside the grave of the late Mrs. English in the Riverview cemetery. Mrs. English died in 1926.

Mr. English was born in 1872 at Carrick Fergus in Protestant North Ireland and was a member of a large family. Nine brothers and one sister are now dead. A sister, Mary English and a brother, Allen, both of North Ireland, are living.

It was natural that as Mr. English grew up he became employed in a shipyard, for his father, John English, was a sea captain. The son remained in that employ until 1899, when he came to America. He then worked for a time in Atlantic shipyards in the eastern United States, after which he began study for the Presbyterian ministry. He was the only member of his family to come to the United States, but two brothers emigrated to Canada.

Mr. English obtained his theological education at the Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, and while he was in school he was student pastor at Poynette, Wis. His first call after graduation was to Cottage Grove, Wis.; his second, to a church at Belleville, Wis. By that time he was married to Mabel Estes, Madison, Wis., and was at Belleville that the only child, Ethel, now Mrs. Casey Loss, was born.

Later Mr. English served pastorates at Franklin Grove and Ashton, Ill., and Clarence, Iowa. It was at Clarence that Mr. English received his call to the Algona Presbyterian church on April 1, 1917. He served the Presbyterian church in that town of 12 years, the longest pastorate the church ever had.

Mr. English served in the Irvington, Iowa church from 1917 until retiring in 1943, after 26 years of service. The two church were under his command for many years together. Even after he retired he "supplied" and it was his practice up to his last days to accompany the Algona pastor to Irvington for services.

Mr. English made his home in Algona for 38 years.

A granddaughter Faye Elizabeth Loss also survives.