Alfred Chamberlin 1880-1953

CHAMBERLIN, SHERBON, VARNUM, MCCLISH, LOMMASSON, LUSTED, FELL, JOSLIN

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 1/14/2017 at 10:52:20

16 April 1953 - The Clarence Sun

Alfred Bolton Chamberlin was born in Webster City, Iowa, May 16, 1880, the son of Rev. and Mrs. Leroy F. Chamberlin. He entered the City Celestial at Mt. Vernon, Iowa, early on the morning of April 7, 1953, having attained the age of 72 years, 10 months and 21 days.

His boyhood was spent with his family in Pleasantville, Iowa, at Brookhaven, Mississippi, and finally at North Liberty, Iowa, where the family home was established. He was educated in various public schools and at Iowa Academy in Iowa City and Findlay College, Findlay, Ohio.

He entered the ministry of the Church of God, being ordained by the Iowa Eldership of that denomination about 1902. He served churches in South Central Iowa until 1906. On April 11 of that year he was married to Miss Eunice G. Sherbon at Conrad. Together they attended the Union Missionary Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and were assigned to a mission station of the Church of God near Calcutta, India. For reasons of health Mr. Chamberlin returned with his wife and infant son to the United States in 1910, and in 1911 was received on trial in the Upper Iowa Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, becoming a full member of the Conference in 1913.

Methodist pastorates served were Blairstown, Garrison, Urbana, Dike, Arlington-Volga, Clarence and Center Point. After retirement from the North Iowa Conference of The Methodist Church in 1949 he served for two more years at Martelle. In 1951 the Chamberlins made their residence in Mt. Vernon. Three of Mr. Chamberlin's pastorates were long appointments: Dike, 7 years, Arlington-Volga, 8; and Clarence, 9 years.

Three sons and five daughters were born to the Chamberlins, all of them surviving their father. They are: Rev. A. Maurice Chamberlin, Vallejo, Calif.; Helen--Mrs. R. L. Lommasson of Lincoln, Neb.; Rev. J. Gordon Chamberlin, New York City; Lawrence W. Chamberlin, Lincoln, Neb.; Winifred--Mrs. Lee Lusted, San Francisco, Calif.; Kathryn--Mrs. Robert Fell, San Jose, Ill.; Mildred--Mrs. Robert Joslin, Clarence, Iowa; and Eunice Chamberlin of Mt. Vernon. Also surviving him are 18 grandchildren.

One uncle, Ira J. Chamberlin of North Liberty, Iowa survives Mr. Chamberlin--and his surviving sisters and brothers are: Mrs. C. V. Varnum of St. Paul, Minn.; Mrs. G. L. McClish of Beardstown, Ill.; Lewis L. Chamberlin of Gordon, Neb.; Dr. Ira I. Chamberlin of Springfield, Mass.; and N. Read Chamberlin of Poplar, Wis.

A host of people from every walk of life and from all the churches he served through all the years of his ministry, rise up to call him blessed, attesting to A. B. Chamberlin's radiant good humor, his fearless preaching of Christ's saving sufficiency for a needy world, his undeviating faithfulness as a pastor, his splendid and unique example as a father and husband and his winsome kindliness as a tried and trusted friend.

"The hope of the righteous is full of immortality, for God hath proved them, and found them worthy of Himself!"

Funeral services were held at the Methodist Church in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, on Thursday, April 9, 1953, at 2:00 p.m. with Rev. Merton Green and Rev. Glenn Hartong in charge. The music "My Task" and "It Is Well With My Soul" was sung by Velma Folk, Ramona McCaw, Robert Elijah and Richard Weatherwax with Keith Lusted at the organ. Pallbearers were Frank Neuman, Harold Calvin, Roy Joslin, Ray Shrunk, Earl Elijah and Howard McClellan. Honorary pallbearers were Rev. A. D. Holtry, Rev. M. Morrill, Rev. H. Morrow, Rev. G. C. Lusted, Rev. H. D. Green, Rev. C. F. Martzell.

Interment was made in the Mt. Vernon cemetery.