MENDENHALL, Rev. Lewis - 1890 Bio (1849-1936)

MENDENHALL, PIERCE, SMITHBURG

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 8/18/2007 at 12:52:59

Portrait and Biographical Album of Jefferson and Van Buren Counties, Iowa, Printed 1890 by Lake City Publishing Co., Chicago
Pages 239-240

Rev. Lewis MENDENHALL, a minister of the Free Methodist Church, claims the honor of being a native of Fairfield, of which city he is now a resident. His birth here occurred on the 20th of February, 1849, he being the son of Daniel and Susannah (PIERCE) MENDENHALL -- whose sketch appears on another page of this work -- who are numbered among the pioneer settlers of Jefferson County. They emigrated westward, becoming residents of Iowa in 1842, during the territorial days of the State which in many respects is now equal to any in the Union.

Our subject spent the days of his boyhood and youth in his native city and, having acquired his primary education in the public schools, became a student in the Fairfield University. Later he further pursued his studies in the Iowa Wesleyan College, of Mt. Pleasant, and ended his school days in Wheaton College, of Wheaton, Ill. In his youth he was converted and desiring to devote his life to the work of the ministry, carefully prepared himself for that life, and in 1869, when only twenty years of age, was licensed to preach. His first charge was at Belvidere and Marengo, Ill. While in that State, on the 5th of October, 1873, he was ordained Deacon in the Illinois Conference and on the 11th of September, 1876, was ordained Elder in the Iowa Conference. The greater part of his pastoral work has been accomplished in Iowa and has been productive of much good. For two years he was pastor of the church in his native city, for one year had charge of the congregation in Cedar Rapids, and the following year the church in Marion. A year later he preached in Ottumwa. Afterwards he preached in Birmingham, where he spent two years engaged in pastoral labor. He still resided at Fairfield during his ministerial work at Ottumwa and Birmingham. Mr. MENDENHALL has also done considerable work in supplying pulpits and as a local preacher. Wherever located, people of the community learned to love and esteem him for his upright life and the influence for good which he exerted. Since 1887 he has not been engaged in regular work, but his love for the cause still continues, and is manifested by the active interest which he feels in his home church and those of adjoining towns.

In Fairfield, on the 20th of March, 1877, Mr. MENDENHALL led to the marriage altar Miss Alberta SMITHBURG, a daughter of Charles P. and Annie C. SMITHBURG. She was born in Sweden and came to America with her parents when two years of age. Their union was blessed with three children, sons, but the youngest is now deceased. William Wesley was born August 8, 1878; Henry Edgar, December 10, 1882; and Charlie Christian, who was born June 16, 1886, died December 27, 1889.

In his politial affiliations, Mr. MENDENHALL is a Republican when voting on matters of local or State interest, but at the last two Presidential elections he cast his ballot with the Prohibition party, believing the question of the prohibition of the liquor traffic to be paramount to every other issue now before the people. The cause of temperance has ever found in him a warm and able defender, and all other reforms calculated to benefit the people may be sure of his hearty endorsement and support.

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.