Rev. C. S. McElhinney ( -1909)

GUTHRIE, MCCRACKEN, MCELHINNEY, PARSONS, SNOOK

Posted By: Volunteer Paul French
Date: 2/5/2007 at 19:45:43

Rev. C. S. McElhinney Passes Away

This community was shocked Friday morning on learning that Rev. C. S. McElhinney had died at the home of Ernest Guthrie, near Bentonsport, Iowa. On Wednesday, August 18, he had gone there to perform the marriage ceremony of Mr. and Mrs. Otto McCracken, was taken sick Thursday morning and died Friday morning. The body was taken to the home at Fairfield for interment, which was on Sunday afternoon, the services being in charge of Revs. Parsons of Fairfield and Snook of Middletown, about thirty-five people from this place (Mt. Zion) attending. Rev. McElhinney had been pastor of the Mt. Zion Presbyterian church for the past thirteen years. He was always a plain man, nothing for show, and he ever grew stronger with his congregation. The one thought of him and his church people was how long they might work together, but little did we think that the Master’s call would break off our relations so suddenly. In his last service at Mt. Zion on Sunday, August 8, he took the Scripture reading the lesson from Rev. 21st chapter, and his text from the 2nd verse – “And I, John, saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” – a very fitting text for his last sermon. The church at Mt. Zion feel that they have met an irreparable loss and will ever cherish the memory of him who labored so long with us and gave us the best part of his life. Memorial services will be held at the Mt. Zion Presbyterian church, Sunday, August 29, 1909, at 11 o’clock a. m., Rev. Snook of Middletown, an old classmate, officiating.

Source: undated newspaper clipping contained in “Family History” of the Barker, Sherod, and Forbes families and descendants compiled by Bernadine Forbes Clark, December 1980.