Rev. Robert Benjamin EMERSON

EMERSON, THOMPSON, WESENBERG, HORSLEY, HANSON, GERMAINE

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 7/3/2009 at 10:59:23

Robert Benjamin Emerson, son of Josiah and Harriet Emerson, was born August 29, 1855, near Union City, Pennsylvania. He crossed the boundary of the world beyond from his farm home near Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa, on February 12, 1943. The days of his earthly pilgrimage are thus numbered at 87 years, 5 months and 23 days. Of the 8 sons and 4 daughters in his father's home, he was the last to enter the great beyond. He grew to manhood in the community of his birth, attending the country schools, working on the farm and in the timber and taking his part in its social and religious life. On July 3, 1877, he was married to Annis R. Thompson of Grand Valley, Pennsylvania. Immediately following their marriage, they moved to Charles City, Iowa, where an older brother, Judson B. Emerson, was already farming. After about years there, they returned to the home community in Pennsylvania, where for a couple of years he did business as a timber contractor and in the oil industry. After this they then returned to the farm home in Iowa. There were born to this union 3 sons and 3 daughters. The second son, Orris, met death by drowning at the age of 19 years, when his father was pastor at Riverside, Iowa.

Those surviving are Rev. Glenn Wilford Emerson of Kansas City, Missouri; Mrs. Pearl Wesenberg of Goodell, Iowa; Mrs. Minnie Horsley of Fredricksburg, Iowa; Mrs. Maud Hanson of Central City, Iowa; and Harold B. Emerson of Houston, Texas. In 1895 he left the farm and entered the ministry of the United Brethren church. In the fall of 1909 they went back to the farm home near Charles City, where his wife died on September 12, 1910. Later in the year he became conference evangelist in the United Brethren church in Minnesota, where he later served as pastor and conference superintendent. After 7 years of service in Minnesota, he returned to Iowa, where he served as pastor until his retirement in 1927. On October 12, 1913, he was married to Nemezene Bell Germaine of Waterville, Minnesota, who survives him with 17 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren, besides other relatives and the many friends of the farm home neighborhood.

He served the following charges in Iowa, West Union circuit, Colesburg, Auburn Western College, Sumner, Riverside, Goodell, Shueyville, Lovilla, Dawson, Kingsley, Marshalltown, and Moville, from which pastorate in 1927 he took the retired relationship. As a boy of 19 he was attending regularly a revival service in the United Brethren church at Union City; he accepted Christ as Savior. When they went to Iowa, he with his brother, helped to establish preaching appointments for the United Brethren ministers. One day while working on the roof of his barn there came to him a definite call to the ministry. His consciousness of man's need finally led to Brother Emerson's entry into the ministry and his proclaiming the salvation of our risen Lord. In the Spring of 1895 he joined the Iowa conference feeling that he could better serve his Master by giving his entire time to the ministry. He was ordained at the conference of 1900 by Bishop Castle. He became one of the outstanding evangelistic pastors of the conference, holding many successful revival services in 30 odd years of his ministry and winning many to Christ and the church. In his last pastorate at Moville, Iowa, over 100 souls accepted Christ. Not only did he win souls to the Master but through his influence men gave their lives to the ministry. Two of the present pastors of Iowa conference began their life work while he was their pastor. No great material memorial will ever be erected to his memory, but he will ever live in the memories of those to whome he came as a messenger of the forgiveness of their sins.

The Religious Telescope
March 1943