- REV. NORMAN BROWN, pastor of the Freewill Baptist Church
at North Johnstown, Wis., is
- a native of Colerain, Franklin County, Mass., and was born
Feb. 15, 1833. He is a son of John and Minerva (EDSEN) BROWN,
who were parents of eight children, four of whom are now living
- Alexander, the eldest, is now deceased; Horace and Harriet
were twins, and the latter died in infancy; Mary is a resident
of Tama County, Iowa; Norman of this sketch, is the next in order
of birth; Edwin died in Illinois; Harriet is now a resident of
Michigan, and the youngest child died in infancy. The mother
of our subject was called to her final rest in 1840 and after
her death his father was again married and one child was born
of his second union.
- The early life of our subject was spent in the Empire State,
and on the 10th day of December,
- 1857, he was united in marriage with Miss Juliet HOLMES,
a daughter of John and Lydia (SWEETLAND) HOLMES. Her parents
had a family of eight children, six of whom are living - Avalinda,
the eldest, is a resident of New York; Sidney, who is married
and has three children, makes his home in Wyoming, County, N.Y.;
Windsor is also a resident of the Empire State; Mercy is living
in Onondaga County, N.Y.; Ada died in Onondaga County, in infancy;
Juliet, wife of our subject, is next in order of birth; Ann Eliza
is the widow of H. L. DARLING; John, who is living in Onondaga
County, N.Y., is married and has five children, three yet living.
By the union of Mr. and Mrs. BROWN three children were born,
two of whom are still living - John J., who was born on the 22nd
of November, 1858, died in infancy; Frederick, born June 1, 1860,
is a missionary now in India. He received his literary education
in Tompkins County, N.Y., as a student in the Union School, and
his theological studies were pursued in the Hillsdale Theological
College, from which he graduated in June, 1888. He then became
pastor of the Freewill Baptist Church at North Johnstown, but
the same year was sent by that denomination to India. On the
3d day of November, he sailed form Boston Harbor on the steamer
"Pavonia" to Liverpool, from thence by the steamer
"City of Venice," to Calcutta. J. Holmes, the third
child, is engaged in horticultural pursuits in Moravia, Cayuga
County, N.Y.
- Rev. Mr. BROWN has devoted almost his entire life to the
service of the Master. At the early
- age of seventeen years, in September, 1850, he began preaching
the word of God, his first sermon being delivered in Fowler,
St. Lawrence County, N.Y., after which he attended the Seminary
at Whitestown, Oneida County, N.Y., for about two years, during
which time he preached occasionally. He then went to Spafford,
Onondaga County, where he had charge of the church of that place
for five years. His next field of labor was at Baldwin Church,
then called Barton Church, in Chemung County, and he was pastor
of that church for thirteen years, four years of which he preached
half the time in Pennsylvania. From Chemung County he went to
Summer Hill, Cayuga Co., N.Y., having charge of the church at
that place for nine years; two years of the time he preached
for the Congregational Church of that place, having the service
in the morning, his own church being out in the country a few
miles, and he conducted services there in the afternoon. From
there he went to West Oneonta, Otsego County, in the same State,
and spent about two years, after which he spent nearly two years
at Burlington Flats, in the same county, when owing to failing
health he went South to Long Beach, Miss., and spent a few months
and then came North to Iowa. In the fall of 1886 he removed to
Hillsdale, Mich., where he resided but a few months, when he
accepted a call to Bedford Church, Monroe County, Mich.; there
he remained a year and a half, and then resigned to take his
son's place as pastor of the church at Johnstown, Wis.
-
- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 249-250.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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