Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 February 1910 — DEATH OF A VETERAN OF TWO WARS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

DEATH OF A VETERAN OF TWO WARS

Rev. George W. Payne, son of William and Rebecca Payne, was born in Tippecanoe county, Ind., Dec. 25, 1823. He was married to Sarah Ann Combass October 18, 1847. and to this union eight children were born, six girls and two boys—Rebecca J. Stephenson, Sarah E. Moore, Eliza E. Timmons and Evaline Timmons, all of whom reside in Rensselaer; the sons are James H. Payne, of Hammond, Ind., and John F. Payne, of Barkley township. The two deceased are Julia Ott, who died at the age of twenty-six years, leaving two children, and Adaline, who died in infancy. He lived with the companion of his youth 40 years, 5 months and 9 days, who died March 27, 1888. As a result of this union he leaves six living children, 29 grandchildren, 17 of whom are married, and 24 great-grandchild-ren. On October 21, 1890, he was married to Mrs. Adelia Murphy, of Frankfort, Ind., who died at Trinidad, Colorado, November 15, 1900. He was then married to Mrs. Nancy Davisson, of Fair Oaks, Ind., March 4, 1902, who is his surviving widow. About fifty years ago he moved to Jasper county, Ind., and thirty-five years of which was spent here-as an industrious, hard, laboring citizen. During his early life he learned the cooper trade at which he worked for many years; then he took up the blacksmithing trade, and being of an ingenious turn of mind,he then took up the carpenter trade and built many houses in this county, and by his industry he accumulated a competency for his own home and there is left a considerable sum to be divided among his heirs. When about fifteen years and two months old he enlisted in the Mexican war, enlisting at Madison, Ind., in the 3rd Indiana regiment, under Col. James H. Lane. He served in General Taylor’s army and was in all the engagements from Palo Alto to Buena Vista. He had an excellent memory of “Old Rough and Ready” and could give a splendid account of the campaign. His service in the Mexican war was one of great privation and hardship owing to the fact that all transportation had to be on foot or by boat where water-ways were convenient. When the civil war broke out, his pulse run high to preserve the union of states and again he enlisted under the stars and stripes; and on August 11, 1862, Governor Oliver P. Morton, of Indiana, commissioned him First Lieutenant in the 87th Regiment of Indiana volunteer militia. He was commissioned captain in the 87th Indiana volunteers on March 22, 1863; after serving in this war for about one year and three months, he received an honorable discharge on account of disability. In the month of December, 1868, he was converted under the pastorate of Mrs. Rev. Helenor M. Davisson, the first ordained deacon of the Methodist Protestant church. About three months later he was granted license to exhort by the Medaryville quarterly con- ference M. P. church and soon thereafter, was licensed to preach and was ordained elder in the church and appointed by the annual conference pastor of Medaryville circuit, and served as its pastor for five years. He was the principal character in launching the M. P. ehurch here in Rensselaer,

and the interest of the mission here lay very near his heart, and he was often heard to say, “It is the greatest desire of, my heart to see it prosper and become a strong church.” He gave largely for its erection and support. He preached his last sermon in the church here, of which he was a member, December 5, 1909, and those who heard him confess that it was the greatest effort of his life. He remained true to his church through all these years, having strong convictions as touching mutual rights in church and state, and in this faith he lived and died. He often spoke of his hope of immortality and eternal life and while his last sickness was most severe, he was unusually patient, trusting in his Lord. On the 5th of February, 1910, at about 6:30 a. m., his peaceful spirit passed from its tenement of clay to the God who gave it. The funeral was conducted in the M. P. church, of Rensselaer, on Monday at 10:30, under the management of his pastor, Rev. C. O. Johnson, Rev. O. S. Rardin, pastor of the Rensselaer circuit M. P. church, and Rev. C. L. Harper, of Trinity M. E. church, assisting. Rev. J. O. Ledbetter, president of the Indiana conference M. P. church, joined the procession and conducted the services at the Prater cemetery in Barkley township, where his remains were laid to wait the call in the first resurrection. Special discount on all shoes this month at the G. E. Murray Co.’s. The admission to the Yewell lecture, “By Day and By Night in Paris” will be only 25 cents. Thursday evening, Feb. 17th, at the Christian church. Two hundred views of Paris mate during his recent visit there. A lecture well worth your hearing.

REV. GEORGE W. PAYNE.