Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/656

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES open up missions in the destitute country surrounding tnid serve llicni in connection wilh his work at llte Fort. Thus preaching stations were opened at South Capiian, six mites distant, North Capitan, eight miles. Angus, ten miles, Lincoln, ten miles. Glencoe, twelve miles, and Parsons, twenty miles. These points were all reached on horseback. Dr. K irk preaching in some one of them each SuntLiy morning and returning lo the Fort for the evening. In this field a s well as in .VLiska there were some thrilling incidents in his e x ­ perience. In 1904 Dr. K irk returned to .Alaska and spent one year at Fort Wrangell, rebuilding and equipping the old mission station, the first Protestant mission in Alaska. T his work was mainly among the Indians. .A con­ spicuous feature of the A'ukon life was work among the Indians. In 1905 Dr. K irk took charge of the Presbyterian work among Ihe white people o f Juneau. Alaska. In 1 9 ^ he severed his connection wilh the Uoard o f Missions, and after a (our o f several months' visitation among the various mission stations in southeastern .Alaska returned to the Slates. .After seven years with the Board in the Alaska work and about one year in lectur­ ing in the States D r. K irk accepted a call ex­ tended to him in November, 1907, from the Mahoning Prcsbjlerian Church, at Danville, P a., and entered upon the work in Deccml)er o f that year, being form ally installed Jan. 17, 1908. The church was organized in 1785. and celebrated its 128th anniversary in October, 19 13. Dr. K irk was twice married. Ilis first wife, whom he marricil Ju n e 2. 188a. w as .Anna I.. .Moore, daughter o f Rev. (ieorgc Rodney and Phœbe (Patterson) .Moore, o f Pliiladelphi.i. Sh e w as l)om Nov. >3. 1855. and died Feb. 8. 1903. while home from .Alaska on fu r­ lough. Mrs. K irk had been with her huslxiiid through all the severities of the far northtand. where the United States government record of the weather showed the tcmjicraturc sixtyeight hclow zero. She assisted in alt the work of the mis.sion nnd was specially helpful through her rare musical abilities, stipulating as one condition o f her going that she l>e al­ lowed lo take her piano with her. regardless o f all costs. Indians as well as white |>eople keenly felt and moume. 1905. Dr. K irk married Isabelle H. Fenn. the only daughter o f Samuel Purviance and Marlh.a (W ilson) Fcnn, of West Pittston. Pa., and sister to Rev. Dr. Courtenay H. Fenn. o f Pekin. Chiiw. Miss

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Fenn graduated from .Mount Holyoke Col­ lege in the class o f 1890, and was splendidly equipped to help her husband in his work. Upon their marriage they went immediately lo Juneau, Alaska, where Dr. K irk was in charge of the mission. Ill 1906, w'hcn Dr. K irk relinquished the work in A laska, M rs. K irk accompanic<l him in his round o f visitation of the various mis­ sion station.s, viz.: Ketchikan, Saxm an, Metlakatla. Klinquan, iluw kan. Klawock, W ran­ gell, Sitka, Haines. Killisnou and the Chil* kats. During this visitation Dr. K irk preached many times. Prior to this he had visited nearly every mission along the A’ ukon and the coasts of the Bering sea a.s fa r north as the A rctic ocean, viz.: Forty .Mile. Circle Cit^’, Fort Yukon. St. Jam es. Rampart, .Anvik, St. .Michael, Nome. Teller. Cape Prince o f W ales and K in g Island in the Bering sea. In June. 1 9 1 1 . the honorar)' degree of Doctor o f Divinitv w as conferred on him by bis alma mater, the U niversity o f Wooster. In the autumn o f 19 10 Dr. K irk w as ap­ pointed cliainnan of the Judicial committee of the Presbytery o f Northumberland to pros­ ecute Rev. William D. Grant, o f Nortfiuml«rland, who had been charged with heret­ ical views and denials o f Presbyterian faith. Presbytery's Judicial commission by a n u ­ jority o f one acrjuiticd Dr. (^rant. but Dr. K irk and his committee were so thoroughly satisfied that the verdict was contrary to the evidence that the case was appcalcil to tlie General .-Assembly fo r review and the findings of the Presbyter^’ were unanimously reversed. I >. (irant lieing suspended from the Presby­ terian ministry. D r. K irk has been a memlier of four <icneral .Assemblies, meeting in Springfield. Ml., 1882. Minncajiolis. Minn.. 1899. Ixis .Angeles, Cal.. 1903. and .Atlantic City, N . J .. 1910. In iKjhlical conviction and affiliation I)r. K irk has lieen a member of the Republican party, but in the general election of 19 12 he voted the Prc^ressive ticket. G E O R G E I^A U BA C H R O T K. of Phil­ adelphia, P a., bom in Fort .Ann. New Y ork State, was reared in Danville. Montour Co., Pa., where his maternal ancestors, the Lau ­ bachs. ha%c lieen prominent for many years. H is grandfather. Chri.stian lu u bach. later refcrretl to in detail, reared a fam ily o f six children, one son and five daughters, o f whom M ary Ellen w as the mother o f George L. Rote. On the paternal side he is descended from Friends of the orthwlox lyi>e. his grand-