Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/514

 438 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY parents, Ezra and Mary Ann Tucker, spent the entire span of their years. He lived as a boy in his native town, and later located successively in Sheboygan and Beaver Dam, both in the state of Wisconsin. In 1861 he was sent to Red Wing as pastor of the Methodist church and served in the pulpit two years. Filled with patriotism at the opening of the Civil War. he in 1862 offered his services as chaplain, and was assigned to the 108th United States Colored Infantry, with whom he spent a year. Upon his return to Red Wing he was appointed presiding elder of the district. After several. years in this capacity, he occupied the pulpit at Faribault, this state, and in 1878 went to Cannon Falls, this county, where he built a church. He next rode a circuit for a time, and then went to Chattfield, Minn., where, under liis pastorate, as a1 Cannon Falls, a church was built. After this work he retired and was placed mi the superannuated list, occa- sionally acting as a supply pastor until his death in Red Wing, February 16. 18D2. His widow still resides at Red Wing and is now in her eighty-eighth year. The First Methodist Episcopal Church, of Red Wing, had its real beginning in 1852, when services were held by pioneers be-. lieving in the faith of thai denomination. The first pastor to whom was assigned charge of the Methodisl work of Red Wing was Rev. S. L. Leonard, lie was followed by Rev. .Mall hew Sorin, who in the fall of 1853 is. said to have officially organized a class of twenty-four members, composed of W. I). Chilson, Annie S. Chilson, Maria Sweney, Matilda Freeborn, Julia A. Bevans. Tl as J. Smith, Betsey P. Smith. Rezin Spates, Margaret Spates. Charles Spates. Mary E. Spates. Maria Sorin. Elizabeth Sorin. Emily R. Sorin. Mary Sorin. John E. Sorin. Susan Sorin, Solomon Rous.'. ( !aroline Rouse. Edward Rouse. ( lharles Rouse and E. Iloyt. During the early .lay- Rev. ( '. Ilobart preached a num- ber of sermons. The first pastor senl to Red Wing as a separate and independent appointment was Rev. Jabez Brooks in 1854 lie was also principal of the preparatory department of Ham- line University. At that time the congregation only numbered twenty-two persons. During that conference year the member ship increased to ninety-five. The pastor this year organized the Sunday school and the board of trustees. Regular services were first held for a little more than a. year in the schoolroom of the university, in C. J. F. Smith's store building, near the river. When the university building was completed, services com- menced and were held in the college chapel, until a fine edifice costing $11,000 was completed and dedicated in the summer of 1858. June 2. 1850. the tower, nearly one hundred feet in height. blew down, falling lengthwise, and carrying to the ground nearly the whole building with it. It was immediately rebuilt, at a cost