Thirty Years in the Itinerancy

by W. G. Miller

Brother Kellogg came with his parents to Milwaukee in 1836. He prepared for College at Rock River Seminary, Mount Morris, graduated at the Wesleyan University, Conn., in 1849, and served as Professor of Languages in the Lawrence University for five years thereafter. He was received into the Wisconsin Conference in 1862, and was appointed to Fort Atkinson. He was reappointed the second and third years, but, during the latter, his nervous system gave way under his devoted and trying labors, and he passed to the bright beyond. Brother Kellogg was a man of fine culture, genial spirit, faithful to every trust, and universally beloved by all who knew him.

The Conference at this session was again called upon to send one of its members abroad as a Missionary. Rev. L.N. Wheeler was sent to China. He was presented at the Conference with an album containing the photographs of the donors as a token of remembrance. The writer was selected to make the presentation speech, as he had known him from his childhood.

Brother Wheeler, before he engaged in the Ministerial work, devoted several years to editing and publishing secular papers. He entered the Conference in 1858, and had been stationed at Two Rivers, Byron, Empire, Manitowoc, and Sheboygan.

Having been advised with by the Mission Board at New York during the year, as to his qualifications, I was prepared to expect the appointment, fully persuaded that it would prove both creditable to the Conference and profitable to the Mission field. While abroad Brother Wheeler had charge for some time of the Mission press. He rendered efficient service in the China Mission during the seven years of his absence. But, on account of failing health, he was compelled to return in 1872. He is now stationed again at Manitowoc. He is a man of superior talent, and is greatly esteemed.

I had now completed my term of three years on the Spring Street Station, and my next appointment was very much in doubt. I had been solicited to accept invitations to several stations, and also the Fond du Lac District, but in each case I assured the good brethren that I deemed it best to let the Bishop and his Cabinet decide without prejudice, and assign me work where they believed I could serve the general cause to the best advantage. Had I allowed myself a preference, it would have been some quiet station of moderate responsibility, where I could have rallied my enfeebled health. Besides, I had a doubt whether I ought to be put on a District so soon again, after having completed two full terms before I reached my fortieth year. But it is vain to speculate in advance. At the close of the Conference, I found myself appointed Presiding Elder of Fond du Lac District.

The appointment was a surprise to both myself and family. But accepting the situation as a legitimate feature of the Itinerancy, we entered at once upon the needed preparations for a removal to Fond du Lac. The removal, however, was to be preceded by an event that, by separating the family, would render the change exceedingly trying. I refer to the marriage of our eldest daughter to Capt. Frank P. Lawrence, of Racine, thereby breaking a link out of the chain that had so long and pleasantly bound us together in the family circle. But, having previously learned that life's difficulties are best overcome by turning towards them a brave bearing, we prepared for the nuptials.

On the morning of the 17th of October a few friends came in at the breakfast hour, and our daughter passed into the keeping of another. Though fully satisfied with the arrangement, the occasion imposed upon me the most difficult duty of my life. The ceremony was performed in connection with the family devotions, and quite unmanned me. Assembled in the parlor, I took my usual place to lead the devotions. The Scriptures were read, and my daughter presided as usual at the piano. Thus far everything maintained its accustomed order. But when we knelt in prayer, and I closed my eyes to all visible things, the invisible came trooping in throngs to my already burdened thought. Then came the vivid recollection of the many happy years we had spent together as a family, the many sweet hours we had spent together in that parlor, with music and song, in which our dear daughter had ever been the central figure, and the now sad fact of an immediate separation. The chain must now be broken, and its then brightest link snatched away to gladden another home, while our own circle must be broken forever.

With these thoughts rushing upon me, it is not a matter of surprise that I was quite overwhelmed with feeling, and found utterance almost impossible. How I passed through the prayer and the ceremony that followed, has never been quite clear to me, but I was told that nothing was omitted that could be deemed essential to the occasion. The wedding party was soon after dismissed with our blessing, and we at once began the preparations for our own trip to the cars, to occur in the afternoon of the same day.

We reached Fond du Lac at nightfall, and were kindly entertained by Rev. J.T. Woodhead and his family. The following day we were invited to the pleasant home of our old friend, C.O. Hurd, who, with his most excellent family, gave us a kindly greeting and cared for us until the arrival of our goods.

My predecessor on the District was Rev. Theron O. Hollister, a man "full of faith and the Holy Ghost." Brother Hollister was received into the Conference at its session in Baraboo in 1853, and his first charge was Summit. His subsequent fields of labor were Fort Atkinson, Lake Mills, Greenbush, Sheboygan Falls, and Fond du Lac, where he succeeded to the District. At the close of his term on the District he was appointed to Oconomowoc, next to Waukesha, and the year following to Hart Prairie. Here his health utterly broke down, and at the following session of the Conference in 1868, he was compelled to take a superannuated relation. He now removed to Salem, in Kenosha County, where he died March 13, 1869, aged forty-seven.