The News-Sentinel 1940 - Fulton County Public Library

The Rochester News-Sentinel - 1940
Funeral services will be held at 2 o’clock Saturday afternoon from the Rochester Methodist
church with Rev. Robert ROSS-SHANNON officiating. Burial will be made in the Nichols
cemetery.
Friends may view the remains at the residence until 1 p.m. Saturday, when it will be moved to
the Methodist church where it will lie in state until hour of the last rites.
Funeral services for the late Rev. Harris E. BUTLER, aged 92, Civil war veteran and retired
United Brethren minister, will be held from the Rochester United Brethren church at 2:30 o’clock
Monday afternoon, April 8.
The services will be in charge of Rev. S. SIMON, pastor of the Rochester United Brethren
church. The funeral address will be given by Rev. J. A. GROVES of Peru who now becomes the
senior member of the St. Joseph U. B. Converence by the death of Rev. Butler. Burial will be
made in the Odd Fellows cemetery.
With the passing of Rev. Butler only one member of the McClung Post of G.A.R. remains. He
is John E. SHELTON, aged 93, who has been bedfast for the past two years. Rev. Butler served as
commander and chaplain of the McClung Post at various times and at the time post meetings were
suspended ten years ago he was filling both offices.
Following is an obituary of Rev. Butler as it was written by his son-in-law, A. B. GREEN of
this city:
I wish to express appreciation for the kindness and good will which has been so lavishly rendered by the
people of this community toward my wife’s father, Harris E. Butler, during his declining years while
suffering with a tired mind. In war men are forced to kill each other in order that some one crowned with
assumed authority may be hailed a conqueror, but true nobility comes from the unselfish Samaritan acts
which far outweigh all else. Man was created to be his brother’s keeper and to emulate the Golden Rule
toward his fellow man.
Harris E. Butler was born March 15th, 1848, the son of Alfred Austin BUTLER and Malinda LONG
BUTLER, in Dayton, Ohio. When quite young he came with his parents to Indiana and settled in Starke
county. When but 15 years of age he felt the urge of his country’s call and in 1863 enlisted in Company C of
the 128th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, as a private soldier and was mustered out of the service as a Corporal
April 10th, 1866. For 120 days he was with his regiment in the battle around Atlanta, Georgia. At the battle
of Resacca he was knocked down by an exploding shell, but received no serious permanent effects. He also
saw service in the battles of Pine Mountain, Kennesaw Mountain, Chattahooche River and Peach-tree Creek.
After returning home from the service he learned the carpenter trade. On July 27th, 1868, he was united
in marriage to Rebecca C. UNCAPHER. The marriage ceremony was performed in Plymouth, Indiana by
Judge OSBORN. To this union six children were born. One daughter, Laura Z. BUTLER GREEN of this city
and two sons, Russell H. [BUTLER] and Irvin E. [BUTLER], now of Baltimore, Maryland. Three sons,
Palmer M. [BUTLER], Otis Wilburn [BUTLER] and Richard Madison [BUTLER], all died in infancy and
are buried in the Oregon cemetery, near Grovertown, Indiana. His faithful wife, Rebecca, preceded him in
death on July 19th, 1937. He leaves besides those mentioned above, six grandchildren and six greatgrandchildren.
In 1879 he was converted and felt the call to enter the ministry. He preached his first sermon
on his 30th birthday at Sligo, Indiana, his text being, “O Israel, Thou Hast Destroyed Thyself, Yet In Me Is
Thy Help.” His first ministry was in the Wesleyan Methodist church in 1880, but after four years service he
took a transfer to the United Brethren church, which he served the remainder of his active ministry. His first
work with the United Brethren church was what at that time was known as the Mill Creek Circuit which
included Fulton. His first act was the purchase of the Old Methodist church at Fulton which had been
abandoned, after remodeling same held his first protracted meeting there with marked success. The Fulton
church became a station charge in 1888. The different charges he served were Deer Creek, Galveston,
Dayton, Indiana, Albion, Warsaw Circuit, Fulton Station, Silver Lake, Pleasant, Frankfort, Rochester, Ossian,
Twelve Mile and Deedsville, retiring from the active work