Franklin Patton Memorial
This memorial appeared Christen Observer of Louisville, Kentucky. This page was taken from a document "Printed at Wilson, Oklahoma November, 1935, by J. W. Patton, only surviving member of the family".
Rev. Franklin Patton D. D.
1820 A Memorial 1895
Adopted by the Synod of Arkansas, November 1895.
Franklin Patton was born near Richards [Richwoods] in Washington County, Missouri, on the 5th day of January, 1820. Died at Dardanelle, Arkansas, March 4, 1895. His family on his father's side, was of Scotch Irish, Presbyterian stock. His great grandfather, John Patton, emigrated from near Belfast, Ireland to Allegheny City, Pennsylvania when his grandfather, John Patton Jr., was about 14 years of age. The latter was carefully educated and, when quite young, enlisted as a soldier in the Revolutionary army and at the battle of Plattsburg was promoted for gallant conduct. After the war, he settled in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and married Nancy Governeur, a great niece of the great English commander, Lord Nelson, of Trafalgar fame. Eight children were the fruit of this union, of whom Charles, the father of the subject of this sketch, was the eldest.
Charles Patton was educated and graduated as mechanical engineer. About the beginning of the present century the family moved to Kaskaski, Illinois and some years afterward to the vicinity of Richwoods in Washington County, Missouri. In 1808, Charles Patton married of Susannah Rogers of Bonhomme settlement, in St. Louis county. Of this lady nothing is known save that when her son, Franklin, was an infant, she professed religion and joined the Methodist church, his father at that time not being a professor of religion. Dr. Patton was the fifth of a family of seven children of whom only one, Mrs. Rebecca, wife of Peyton Johnson, of Franklin county, Missouri, survives.
Dr. Patton's first teacher was the Hon. Austin Clark of South Carolina, whom he always remembered as a most saintly man. To reach this school he crossed the Meramec river with his brothers and sisters in a canoe. When six years old, he was sent to board with an uncle living farther up the Meramec river. Here he was fortunate in his teacher and made good progress in his studies. The scenery around his uncle's home, which was picturesque and beautiful, seems also to have left an abiding impression on his nature young as he was and in after years he composed a poem in which he recalls and describes its beauties. Sometime after this his father removed to Franklin County where he shortly afterwards died. When this sad bereavement occurred Franklin was still a mere child, being only in his tenth year. From this time until he was fifteen he helped on the farm, attending school occasionally as he had opportunity. Among his teachers during these five years was Mrs. Gillam of Virginia, sister of Judge Bishop of St. Louis, and a most estimable lady. During this time he walked five miles to Sunday school, wading the Bourbeuse river on the way.
When 15 years old, he was employed for time as a clerk in his uncle's store in Union, the county seat of Franklin County. After this, he alternately taught and went to school, pursuing his studies while he taught. At twenty, he entered Marion College. This was in 1840. Among the professors at that time were David Nelson and Potts. It was here, during his second year in college under the influence of these devoted men and associated with them of like character and spirit that he led to make a public profession of faith in Christ and join the Presbyterian church. Whether this was the actual beginning of his Christian life, we will not undertake to determine. For we have testimony that his first serious religious impressions dated back to a much earlier period of his life. He completed the prescribed course of study at Marion in 1844.
After graduating, he went south to Mississippi and taught for several years, two or more at Holly Springs in Marshall County. During these years he studied theology privately under Rev. A. W. Young. At the fall meeting of Chickasaw Presbytery in 1846, he was taken under its care as a candidate for the Gospel ministry. The following year he went to the Western Theological Seminary, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, where he remained one session. Returning to Mississippi, he was licensed to preach in April, 1848, by Chickasaw pastor of Hopewell church. From 1849 to 1857, he served for a time Hopewell and Lebanon churches, and afterwards Sarepta church was added to the group.
In 1871, he moved to Tupelo, Mississippi, where he resided and preached with great acceptableness and usefulness for ten years.
In 1881, he accepted an invitation to come to Helena, Arkansas, and take charge of the church there. Here he remained one year and then removed to Clarendon in Monroe County, Arkansas and took charge of the Clarendon and Holly Grove churches. His ministry in this field lasted three years; during which he greatly endeared himself to the people, and the churches were straightened and build up. While here, he was called to pass through one of the sorest trials of his life in the death of two of his children and one of his grandchildren within a short time of each other.
In 1885, he removed from Clarendon to Dardanelle in Yell County and Morrilton church in Conway county. This arrangement continued for about a year when Morrilton church, becoming strong enough and desiring to secure a minister for the whole of his time, withdrew and Dr. Patton gave the whole of his time to the Dardanelle and Russellville, Arkansas churches.
Dr. Patton was now becoming an old man. But his bow abode in strength. Though his health was feeble and his physical strength declining, his ministry grew in exuberance and power to the end. The last ten years of his ministry were among the most useful of his life. His life and ministry have left a profound impression upon the communities in which he labored; and the fruits of his work there are still being reaped and will continue to appear for a long time to come. He was a constant and faithful attendant upon the courts of the Church and no minister in all our bounds was more profoundly interested in all the missionary operations, both of the whole Church and of his own Synod and Presbytery. He was ever ready to do what he could to help struggling young churches and to carry the Gospel into the unoccupied regions beyond. The towns and communities in the vicinity of his home field will bear testimony to his zeal and faithfulness in these respects.
In 1852, Dr. Patton was married to Miss Martha McCord of Mississippi, who survives him. Seven children were born to them, only three of who still live: who are Mrs. Bettie Ervin, wife of Rev. S. B. Ervin, of Mexico, Missouri, Dr. Joseph A. Patton, of Evansville, Arkansas, and John W. Patton, who remains with his mother.
Dr. Patton was a man of quiet, even humble, deportment conspicuously modest yet capable of brave and vigorous self-assertion when principle or the interests of the Master's cause demanded it. His piety was deep and earnest and he was constant and diligent in his efforts to do good to others. He was a diligent student all his life and his reading was wide and varied. His naturally fine powers thus improved by study and sanctified by grace made him a most attractive and edifying preacher. His sermons were uniformly of a high order and without a suspicion of sensationalism were in the truest and highest sense popular. His ministrations grew upon those who heard him and were attended wherever he preached by rich and precious spiritual results.
He had filled up the measure of his days and was like a shock ripe unto the reaping, but his taking away will leave a gap in the ranks of our ministry that will be difficult to fill and long and sadly felt by his brethren who are left behind.
Other children of the family were: Charles, an infant, buried at Cape Giradeau, Missouri; Sue, wife of Dr. J. H. Wiley, died at Dardanelle, Arkansas; Frank, died at Clarendon, Arkansas, aged 23 years; Idlette, died at Clarendon, Arkansas, aged 10 years.
Mrs. Ervin died at Sallisaw, Oklahoma, February 20, 1911. Her mother, widow of Dr. F. Patton, followed her to their heavenly home in March 4, 1911. Their interment is at Stilwell, Oklahoma. Dr. J. A. Patton died at Stilwell, Oklahoma, in November, 1931.
Obituary
The publication in which this obituary appears in is unknown.
Rev. Dr. Franklin Patton, whose obituary appears elsewhere in this issue was the first native of Missouri to enter the Presbyterian ministry. He was a rare man – of superior gifts, of unusual acquirements, of wide reading of sterling common sense – a most kindly, devoted faithful servant of Christ, whom he loved supremely and whose gospel he preached with eloquence and power. F.
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Obituary
Oh tread softly here,
In silent grief approach, yet stay
A soul of meekness,
In hallowed sweetness,
Once dwelt within this clay.
Death has again entered the portals of the Presbyterian church in Dardanelle and in this instance, oh, how sad dissolving the earthly the relation of pastor and people.
Doctor Franklin Patton, the venerable and beloved pastor of the church, quietly passed away to a higher reward at his home about 9 o'clock on the morning of the 4th of March, 1895 at the age of seventy-five years. He died of pneumonia after a period of ten days illness and patient suffering. He was faithfully attended by family and friends and competent physicians kept constant watch by his side but,
"Leaves have this time to fall
And flowers to wither at the north wind's breath
And stars to set, but
Thou hast season for thine own, oh Death"
He fell asleep as a child, apparently without pain and his gentle spirit ascended to Him whom he so greatly loved and to whose glory his life for fifty years had been solemnly and faithfully dedicated.
The subject of this sketch was born in Franklin County, Mo. January 5, 1820.
Bereft of his father at the early age of ten years, he entered bravely upon the battle of life. Fond of books, he determined to secure an education and, mainly by his own exertions, he was enabled to pursue his studies at Marion College, Mo. While there, in 1844, he confessed Christ and united with the Presbyterian church. Going thence to Mississippi, he taught a while, and then entered the Western Theological Seminary at Allegheny, Pa. He began his ministry in 1848 and continued in the harness, according to his expressed desire, until he was seventy-five years old. His first charges were Hopewell, Lebanon and Sarepta churches in Mississippi. In 1857-9, he preached at Cape Girardeau, Mo., and then returned to his first field which he occupied twelve years. After this, for ten years, he had charge at Tupelo, Mississippi.
In 1881 he removed to Helena, Arkansas and after serving that church acceptably for one year only, removed to the town of Clarendon on White River and at Holly Grove for a period of about three years. In 1885 he removed to this place, Dardanelle, accepted the pastorate of this church and commenced his work here about the first of March of that year and for ten years went in and out faithfully and acceptably before his people as its pastor never for once diminishing ?eat and love for the work before him. His great love for the salvation of souls shone out in his whole nature and in every department of church work. During his long ministry he was directly instrumental in the erection of a number of church buildings, the last of which was the Washburn Memorial church at Russellville, completed a few years ago. His efforts in this behalf were untiring.
He lived a circumspect, honest and upright life in pure and simple consecration to God. His daily walk before the church and before the world was very a bright and living witness of gospel truth, and a constant invitation to come to Jesus.
Dr. Patton was a learned man, a polished scholar of high attainments, possessing a simplicity of eloquence rare and remarkable, and with all these richly endowed with all the Christian graces which make the perfect man. He was not a stranger to humility, and loved meekness. He loved his family, loved his church, his people, the cause of the Christian religion, fervently and was ever ready to bear witness in every good word and work. He was universally beloved and respected by all who had the good fortune to know him. That fact was fully attested by the large concourse of people who came from far and near to attend his obsequies. The funeral services were conducted by Rev. M. M. McKay, of Ft. Smith, assisted by Rev. Mr. Green, of Russlelville.
Dr. Patton was married in 1852 to Miss Martha McCord of Mississippi who bore him seven children of whom three and their mother survive. The daughter, Mrs. Bettie Ervin is the wife of Rev. S. B. Ervin of Mexico, Mo. Dr. Joe A. Patton, the older son, resides at Evansville, Ark. and John, the younger, lives with his mother. This bereaved family has the heartfelt sympathy of not only the church but also the whole community and while we bow submissively to the divine will of the great Creator in this sad affliction, we would not hide our sorrow, but bear our grief in silence and in prayer.
"We will be patient and assuage the feelingWe may not wholly stay,
By silence sanctifying, not concealing,
The grief that must have way."
Sill white face of perfect peace,
Untouched by passion, free from pain
He who ordained thy work should cease
Took to himself the ripened grain" G.
Dardanelle, Ark.