Son of Mack Duffey Earp and Martha Alice Wright.


Silas Earp by Leroy Davis

Silas Earp was born August 11, 1883, near Butler, Alabama. As a small child he lived with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. M. D. Earp on a 160-acre homestead. At the age of five, Silas, with his family moved to Colorado. In the year 1890 the family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, then Indian Territory. The journey was made in a light "spring wagon" drawn by two Mexican ponies. Silas, then only about seven years old, says that he can remember seeing a large herd of sheep possibly four or five thousand.

Meals were prepared in the open on this journey over a camp fire. It was approximately eight weeks in consummation at the tender age of twelve Silas was afflicted with "inflammatory rheumatism" now known as arthritis. The disease began in his left ankle and soon drew and knotted his whole body. Within a year he was unable to walk. By the lime he had reached his twentieth birthday his eyesight began to fail. Eight years later he was in total darkness. One year later when he became totally blind he experienced the greatest event of his life.

While living near Bixby, Oklahoma, he had the privilege of attending a gospel meeting. Brother Frank Elmore was the evangelist. During the course of this meeting Silas obeyed the gospel, along with his elder brother and his sister, Holice with whom he now resides. Looking back to this event Silas said that this was one of the happiest moments or his entire life. Brother Elmore, assisted by one of the elders of the church, Brother Haggarman, carried Silas into the Arkansas river and there immersed him into the body of Christ.

Silas' father died in 1926, his mother having preceded his father in death. Since Silas is one or a family of eight; two brothers and five sisters, it fell their lot to care for him. At the present time he is with his sister, Holice Stewart, of Jay, Oklahoma. She and her husband give him excellent care. For the past five years he has been confined to his bed and can sit in his wheel chair only long enough to eat his meals. This constitutes a great sacrifice on the part or his sister and her husband. Surely the Lord will bless such love and consideration.

Although, Brother Earp is gnarled and twisted in body and unable to see, he is possessed with a cheerful disposition. His is a pleasing personality, and despite his handicaps can converse intelligently upon the current events of the day. He is a wonderful bible scholar, having committed to memory a large portion of the New Testament. In retrospect Silas said, "When I was six years old I attended the only free school in my life." While he was living in Colorado in 1889, he attended part or one term. After moving to Tulsa he attended part of two terms of subscription school. When asked how he had managed for so fine an education, he replied, "I read my brother's and sister's school books and they helped me quite a lot." But, perhaps the greatest boon to his education came about while living with a sister in Joplin, Missouri, in 1927. Miss Grace Spealt taught him to read Braille. For several years he worked at his new found joy and furthered his education greatly, especially In biblical knowledge.

Brother Earp is now 69 years of age. He is still in good spirits although his health will permit the reading or his New Testament but little. For the first fifteen years of his malady, Brother Earp suffered intensely. Many nights he could not sleep for the excessive pain. In writing this sketch I am reminded of what the apostle Paul said one time in Acts 14:22: "Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must, through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." Brother Earp has an unfaltering faith, and is a staunch supporter of the truth.

Although confined to his bed and unable to see, I'm certain that by his many conversations with the unsaved, his cheerful disposition, and his buoyant optimism in spite of all obstacles, he has been instrumental in winning many souls to the kingdom of God. May the life of this noble saint inspire and encourage all to a greater and more efficient service in the vineyard of the Lord. Firm Foundation, April 21, 1953, 4-5.