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Dr Henry William Dodge

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Dr Henry William Dodge

Birth
Albany, Albany County, New York, USA
Death
14 Jun 1899 (aged 83)
Temple, Bell County, Texas, USA
Burial
Temple, Bell County, Texas, USA Add to Map
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The Temple Times (Temple, Tex), vol. 18, no. 27, ed. 1, Friday, 16 June 1899, page 1
Gone Home
Dr. H. W. Dodge departed this life at the residence of his son, Will, in this city, Wednesday of physical exhaustion. He had been down town only a little while before consulting a physician about a tumorous growth in his throat, and stated that he had slept sweetly all night before, but had taken no food for ten days, but insisted on helping himself and walking a good deal. These things together with his age, eighty-three, made his self-imposed task too great for him. His remains were laid away in the city cemetery, the 15th, at 4 o’clock to await that great meeting that will be when all the saints get home. We have known Dr. Dodge personally for the past four or five years. His life during that time has been beautiful. It has been like a beautiful sunset after a day of Tempest. The same elements that made the storm were there, but they were in restful repose. The same love for knowledge that had caused him to trim the midnight lamp, the same antipathy to wrong that had caused him to flash the bright sword of truth; the same love of the beautiful and the good that had enlisted his tongue and pen in their support I his palmist days, but they were all tempered with the discretion of age and the love of that peace whispered by the Morning Star when the King of Peace was young. He had not grown old in his love. He had broadened his views and looked with compassion upon the uncalled for strife between the children of One Father. He fully recognized the human element in man that never will permit the crystal drop of Heavenly love to form and reflect the serenest ray. While he was a Baptist minister and loved the discipline of the church, he saw in it only the outward conformance to a more perfect faith that it common to all of His children. Twas a treat that rarely fails to mortal man to listen to him talk and catch the golden fruit from the well-cultured garden of a fertile intellect. We are unacquainted with the stream of his life, but the crystal waters at the close bear evidence that the stream has never been turbid. What more can life offer? What greater prize to be gained than to perform an active part and remain uncontaminated to the end? He leaves two sons, both citizens of the town, to mourn his loss and rejoice in the bright triumph of his long and well spent life, in both of which we join.

The Temple Times (Temple, Tex.), vol. 18, no. 28, ed. 1, Friday, 23 June 1899, page 3
Rev. H. w. Dodge D. D.
Remarks of Rev. W. R. Maxwell at the First Baptist church at the funeral services of Rev. William Henry Dodge D. D.
2nd Samuel 3:38: Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel? Timothy 4: 6-7 and 8: The time of my departure is at hand, I have fought a good fight I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day. Matthew 25: 34: Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
It is not my purpose to elucidate these scriptures only as they have been exemplified in the life of our beloved brother whose remains lie before us. As David realized in the death of Abner, so we know that death has stricken from our Israel “A prince and a great man.” If we could have been permitted to catch the last thoughts of his great heart, they no doubt would have been in unison with those of Paul when he wrote the immortal sentence to Timothy; “The time of my departure is at hand, I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me.”
And then if we could have stood by the throne as his redeemed spirit passed out of the body, we could have heard the great King as he bade him welcome, saying “Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
Let us look a little while at his life. Henry William Dodge was born in Upper Alton, Illinois, on the 15th day of November 1815. He made a profession of faith in Christ and joined the Baptist church at the early age of 12 years. This no doubt changed the whole plan of his life as it had been mapped out by his father. An unquenchable thirst for an education took possession of him, and everything else was subordinate to the “accomplishment of this noble purpose. Not without meeting and overcoming great difficulties was this done. Through hardships and sometimes amid great discouragements he finally graduated from Richmond College, Virginia, but not satisfied he went to Columbia University at Washington City where he graduated about 1840. He then gave his life to the service of his Lord in the work of the ministry, his first pastorate being in his native state, where he served several churches. This was before the great prairies of Illinois were thickly settled and I have heard him tell of the long rides across the lonesome prairies on horseback to fill his appointments. It was during this pastorate that he baptized Jesse B. Thomas, now a professor in Newton Theological Seminary, who is the peer of any man in the country. Our brother was called from his field of labor to the valley of Virginia where he served the churches at Winchester, Berryville and perhaps some others for several years. He then was called to the First Baptist church at Lynchburg, VA, which he served during the civil war, and was there six years, and then went back to the Valley of VA, where he remained till he was called to Austin, Texas in 1872. Here he labored with great acceptance for several years and then was called to Columbia, Missouri, the seat of the State University, where he remained till called back to Terrell, Texas. This was his last pastorate. Here his voice began to fail, and, although he preached many times after this with great acceptance of the saints yet his active work in the ministry ceased with his pastorate at Terrell. My personal acquaintance with him began during his pastorate at Austin. I was called to Austin on business in 1874, and heard him preach during my visit. I remember his text: “Despise not the day of small things.” In the congregation set the governor of the state, Hon. Richard B. Hubbard, and many members of the legislature. It was a great and impressive sermon. My intimate acquaintance with him dates from the time of his coming to Temple several years ago. Since he came among us, he has been to me a sympathetic friend and counselor. I never heard a word of discouragement from him. Sometimes I went to him when my heart was burdened. He at once entered into the closest sympathy with me and spoke words of cheer and encouragement. He was no pessimist. He was always hopeful and looking for better things. He was regularly in his place at church, and the congregation knew were to look for brother Dodge. The members all loved and honored him, and inquired after him when he was not present. There is wonderful power in regular attendance on public worship, and taking the same seat. Oh that more people would realize the power of example. Seventy-two years a soldier of the cross! What a wonderful life! I think of old Polycarp who must have been over a hundred years old when he suffered martyrdom, for he had given 86 years to the service of the Lord.
To his children I would say that he has left to you the richest heritage that is possible for a father to leave to his children – It is the heritage of an honored name. “A good name,” says Solomon, “is more to be desired than gold.” Gold cannot buy it. Receive this heritage and cherish it as you do nothing else. It is yours to preserve untarnished and transmit with added luster to your own children. May God bless you and help you to follow in the footsteps of your father as he followed his blessed Lord. I leave to his devoted friend Dr. Luther the pleasure of speaking of him in the relation of a gentleman, scholar and preacher.
The Temple Times (Temple, Tex), vol. 18, no. 27, ed. 1, Friday, 16 June 1899, page 1
Gone Home
Dr. H. W. Dodge departed this life at the residence of his son, Will, in this city, Wednesday of physical exhaustion. He had been down town only a little while before consulting a physician about a tumorous growth in his throat, and stated that he had slept sweetly all night before, but had taken no food for ten days, but insisted on helping himself and walking a good deal. These things together with his age, eighty-three, made his self-imposed task too great for him. His remains were laid away in the city cemetery, the 15th, at 4 o’clock to await that great meeting that will be when all the saints get home. We have known Dr. Dodge personally for the past four or five years. His life during that time has been beautiful. It has been like a beautiful sunset after a day of Tempest. The same elements that made the storm were there, but they were in restful repose. The same love for knowledge that had caused him to trim the midnight lamp, the same antipathy to wrong that had caused him to flash the bright sword of truth; the same love of the beautiful and the good that had enlisted his tongue and pen in their support I his palmist days, but they were all tempered with the discretion of age and the love of that peace whispered by the Morning Star when the King of Peace was young. He had not grown old in his love. He had broadened his views and looked with compassion upon the uncalled for strife between the children of One Father. He fully recognized the human element in man that never will permit the crystal drop of Heavenly love to form and reflect the serenest ray. While he was a Baptist minister and loved the discipline of the church, he saw in it only the outward conformance to a more perfect faith that it common to all of His children. Twas a treat that rarely fails to mortal man to listen to him talk and catch the golden fruit from the well-cultured garden of a fertile intellect. We are unacquainted with the stream of his life, but the crystal waters at the close bear evidence that the stream has never been turbid. What more can life offer? What greater prize to be gained than to perform an active part and remain uncontaminated to the end? He leaves two sons, both citizens of the town, to mourn his loss and rejoice in the bright triumph of his long and well spent life, in both of which we join.

The Temple Times (Temple, Tex.), vol. 18, no. 28, ed. 1, Friday, 23 June 1899, page 3
Rev. H. w. Dodge D. D.
Remarks of Rev. W. R. Maxwell at the First Baptist church at the funeral services of Rev. William Henry Dodge D. D.
2nd Samuel 3:38: Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel? Timothy 4: 6-7 and 8: The time of my departure is at hand, I have fought a good fight I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day. Matthew 25: 34: Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
It is not my purpose to elucidate these scriptures only as they have been exemplified in the life of our beloved brother whose remains lie before us. As David realized in the death of Abner, so we know that death has stricken from our Israel “A prince and a great man.” If we could have been permitted to catch the last thoughts of his great heart, they no doubt would have been in unison with those of Paul when he wrote the immortal sentence to Timothy; “The time of my departure is at hand, I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me.”
And then if we could have stood by the throne as his redeemed spirit passed out of the body, we could have heard the great King as he bade him welcome, saying “Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
Let us look a little while at his life. Henry William Dodge was born in Upper Alton, Illinois, on the 15th day of November 1815. He made a profession of faith in Christ and joined the Baptist church at the early age of 12 years. This no doubt changed the whole plan of his life as it had been mapped out by his father. An unquenchable thirst for an education took possession of him, and everything else was subordinate to the “accomplishment of this noble purpose. Not without meeting and overcoming great difficulties was this done. Through hardships and sometimes amid great discouragements he finally graduated from Richmond College, Virginia, but not satisfied he went to Columbia University at Washington City where he graduated about 1840. He then gave his life to the service of his Lord in the work of the ministry, his first pastorate being in his native state, where he served several churches. This was before the great prairies of Illinois were thickly settled and I have heard him tell of the long rides across the lonesome prairies on horseback to fill his appointments. It was during this pastorate that he baptized Jesse B. Thomas, now a professor in Newton Theological Seminary, who is the peer of any man in the country. Our brother was called from his field of labor to the valley of Virginia where he served the churches at Winchester, Berryville and perhaps some others for several years. He then was called to the First Baptist church at Lynchburg, VA, which he served during the civil war, and was there six years, and then went back to the Valley of VA, where he remained till he was called to Austin, Texas in 1872. Here he labored with great acceptance for several years and then was called to Columbia, Missouri, the seat of the State University, where he remained till called back to Terrell, Texas. This was his last pastorate. Here his voice began to fail, and, although he preached many times after this with great acceptance of the saints yet his active work in the ministry ceased with his pastorate at Terrell. My personal acquaintance with him began during his pastorate at Austin. I was called to Austin on business in 1874, and heard him preach during my visit. I remember his text: “Despise not the day of small things.” In the congregation set the governor of the state, Hon. Richard B. Hubbard, and many members of the legislature. It was a great and impressive sermon. My intimate acquaintance with him dates from the time of his coming to Temple several years ago. Since he came among us, he has been to me a sympathetic friend and counselor. I never heard a word of discouragement from him. Sometimes I went to him when my heart was burdened. He at once entered into the closest sympathy with me and spoke words of cheer and encouragement. He was no pessimist. He was always hopeful and looking for better things. He was regularly in his place at church, and the congregation knew were to look for brother Dodge. The members all loved and honored him, and inquired after him when he was not present. There is wonderful power in regular attendance on public worship, and taking the same seat. Oh that more people would realize the power of example. Seventy-two years a soldier of the cross! What a wonderful life! I think of old Polycarp who must have been over a hundred years old when he suffered martyrdom, for he had given 86 years to the service of the Lord.
To his children I would say that he has left to you the richest heritage that is possible for a father to leave to his children – It is the heritage of an honored name. “A good name,” says Solomon, “is more to be desired than gold.” Gold cannot buy it. Receive this heritage and cherish it as you do nothing else. It is yours to preserve untarnished and transmit with added luster to your own children. May God bless you and help you to follow in the footsteps of your father as he followed his blessed Lord. I leave to his devoted friend Dr. Luther the pleasure of speaking of him in the relation of a gentleman, scholar and preacher.


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