BIRCH-Thomas (Rev) - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Rev. Thomas Birch was born at Mt. Vernon, Ohio, November 7, 1821. His father, Judge (Jonathan) Birch, was a pioneer Methodist in Fountain County, Ind., having moved there in 1823. A Methodist Church was built upon his farm. Judge Birch had seven sons, all of whom became Methodists. Two of these sons, brothers of the deceased, are active members of College Avenue Church. Jonathan has been, for years, a Trustee in DePauw University. Thomas, the third son in the family, was converted when sixteen years of age. He took a partial course in old Asbury while Dr. Simpson was president. September 6, 1847, he married Miss Elizabeth Wood. For a time he lived on the farm, but afterward engaged in mercantile pursuits at Bloomington, Ill. They returned to Indiana, and Brother Birch received license to preach from the Quarterly Conference of Covington Church, while Isaac W. Joyce was pastor. During the dark years of 1861 and 1865 he did much preaching in the neglected fields. It was largely through his instrumentality that Salem church was built about three miles from his home farm. This was his first pastoral charge. Under the Elder he served the following charges: State Line, Coal Creek, Burnsides, Hillsboro, Portland, Crawfordsville Circuit, Morton, Maxinkuckee and Veedersburg. The last charge he was serving at the time of his death. His illness was brief. He died in Covington, Ind., May 28, 1891. He was greatly loved by all who knew him. He was unusually modest and retiring in his nature. He was very successful in evangelistic work. His greatest success in this line was at State Line and Crawfordsville Circuits. His wife survives him, a faithful, earnest Christian. His memory will be cherished by those who knew him best. He rests from his labors.