COMMONS, David - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

David COMMONS, son of Joel and Piety Commons was born on the home farm near Tangier, ind Aug 20, 1858. He was one of a family of 7 - two brothers and five sisters. He grew to manhood on the farm where he was born obtaining a common school education in the Rush Creek school. On Aug 22, 1878 he was united in marriage to Emma A. HARVEY. To this union was given two sons and two daughters - Lester, Lenn, HOrace and abbie J, all of whom are living except Horace who died at an early age 4 months. 40 years ago last January, under the ministry of John Griffin, he sought and found Christ as his Savior and all the years he has kept the faith and fought the good fight of which Paul speaks. Soon after his conversion he united with the Friends Church at Rush Creek where he found the fellowship and spiritual helpfulness which he appreciated so much, always speaking in highest terms of what the church had been to him and how he loved it. So complete was the change in his life, he almost immediately entered into evangelistic service. After a time he gave up farming and devoted his life to the work of the church, his first work as pastor being at Independence, KS. He served 4 years as pastor of Friends Church in West Indianpaolis; 5 years at Hinkle Creek and Providence; on eyear at Kokomo; one at North Branch and one at Linsey and Henderson Chapel, where they were loath to give him up. At this time he received a call from the pastorial committee of Coloma meeting which he felt was righ for him to accept, moving with his wife to the parsonage at Coloma, where to he continued his faithful service as pastor of the church until the hand of afflication came upon him. Later in the winter he was stricken with influenza, from which he never fully recovered, yet he persisted in keeping up his pastoral work until 3 weeks before the Lord called him to enter into the joy that is preserved for the saints. ON the evening of 7th month 22, 1925 he peacefully passed away at 66 years 11 months 2 days. He was a staunch prohibitionist, working faithfully in the temperance cause and was very optimistic in regard to the abolition of the liquor traffic, always defending our present law in regard to it. In his pastoral service he took great interest in the welfare of all the members of his church, especially was he interested in the younger membership. He loved the young people, alawys encouraging them in any work of the church and ever reminding them that the responsibilities of the church would soon be upon them. The children loved him because of the love he manifested for them. He was quick to discern any gift in the ministry among his people and encouraged it, thereby being the means of helping many young men and young women to enter the ministry. Being of a jovial disposition, he made lasting friends of those with whom he came in contact always greeting everyone with a warm shake of the hand, a pleasant smile and a word of encouragement. He was a great lover of music and would often break forth in song in the midst of a service, his favorite song being, "The toil of the road will seem nothing when I get to the end of the way.".. (sorry rest is gone)