Goben - Jesse J. - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Rev. Jesse J. GOBEN, deceased was one of the best known ministers of the Baptist Church in this section of the country.  He was born in Jefferson Co, Ky near Man's Lick Dec 17, 1808.  His parents were James and Betsy KLINE Goben, and James was the son of Billy GOben, a native of Ireland who married Rebecca BRANDY from Wales in 1776.  The mother of our subject was of Dutch descent and Jesse's parents settled at an early day in SHelby Co, Ky and not long before Jesse's birth removed to Jeffesron Co Ky.  They had a family of 10 children.  Elder Goben has left an autobiography prepared when upwards of 70 from which we make a few quotations: "My earliest recollection was the War of 1812 when the volunteers were aclled for and who in 3 months destroyed many Indian villages and their corn and thus secured immunity from them."  Thus the valuable paper begins.  The father of our subject dying the following year his wife was removed by her father some 60 miles distant form where they lived and here he remained until age 19.  He worked at tobacco growing and had in these crops secured money enough to enter a piece of land and in 1829 decided to come to Indiana. Therefore in Oct. he entered land in Walnut Creek Twp, 7 miles E. of Crawfordsville, and in his own language, "raised my cabin, hewed puncheons and floored it, built the chimney up to the mantel and prepared the small sticks for running the flue."  One of Mr. Goben's horses was lost, probably stolen by the Indians, but he then returned to Ky, and Dec 8, 1829 he was married to Araminta PLUNKETT and in 10 days' return trip, his wife riding his remaining horse, he walking, they reached the cabin.  This was during a rainy season and the creeks were past fording and they had to cross in canoes.  The horse waded alongside.  Sometimes this was a hazardous undertaking. The first breakfast in the new home was eaten from the top of the trunk with a small stool on each side.  A bread tray was made from the buckeye tree dressed over with an adze and finished with a drawing knife and the wash tubs were hewed out of white walnut.  A bedstead with one leg was made fast to the wall with small poles and lined with bark, which made it almost equal to a spring bottom bed.  Frequent encounters with wolves and other wild animals were experienced, not the least exciting being an adventure with a black rattlesnake. In those early days frequent religious revivals were held, but while Mr. Goben had always been under religious training he had held aloof from actual experience.  Both himself and wife were good singers and did the most of the singing at revivals held near and he soon began to feel great dissatisfaction and all the torments told of by Bunyan, but he resisted the efforts to lead him to true belief. He had an innate dislike for the Baptist faith and deemed it unworthy of consideration.  This feeling continued for more than a year, when he received light and was baptized.  Then came a greater struggle as Mr. Goben's brethren thought he should preach, but he would not be convinced.  However, he would talk to himself in the cornfield, would actually preach for himself as audience, and thus he struggled for 7 years when a severe illness brought the conviction to his mind that he was destined to become a preacher.  A meeting day came and Brother West arose and said: "Brethren, there is a gift in this church that will be profitable to the church if liberated.  I mean Brother Goben."  Says the biographer: "I then arose and told the story of my deliverance."  Mr. Goben was then licensed to preach, but a year passed before he made an attempt.  Constant reading of the Bible opened his eyes to truth and he began with short discourses upon the 3rd chapter of Hebrews.  His fame soon spread around and Wolf Creek Church asked of Walnut Creek Church that he be permitted to preach tot hem.  Soon after Thornton asked the same and then Pisgah followed.  He sometimes traveled 25 miles.  He preached for 4 years, when he asked the Lord to let him stop.  He was stricken with a strange malady which baffled all physicians.  His wife in a dream saw a man who said he could cure him and so Mr. Goben was placed in a wagon and hauled to Crawfordsville, where Dr. Benage was found to fill the description of the man in the dream.  This intelligent doctor seemed to know what was needed for in 48 hours Mr. Goben was as well as ever and resumed preaching.  He had some severe lessons, but space will not permit quoting all of the interesting memoir.  He mentioned meeting that able debater, Elder He rode a New Light Minister on the Resurrection and vanquishing him.  Mr. Goben was a man of who was highly esteemed as a minister, as a citizen, as a husband and father and neighbor.  In fact, this country has seen few who were his equals. His death was preceded by some months of confinement and hundreds visited him, but the summons came March 15, 1886, and his funeral was preached at Smartsburg by Elder James S. Whitlock and William Darnall.  His wife has preceded him several years and they left four sons and one daughter, although they had 14 children and had lived together nearly 57 years -- typed by kbz