Cummins - (Rev) Frederick Patterson
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Thursday, 29 January 1874
Died in this city on Wednesday evening the 21st, the Rev. Frederick Patterson Cummins, rector of St. John’s Church, in the 61st year of his age. Under ordinary circumstances, this simple announcement would probably be sufficient. But the sudden and unexpected call upon this devoted servant of God, to lay down his earthly ministry and enter upon his rest was not an ordinary circumstance. It shocked the community by its suddenness and pained it by the knowledge of a heavy loss. Mr. Cummins, as successor to the lamented Hagar in the rectorship of St. John’s Church, by the gentleness of his demeanor, the unaffected piety of his life, and the ability of his public ministrations, has strongly endeared himself to his parish and to many outside of it in this community; and the memory he leaves behind him—that of a good man, and a pastor “faithful unto death”—is one which will not soon be obliterated.
For some time in failing health, he had felt obliged to resign his charge and rest. God had provided for him better than he knew. Instead of the temporary release from labor which he sought, and within a few days of the period upon which he had fixed for its commencement, he was translated without pain or prolonged suffering to the blessed rest of Paradise, and now sees the face of Him whom he so long served and truly loved. He is not, For God has taken him.
Mr. Cummins was born in Louisiana Dec. 31, 1813, graduated at Washington College, Penn., taught school in Burkesville, Ky., for three years, thence removed in 1838 to Shelbyville, Indiana. Here he married Frances Alice, daughter of Hon. John Walker, State Senator, and soon after removed to Laporte, Indiana, where he took orders in the Presbyterian Church, and served in that denomination for many years. About 1862, he united with the congregation of St. Paul’s Church, Laporte, in which he was confirmed by Bishop Talbot, May 17, 1867, thus becoming a regular communicant of the Episcopal Church. Desiring some time later to reenter the work of the ministry, he was admitted a candidate for Holy Orders, and on December 2, 1870, was ordained by Bishop Talbot to the Diaconate in St. Mark’s Church, Lima, and on June 7, 1871, in St. Paul’s Cathedral, Indianapolis, to the Priesthood. St. John’s, Crawfordsville, was his first regular charge and in that parish he continued happy in his ministry and laborious in duty till the Master called him to “come up higher,” and he entered upon loftier ministry of praise of which his last public ministrations on earth seemed at once a foretaste and a prophecy.
He leaves a loving family—a wife, two sons and four daughters—to mourn their loss, and to rejoice in his eternal gain. There is but one text which has constantly pressed upon my mind as proper to be inscribed upon his tomb—“Faithful unto Death.” -s
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Thursday, 29 January 1874
The remains of Rev. F. P. Cummins were taken to Indianapolis on Friday and deposited in a vault. They will be interred at Laporte. -s