Marshall County Illinois Obituaries Extracted From The Henry Republican, Marshall, Ill., 1884

1884 Obituaries from the Henry Republican in Henry, Marshall County Illinois.

SIMPSON, Matthew Obituary

Bishop Simpson Dead

The Venerable Prelate Peacefully Passes Away in Philadelphia - Biographical Philadelphia, June 19. - Bishop Simpson died at eleven o'clock yesterday morning. His end was comparatively sudden, coming unexpectedly when he appeared to be resting easier. Matthew Simpson was born at Cadiz, O., June 21, 1811 and consequently at the time of his death only lacked three days of being seventy-three years of age. He received his education at the Cadiz Academy and Madison College, Pennsylvania. After spending some time as a teacher in the latter institution he entered upon the study of medicine, but only practiced a short time, when he conceived the idea of entering the ministry. Five years after he began his collegiate education he was made a member of the Pittsburgh Conference of the M.E. Church. In 1837 he was made Professor of Natural Sciences and Vice-President of Alleghany College. Two years afterward he became President of Indiana Ashbury University, which position he held until 1848. He then became editor of the Western Christian Advocate. This place he held for four years. He was elevated to the Bishopric thirty-two years ago. At the time of his appointment as Bishop there were only three Bishops in active service - Waugh, Morris and James. They are dead, and Bishop Simpson at the time of his death was the oldest episcopal servant of the Methodist Church, both in years and service.

He was the accredited representative of the Methodists in America at the Irish and British conferences at Cork and Liverpool and the sessions of the Evangelical Alliance in Berlin in 1857, and after extended travel in Asia and Egypt he returned to America in 1858. During the late war he was an intimate friend of President Lincoln and Secretary Stanton, and was among the first to suggest the emancipation of the slaves. He edited the "Cyclopedia of Methodism," wrote "A Hundred Years of Methodism, "Lectures of Preaching," and various pamphlets. He was a powerful orator, and spoke on many memorable occasions.

Bishop Simpson lived in Philadelphia for many years before his death. He was married to Miss Ellen H. Verner, of Pittsburgh, soon after he entered the ministry. His only living son is Matthew Verner Simpson, Assistant Solicitor of Philadelphia. Of the four daughters, two live at the family residence, 1334 Arch Street. Another is the wife of Rev. c. W. Buoy of Philadelphia, and the fourth is the wife of Colonel James R. Weaver, Consul-General at Vienna, and some time Consulate Antwerp. [Henry Republican, (Henry IL), June 26, 1884]