1874-76; was president of Centennial National Bank of Vir ginia, Ill., for ten years; came to Louisiana December, 1900 and resumed surveying, continuing until failing eye-sight made retirement compulsory; was first married at Duluth, Minn., to Miss Jane Abigale Woodman, sister of Mrs. Col. J. B. Culver, April 12, 1859, she dying October 2nd, 1863 at Star City, Humboldt County, Nev., leaving one daughter, now Mrs. Nellie Epler Mills of Virginia, Ill.; married second time to Miss Matilda Ellen Conover of Cass County, Ill., July 5, 1870, who is still living, the mother of Mrs. A. L. Watkins and Mrs. R. P. Goforth of Lake Charles, La., and of Myron Leslie Epler of the New England National Bank, at Kansas City, Mo.; has resided with his family, for the most part since 1901 in Lake Charles."

MRS. BENJAMIN M. GRIFFITH, 1831-1923.

Funeral services for Mrs. B. M. Griffith, mother of Dr. Barrett B. Griffith, 1115 South Second Street, and Mrs. Eloise G. Pitner of Jacksonville, Ill.; and widow of Dr. B. M. Griffith, were conducted at 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon, January 4, 1923, at the First Presbyterian Church, Rev. John T. Thomas officiating. Interment was made in Oak Ridge Cemetery.

The remains arrived in Springfield Friday afternoon and were taken to Thos. C. Smith's Sons undertaking establishment, were they were prepared for burial. Mrs. Griffith died in Deland, Fla., early Wednesday morning January 1, 1923, where she had been spending the winter.

A long life devoted to noble service finds its end in peace and leaves behind it memories that awake responsive chords of affection and gratitude in many hearts. Mrs. Alice A. (McElroy) Griffith, daughter of William Irvine and Jane Muldrow McElroy, was born near Palmyra, Mo., September 20, 1831, and her early life was spent on a farm near Perry, Mo., where the work was done by inherited colored labor. Her father died before she was sixteen years old and she began her struggle for an education with the intention of fitting herself to be a school teacher in a time when there were no libraries, indifferent schools and few cultured surroundings. An opportunity to complete her education was offered by her cousin, Col. James A. Barret of Sangamon County by which she was enabled to attend the Illinois Woman's College at Jacksonville.

She came to Springfield in 1850 and in a brief autobiography she records her first meeting with Abraham Lincoln at the home of Major John T. Stuart, which was one of the treasured memories of her life. She graduated from the Illinois Woman's College in July, 1852, as the salutatorian of the first class graduated from that institution. Then she taught for four years in Woods Academy, Louisiana, Mo., and studied Latin and German one year in Fayette, Mo., under President Lucky. She taught for two years at Collinsville, Ill., with Dr. Samuel Willard and Dr. Merrill.

June 1, 1859, she was married to Dr. B. M. Griffith, a practicing physician at Louisiana, Mo., and they moved to Spring

field in 1865 where the family home has been since that time and where Dr. Griffith occupied a high place in the ranks of his profession until his death. Mrs. Griffith was not only a reader and a student of life and affairs, but being deeply religious by nature and training turned naturally to the activities of higher intellectual culture and the church. As a member of the First Presbyterian Church she took a prominent part in its work. She has through life been especially interested in home and foreign missions. She was a charter member of the Author's Club of 1882, a member of the Bible Class, the Via Christi Class, the State Historical Society, the Springfield Woman's Club, the Alumni Association of Illinois Woman's College. She is survived by her son, Dr. B. B. Griffith of Springfield, and her daughter, Mrs. Eloise Pitner of Jacksonville and two grandchildren.

REV. JOHN A. KUMLER, 1838–1923.

John A. Kumler, began his mortal march in Butler County, Ohio, April 20, 1838. His parents, Michael and Nancy Beam Kumler, were humble folk, living on a farm, and John, like many a distinguished man, first saw the light of life in a log cabin. He early became a toiler on the farm, working 16 hours a day. His educational facilities were primitive and meager. His first school book consisted of a shingle with the large letters pasted on one side of it, and the small ones on the other, and which was also sometimes used for disciplinary purposes. His first schools, private and public, were attended from two to three months in the year till he reached the age of 16. He next entered the Otterbein University, from which he graduated, after a course of four and a half years, with the degree of A. B., and from the same institution in 1865 he was given the degree of A. M. In 1862 he entered the Law Department of the University of Michigan, and in 1864, this school conferred on him the degree of LL., B. On his birthday, that same year, he was united in marriage to Miss Susan Meharry, of Montgomery County, Ind., who went to her reward from Springfield, Ill., December 19, 1900. She was the daughter of Hugh Meharry, a philanthropist of large means and prodigal liberality. The same year of his marriage, Brother Kumler settled in Danville, Ill., and began the practice of law. For some years he was prosecuting attorney for Danville, and filled other important legal positions, for which he was eminently fitted. But his paramount life-work was that of a minister of the gospel. In his 17th year he was converted and joined the United Brethren Church, of which his ancestors for several generations, had been members. For years he was active along religious lines before entering the ministry, as a Bible class teacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and as president of the Vermilion County Sunday School Association, and during all this time he was called on for many Sunday School addresses all over the county as a "Lawyer Preacher," Convinced of his call to preach, he closed up his law business, and in 1868 entered the Illinois Conference of the Methodist Church. His assignments have been: Rossville; Fairmount; Saybrook; University Charge, Bloomington; Bement; Griggsville; Jack

sonville District; Second Church, Springfield; Virden; Clinton; Chancellor of Illinois Wesleyan University; Prentice Church, Springfield; Superintendent of the Domestic Missionary and Church Aid Society, of which he was the father and incorporator; and President of Walden University. Since 1913 he had been on the retired list, living on a farm with his two surviving sisters near Hamilton, Ohio. The Illinois Wesleyan gave him the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1897.

Doctor Kumler was elected as a delegate to the General Conferences of 1896 and 1900. He was a faithful pastor, a strong preacher, a high class administrator, and a successful Presiding Elder. During his pastorate in Second Church, Springfield, he paid off a crushing debt of $25,000, of long standing, contributing liberally to the cause himself, and in the Conference year of 1899-1900, that church recognized his services, honoring both him and herself, by officially changing her name from "Second Church," to "Kumler Church," as a memorial to her former beloved pastor. His active ministerial life covered a period of 45 years the last eight of which were given to the presidency of Walden University, at Nashville, Tenn. He continued in this relation till he reached the age of 75, when he retired on his own initiative, though urged to continue as head of the school by the Board of Trustees. He was also one of the charter members of the Board of Trustees of Meharry Medical College. He was called the Saint John of our Conference because his personal gifts, characteristics and effectiveness were so similar to those qualities of that beloved disciple. More than 2,000 saved souls are stars for his crown.

Though in retirement, Dr. Kumler was so constituted that he could not long remain idle. For some years he served temporarily as pastor of the First Congregational Church in Hamilton, and he was in frequent demand for special services near his home and otherwhere.

His three sons have passed on, but his daughter Mrs. George E. Anderson, survives him.

The funeral services were held in his memorial church in Springfield, April 10, 1923, conducted by Dr. E. M. Antrim, District Superintendent, who delivered the memorial address; assisted by Drs. G. E. Scrimger, W. A. Smith, and others. His