King, E. D. W. (Rev.)

Passed: 1935-12-26

Age: 88

Source: Jackson Herald

Death Notice:

Obituary Date: 1936-01-03

Information: DEATH CLAIMS REV. E. D. KING - Last Thursday, Rev. E. D. W. King, a prominent clergyman and pioneer citizen, of Ripley, passed to his eternal reward, at the King homestead just below town where he had resided for many years.  He was a son of Samuel King and Mary Riley King who came here from Virginia in 1822 and founded one of the earliest homes in this county.  In a short history of the Methodist Episcopal church appearing in this paper a few years ago was told of the father being the pioneer of Methodistism in this county.  The son was a worthy successor to his father as all the people will attest who knew him.      Rev. King was born June 24, 1847.  He had three brothers, Rev. F. H. J. King, G. S. M. King, civil war sheriff of this county, S. D. King, one sister, Mrs. Hannah Wilson and two half-brothers, John I. King, now deceased, and M. V. King.  In the month of March 1874, he became a member of the Methodist Conference in this state and on June 18, 1874, was united in marriage with Miss Rosa E. Starcher who shared with him all these years the joys and sorrows that are encountered in an itinerant minister's work.     Rev. King was a scholar, a splendid pulpiteer and an excellent executive.  Seldom do we find these characteristics possessed by one man to the degree he displayed.  He took up the cause of his Christ and Church where his good father left off.  He served many of the fields in this state during the twenty-five years of his active ministry in both the city and rural districts.  His earnest gospel messages, with his oratory, gained for him a splendid reputation as a revivalist.  His loyalty and defense of the Methodist church were outstanding characteristics of his life.  No man likely in the conference built more churches than Rev. King.  In this county alone he led in the erection of four or more churches during his pastorate.  It was he who was the pastor and leader in the erection of the first Methodist church in Ripley, now the beautiful King Memorial church.  He had a very deep religious life and was profundly sympathetic.  He was a fearless defender of evangelical religion, his example still lives among the people and their posterity to whom he preached and he will present many sheaves at the last day as a result of his consecrated work.      The funeral services were held at the King Memorial church in Ripley last Sunday afternoon with Rev. B. F. King in charge and he was assisted by Rev. Fred Slaughter and Rev. J. R. Withrow.  Attorney M. C. Archer, a close friend of the King family, read the obituary.  Burial was in the King cemetery on Route 5 just below town.  Mr, Archer read the following obituary at the funeral:      E. D. W. King, son of Samuel and Mary (Riley) King, was born June 24, 1847; died December 26, 1935, aged 88 years, 6 months and 2 days.  Rev. King was married to Rosa E. Starcher, daughter of William and Sarah Starcher, June 18, 1874.  No children were born to this union, but they reared one foster child, a daughter, Mary K. (Maxwell) Casto, who married Oshel Casto and they have a family of 5 children and live at Evans, this county.  As is well known, the subject of this sketch was a minister of the gospel.  In March, 1874, a few months prior to his marriage, he joined the West Virginia M.E. Conference and served 25 years in the active ministry, and those wo know him best can well attest his faithfulness and loyalty in that service.  He retired from the active ministerial work in 1906.  He had several super-numerary relations in the conference during this period of time, owing to poor health.  This good minister, while in the active service as such, aided in the building of quite a number of churches, among which was this church; King's chapel; the latter located on the waters of Clay Lick, near here; Foster Chapel, in the southern part of the county, and some others, even, in the county.  On the charges he served outside of his own county he was also instrumental in erecting methodist churches. He was a man of very strong religious convictions and his loyalty to the church of his choice was probably unequaled. He was naturally adapted to the ministry, being favored with a strong body, with a rare mental capacity, with the urge, unusually seen, to pursue his high and noble calling, as well as with many other qualities and characteristics suited to such work.      It is generally known that he belonged to a family that has produced some strong preachers.  Those now remembered, are his brother, Jennings King; nephews, William Wirt King, John J. King and Claude King and his cousin, B. F. King, all of whom played no small part in building up the kingdom through the Methodist organization.  His family, generally, have been faithful and loyal members of the church, so far as the writer knows, and have been faithful and earnest workers for good in their respective spheres of activity in church work.  He was the last of a large family to depart this life.  His good wife, Rosa E. King, survives him.  It is probably not saying to much to say that this preacher, had he been more ambitious and less content to remain in the ranks of his ministerial associates, could have arisen to the highest positions in the gift of the conference to which he belonged.  He had the ability to do so.  Would it not be a fitting tribute to this good man's life to use the oft quoted saying of St. Paul: ""For me to live is Christ, to die, is gain"".