Clarke-Oglethorpe-Monroe County GaArchives Obituaries.....Smith, Wesley Fletcher Reverend June 7, 1895 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: T. Brad Willis tford53@gmail.com August 26, 2012, 10:26 pm The Minutes of the 1895 North Georgia Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South In the Minutes of the 1895 North Georgia Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South is the following obituary/memorial for the Rev. Wesley Fletcher Smith. Wesley F. Smith was born in Oglethorpe County GA October 9, 1815. The subject of prayer and religious training from infancy, it may be truly said of him that he was brought up "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Piously inclined, his young life was moral and upright. In his eighteenth year he experienced a thorough change of heart and on the same day joined the Church, maintaining a blameless Christian character down to life's close. Deep conviction was fastened upon his mind and heart, from the day of his conversion, that it was his duty to become an active worker in the Lord's vineyard -- in fact, that he was called to preach. As is frequently the case with the truly called of God to this high work, he hesitated, shrank from the responsibility. In hours of doubt and hesitancy he would go to his pious mother for counsel and comfort. Her uniform reply was, "When you feel these impressions, say 'Speak, Lord, thy servant heareth'". The church were he communed was impressed that a divine call was upon him. The membership saw in him elements of usefulness, and they sympathized with him in his struggles to solve the problem submitted to his decision. But the issue was soon to be settled, and in an unlooked-for, somewhat unusual way. On April 5, 1837 he married to Miss Louisa J. Hill, a most estimable woman--at the time of her marriage unconverted, though a seeker of religion. Shortly after his marriage the event occurred that affected, and perhaps gave direction to, the whole current of his after life. The incident was this: Rev. Samuel Anthony, of blessed memory, invited him to close a service for him: he declined. At the next service, when brother Smith was about to take his seat near the pulpit, a venerable member of the Church, Nathan Johnson, laid hold upon him, forced him into the pulpit, closed and buttoned the door behind him, saying, "Now do your duty." When the preacher ended his sermon, Smith arose and began to sing, "And can I yet delay my little all to give" -- that or some similar hymn; and before the song was half through a baptism of holy fire from above fell upon singer and congregation: an invitation to penitents was given; the altar was crowded, and many souls were converted -- among the number the wife of him so unceremoniously forced into the discharge of his duty. After this he stood ready for any work the Church might commit to his hands--for any duty to which God might call him. He was appointed class leader; in 1840, under the ministry of the Rev. C.W. Key, he was licensed to exhort. At Railroad camp ground, Monroe County, the following year, he was licensed to preach by the Rev. J.W. Talley. Admitted into the Georgia Conference at its session held in Macon, in December 1853, he was appointed to and served the following charges: Culloden 1854-55; Fort Valley, 1856. At the close of this year he asked a location; not as his brethren understood, on the score of health or for pecuniary considerations, but that, as a local preacher, he might give his services to neighborhoods destitute of the gospel through the regular ministry. Reentering the Conference in 1865, he was appointed to works as follows: Culloden 1866-67; Barnesville 1868-69; Culloden 1870; Zebulon 1871; Warrenton 1872-74; White Plains 1875-76; Decatur 1877-78; Hampton 1879-81; Lexington, 1882-83; Forsyth, 1884; Clinton 1885; Culverton 1886-88; Lexington 1889; Winterville 1890-91. Here his active itinerant labors ended. At the Conference of 1891, full of years, crowned with the honors of a long, useful life, and followed by the love of his brethren, he retired gracefully and uncomplainingly to his place in the superannuated ranks, to await the Master's call, "Come up higher". Brother Smith was a man of commanding personal presence--a great soul in stalwart frame; of happy face and pleasing manners, he was respected and loved by those who knew him. Of fine native intellect, for most of his ministerial life he held a place on leading Conference committees. Wise and prudent, he managed his own affairs and those of his charges well. His preaching was plain, pointed, unctious--largely on the hortatory style; and his earnestness in the pulpit and his fidelity in the duties of the pastorate brought success in every field of labor to which he was assigned. His last years, spent in the quietude of his Winterville home, surrounded by his loving, Christian family, were serene and beautiful. His lamp trimmed and burning, he was found watching and waiting--ready for the Bridegroom's coming. On the 7th of last June he went into his garden, worked awhile--returned to the house, washed his face and hands, read his papers, lay down on a lounge, folded his hands upon his bosom, and without a word or sigh, fell "asleep in Jesus". Additional Comments: Deep appreciation is expressed to Virginia Crilley who transcribed his obituary in August 2012. Rev. Wesley Fletcher Smith was born Oct. 9, 1815 to Rev. Anthony Garnett Smith, Sr. and Mary "Polly" Allen Smith. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/clarke/obits/s/smith10561gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 5.9 Kb