Randolph County Georgia Biographies - Rev. Henry Locholin Crumbley 1859 - 1931 ********************************************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net ********************************************************************************************** This file contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Charlene Parker" Sep 2002 From "History of Bethel Association Including Centennial Meeting", by Alexander Lee Miller HENRY LOCHOLIN CRUMBLEY 1859-1931 Now and then there appears upon the stage of life a man who is so different, so strong, so earnest, so sincere and full of faith that he draws and holds the hearts and affections of the people, with whom he comes in contact, and is enabled to lead and constrain them to high and noble ideals and life, such a man was Larkin Crumbley, the subject of this sketch. Henry Locholin Crumbley was the second son of A. A. and Mary A. Crumbley. He was born and reared on a farm within three miles of Cuthbert, Randolph County, Georgia. At the time of his birth in that section there were but few schools and little opportunity was afforded the youth of the country to become educated. Young Larkin Crumbley grew up on the farm just as other country boys at that time, plowing and cultivating the crops and attending to such duties as any hired man would be required to perform in that day. He was energetic, and often when a boy, dreamed of becoming a great leader in his country. In his late teens he made arrangements to attend old Bethel College at Cuthbert, which was then under the leadership of Professor McNulty. Mr. McNulty soon left Cuthbert and removed to Dawson and young Crumbley followed him and attended school for a while in Dawson under his teaching. It was his aim and desire at that time to become a lawyer and his work was largely to that end. However, while attending school at Cuthbert he became converted and joined the Cuthbert Baptist Church and was baptized. He immediately became impressed with the idea that he was called to the ministry, and began to exhort and preach as the opportunities afforded themselves and was generally at that time known as "The Boy Preacher". It is said that he preached his first sermon in the old Rocky Mount Church which was then located a few miles South of Cuthbert on the Blakely Road, but which is now extinct. Early in the year of 1884 old New Hope Church, which was situated near Coleman Station at that time called him as pastor and desired that the Cuthbert Church ordain him. Accordingly on the 6th day of April 1884, he was ordained in the Cuthbert Church by Wm. H. Cooper, Wm. H. McIntosh and Roy T. Goodman acting as the Presbytery. Not being satisfied with his limited education, although without money he made arrangements to attend Mercer University. While at that Institution during his first year the Bethel Association donated certain funds to help pay his expenses, but during the second year other churches had called him as pastor and from Mercer University he attended each Sunday his churches and preached to them on Saturday and Sunday and with the salaries thus received he paid his own expenses at Mercer. After leaving Mercer he went back to the farm and made his home with his parents and a single sister. His parents had become old and were unable to make expenses on the farm. He took it over, paid it out of debt and took care of them for the remainder of their lives. Going out from his home he preached at various churches over the Bethel Association, mostly country churches until 1892 when he bought a home in Cuthbert and moved his parents and sister there. By this time he had grown and developed and become one of the strong preachers of the Bethel Association. Among his pastorates was Blakely, Ft. Gaines, Arlington, Morgan, Colquitt, Damascus, Edison, Dawson, Richland Sylvester, Shorterville and many others and for forty seven years he preached and devoted unceasingly his life to the pastorate of his churches. It is said of him that perhaps he baptized as many as three thousand people during his ministry, and that many of his converts became ministers of the Gospel. He was never without a pastorate for his full time from the time, that as a school boy he began to preach until his death, at the age of seventy two years. During his pastorate at Richland Church which he served for sixteen consecutive years, he began with two Sundays in each month, soon changed to three and in 1906 to full time, as the church grew in strength and members. During his period of service, under his leadership, a handsome new brick building was erected. This church was a member of the Summerhill Association and he was elected as Moderator of that Association for three consecutive years 1908, 1909 and 1910. After leaving the Richland Church, his parents having died, he returned to his old home at Cuthbert and there remained until his death. After his return to Cuthbert he continued to serve churches mostly in the Bethel Association. He was often called upon to preach the Doctrinal Sermons at the Associations for he was widely known for his strong and uncompromising Baptist principles. He had become so widely and affectionately known by the people of Southwest Georgia during his long service that the calls upon him to conduct funerals were so numberous that he could not respond to all of them. The last service of this great man was at a funeral of an old friend at Mt. Hebron Church just a few weeks before his own death. The Bethel Association at its session in 1931 at Fort Gaines soon after his death said of him among other things: "The memory of his well spent and profitable life remains with us as a blessed benediction and as to us on inspiration that we too may lead others into paths of righteousness for his namesake. His godly life, his lovable personality, his earnest and powerful proclaiming of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and his magnificent protrayal of God and his goodness brought the hearts of many to serve God as their own Personal Saviour. Surely he could have said, "I have fought a good fight. For me there is a crown of glory and rest eternal." We all miss him. And thousands will mourn his loss, but they too can say without doubt, that Larkin Crumbley, as he was called, is now at eternal rest with God in his glory, for he was God's man. We shall miss him, but we shall not forget him. May the glory of his rich life lead us on." It was on the night of the 23rd day of April 1931 in the Patterson Hospital within a few yards of where he joined the church, was baptized and ordained to preach the Gospel of Christ in the Cuthbert Baptist Church, that he received the call from On High and passed over the river. Georgia Death Index, 1928-1932 Name: Henry L Crumbley Death Date: 23 Apr 1931 Gender: County of Death: Randolph Certificate: 10293 Age: 1920 Federal Census Randolph Co. Ga Cuthbert page 84 ed 65 sheet 14 335 Henry L. Crumley head 58 Ga Ga Ga Preacher Baptist Fannie L. sister 65 Ga Ga Ga 1870 Federal Census Randolph Co. Ga Cuthbert page 233b 32 Crumbly Alexander 48 M W Farmer 5000 1000 Ga Mary 45 F W Keeps House Ga Rosetta 17 F W at school Ga Fannie 15 F W at school Ga Oscar 13 M W at school Ga Ella 11 F W at school Ga Locholin 10 M W at school Ga Abiah 8 M W Ga 1850 Federal Census Randolph Co. 9th District page 418 9/9 Alex Crumly 29 farmer 400 Ga Mary E. 21 Ga Georgia Marriages Stewart County Beard, Mary R. - Crumley, Alexander A 19 May 1850