Obit: The Obituary of Elder J. C. Hale written by Elder J. D. Chelette, Grant
Parish La
Source: From the Minutes of  Big Creek Baptist Association, 1893, pp. 10-12.
Submitted to Grant Parish, LAGenWeb by Anita Morgan Fri, 11 Sep 1998 
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Elder J. C. Hale

The subject of this sketch, Elder J. C. Hale was born in Hardeman County, in
the State of Tennessee, Oct. 31st, 1834.  He emigrated to Mississippi in 1837,
where his boyhood days were spent.  His parents were of that pure Christian
type who calculated to mould the character of great men.  The very atmosphere
of the young Hale's home, fed his soul upon the purest oxygen of Christian
faith, and at the tender age of 16 years he experienced a new birth, and the
image of God was stamped upon his soul.  He was received into the fellowship
of Bethel Baptist Church, and Elder Louis Ball buried him with Christ in holy
baptism.  In the year 1857, his talent for the work of the Gospel ministry
became so manifest in all his work that his church granted him license to
preach. He at first declined to accept the trust imposed by the church, until
about the close of the year, and occupied the stand for the first time in
January 1855.  He began an active work preaching to churches, which at once
sought his leadership and at the same time he sought out the destitute places
in the bounds of his work and did much to extend the mission cause. "The Lord
greatly blessed my early labors in this field and there was a great
ingathering of souls into the church" were his words during his last days upon
earth, when asked about his early history.  He moved his membership to Cypress
Creek Church, Lafayette County, Mississippi.  In February, 1861, he was called
to ordination by Cypress Church.  He entered the Confederate army in 1862. "I
spent most of my time," said he, "in the hospital, nursing the sick and
comforting the suffering."  In 1865 he returned to his former labors in
Mississippi, where he continued until the fall of 1869, when he emigrated to
the destitute fields of Grant and Winn parishes, in Louisiana, reaching his
new home on the 2nd day of April.   This part of our State was then in almost
perfect destitution, and he began preaching Christ to the perishing souls,
traveling over the destitution from Red River to Little River, throughout
Grant parish and a large portion of Winn Parish.  He was a veteran missionary,
and allowed nothing to discourage him.  He soon began to build churches in
this vast destitution, and the condition of the country greatly improved -
morally and socially - and the neighborhoods which were then almost wholly
given to Sabbath breaking and all manner of immoralities, are now thrifty and
orderly, the worthless population having either reformed or moved away. 

He was in the organization of the Big Creek Association, and at the fourth
meeting of that body he was chosen as its Moderator, in which capacity he
served for about fifteen years, when he was stricken down with a lung trouble
which forbade his longer service in that direction. He was a sound
parliamentarian, as well as a rigid disciplinarian, and an earnest, zealous
advocate of primitive Christianity.  He was therefore a perfect spiritual
father to the rising ministry of his Association.  Doubtless there is none
other that can so fully appreciate the fatherly care and spiritual training of
Bro. Hale as can the humble scribe, whose happy lot it was to enjoy the
fatherly care and spiritual training of that Godly man, during my infancy in
the ministry.  He died at his home at Hebron, near the Iatt Lake, on the 30th
day of March, 1893.  His death was a complete triumph over the terrors of the
grave, and he sank to rest in the arms of his blessed Savior as calmly as the
babe slumbers on the bosom of its mother. 

This brief sketch would be incomplete without the mention of the helpmete
which God gave him in the person of Miss M. C. Parr, whom he married in 1858. 
Their lives were linked together with a tender cord of spiritual love, and two
willing hands served together in such beautiful harmony, that never a discord
occurred to destroy the melody of two souls atttuned to heavenly song.  The
flame that was enkindled upon the altar of these mutual affections grew
brighter and warmer as the shadows of life darkened their pathway, and as the
winter of age chilled their energies.  Sister Hale remains to mourn thier
separation for a little while, and then go home and be received in the
glorious world above, and reunited with him who has gone before. 

REEFLECTIONS: Although of limited education, Bro. Hale was a man of strong
natural intellect, and was an excellent preacher.  His goodness was his
greatness, and what he lacked in educational power was more than supplied by
his devout, pious life.  He was a living epistle, known and read of all men. 
His consecration to the work of the ministry was so perfect that he refused to
associate himself with any other organization than the Church of Christ.  His
benevolence was of that broad, comprehensive nature, which took in all
suffering humanity.  For a number of years he devoted most of his time to the
Sabbath-school work at his home church, Hebron, and kept an evergreen school,
blooming with bright-eyed children, and the work of Bro. J. C. Hale will live
through centuries to come, in the labors and work of the young disciples whom
he did so efficiently train in the Sabbath schools.  He was a peer of the
noblest, a friend of the poorest;  kind, benevolent, charitable, and beloved
by all who knew him.  Why should we mourn departed friends, or shake at
death's alarm.  'Tis but the voice that Jesus sends to call them to His arms. 

Affectionately, J. D. Chellette