Nobles County MN Archives Biographies.....Crever, Benjamin Heck 1817 - 1890 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com October 21, 2006, 7:30 pm Author: Arthur P. Rose (1908) REV. BENJAMIN HECK CREVER (1817- 1890). One of the most prominent and best known residents of Worthington in the early days of its history was Rev. B. H. Crever, who played a very important part in the religious and educational history of the town during the days when the village claimed only a handful of residents. Rev. Crever was born at Carlisle, Pa., March 16, 1817, the son of James and Mary Crever. He learned the printer's trade in his father's office in his native town, but did not follow that occupation for long. He became a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Carlisle in 1835, with which denomination he affiliated fifty-five years, and of which he was a minister fifty years. Soon after joining the church he became a student at Dickinson college for the purpose of preparing himself for the ministry, and in 1840 he was admitted to the Baltimore conference. He had not at that time completed his course of study in the college, but he was subsequently honored by his alma mater with the degree of A. M. and D. D. He at once began his duties as a minister of the gospel in Virginia, and in the third year of his ministry was assigned to the well known Baltimore charge. In 1846, because of impaired health, Rev. Crever, was compelled to give up regular work. He then took up educational work, which he followed four years, establishing a private school at Milton, Pa. He was also one of the founders of Williamsport Dickinson college, and for two years was an instructor there. In 1850 he again took up ministerial work, and during the next decade was pastor of important churches in Maryland and Pennsylvania. He was assigned to the Frederick City, Maryland, church in 1861, the city which was the gateway for the federal armies to and from the battlefields of Virginia. Rev. Crever was a stanch union man, and he was appointed by the government chaplain in charge of all the hospitals of Frederick City and vicinity. He resumed his duties as a minister in 1866 and was assigned to the Carlisle district. Soon thereafter he became presiding elder and served in that capacity four years. In 1868 he was honored with a seat in the general conference. It was in 1872 that he and his family came with the colonists to Worthington, seeking a much needed rest. He at once became one of the prominent members of the little community, was one of the first to build a residence in the village, was pastor of the first church and for a time was principal of the Worthington seminary. He was one of the organizers of the Colony Christian Union, and was its pastor during the year of its existence. He then organized the Methodist church of Worthington, and was its pastor for some time. In March, 1875, Rev. Crever returned to his own conference and preached the gospel until 1886, when he took a superanuated relation. He was taken ill in May, 1889, from which he never fully recovered. He took to his bed March 26, 1890; and died April 15, of the same year at the residence of his son-in-law, Rev. C. T. Dunning, in Hanover, Pa. Rev. Crever was married, his wife dying in October, 1886. They were the parents of five children, only one of whom grew to maturity—Mary H., wife of Rev. C. T. Dunning, now residing at Mechanicsburg, Pa. An adopted son, Thomas H. Crever, is still a resident of Worthington. Additional Comments: Extracted from: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY MINNESOTA BY ARTHUR P. ROSE NORTHERN HISTORY PUBLISHING COMPANY WORTHINGTON, MINNESOTA PUBLISHERS 1908 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mn/nobles/bios/crever61gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mnfiles/ File size: 4.1 Kb