BIOGRAPHY: Stephen F. White; Goshen, Orange co., New York

transcribed by W. David Samuelsen for USGenWeb Archives

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Portrait and Biographical Record of Rockland and Orange Counties New York
Containing Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative
Citizens of the Counties.
Together with Biographies and Portraits of all the Presidents of the United
States.
New York and Chicago; Chapman Publishing Co., 1895

REV. STEPHEN F. WHITE, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Goshen, was
born in New York City, January 2, 1848, and is descended, through his paternal
ancestors, from honorable Scotch-Irish forefathers. His grandfather, Daniel
White, a native of New York, served in the American army in the War of 1812
until peace was declared. His life was spent principally in the Empire State,
and he followed the trade of a cabinet-maker and the occupation of a farmer in
Westchester County, where he died at the age of ninety-two.

The father of Rev. Mr. White was Stephen L., a native of Connecticut, who for
some time en-gaged in business in New York City. From there he retired to a
farm in Westchester County, and on it continued to make his home until his
death, at the age of seventy-five. During the war he was an ardent Union man
and Abolitionist, and his support was always given to measures calculated to
advance the welfare of our country. Twice married, his second wife, the mother
of our subject, bore the maiden name of Rebecca Carpenter, and was a
descendant of English ancestry. Her father, Mott Carpenter, was a farmer near
White Plains, Westchester County, where she was born. He was a relative of the
well known Dr. Mott, of New York, and a son of Samuel Carpenter, who was a
native of Long Island. In religious belief they were Quakers. Mrs. Rebecca
White still makes her home in Westchester County, and is now (1895)
seventy-five years of age.

Of the first marriage of Stephen L. White there is one son living, William M.,
who is employed in the postoffice at New York City. Of the second marriage
there were three sons, namely; Edward, formerly an artist of New York City,
where he died; Daniel, a farmer of Westchester County; and Rev. Stephen F. ,
the subject of this notice. The last-named was reared in New York City and
Westchester County, and after completing the common-school course, he became
book-keeper for a wholesale flour firm, meantime, however, continuing his
studies. Afterward he taught school in Westchester County for two years.

Deciding to enter the ministerial profession, Mr. White was in 1873 licensed
to preach, and the following year he joined the New York Conference. His first
charge was at Armonk, Westchester County, where he remained a year, and he was
located in Putnam County for a similar period. His next pastorate was at
Stock-bridge, Mass., where he remained three years. Upon the completion of a
four-years theological course, he was ordained an Elder, in 1878. For three
years he was pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Lakeville, Litchfield
County, Conn., a beautiful place, often termed the "Switzerland of America,"
where he had as his parishioners many people of wealth, culture and
prominence. On closing his work there he rested for a year.

Resuming ministerial labors, Rev. Mr. White accepted the pastorate of a church
in Westchester County, and remained in that county for four years. Going
thence to Ulster County, he had charge of a church at Marlborough two years
and then at Ellenville four years. During the latter pastorate, in 1891, he
was tendered a vacation trip to Europe by his congregation, but shortly after
starting the ship became unseaworthy and drifted around for some time, being
finally towed back into harbor. The delay thus occasioned obliged Mr. White to
abandon his at-tempted journey, but the following year he made a more
successful attempt to cross the ocean. Embarking on the "City of Paris," he
proceeded to Great Britain and spent two months traveling through England,
Scotland, Ireland and Wales, visiting almost every point of historic interest.

Accepting the pastorate of the church at Goshen, Rev. Mr. White came to the
city in the spring of 1893, and has since been the efficient and successful
pastor of the congregation here. The church at this place is one of the oldest
in the Hudson Valley, having been organized early in this century. It has been
an important factor in promoting the moral growth of the place and has aided
every progressive and philanthropic enter-prise. In 1885 a new brick edifice
was erected on Main Street, adjacent to the court house, and in addition to
this building the church owns the parsonage on Greenwich Street, the whole
property being free of any incumbrance. There is an enrolled membership of
three hundred, and the church has an active Epworth League, as well as a
number of class meetings. The arrangement of the house of worship is
excellent, and besides the main auditorium there are a lecture-hall and
Sunday-school room.

While the active discharge of his duties as pas-tor engrosses the principal
share of Mr. White's time, he also gives some attention to other lines of
Christian activity. Both of the local and the religious papers he has been a
frequent correspondent and contributor, and his articles, like his ad-dresses,
are pointed, forcible and able. He has delivered lectures on different
subjects, general and historical, and as a public speaker has the happy
faculty of interesting and instructing his audiences, and commanding their
close attention from the start to the close of his addresses. In different
temperance societies he has done aggressive work. He is a life member of the
Connecticut Bible Society, a Director in the Orange Coun-ty Bible Society, and
a member of the Westchester County Historical Society. In the conference to
which he belongs, he is serving as Steward and as a member of the Examining
Committee.

The marriage of Rev. Mr. White and Miss Laura J. White was solemnized in New
York City in 1875, and three children bless their union, namely: Alice F.,
Howard M. and Edith M. The summer months are usually spent by the family in
their beautiful summer home near White Plains, 'Westchester County, about
twenty-five miles from New York City, where Mr. White owns a residence and
seventy acres, comprising the old homestead. In politics he is a Republican.