Muskingum County OhArchives Obituaries.....William McKindree GILBREATH October 31 1893
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Doug Gilliland genealogy@dougstheology.org February 25, 2004, 10:52 am

Lutheran Observer - 17 Nov 1893

For the Lutheran Observer
REV. William M. GILBREATH
Biographical Sketch
On the 31st of October, 1893, Rev. Wm. M. Gilbreath fell asleep in Jesus, at 
the mature age of 75 years, 4 months and 27 days. He was born in Guilford 
county, N. C., on the 4th of June, 1818. His father was a minister of the 
Methodist Episcopal church. The family came to Ohio about the year 1829, and 
settled in Guernsey county. He studied theology under Rev. Ezra Keller, D. D., 
president of Wittenberg college. He was licensed to preach the gospel on the 
2nd of May, 1848, and was afterward ordained by the same body viz., the 
English Evangelical Lutheran synod of Ohio, as it was then called.
He was married to Miss Violet Jane Dorland, of Remsburg, O., on the 6th of 
May, 1856. Two children were born to them. The wife and mother died very 
unexpectedly on the 19th of November, 1864, leaving the bereft husband with 
the care of the two children, one being only a few weeks old. For almost 
twenty-nine years he lived the life of a widower, and devoted himself to the 
welfare of these motherless ones. 
His first charge was at Point Pleasant, Guernsey county, O. During his 
ministry he also preached in the following counties: Noble, Muskingum, 
Licking, Knox, Richland and Ashland. For a short time he had a pastorate in 
Indiana, when he united with the Olive Branch Synod, which he maintained his 
connection. The longest pastorate he enjoyed was that of the Sonora charge, in 
Muskingum county, O., where he labored for almost nineteen years. For the last 
few years he retired from the active duties of the ministry. And lived in the 
vicinity of Zanesville, O., and was an attendant of St. John’s English 
Lutheran church.
As a minister he had been self-denying, earnest, zealous and active. He was 
very methodical in his work, and the register of his ministerial acts contains 
a record of great activity. He did pioneer and mission work. He often traveled 
from place to place. He held services in school-houses, in private dwellings, 
and wherever opportunity offered. On the highway, in the home, at the bedside 
of afflicted, in the home of mourning, he preached Christ and him crucified, 
with deep unction and great feeling. He often supplemented his meagre salary 
by teaching He never thought more highly of himself than he ought to have 
done, but was retiring and modest. His dairy reveals the yearning of his sould 
for holiness and righteousness, and the deep sense of his own unworthiness. He 
was successful in building churches and laying the foundations of others. He 
sowed that others might reap of his labors. In the mellow ripeness of age, 
after all his toils, trials and sacrifices, he has fallen asleep in the 
assurances of life everlasting. “Let me die the death of the righteous, and my 
be last end be like his.”
For years he was a director of Wittenberg College. He ever maintained a deep 
interest in that institution, and it was through his influence that some 
valuable contributions were made to its endowment funds. He was active in 
sending students and instrumental in leading quite a number of young men into 
the ministry. “Belssed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth; 
yea, saith the Spirit, that that may rest from their labors and their works do 
follow them.” - F. Richards, Zanesville, O., November 8th, 1893.


Additional Comments:
F. Richards was the pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church in Zanesville, Ohio.

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