From The Advocate, 3/9/1887
Cherokee Co. OK Archives 
Copyright c 2004 by: Fran Warren [alverson@valuelinx.net]
This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Cherokee Co. OK Archives. 
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The following was transcribed from THE ADVOCATE, Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, 

March 9, 1887

OBITUARY

Died- near Salem, NC, Sunday, January 16, 1887, Rev. Edward Jacob Mack, aged nearly 
65 years. He was called in 1847 to the missionary work of the Morawian Church and 
labored with the exception of a short interval during the Civil War, until 1877, 
in the Cherokee Nation. He was stationed at Canaan, near Maysville, Ark; Springplace 
and organized the congregation at Woodmount, near Tahlequah.

Having enjoyed the few advantages in his youth, he keenly felt the drawbacks that 
arose from his want of scholastic training, and endeavored by diligent study to 
overcome them. He was gifted with an excellent memory and was enabled to treasure 
up for use in his work much that he read. He was very familiar with the language 
of the Bible and his sermons were filled with quotations from its text, or were 
illustrated by incidents in connection with the lives of the heroes of the Old 
Testament and the saints of the New. Anxious that all classes of people among whom 
he labored might hear the glad tidings of salvation, he spent much time and employed 
every opportunity in acquiring a knowledge of the Cherokee language. He learned to 
converse with considerable facility and thus became a welcome guest in the homes of 
those who spoke no other than their native tongue. By his lone and intimate association
with this portion of the people, he learned to appreciate their virtues, and he was 
full of praise for their sterling integrity, of their kindness of heart and of their 
firm friendship for those whom they had learned to trust. In his they had a devoted 
friend who ever deplored the misfortunes and injustices which they had suffered in 
the past and who endeavored as far as was in his power to so help them, that they 
might be saved from similar trials in the future. In his isolated situation he was 
often compelled to depend upon his own skilled judgement in cases of sickness in his 
family, and thus he acquired considerable skill in the use of medicine. He was often 
called to ride long distances, exposed to all the severity of the weather, to 
alleviate the suffering of the sick. Many knowing his kindness of heart, and of his 
success as physician, resorted to his house for advice and remedies for the cure of 
their diseases.

Laboring thus humbly in quiet unosteniatious ways none can know how much good he may 
have done. After a service of thirty years, feeling the infirmities of age and ill 
health coming upon him, he resigned his office, and returned to his native state, and 
lived the remainder of his life in quiet retirement among the friends and relatives of 
his youth.