BIO: Joshua S. Lewis, Wyoming Conference, Methodist Episcopal Church, PA & NY

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by JRB & JO

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Chaffee, Amasa Franklin. History of the Wyoming 
Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
New York: Eaton & Mains, 1904, pages 360-361.
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  Lewis, Joshua Shay, was born on January 29, 1829, in the town of 
Wantage, Sussex County, N.J. When two years old his parents moved to 
the township of Exeter, Luzerne County, Pa., where his father had 
bought a farm - all wood land. He, with his brothers and some hired 
help, helped to clear up the farm, so that when he became of age two-
hundred acres of the farm had been cleared and creditable buildings put 
thereon. He loved the farm, and all through life has had a great love 
for a farm. From his mother he inherited his tendency to sick headache, 
which has followed him through life. He cannot remember an hour when he 
was without pain in his head, ready at any moment of severe strain or 
excitement to culminate in a severe attack of sick headache. He 
attended the district school at Sutton Creek schoolhouse, which was a 
mile and a quarter from home, winters until he was seventeen years of 
age. It was in this schoolhouse that he first heard Methodist 
preaching, Rev. C. W. Giddings being the preacher; and it was in this 
schoolhouse that he entered upon a religious life, at a Thursday 
evening prayer meeting, when twenty years of age, in the spring of the 
year joining the Church soon after. He was soon made superintendent of 
the Sutton Creek Sunday school. Sutton Creek was in the Northmoreland 
Circuit. In the fall of this year he entered Wyoming Seminary where he 
remained about three years. While here he was licensed to exhort by 
Rev. A. H. Schoonmaker, one of the preachers on Northumberland Circuit. 
This was about 1851. In 1854 he began work as supply on the Lehman 
Circuit, under Rev. W. Smith, and shortly after beginning his work he 
was given a local preacher's license. In 1855 he joined the Conference.
  On April 26, 1857, he married Miss Mary L. Shove, of Warren, Conn., 
who died at West Pittston, Pa., on March 8, 1903. Six children have 
been born to them - Franklin, George N., C. G., Jay S., Edith, and 
Anna. The first died in early childhood. Anna lives in Chicago, and the 
others live in West Pittston, Pa.
  His pastoral record is as follows:  1855-56, Stoddartsville; 1857-58, 
Lackawanna; 1859-60, Lehman; 1861-62, Northmoreland; 1863, Lackawanna; 
1864-65, Plainsville; 1866-67, Mehoopany; 1868-70, Springville; 1871-
73, Factoryville; 1874-76, Meshoppen; 1877-79, Skinner's Eddy; 1880-82, 
Forty Fort; 1883-85, West Nicholson; 1886-88, Fairdale; 1889-90, 
Kirkwood; 1891-92, Hawleyton; 1893-94, Herrick Center; 1895, Glen Lyon; 
1896, Moosic; 1897-1901, sy.; 1902-03, sd.