BIO: Jonathan K. Peck, Wyoming Conference, Methodist Episcopal Church, PA & NY Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Banja & Denise Phillips Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ________________________________________________ Chaffee, Amasa Franklin. History of the Wyoming Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. New York: Eaton & Mains, 1904, pages 224-225. ________________________________________________ PECK, JONATHAN KENYON, A. M., was born in the town of German, Chenango County, N.Y., near Brackle Creek, on December 31, 1824, and died in Kingston, Pa., on December 31, 1899. He commenced his education in the Brackle schoolhouse, one mile east of his home. From eleven to seventeen years of age he worked away from home, part of the time for board and clothing and a part of the time for wages. What wages he earned were used by his father to apply on the debt against his farm. His father was the Rev. Luther Hoyt Peck, a local preacher, and the oldest of the "five Pecks." Jonathan K. was his second son. At seventeen he left home for Kingston, traveling most of the way on foot, but from Tunkhannock to Forty Fort on a raft. From the time of his arrival in the valley until 1845 he worked for his brother George, who ran a wagon shop, first at Mill Hollow, now Luzerne, and subsequently on Wyoming Avenue, between the new Methodist Episcopal church and the cemetery. Here he learned the carriage-making trade. His conversion was in sight of the shop in Mill Hollow, in the road, near the bridge. He was alone at the time, but walked to Blindtown, now Larksville, the same evening and confessed his Saviour. This was December, 1842. He was at once received into the church on probation, subsequently baptized and received into full membership. His conversion changed the current of his life. In the fall of 1845 he entered Wyoming Seminary. In order that he might put himself through, he worked in the shop some, taught school three winters, one winter in Mill Hollow and two winters in Blindtown, keeping up his studies in the seminary while teaching, and graduated from the seminary in 1849. In 1850 he entered Dickinson College and completed the college course in two years, graduating in 1852. In 1861 his alma mater conferred upon him the degree of A. M. After graduating from Dickinson he went to Liberty, Frederick County, Md., where he taught a select school. He had held an exhorter's license for several years, having first received one from Bostwick Hawley, pastor of New Troy, at the direction of the Forty Fort class, in October, 1848. While at Liberty, the Quarterly Conference of Liberty Circuit, of the Baltimore Conference, granted him a local preacher's license. In 1853 he joined Wyoming Conference, his brother Luther and fifteen others joining at the same time. In 1883-84 he was in such poor health as to unfit him for pastoral work. He, accordingly, superannuated and secured the appointment of Librarian of New York State, with his office at Albany. He has published the following pamphlets: Debate between Rev. J. K. Peck and Rev. J. J. Miller on the question, "Do the Scriptures teach that God exists in three persons?" (see the chapter on Controversies;) Slavery in the Church, an answer to Dr. Abel Stevens, besides a number of sermons on special occasions. He has also published two books: The Seven Wonders of the New World, which has had a large sale in this country and Europe, and also Luther Peck and His Five Sons, a fascinating biography of a remarkable family. His brethren in the Conference manifested their love and esteem for him by electing him first reserve delegate to General Conference in 1868. At the Conference which was held in Honesdale in 1869, which was the close of his term as presiding elder on the Honesdale District, he rendered a written report of his work on the district. This was the first written report to Conference from a presiding elder, and because of it he suffered the taunt of seeming consequential from some of the older elders. However, it was a step in the right direction. While living in Kingston he was the archivist of the Conference Historical Society, and spent considerable time in classifying and arranging the contents of the historical room. He was wonderfully gifted in prayer. No one could pray as he did! A great camp meeting on Wyoming camp grounds occurred in 1878, eclipsing and held there before or since. A prayer made by the subject of his sketch is always referred to as having brought astonishing and glorious results at that service. The meeting and that prayer are always spoken of together. On April 23, 1857, he married Miss Mary Searle, of Plains. He was survived by her and four children - Mrs. J. Wood Piatt, of Tunkhannock; Mrs. Charles Hard, of Cincinnati; O.; Jesse Peck, of West Pittston; and Miss Mary Peck. His dying was as he desired, "with the harness on." At the same watch-night service in Kingston church, at the close of some appreciative remarks concerning his parents, he fell. He was gone! After his superannuation he resided in Kingston until his death. He was buried in the Forty Fort cemetery. His appointments were as follows: 1853, Newport; 1854, Springville; 1855, Spencer, and Teacher in Susquehanna Seminary; 1856, Plainsville 1857-58, Candor; 1859-60, Montrose; 1861-62, Brooklyn; 1863-64, Bethany; 1867-68, Presiding Elder on Honesdale District; 1869-71, Newark; 1872-73, Flemingville; 1874-75, Tunkhannock; 1876-77, Oxford; 1878-79, Nichols; 1880-82, Tioga; 1883-84, sd.; 1885, Middlefield; 1886-88, Hanover and Sugar Notch; 1889, Askam; 1890, Plainsville; 1891, Rendham; 1892-99, sd.