BIO: Purington R. Tower, Wyoming Conference, Methodist Episcopal Church, PA & NY

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by JRB & JO

Copyright 2008.  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 416-417.
________________________________________________ 

  Tower, Purington Rial, was born on March 22, 1834, in West Lenox, 
Susquehanna County, Pa. His father, Rial Tower, tow uncles, two 
brothers-in-law, and two nephews were Baptist clergymen. He gained what 
education he could from the common schools, and then had three terms in 
the academy at Harford, Pa. He taught school one hundred months, forty 
of which were in Dunmore and Scranton. He held a professional 
certificate granted by the school authorities of Luzerne County (now 
Lackawanna), for some time.
  On October 8, 1857, he married Miss Mary D. Lyon, of Herrick, 
Susquehanna County, Pa. He and his wife experienced religion in 
January, 1862, in a revival meeting held in the Dunmore Methodist 
Episcopal Church (Brick), Rev. Luther Peck being pastor. He was 
baptized, with his wife, and received into the Providence Church by 
Rev. George Peck, D.D. The following week he was given an exhorter's 
license (November 5, 1867). He would have entered the Church before had 
he not been fighting against lifelong associations and impressions. 
When he became convinced that he could not go to the Church of his 
fathers he soon entered the Methodist Episcopal Church. In April, 1868, 
the Providence Church gave him a local preacher's license, and before 
the month was out he was sent as supply to Rome. In the following year 
he joined the Conference.
  He was in the service of the United States from May, 1864, to July 4, 
1865.
  He retired from active work in 1896 on account of failing health, and 
has since lived at Thompson, Pa.
  His pastoral record is as follows:  1869, Wyalusing; 1870, Herrick; 
1871-73, Skinner's Eddy; 1874-75, Factoryville; 1876, Salem; 1877-79, 
Bethany; 1880-81, Hawley; 1882-83, Guilford; 1884, Fly Creek; 1885-87, 
Osborne Hollow and Port Crane; 1888, Lanesboro; 1889-90, Gibson; 1891-
93, Jackson; 1894-95, Canaan; 1896-1903, sd.