Faulk County, SD Biographies.....Simmons, Rev. Thomas 1841 - living in 1909
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 8, 2005, 11:29 pm

Author: C. H. Ellis
    REV. THOMAS SIMMONS was born in Independence, Richland county, Ohio.

December 23, 1841, immigrating to Iowa with his parents in 1852, where they

located in Tipton, Cedar county, where he grew up to young manhood.



    At twenty-three years of age he was converted to God and united with the

Methodist Episcopal church. In two years from his conversion he received a call

from God to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. He gave up all his plans for his

future prosperity and entered Cornell College, at Mount Vernon, Iowa, to fit

himself for the ministry. At the close of his college career, he joined the

upper Iowa conference and in 1873 and for eleven years thereafter advanced

steadily, in rising grades of appointment, until through the efforts of Mr. and

Mrs. J. A. Pickler, he took a transfer to the Dakota conference and was assigned

to the pastorate of Faulk county. But one feeble Methodist Episcopal church was

in existence at that time. He traveled the whole county through in 1882-1885

holding eight revival meetings and organizing as a result of his work three good

charges. To accomplish this work he traveled four thousand miles in an open

buggy, through winter's cold and summer's heat. Four church buildings have been

erected through his labors, viz: at Faulkton, DeVoe, Orient and Seneca. He was

pastor of the first three named from 1884-1885 to 1888 and Seneca from 1906 to

1908. At all these places he left strong church organizations. At Seneca he

found but one member and the church paid but a nominal salary when he took the

charge. When he closed his pastorate he left a church of forty members able to

pay an eight hundred dollar salary.



    In 1893 he was appointed by Bishop Nird, presiding elder of the Huron

district. This office he faithfully and successfully filled for six years,

building up the church and assisting his pastors; witnessing an average increase

of five hundred souls brought to Christ each year in his district. Through all

the dark days of Faulk county's history Rev. Mr. Simmons had unbroken faith in

its future and all his careful earnings were invested in Faulk county lands,

surrounding a pleasant and happy home adjoining the city limits of Faulkton.



    God has greatly blessed his labors through all the years of his ministry but

nowhere no more marked and signally than in Faulkton and Faulk county. Two most

successful revivals were held in Faulkton during the winter of 1886 and 1887,

the latter resulting in driving every gambler and saloon keeper out of town to

the rejoicing of Israel's hosts.



Additional Comments:
From:



HISTORY OF

FAULK COUNTY

SOUTH DAKOTA

CAPTAIN C. H. ELLIS



TOGETHER WITH BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF PIONEERS AND PROMINENT CITIZENS



ILLUSTRATED

19O9

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