Obituary: Rev. Robert Smith Finley, 25 April 1898 - Smith County, TX Contributed by Vicki Betts 11 January 2003 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************************************** TEXAS CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE, May 26, 1898, p. 6, c. 2-4 REV. ROBERT SMITH FINLEY, D. D. Robert Smith Finley, son of James and Keziah Finley, was born in Jefferson Finley, was born in Jefferson County, Alabama, February 28, 1816, but was principally reared in Green County. He was the sixth son of a family of six sons and four daughters. In a brief autobiography that I have before me he says of his father that "he was a man of fine sense and mature judgment;" and of his mother that "she was a true wife and faithful mother." His early educational and religious advantages were quite meager, but he became a man of broad information and extensive reading. His wife, who enjoyed superior educational advantages for her day and sex, was quite helpful to her husband in his literary achievements. From his own pen we learn that his father was well advanced in years before the introduction of religion into the family. The diary recites that an older brother of the subject of this sketch, Hugh Montgomery Finley, was converted at a camp-meeting and became a missionary to the family, leading all to Christ and into the Church. This brother soon after became a most promising preacher, but died early. Dr. Finley was converted in the fifteenth year of his age. In his twentieth year was licensed to preach, and the same year, 1836, entered the Alabama Conference of the M. E. Church, South—with which he became identified from its inception. Before me lie his license to preach and credentials for deacon's and elder's orders, all well preserved, but somewhat faded from the lapse of three score years. The license to preach, under date of June 10, 1836, bears to the writer the familiar signature of Asbury H. Shanks, an eminent minister and lawyer, as he knew him on his first pastoral charge at Rusk. The deacon's orders are signed by Bishop Thomas A. Morris, January 6, 1839; the elder's orders bear the familiar signature of Bishop James O. Andrew, whose name is affixed to the ordination papers of the writer, and among the last ever issued from his hand, as he retired from the active duties of the episcopacy the following spring, April, 1866. Dr. Finley was a man of fine physique, nearly six feet in height, of symmetrical build, weighing about 170 pounds, with a clarion voice, and passionately fond of singing and preaching. He was a man of easy, dignified manner and flowing speech, rising to the sublime and reveling in a flame of gospel light and power. His preaching was topical rather than exegetical. A man of ardent temperament, warm, personal friendships, but not universal in his attachments. For eighteen years he served in the Alabama Conference, filling prominent positions. In that conference he was associated with H. N. McTyeire and J. C. Keener, afterwards Bishops; also T. O. Summers and P. P. Neely. In 1854 he was transferred to the East Texas Conference, and in this conference he served to the time of his death, excepting three years in the Trinity—now North Texas—Conference, and a few years during and immediately after the war, when he had no pastoral charge, and one year was local. In his conference he was ever a conspicuous figure, guiding in its deliberations and filling the most important charges as presiding elder of Palestine, Rusk, Marshall and Tyler Districts, and pastor of Palestine, Marshall, Jefferson and Tyler Stations. His diary shows that he took charge of the Marshall Station in 1869 . . . Three times he represented his Church and conference in the General Conference; was President of the Joint Board of Publication of the Texas Christian Advocate, an associate editor and able contributor to its columns; was President of the Board of Curators of the Southwestern University, and from this institution received the well-deserved degree of Doctor of Divinity. Rich and ripe in years, in honors, in grace, and in usefulness, he followed in quick succession to the glory world his companion and counterpart, the helpmeet and stay of his life, who, under God, was largely the secret of his success and usefulness. Of her let him speak for himself, in his just estimate of her worth: "I have never doubted that God, in answer to prayer, gave me Mary Hawkins Cole to be my wife. If my career of forty-four years in the ministry (at the time of that writing, but over sixty at the time of their deaths occurring just fifty-one days apart) has been successful, much of the credit is due her. Her fine, cultivated mind, financial skill, untiring industry, profound piety, and never-failing devotion to her husband and his ministerial work, made home a paradise and labor recreation." He further adds: "Our religion has been an undergirding arm of power, on which we have leaned and found comfort and safety." On the 21st of August last they celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of their marriage—their "ruby wedding." United in life, they were not long separated in death. On the 5th of last March she entered into rest, and with impressive services and loving hands was laid away in the Tyler Cemetery. The stricken husband was brought by his son, Judge N. W. Finley, to his home in Dallas, where he received every kindly attention that love could bestow. To the writer and his wife it was a privilege and benediction to visit their venerated friend in his closing days. Bowed under his recent sorrow, when told that the separation would not be long, he said, with much emotion: "And I don't care how short it shall be." The most precious season was in having prayer with him, when, not as aforetime, but with faint voice, flushed cheek and streaming eyes, he once more gave vent to his old-time familiar note of triumph, "Hallelujah!" which had so often rung out in his extatic [sic] moods, and with electric effect upon his congregations. In a few days he entered the sleep of death, terminating his eventful life on the 25th of April, 1898, and was carried by his children to Tyler for interment, and with imposing and impressive services, in which the pastor, B. H. Greathouse, Bros. Mitchell, Timmons, Fowler and Irving (of the C. P. Church) participated, he was affectionately laid to rest beside his loving, faithful wife. And well may we say, "Servant of God, well done, Rest from thy loved employ; The battle fought, the victory won, Enter thy master's joy." In his last illness he was attended by many ministerial brethren, Bros. Rankin, Hughes, Thompson, Cummins, the writer and other friends and members of his immediate family. He leaves eight children and about seventy-five grand and great-grandchildren, with a legacy, not of gold, but, what is far better, a good name, well-spent life and bright hope of heaven. It was his joy to see his children all settled in life—some filling conspicuous positions and all striving for heaven. May the ascended patriarch draw Godward and heavenward his numerous family and friends. JOHN H. M'LEAN. Dallas, Texas.