OBITUARY: Melvill Clark Thompson, 31 Mar 1890 - Smith County, TX Submitted by Vicki Betts 7 December 2002 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ***************************************************************** All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ***************************************************************** TEXAS CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE, October 16, 1890, p. 7, c. 3 REV. MELVILL CLARK THOMPSON. The subject of this brief memorial was born near Florence, in Lauderdale county, Alabama, and died at his residence in the city of Tyler, Texas. His parents were Oliver and Sarah A. Thompson. He was born June 14, 1846, and died March 31, 1890. Mr. Thompson married Miss Isa Allen, of Longwood, Caddo parish, La., on September 29, 1880. He professed religion at Kellyville, Texas, in 1876. Later he was admitted to the Texas bar, but practiced law only for a short time. A little more than a year before he died he experienced a call to the ministry and at once applied for and obtained license to preach as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ and a minister of the M. E. Church, South. And in this service his friends hoped for him a lengthened life of much usefulness. But alas, for human hopes. His God knew best and called him earlier to his reward—a shining crown and robes of righteousness and a pleasant habitation in the eternal city, let us hope. Rev. Mr. Thompson was raised by pious and Christian parents and the impress of their precepts and examples remained with and influenced him to the last. Few men had greater love for the God of their fathers than had he. For him there was a special providence in everything. With a meek and humble spirit he bowed to the will of God in all things, and with an eye of faith saw the promise of good in even the severest chastisements inflicted by the Father. In the rugged rocks, the towering hill, the lightning's flash and the thunder's roar he saw and read the majesty and grandeur of God; and in the rippling brook, the budding flower, the twinkling star and the sweet-toned voice of birds he saw the loving goodness of this God and heard his gentle spirit's pleading voice saying: "Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest." It was his earnest desire to do the Master's will in all things; and among his last utterances was an earnest appeal to a loving brother at his bedside to seek, "while it is yet to-day," that peace that passeth all understanding, emphasizing the appeal with the words: "Brother, I am speaking to you from the brink of the grave. do not defer the matter of your soul's salvation. Give your soul to Jesus. Meet me in heaven." A loving wife, the sharer of his joys and his sorrows; an infant son, and many relatives and friends mourn this loved one gone before. But they mourn not as those without hope. D. M. REEDY. TYLER, TEXAS.