Rev. Alba Gross was a Baptist Elder and organized the Baptist Churches in Knoxville and Galesburg, Illinois, going from his farm in Lynn Township to preach on Sundays. He also preached for several years in Naperville, Canton as well as Galva, Illinois, before going to Chatham, Illinois.
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Died, Feb. 10, at his home at Chatham, of paralysis, Rev. Alba Gross, aged 80 years and one month. Funeral services will be conducted at his late residence at Chatham, Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock, by the Rev. O.O. Fletcher, and the interment will be in Oak Ridge cemetery on the arrival of the noon train on the Chicago & Alton road.
Mr. Gross had been perhaps more prominently connected with the establishment and building up of any new churches throughout the State than any other person engaged in similar work. Through an active ministry of fifty-five years he traveled through the length and breadth of the State, founding new churches, putting them on the road to success and then seeking some new field for his resistless energy. He persistently avoided the cities where the pastoral duties were easier and pleasanter and sought the outlying villages where only by the most earnest efforts could a church be established. He was a successful pastor and a preacher of more than ordinary ability and his activity was proverbial.
He had a more extensive acquaintance than almost any man in the State and at weddings, funerals of old settlers and similar occasions, his presence was considered indispensable and he officiated at almost all of them until he physically became unable to speak. He retained his faculties to the last, his mind being clear and active as ever.
He was educated at the Hamilton Theological Seminary, a Baptist institution in Central New York, and preached in that part of the State until 1844, when he removed to this State and settled as pastor of the Baptist church in Canton. He was afterwards pastor of the Baptist church at Naperville until 1848, when he removed his family to a farm in Knox county and engaged in the service of the Baptist Home Missionary Society.
For four years he traveled through the length and breadth of this State on that work. He organized and supplied for some time the Baptist churches at Knoxville, Galesburg, and Hendersonville, Knox county. In 1855 he was settled as pastor of the Baptist church at Toulon, Stark county, removing thence to Brimfield, Peoria county. Then he settled as pastor of the Baptist at Galva, Henry county, and at Buda, Bureau county. Then he took a pastorate at Chillicothe, Peoria county, and while there engaged actively in encouraging recruiting of Illinois soldiers.
In 1864 he came to Springfield and for a time engaged in the nursery business with J. B. Spaulding. In 1863, he removed to Chatham, which place has been his residence ever since. He was for a time pastor of the Old North Baptist church in this city and at Berlin in this county, and for a time had charge of a church at Chenoa, McLean county.
In 1835 he married Miss Althea Smith in Marathan, Courtland county, N.Y. Their children were Eugene L. Gross, a practicing lawyer of this city, who died in 1874, William L. Gross of this city, Mrs. Achsa L. Fancher of this city, Mrs. Charles A. Smith of Chatham, Charles F. Gross, for many years connected with the Illinois Penitentiary at Joliet, and Kirk D. Gross of the Pacific Express Company, Moberly, Mo. His wife survives him.
~Published in the Illinois State Journal, Springfield, IL, 2-11-1890
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Died, Feb. 10, at his home at Chatham, of paralysis, Rev. Alba Gross, aged 80 years and one month. Funeral services will be conducted at his late residence at Chatham, Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock, by the Rev. O.O. Fletcher, and the interment will be in Oak Ridge cemetery on the arrival of the noon train on the Chicago & Alton road.
Mr. Gross had been perhaps more prominently connected with the establishment and building up of any new churches throughout the State than any other person engaged in similar work. Through an active ministry of fifty-five years he traveled through the length and breadth of the State, founding new churches, putting them on the road to success and then seeking some new field for his resistless energy. He persistently avoided the cities where the pastoral duties were easier and pleasanter and sought the outlying villages where only by the most earnest efforts could a church be established. He was a successful pastor and a preacher of more than ordinary ability and his activity was proverbial.
He had a more extensive acquaintance than almost any man in the State and at weddings, funerals of old settlers and similar occasions, his presence was considered indispensable and he officiated at almost all of them until he physically became unable to speak. He retained his faculties to the last, his mind being clear and active as ever.
He was educated at the Hamilton Theological Seminary, a Baptist institution in Central New York, and preached in that part of the State until 1844, when he removed to this State and settled as pastor of the Baptist church in Canton. He was afterwards pastor of the Baptist church at Naperville until 1848, when he removed his family to a farm in Knox county and engaged in the service of the Baptist Home Missionary Society.
For four years he traveled through the length and breadth of this State on that work. He organized and supplied for some time the Baptist churches at Knoxville, Galesburg, and Hendersonville, Knox county. In 1855 he was settled as pastor of the Baptist church at Toulon, Stark county, removing thence to Brimfield, Peoria county. Then he settled as pastor of the Baptist at Galva, Henry county, and at Buda, Bureau county. Then he took a pastorate at Chillicothe, Peoria county, and while there engaged actively in encouraging recruiting of Illinois soldiers.
In 1864 he came to Springfield and for a time engaged in the nursery business with J. B. Spaulding. In 1863, he removed to Chatham, which place has been his residence ever since. He was for a time pastor of the Old North Baptist church in this city and at Berlin in this county, and for a time had charge of a church at Chenoa, McLean county.
In 1835 he married Miss Althea Smith in Marathan, Courtland county, N.Y. Their children were Eugene L. Gross, a practicing lawyer of this city, who died in 1874, William L. Gross of this city, Mrs. Achsa L. Fancher of this city, Mrs. Charles A. Smith of Chatham, Charles F. Gross, for many years connected with the Illinois Penitentiary at Joliet, and Kirk D. Gross of the Pacific Express Company, Moberly, Mo. His wife survives him.
~Published in the Illinois State Journal, Springfield, IL, 2-11-1890
Rev. Alba Gross was a Baptist Elder and organized the Baptist Churches in Knoxville and Galesburg, Illinois, going from his farm in Lynn Township to preach on Sundays. He also preached for several years in Naperville, Canton as well as Galva, Illinois, before going to Chatham, Illinois.
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Died, Feb. 10, at his home at Chatham, of paralysis, Rev. Alba Gross, aged 80 years and one month. Funeral services will be conducted at his late residence at Chatham, Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock, by the Rev. O.O. Fletcher, and the interment will be in Oak Ridge cemetery on the arrival of the noon train on the Chicago & Alton road.
Mr. Gross had been perhaps more prominently connected with the establishment and building up of any new churches throughout the State than any other person engaged in similar work. Through an active ministry of fifty-five years he traveled through the length and breadth of the State, founding new churches, putting them on the road to success and then seeking some new field for his resistless energy. He persistently avoided the cities where the pastoral duties were easier and pleasanter and sought the outlying villages where only by the most earnest efforts could a church be established. He was a successful pastor and a preacher of more than ordinary ability and his activity was proverbial.
He had a more extensive acquaintance than almost any man in the State and at weddings, funerals of old settlers and similar occasions, his presence was considered indispensable and he officiated at almost all of them until he physically became unable to speak. He retained his faculties to the last, his mind being clear and active as ever.
He was educated at the Hamilton Theological Seminary, a Baptist institution in Central New York, and preached in that part of the State until 1844, when he removed to this State and settled as pastor of the Baptist church in Canton. He was afterwards pastor of the Baptist church at Naperville until 1848, when he removed his family to a farm in Knox county and engaged in the service of the Baptist Home Missionary Society.
For four years he traveled through the length and breadth of this State on that work. He organized and supplied for some time the Baptist churches at Knoxville, Galesburg, and Hendersonville, Knox county. In 1855 he was settled as pastor of the Baptist church at Toulon, Stark county, removing thence to Brimfield, Peoria county. Then he settled as pastor of the Baptist at Galva, Henry county, and at Buda, Bureau county. Then he took a pastorate at Chillicothe, Peoria county, and while there engaged actively in encouraging recruiting of Illinois soldiers.
In 1864 he came to Springfield and for a time engaged in the nursery business with J. B. Spaulding. In 1863, he removed to Chatham, which place has been his residence ever since. He was for a time pastor of the Old North Baptist church in this city and at Berlin in this county, and for a time had charge of a church at Chenoa, McLean county.
In 1835 he married Miss Althea Smith in Marathan, Courtland county, N.Y. Their children were Eugene L. Gross, a practicing lawyer of this city, who died in 1874, William L. Gross of this city, Mrs. Achsa L. Fancher of this city, Mrs. Charles A. Smith of Chatham, Charles F. Gross, for many years connected with the Illinois Penitentiary at Joliet, and Kirk D. Gross of the Pacific Express Company, Moberly, Mo. His wife survives him.
~Published in the Illinois State Journal, Springfield, IL, 2-11-1890
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Died, Feb. 10, at his home at Chatham, of paralysis, Rev. Alba Gross, aged 80 years and one month. Funeral services will be conducted at his late residence at Chatham, Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock, by the Rev. O.O. Fletcher, and the interment will be in Oak Ridge cemetery on the arrival of the noon train on the Chicago & Alton road.
Mr. Gross had been perhaps more prominently connected with the establishment and building up of any new churches throughout the State than any other person engaged in similar work. Through an active ministry of fifty-five years he traveled through the length and breadth of the State, founding new churches, putting them on the road to success and then seeking some new field for his resistless energy. He persistently avoided the cities where the pastoral duties were easier and pleasanter and sought the outlying villages where only by the most earnest efforts could a church be established. He was a successful pastor and a preacher of more than ordinary ability and his activity was proverbial.
He had a more extensive acquaintance than almost any man in the State and at weddings, funerals of old settlers and similar occasions, his presence was considered indispensable and he officiated at almost all of them until he physically became unable to speak. He retained his faculties to the last, his mind being clear and active as ever.
He was educated at the Hamilton Theological Seminary, a Baptist institution in Central New York, and preached in that part of the State until 1844, when he removed to this State and settled as pastor of the Baptist church in Canton. He was afterwards pastor of the Baptist church at Naperville until 1848, when he removed his family to a farm in Knox county and engaged in the service of the Baptist Home Missionary Society.
For four years he traveled through the length and breadth of this State on that work. He organized and supplied for some time the Baptist churches at Knoxville, Galesburg, and Hendersonville, Knox county. In 1855 he was settled as pastor of the Baptist church at Toulon, Stark county, removing thence to Brimfield, Peoria county. Then he settled as pastor of the Baptist at Galva, Henry county, and at Buda, Bureau county. Then he took a pastorate at Chillicothe, Peoria county, and while there engaged actively in encouraging recruiting of Illinois soldiers.
In 1864 he came to Springfield and for a time engaged in the nursery business with J. B. Spaulding. In 1863, he removed to Chatham, which place has been his residence ever since. He was for a time pastor of the Old North Baptist church in this city and at Berlin in this county, and for a time had charge of a church at Chenoa, McLean county.
In 1835 he married Miss Althea Smith in Marathan, Courtland county, N.Y. Their children were Eugene L. Gross, a practicing lawyer of this city, who died in 1874, William L. Gross of this city, Mrs. Achsa L. Fancher of this city, Mrs. Charles A. Smith of Chatham, Charles F. Gross, for many years connected with the Illinois Penitentiary at Joliet, and Kirk D. Gross of the Pacific Express Company, Moberly, Mo. His wife survives him.
~Published in the Illinois State Journal, Springfield, IL, 2-11-1890
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