A Shining Starr...

John Wesley Starr was one of the first Methodist clergymen in the state of Alabama. He was also my great, great, great, great grandfather. This memoir of him appeared in the "Minutes of the Mobile Conference" from Methodist Church records. He was a man of unbending principles.

"Rev. John Wesley Starr, the subject of this memoir, was born in Wilkes County, Ga.,
August 7th 1806. He was the subject of religious impressions at an early period of his
life, and at 14 years of age, he professed religion, and attached himself to the M. E.
Church, of which he was, ever after, a consistent and working member. In December 1824
he married a Miss Hannah Miller, with whom he lived very happily for forty-five years.

The writer of this memoir was intimately acquainted with brother Starr for many years of
his life, and he would call attention to what he conceived to be the most striking features
in his character. He was a man of very limited education--indeed, so poorly qualified was
he in this respect, that even at the time of his joining the Conference, it was thought by
some to be very doubtful whether he could ever succeed. But by devotion to his books and
to his work he became a very successful preacher. Nor was his influence confined to the
ignorant, for we have heard some of the best educated people of Alabama speak with admi-
ration of his power as a preacher. Brother Starr was devoted to the church, and was an
uncompromising Methodist. He was ever a friend to his brethren in the ministry. He made
it a point in life to govern his family; and his children have grown up useful and
influential members of society.

Brother Starr was a great sufferer in the latter part of his life. The sickness of which
he died was dropsy of the chest, a most painful and distressing disease. When I last
visited him he had just passed through one of these severe paroxisms, which he and all his
friends present supposed would be his last, and he said to me with great emphasis: "Brother,
I have just been down into the cold stream of death, and after wading around through the
waters for some time, yet without fear, I found myself suddenly returning to the same shore
which I had left, and I confess to you that I was really sorry for it, for I had rather have
gone over at once, but I have come back for some purpose, and here I am to await the good
pleasure of my Heavenly Father." Further more, "he said, tell my brethren of the
Conference I shall see them no more, and say to them for me, as my last dying testimony,
that the old fashioned doctrine of holiness, as taught by our fathers, is true; it is the
doctrine of the Bible, and tell them for me to preach it to the people, but that they need
not preach it unless they believe it and love it."

E. L. LOVELESS,
J. BANCROFT,
A. DAWLING,
W. A. EDWARDS,
J. S. MOORE.