My Genealogy Hound

REV. ADOLPHUS B. NIXON, minister; P. O. Casstown; born in Boothsville, Marion Co., W. Va., Aug. 6, 1846; is a son of Robert P. and Catharine Caroline (Hayhurst) Nixon, who were also born in Virginia, the grandparents coming from the same State, the ancestry originally from England; the grandfather (Hayhurst) is still living, at the advanced age of 94 years; he was in the war of 1812, and passed through many conflicts with the Indians; Robert and Catharine are still residents of West Virginia; he was in the Union army in the war of the rebellion, through its entire service; they were the parents of thirteen children, of whom ten are now living, viz., Sebastian C., Adolphus, Harman A. (residing in Illinois, a minister of the Gospel), William A., Ella C. (now Mrs. Robinson, of West Virginia), John S. (also of West Virginia), Addie M. (living in West Virginia) Alice C. and Harvey R., twins (now living in West Virginia) and Wayland L.; Rev. Nixon lived with his parents till 24 years of age; he engaged in the occupation of farming; having obtained a good common-school education and one year’s course at the Academy at Pruntytown, he now entered the Denison University, at Granville, Ohio, where he remained three years, when his health failing, he was obliged to desist from further prosecution of his studies; he came to Miami Co., engaged in the occupation of teaching, which he followed about one year, and during this time was called to preach the Gospel, making his first effort in the Baptist Church at Casstown; on Dec. 20, 1873, was regularly ordained as a minister of the Gospel. March 26, 1874, was united in marriage with Sarah Alice S. Barnes, a daughter of Abel R. and Mary Barnes, who were born in Ohio, and were parents of four children, of whom two are now living, viz., William Crozier and Sarah Alice S. Samuel T., now deceased, was in the war of the rebellion, where, from exposure and hardships, he contracted disease which caused his death five months after his return from the army; his was one of the many lives sacrificed in the defense of our country. Rev. Nixon and wife have had one child, viz., Mamie Pearl, now deceased. Soon after their marriage, they removed to Chicago, and he took a course of study in the Theological Seminary, being engaged there one year. Having retained his pastorate in the church at Casstown and also at Lena, he returned to Casstown and took charge of these churches, remaining their pastor to the present time; during his pastorate here the membership of the Casstown Church has increased from sixty-eight to one hundred and forty members, and that of the Lena Church from seventy to two hundred and fifty members, showing a remarkable progress, and we may hope that as he is still a young man in the Master’s vineyard, that, as a watchman upon the walls of Zion, the great and good work he has done may be but the beginning of a greater work in the future, and at the last great day he may have “many stars in his crown of rejoicing.”