Biographical Sketch of H. Y. Kellar


Text from Haynes, Nathaniel S. History of the Disciples of Christ in Illinois 1819-1914, Cincinnati: Standard Publishing Company, 1915. Page 552. This online edition © 1997, James L. McMillan.

Born: Oldham County, Kentucky, 1825.
Died: Effingham, Illinois, 1902.

Mr. Kellar and his brother, Dr. A. L. Kellar, were sons of A. H. Kellar, a Baptist minister who came to Moultrie County in 1832. There meeting Joseph Hostetler, he chose to be simply a Christian and assisted in the formation of the West Okaw Church of Christ. H. Y. Kellar's education was limited to the common schools of that time, but he came to be a well-informed and well-developed man. For a number of years he served as a schoolmaster.

In 1847 he was ordained to the ministry by the West Okaw Church. He served congregations in Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Iowa and California, but the larger part of his ministry was given to Illinois, both as evangelist and pastor. He assisted in the organization of the State Missionary Society at Shelbyville in 1850, and was a member of its board of managers for many years. He was always the advocate of an educated ministry. He was an earnest preacher, but not a disputant. He was a ready helper in every good work, a wise counselor and a faithful servant of God and his fellow-men.


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