REV. DANIEL T. DEANES.

EV. DANIEL T. DEANES, son of Jeremiah and Elizabeth Deanes, was born in 1829, and died August 2, 1899, at Ronda, Wilkes county, North Carolina, aged 69 years, 8 months and 26 days. He was engaged actively in the ministry about forty years. He also served as chaplain in the army in the Civil War. He was twice married: his first wife was Nancy E. Ross, to whom he was married in 1849; his second wife was Aletha Jane McKaughn.

      He was licensed to preach in 1857 by the North Carolina and Virginia Conference held at Bethlehem in Alamance county, North Carolina. He was, on motion, recommended to travel as an itinerant with Rev. A. Iseley on Graham circuit, which, at this time, embraced the following churches: Mt. Zion, Union (Alamance), Zion Hill, Liberty, Concord, Burk's School House, Parks' Stand, Barham's, Mt. Bethel, Western School House, Vest's, Fulp's, Bethlehem, Shallow Ford, and Apple's chapel. As a delegate from Mt. Bethel church in Rockingham county, he represented that church, and was recommended by it to the Conference. He was ordained, [312] in 1858, by the Conference at Pope's chapel in Granville, county, and was appointed to secure the return of the license of two brethren who had been excluded. He served as pastor the following year Shiloh and Pleasant Ridge. At the Conference at Union in Alamance county, in 1859, he was appointed on the committee on Sabbath schools, and on the special committee to which was referred the report of the Conference committee. During this year he preached 115 sermons, delivered seven temperance lectures, organized six Sabbath schools, traveled 1288 miles, and received $113.50.

      In 1860, at the Conference at Pleasant Hill in Chatham county, North Carolina, he served on the committee on temperance with Rev. J. N. Manning and S. M. Holt. He served the churches at Pleasant Grove (Randolph county), Pleasant Ridge, Shiloh, Shady Grove, Christian Union, Acorn Ridge, and Parks' Cross Roads. He was assigned to the Deep River circuit, which included these with Brown's chapel and New Salem for the next year, by the committee on itinerancy. In 1862, the Conference met at Damascus in Orange county, North Carolina. He was appointed chairman of the committee on memoirs, Revs. William S. Jordan and Thomas E. Jeter having died in the past Conference year. He says, "In the death of these brethren, this Conference has sustained a very great loss and the cause of Christ two of her most zealous advocates." At the Conference at Antioch in Chatham county, in 1864, he was one of the committee of three to nominate officers for permanent organization of the Conference. He had served the past year the churches of Pleasant Spring, Wake chapel, Pleasant Union, Christian chapel, Pleasant Hill, and Utley's School House. The committee on ministerial supply assigned him to Middle Creek Association.

      At Union chapel in Alamance county, in 1867, he served on the committee on temperance, and was assigned [313] by the home mission committee to Salem chapel, Ebenezer, and Liberty School House. In 1868, at the Conference at Salem chapel, he was on the committee to report a plan for the publication of a hymn book. The home mission committee assigned him to Liberty, Brown's chapel, and Mt. Bethel. During 1871, he had pastoral charge of Liberty, and preached besides fifteen sermons, attended five funerals, delivered ten temperance lectures, and married nine couples. From 1872 to 1875, he had charge of the church at Liberty and preached occasionally at other places. His health was not good; he engaged in secular affairs.

      In 1876, he attended the Conference at Salem chapel in Forsyth county, and served as chairman of the committee on church records and was appointed on the standing committee on temperance. Besides his pastoral care of Liberty church for the year, he attended the M. P. Conference of North Carolina as a fraternal messenger.

      During the year 1879, he accepted work in the bounds of the Virginia Valley Conference. At the Conference held at Linville, in Rockingham county, Virginia, he was invited to a seat as a fraternal messenger from the North Carolina and Virginia Conference. He delivered the opening address founded on John 5:39. In 1880, he says, "The churches of my charge are doing very well as far as I can judge. We are devising plans for the coming year, which we hope to mature by next Conference to the surprise and gratification of our brethren of Eastern Virginia and North Carolina, who may come to the Valley next fall. Some of the accessions to the church of last year are making good workers, and we hope all will ere long." He attended the Virginia Valley Conference at Antioch in 1881, having been transferred from the North Carolina and Virginia Conference, and preached the annual sermon. He was made chairman of the committee on publications, and elected fraternal [314] messenger to the Eastern Virginia Conference. At the Conference at Bethlehem, in 1882, he was elected president. He served as chairman of the committees on education and religious literature. In 1883, he was re-elected president of the Conference, and assigned by the home mission committee to Pastorate No. 1, composed of the churches at Linville, Bethlehem, and Dry River Mission Point, and one other mission point, at a salary of $300.

      In 1885, he attended the North Carolina and Virginia Conference at Hayes, chapel, in Wake county, North Carolina, and was invited to a seat as a deliberative member. In 1886, a letter from Rev. D. T. Deanes was read before the North Carolina and Virginia Conference at New Providence and referred to the home mission committee. He was now residing at Friendship, North Carolina.

      In 1887, the Virginia Valley Conference appointed him as alternate to preach the annual sermon before that body, at its next session.

      To the Conference he reported:

FRIENDSHIP, N. C., August 27, 1887.

      To the Virginia Valley Christian Conference, Greeting:--I herewith respectfully submit my annual report:

      Have had no pastoral charge this year; held quarterly meetings for one church; preached occasionally; married two couples; preached one funeral.

      May the Spirit of Christ direct your deliberations for the glory of his name and the peace of his church.

D. T. DEANES .

      He was appointed on the executive committee of the Conference. In 1888, he reported to the Conference at Linville in Rockingham county, that he had had no pastoral charge, but preached when his voice would permit. And likewise in 1889, he reported to the Conference at Antioch that his throat was improving and that he had [315] visited the Deep River (Western North Carolina) Conference on a preaching tour. In 1892, he was residing at Ronda, North Carolina, and preached once a month, his voice having partially returned. This he reported to the Virginia Valley Conference at Antioch. He continued to report regularly from this time up to 1897, and in this year's report which was his last, he says, "In all probability, my work for the church is done, yet I cherish her noble principles, in advocacy of which I gave thirty years of my life. I can only pray that God will raise up worthy young men to carry forward the work of our beloved Church in your beautiful Valley, to a glorious consummation in all that glorifies God and blesses man."

      He served the churches of the Virginia Valley Conference four years, and in 1889 the committee on memoirs record the expression of their love and esteem for him and extend "sympathy to the bereaved family in this dark hour, assuring them that God will be a father to the fatherless and a husband to the widow." His funeral services were conducted at Macedonia, north of Ronda, where he was buried with Masonic honors.

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