The Indian Bottom Association

Old Regular Baptist Churches of Jesus Christ
Held with the New Home Church
Hindman, Knott County, Kentucky
September 4, 5, and 6, 1931

OBITUARIES

Submitted by Debbie Tamborski

BROWN, POLLY--Polly Brown was born March 28, 1868, and died December 6, 1930. She was a daughter of Samuel and Millie Brashears. She was married to Bro. Bill Brown on October 10, 1889. To this union were born nine children, seven of whom lived to be grown, and six are yet living. She joined the Big Cowan Church of Regular Baptists August 1911, and lived as true to her profession as it was possible for her to live. She served the Big Cowan Church as deaconess for several years. She seemed to have a great love for the cause for which Christ died as anyone living. During her life, having great foresight to the taking care of the church, she was a great peace-maker among her neighbors and among the brethren and sisters in the church. Sister Polly had been in rather poor health for some time before her death but very little of the time was she confined to her bed. I know Brother Bill has lost a loving, faithful wife, the children a kind, true and loving mother, the church a faithful member, the community has no doubt lost one of the great peace-makers it ever had. But while we mourn, we feel sure she has left all her troubles behind and her spirit lingering under the altar of God, waiting the redemption of the body.   F. G. Fields

COMBS, MARY AMBURGEY--It is with a sad heart that I attempt to write the obituary of our dear sister, Mary Amburgey Combs. She was born February 16, 1856, and departed this life August 3, 1931, aged 75 years, five months and fourteen days. She was married to G. W. Amburgey January 1871, and to this union were born eight children, five of which are still living, four boys and one girl. Three of them preceded her in death. Also Brother G. W. Amburgey, her first husband, preceded her in death, eight years before. She was married to Wesley Combs about October 1916. To this union no children were born. She joined the Old Carrs Fork church on August 4, 1899, her first husband, joined, and lived a faithful member until death, a period of thirty-one years, eleven months, and eight days. She was loved by all who knew her; she will be missed by the church and her friends and children. Dear children, if you ever expect to meet father and mother again, you will have to make your peace, calling and election sure with God in this time world. Mother and father are not dead but sleeping and taking their rest awaiting the great day of the Lord, when He will come to judge the quick and the dead. Dear children, if you haven't made peace with God, make up your minds while you are in health and strength to meet father and mother where you will have to part no more. How sad it would be to break the family circle and the children to go down to everlasting punishment. You have the same right father and mother had to reach the Promised Land, and after death it will be too late, for the Bible tells me and you that God gives us time and space to repent, and you would not. He did not say you could not. Now, children, mother has left us and has gone to where no traveler returns. When we follow mother to the last scene on the 3rd day of August, 1931, did we promise in our minds that we would meet mother again? If we did, let us keep our promise, for the Lords says better it is that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. We are assured that our loss is her eternal gain. So may the good God bless all her children in their lonely hours, is my unworthy prayer.   Written by an unworthy brother, Henry Blair

FIELDS, JOHN M.--It becomes our sad duty to write a short sketch of our beloved in the Lord, John M. Fields, who was born June 4, 1872, died December 30, 1930, aged 58 years, 6 months and 26 days. He was married to Sarah Halcomb on May 9, 1893. Unto this union were born nine children, seven boys and two girls. One boy preceded him in death. We feel that by the quiet and peaceful life he lived here on earth, he has gone to heaven where troubles are no more. Brother Fields leaves eight children and a dear companion and a host of friends to mourn his loss, but while our loss is great, we feel that he is rejoicing in heaven with the saints where parting is no more. He joined the Regular Baptist Church on May 6, 1911, and was ordained one of the deacons of the Hurricane Gap Regular Baptist Church August, the first Saturday, 1911, and was faithful and true to the cause until death. There is a seat vacant at his home and in our church that can never be filled, and the brothers and sisters will miss brother John. While we miss his company here, think of that sweet hope he left. It fills our souls with rejoicing; we believe he has a part in the first resurrection and over such the second death has no power. So may the great God of the universe cause his children to think of the counsel that father gave them. We feel to weep with sister Sarah many times and her dear children. So may the Lord bless you all, is my prayer.
P. H. Whittaker, Delphia, Ky.

MAGGARD, EMMALINE --Emmaline Maggard was a daughter of the last Moses Maggard and Charlotte Maggard. She was about seventy-three years of age when she died. She joined the Big Cowan Church of Regular Baptists many years before her death, and lived a faithful member as long as she lived. She would walk about three miles to attend her church at its regular meeting time, winter and summer, just as long as she could go, with the aid of a cane to help guide her steps. She is badly missed at her church, but we feel sure her trouble has ceased, and that our loss is her eternal gain.    F. G. Fields

SUMPTER, SUSANNA--Sister Susanna Sumpter was born November 22, 1873, and died May 6, 1919, aged 46 years, 5 months and 14 days. She was the wife of Bro. Henry Sumpter, was a member of the Big Cowan Church for about twenty years before her death. She served as deaconess of the Big Cowan Church for many years, and we feel sure that no church ever lost a truer member, no family of children a better mother. But let us rejoice greatly in the thought that by God's help we can meet again where parting is no more.

SUMPTER, WILLIAM HENRY--William Henry Sumpter was born October 2, 1867, died January 28, 1928, aged 61 years, 3 months and 26 days. Brother Henry joined the Big Cowan Church of Regular Baptists about twenty years before his death, and lived true to his profession until the end. He served the church as deacon for many years and his worked in the church proved beyond a doubt that he was gifted to that part of the work which the church had chosen for him to do. He was loved by the church and those who knew him and is greatly missed until this day. But we feel beyond a doubt that our loss was his eternal gain. He seemed to regret leaving his family as much as any man could, but he would always mention that he felt that when the end came his troubles would be over and that he wanted the Lord's will to be done.

WATTS, SALLY--Sally Watts was born January 22, 1856, and was married to Silas Watts August 10, 1876. To this union fifteen children were born. Two of them went on, in infancy, to live with the Lord, and thirteen still live. She joined the old Regular Baptist Church about forty-four years before she died, and lived a faithful member until death. She died March 21, 1930, aged seventy-four years. Dear husband and children, do you want to see her again? If you do, now is the time to get ready in this life for eternal heaven, where all is love, peace and joy forever.    W. T. Maggard