Allen Lewis, BiographyPorter County biographical sketches . . . .
Transcribed biography of Allen Lewis
REV. ALLEN LEWIS.
Among the prominent clergymen of the thriving city of Valparaiso is Rev. Allen Lewis, pastor of the M. E. Church. He was born in Parke County, Indiana, April 15, 1847, and is a son of Barnett Lewis and Rebecca (Forbis) Lewis, natives respectively of Ohio and Indiana. This branch of the Lewis family is descended from John Lewis, who came from Wales at an early day, settled in Virginia, and there passed the remainder of his life. On the maternal side the ancestors came from England. Members of the Lewis family fought in the early wars and some were soldiers in the Civil War. One branch of the family was related to Gen. Washington. Our subject's paternal grandfather, Jonathan Lewis, moved from Pendleton County, West Virginia, about the close of the last century, to Ohio and thence to Pennsylvania. Later he moved back to the Buckeye State and remained there until 1830, when he moved to Parke County, .Indiana. There he followed farming until his death. The father of our subject was also a farmer. He was but a boy when he came with his parents to Parke County, Indiana, and in that county he has since remained. Although now in his seventy-third year, he enjoys comparatively good health. The mother died April 15, 1876. Twelve children were given this worthy couple, seven of whom still survive: The eldest's name was Melissa; Rev. Allen (subject of this sketch); Emily, wife of James Laverty, of Kansas; Cynthia, died August 2, 1876; Charlotte, was married to J. H. Mark, of Parke County, Indiana; George, now of Oklahoma; Barnett, Jr., of Indianapolis, Indiana; Charles, now of Parke County, Indiana; Fred of the same county; Mary, died February 9, 1879, and two died in infancy. Like the majority of farmer boys our subject assisted on the farm and attended the common school, where he received a fair education. Later, he entered the Bloomingdale Academy under Prof. B. C. Hobbs, a Quaker, and then took a Chautauqua course of Theology, having for instructors Prof. Harper, now of Chicago University, who taught him Hebrew; Prof. Wright, of Boston University, was his Greek instructor, and also Prof. Townsend of the same institution. After this he pursued the conference course of study of the M. E. Church and has been a member of McClintock Post-Graduate association for several years. In 1873 he entered the ministry and has been engaged in the same without a pause since, having filled out his full terms and is now on his third year in Valparaiso. He has a fine church and a large membership. As a pastor he gets very near to his people, and has ever sought to develop the highest type of social life of the church. He has made himself the personal friend of each member of his congregation, sympathizing with them in trouble and joyful with them in their gladness. He is a forcible speaker, generally writing his sermons, but using his quick thoughts and ready speech in delivering them, without referring to the manuscript. In 1866 he was very happily married to Miss Mary Frances Mark, a native of Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis have made many friends, not only in their own church, but in all denominations, and are highly esteemed.
Source: Goodspeed Brothers. 1894. Pictorial and Biographical Record of La Porte, Porter, Lake and Starke Counties, Indiana. Chicago, Illinois: Goodspeed Brothers. 569 p.
Page(s) in Source: 286-287
This biography has been transcribed exactly as it was originally published in the source. Please note that we do not provide photocopies or digital scans of biographies appearing on this website.
Biography transcribed by Steven R. Shook