"God giveth and God taketh away; blessed is his name." Elder C. S. CRABTREE was born at Maple Grove, Ill., Jan. 8th, 1850; departed this life at his home in Stanford township, Clay County, Ill., Aug. 14, 1902, aged 52 years, 7 months, and 6 days. He was joined in holy wedlock with Miss Rachel ALBERT Jan. 12, 1871, with whom he lived very happily until death. To this union seven children were born. Two preceded their father to the great beyond. Thus death comes and robs us of our loved ones and our eyes and our homes are filled with weeping. And though we see him here no more we hope to meet him on the other shore.
Eld. C. S. CRABTREE's great-great-grandfather MADDING came from Wales in the year 1737. He was a Baptist preacher and took part in a business meeting in the ship while crossing the ocean, and settled in Halifax county, Va.
Bro. CRABTREE professed faith in Christ in his nineteenth year and joined the Macedonia Baptist church. He was licensed to preach in 1884, and ordained to the gospel ministry by the above named church in 1885. He spent seventy years in the ministry. [note that this conflicts with his age of 52]. He was a faithful, earnest worker in the service of the Master. A good man has departed, a brave, faithful servant of Jesus Christ. His influence was a benediction. In his death the church, the Sunday school, his family and this community have suffered a great loss, and his place can hardly be filled. He preached the gospel with great power and was very earnest in exhorting sinners to repentance, and God blessed his labor to the salvation of many souls. He served the following churches as pastor: Zion, Zif, Enterprise, Macedonia, Barnhill, Bethany, Indian Prairie, Pleasant Hill, New Massilon and Bloom. His life's work is done, he now rests from his labors, and his works do follow him.
The funeral services were held in Bloom church and the sermon was preached by Elder T. W. DICKEY, the one whom Brother CRABTREE selected to perform that sad and solemn service. He was assisted by Eld W. C. STACER of Mt. Erie, who was a very dear friend of the deceased, and beautiful and loving were the words of love and respect the two alone brethren spoke of their dear brother in the gospel. The large attendance of friends at the funeral showed the esteem in which he was held. With slow and solemn tread the remains were carried to the grave, which was only a few steps from the church, and laid to rest in the new cemetery at Bloom to await the resurrection of the saints, to that rest that remains for the people of God. He leaves a devoted wife, five hart-broken children, four sisters and many other relatives and friends to mourn their loss. May God's blessings be with dear sister C. and family in your sore affliction, and may we all look forward to the time when we too, can say, "vain world, I am going home."
Contributed 19 Jul 1998 by Greg Golden
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