Rev. Martin V. Kitzmiller, ex-postmaster of Girard
and one of Macoupin County's most venerated citizens, was born in Washington
County, Tennessee, January 20, 1826, and is a son of Henry and Elizabeth
(Carr) Kitzmiller.
Rev. Mr. Kitzmiller's paternal line of ancestry
is of German origin and that of his mother is of a combination of English
and Scotch. His paternal grandfather, Martin Kitzmiller, was born in
Pennsylvania, where many of the name may still be found among the
representatives of the agricultural districts. He was an early settler in
Washington County, Tennessee, where he engaged extensively in farming and
also carried on wagonmaking and blacksmithing. At a later date he bought a
large farm, near to the Falls of the Ohio, which is now included in the
corporate limits of the beautiful city of Louisville, Kentucky, but died at
his old home in Washington County, at the age of 86 years. His third son,
Henry Kitzmiller, became the father of the esteemed subject of this sketch.
His life was an entirely agricultural one. After learning the trades of
which his father was master, he chose farming as his occupation, and two
years after his marriage settled permanently on a farm in Sullivan County,
Tennessee, which he operated until his death in 1843. He married Elizabeth
Carr, who was also born in Washington County, and died in Sullivan County,
in 1891, aged 85 years. The nine children of this marriage were: Martin V.,
Martha, Richard C., Mary, Henry, Elizabeth, David, Lovisa and Joseph.
The life of Rev. Mr. Kitzmiller has been a useful one and has been
replete with interest from boyhood. His education was secured in the
neighboring schools, in Sullivan and Washington counties, Tennessee, and at
the age of 15 years his life work was definitely shown him, in his
conversion, and later admission into the Baptist Church. Perhaps no better
certificate of character or proof of the strength of his convictions could
be found, than the fact that two years later he was admitted to the ministry
of that religious body. From 1844 to 1856, he continued in the ministry in
Tennessee, and then came to Illinois, led to change his residence on'
account of his antislavery principles. He was eagerly welcomed by the
faithful little band of Baptist workers who were striving to have a church
of their faith established in Girard. He became the first pastor of the
Baptist Church, a relation he held for about 30 years, in which time the
membership increased from 11 to 188; during this time he baptized and
received otherwise over 500 members into the church. He also baptized five
ministers of the Gospel in the Girard Baptist Church. He also preached in
Auburn, Illinois, alternating with Girard, for about 18 years. The immense
amount of clerical and pastoral work crowded into the fruitful years can,
perhaps, never be appreciated except by Rev. Mr. Kitzmiller himself, who at
last had to reluctantly give up his labors on account of his failing voice.
Among the interesting records of these years. Rev. Mr. Kitzmiller recalls
the founding of a number of the well established churches in and near
Macoupin County, notably those at Carlinville, Greenfield, Hickory Point and
Waverly, and also at Chatham and Auburn in Sangamon County. An interesting
event was the first time he administered the ordinance of baptism, his young
wife being the subject. It must be a source of comfort to this faithful
pastor, to recall that fully 1,000 persons were brought by his ministrations
to be baptized by him, and that a number of these entered into the ministry
of the same church. Although advancing years and ill health have impaired
his powers in some degree, he is still considered one of the wise men in
council and a worker of no insignificant importance. His whole life has been
devoted to the preaching of the Gospel and to doing good. It is an
interesting fact, and illustrative of the esteem in which he has been and is
still held that he never in his long ministry witnessed a fight or saw a
blow struck.
On April 29, 1847, Rev. Martin V. Kitzmiller and Mary
Crouch, were united in marriage. Mrs. Kitzmiller was born in Washington
County, Tennessee, and is a daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Keefhaver)
Crouch. Of the 10 children born to Mr. and Mrs. Kitzmiller, seven now
survive, namely: Joseph H., a graduate of Hahnemann Medical College, of
Chicago, who is a practicing physician at Chickasha, Indian Territory;
Martha, who is the wife of John Lloyd, an extensive farmer and stock raiser
of Franklin County, Kansas; James W., an attorney of North Dakota; Charles
M., Laura, who is the wife of G. A. Post, of Girard; David M.; and Eldredge
P., who resides at Steele, North Dakota. Those deceased are: Elizabeth V.,
deceased October 25, 1861; Richard, deceased in August, 1858; William S.,
deceased October 1, 1866. Mrs. Kitzmiller died at the family home in Girard
July 20, 1894. On March 4, 1897, Rev. Mr. Kitzmiller was married to Melvina
Lightbourn, daughter of James B. Lightbourn of the West Indies. Mrs.
Kitzmiller was an old acquaintance of the family, a member of the same
church in Girard, and the same amiable and friendly relations continue
between Mrs. Kitzmiller and her husband's children as existed before her
marriage. The marriage has indeed proved to be a very happy and blessed one;
his children were heartily in favor of it because it was not like taking a
stranger into the family. Mrs. Kitzmiller has proved an excellent, devoted
wife and has made the declining years of our subject very pleasant through
her ministrations, as he has not been in robust health for some years and on
account of growing infirmities has been made the subject of considerable
attention. The Kitzmiller home is one of the pleasantest in the city,
located most beautifully and combining ideally the comforts of city life,
with the solid advantages of suburban life.
The formation of the
Republican party found Rev. Mr. Kitzmiller a Democrat, but not a satisfied
one, and he soon became a stanch advocate of the principles enunciated by
the new party. He has been true to this allegiance. On January 20, 1890, he
was appointed postmaster at Girard, a selection by President Harrison, which
met with universal approval. Other positions of trust and responsibility of
a public nature, he has declined, with the exception of membership on the
school board, which he held for nine years.
Few citizens of Girard
are held in higher esteem by all classes than is the subject of this
biography. Much of this regard is personal, for he possesses the kindness of
disposition, the gentle interest in the troubles of others and the continual
desire to do them good, which endears him to all who know him. During the
long period of his ministerial work, he laid manyplans which he can see
carried out by others, and has lived to see that his vigorous campaigns
against sin, have had a world of influence.
Extracted 2018 May 07 by Norma Hass from Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Macoupin County, Illinois, published in 1904, pages 248-251.
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