Rev Reuben SEARS

1778 - 1846  (67 years)

• Name	Reuben SEARS  [1]
  	Reuben Sears grad. Union Coll., and was settled over a church in Hudson for several years, but his health failing, he removed to Ballston Spa, where he wrote a poem, extolling the virtues of the mineral waters, which was pub. in pamphlet form in 1819. He was afterward settled in Dracut, Mass., and in New Scotland, Albany co., New York, and died in Prophetsville, Ill., 1846. He was a Presbyterian clergyman, and one of the most conscientious and devoted persons in existence. His whole life was made up of untiring effort for the good of men. He was one of the fist to advocate total abstinence. In one of his early sermons on the evils of intemperance, he depicts the sad condition from this cause existing among the clergy and elders, also the members of the church, and tells them of the ruin and disgrace they are bringing upon themselves and the church:--and here the very first idea of the "possibility" of total abstinence seems to have entered his mind, as he exclaims: "Brethren, these things ought not to be; far better than such a state of things should exist, would it be for 'all to even totally abstain' from the use of all intoxicating beverages." As an anti-slavery man he was "a thorn in the flesh" of the Presbytery and Synod to which he belonged, by his persistent introduction of resolutions denouncing the institution of slavery as "wrong in principle and opposed to true godliness." He died in the firm conviction that God would order it otherwise in His own good time. [1]
  Prefix	Rev
  Birth	22 Nov 1778  [1]
  Gender	Male
  Death	5 Aug 1846	Prophetsville, Illinois   [1]
  Person ID	I87951	Main Tree
  Last Modified	2 Oct 2017

  
  

  Father	Sunderland SEARS,   b. 3 Dec 1749   d. 20 Mar 1827, Ballston Centre, Saratoga Co., New York (Age 77 years)
  Relationship	Birth
  Mother	Mary ANDRUS,   b. 22 May 1755, Washington, Litchfield Co., Connecticut d. 5 Nov 1844, Ballston Centre, Saratoga Co., New York (Age 89 years)
  Relationship	Birth
  Marriage	2 Jan 1776	Ballston, New York   [1]
  Family ID	F36227	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Sarah Catherine FITCH,   b. 12 May 1786   d. 5 Sep 1846 (Age 60 years)
  Marriage	10 Nov 1803  [1]
  Children	1. Dr. Reuben E. SEARS,   b. 31 Jul 1824, Dracut, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts d. 9 Jun 1896, Marshalltown, Marshall Co., Iowa (Age 71 years)  [Birth]
  Family ID	F36218	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	20 Sep 2017

  
  

• Headstones

  Rev Reuben Sears and Sarah Catherine Fitch Headstone Rev. Reuben, the son of Sunderland Sears and Mary Andrus, and his wife Sarah Catherine Fitch, are buried in the Riverside Cemetery in Prophetstown, Whiteside Co., Illinois. Created by: Wendy McIntoch Photo added by: Wendy McIntosh

  
  

• Sources

  [S9102] Samuel Pearce May, The Descendants of Richard Sares (Sears) of Yarmouth, Mass; 1638-1888, (John Munsell's Sons, Publishers 1890).