Pastors of Winchester Friends
1893-1894 Pastor: Simpson Hinshaw
Simpson S. Hinshaw was born on August 7, 1843 near Lynn, Indiana. He was the son of Jacob, Jr. and Peninah (Scott) Hinshaw. Though Simpson's Hinshaw ancestors had been Quakers for several generations, he was raised in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Simpson joined the Lynn Friends Church in 1875, was listed as a grocer in Lynn in 1877, and was recorded a minister by Cherry Grove Monthly Meeting in 1880. Simpson married Rachel O. Peelle on July 4, 1868, and they were the parents of eight children: Millie A. Ward Best, Allen C. Hinshaw, Albert C. Hinshaw, Myrtle Albright, Lillie Chenoweth, H. Earl Hinshaw, and two others who died when young. The family transferred their church memberships to White River Monthly Meeting (Winchester Preparative Meeting) in 1885. Simpson was known to be the pastor at Bear Creek in 1891 and 1892 and from mid -1897 until 1898, when Fred Smith arrived. Simpson also served at Winchester Friends Church (1886, 1887), Farmland Friends Church, Cowan Friends Church (1887), Pike Friends Church, Little Blue River Friends Church, and Walnut Corner Friends Church.
Simpson was very active in the work of the Prohibition Party. He was the Superintendent of Temperance of Winchester Quarterly Meeting of Friends from 1894 - 1896. He died on June 26, 1901. Rachel died on May 6, 1923. They are buried in Fountain Park Cemetery in Winchester, IN.
by Gregory P. Hinshaw "The Friends Church at Quaker Hill" 1999
1895-1902 Pastor: Charles E. Hiatt
Charles Edwin Hiatt, a son of Calvin and Louisa (Hiatt) Hiatt, was born on April 13, 1863 in Miami County, Indiana and was a birthright member of Amboy Friends Church. He was educated at Amboy Friends Academy and later Earlham College. Charles married Hannah Bergman, a daughter of Friends pastors Harvey and Alice Bergman in 1888. They had two children, Hazel (later Cox then Hiatt) and Murray. Charles Hiatt, recorded a minister by Amboy Monthly Meeting in 1891, had an impressive record of pastoral service: Centerville, Indiana (1892-1895); Winchester (1895-1901); Muncie (1902-1908); Marion First Church (1908-1910); Long Beach, California (1910-1911); Marion First Church (1911-1917); Dayton First Church; General Superintendent of Indiana Yearly Meeting of Friends (1921-1932); Farmland (1932-1935); Bear Creek (1935-1938); Jericho (1938-1939); Kennard (1940-1942); Lewisville (1940-1942); and Raysville (1942-1943). Hannah Hiatt died on September 1928 in Randolph County. Rev. Hiatt married Mrs. Bertha (White) Hiatt on June 16, 1935. He died on March 14, 1944 and is buried in Fountain Park Cemetery with his first wife. Bertha died March 26, 1946 at Knightstown, IN.
Quoting from a friend, "'There was in him the grace of proportion'; his life was orderly, systematic, harmonious, and balanced. The intellectual did not overtop the moral and emotional. Strength blended with gentleness. Strictness was softened with charity. Self assurance, which is an element in every successful life, was allied with humility. He was not isolated from his fellow men, but he touched them at many points, and walked with them in familiar fellowship, for he had much in common with other men."
by Gregory P. Hinshaw "The Friends Church at Quaker Hill" 1999
Fredric E. Carter was born on August 22, 1878 in Randolph County, Indiana. He was a son of John W. and Caroline E. (Mills) Carter, who were members of Poplar Run Monthly Meeting of Friends. His grandparents were Elihu and Esther (Mendenhall) Carter of Poplar Run Meeting and Joel and Cynthia (Beard) Mills of Lynn Meeting. Among his ancestors was Benjamin Cox, noted Quaker minister of Randolph County. Fred pastored Long Lake (1904; 1907-1908). He was recorded as a minister from Cherry Grove Monthly Meeting in 1907 and in 1908 he was listed in Cherry Grove Monthly Meeting minutes with wife Inez E., and children: Cassius, Delight, and John Pierre. He pastored at Traverse City (1908-1912), Jonesboro (1912-1914), Fairmount (1914-1917), Everett (1923-1927), Lake Stevens (11924), Winchester (1927-1934), and College Avenue in Oskaloosa (1934-1936). He was superintendent of Western Yearly Meeting from 1936-1943. He was the executive secretary of North Carolina Yearly Meeting from 1943-1947. He was then pastor at Spring Garden Street in Greensboro (1947-1950; 1954-1957). He retired from the active pastoral ministry in 1957, but continued to reside in Greensboro. He died on July 18, 1973 in the Evergreen Nursing Home and is buried in the Guilford Memorial Park.
by Gregory Hinshaw from the biographical sketches of IYM Clerks and Superintendents
William Joseph Sayers (1876-1947)
Presiding Clerk of IYM from 1933-1944
First Friends Church, Richmond; Friends Memorial Church, Muncie
William J. Sayers was one of the best-loved pastors in and presiding clerks of Indiana Yearly Meeting, yet his background holds something that no other yearly meeting clerk could claim. He was a former member of the Roman Catholic Church.
William Joseph Sayers was born on February 2, 1876 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, into a Roman Catholic family. He was a son of Edward and Flora Sayers. His mother later married Harry H. Read. When he was very young, the family moved to Fall River, Massachusetts. He was converted and joined Somerset (Swansea) Friends Meeting. He was educated at Moses Brown Friends School in Providence, Rhode Island and graduated from Oak Grove Friends School. He later attended Brown University, Bates College (Lewiston, Maine), and Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He served as pastor at Lewiston Friends Church in Lewiston Maine. He married Flora Talbert of Wabash, Indiana, in 1904. They met in 1903 at the sessions of Indiana Yearly Meeting held in Marion, which the newspapers of the time reported were the first with joint men’s and women’s sessions. They had two children: Paul and Esther. He then served as pastor of Winchester (1904-1909); Poughkeepsie, New York (1909-1914); Muncie Friends Memorial (1914-1929 and 1938-1945), Richmond First Friends (1929-1938), and Anderson First Friends (1945).
He was presiding clerk of Indiana Yearly Meeting from 1933 until 1944, a member of the Board on Religious Education of the Five Years Meeting of Friends, and a member of the Indiana State Board of Charities and Corrections for fifteen years. He died on December 21, 1947 in Richmond. He is buried in Beech Grove Cemetery in Muncie.
South Wabash MM, 1904, 12, 19. Flora T gct Winchester MM
White River MM, 1904, 10, 8. William J (a minister) rocf Swanse MM, Mass.
White River MM, 1904, 2, 4. Flora rocf South Wabash MM, Ind.
White River MM, 1909, 12, 4. William F (a minister) & w Flora & dt Esther gct Poughkeepsie MM, NY
Muncie MM, 1915, 1, 13. William J. & w Flora T & dt L. Esther rocf Poughkeepsie, NY
Muncie MM, 1929, 10, 16. William J & w Flora T & dt L Esther gct 1st Friends Ch, Richmond, Ind.
Whitewater MM, 1929, 11, 21. William J. & w, Flora T, & dt. Esther, rocf Muncie MM