I have researched for over 10 years my husbands Great Grandfather finally finding his family who where lost to us.
John F Ames well educated, witty, smart American Baptist minister from upstate New York in 1890. He had 7 brothers all successful as Judges, Lawyers, teachers and Newspaper owners. His mother died when he was 18 and he began to take his Christian faith seriously after she died. This appeared to be a turning point in his life as he went on to become a minister after devoting several years of university training and religious studies.
He had two successful churches one in the Dakota's where he added many numbers to the congregation. He felt a calling to the West. He had to leave the Dakota's as his wife came down with TB. Her mother and sister died of it.
He went for a short time to Memphis and there risked life and limb to go and preach to the Blacks as well as the White church's.
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| Mary Robey & Francis Ames 1940's LA CA Children of John and Sophie Ames |
He was so well loved that the church in downtown Phoenix hired him as their full time Pastor after losing their last Pastor to death.
While driving his horse and buggy to Church one morning his horse was spooked by the large steam engine tracker down town.
After calming the horse and passing the tracker he went 20 ft. ahead when the driver of the steam tracker blew his whistle 2 times. As a results the horse bolted Rev. John Ames was thrown from the buggy, hit a hitching post and died soon after.
A month later his wife died. Leaving my husband Grandmother baby and brother orphans. They moved in with the Uncle and his childless wife to Sloan Iowa.
One of the newspaper accounts in the paper said that the man who blew the whistle was happy when he heard that Rev. Ames died as he didn't need any more (god dam) preachers in his town. ( can't find the newspaper article I read that in but am looking) Another account referred to the ugly rumors that the Whistle being blown was intentional but didn't list the what was said. A crime charge was not given as it was hard to prove. But as we now murder was not that big a deal in the Wild West. You can see in the newspaper accounts posted how it was covered up.
He very well may have been a Martyr and his innocent blood part of the Spiritual heritage of Phoenix. He is buried in the Pioneer Cemetery downtown.
John Doan was named after him and he too has a Christian calling on his life like Rev. Ames who may have been a Martyr. When I visited the grave recently I was thinking and praying about the tragedy and it's effects on the family line. I realized that Rev. Ames may have had Martyr status. He is buried in the Mason part of the pioneer cemetery downtown. I have called all the Mason's where he lived to see if he was member of the Mason's. All records say no. His brother was a Mason who arranged the grave plot.
I started a blog about his life. I truly think he deserves to be remembered for his faith and sacrifice.
OBITUARY
DeRuyter Gleaner of August 17, 1892
John F. Ames
Rev. John F. Ames died in Phoenix, Arizona 12, 1892, from the effects of injuries received on July 31st. Mr. Ames was a son of Fordyce W. Ames of this town, being sixth son in a family of eight boys, seven of whom survive him. He was born in DeRuyter, N. Y., in 1858, where his early life was spent on his father’s farm. After graduating from the DeRuyter Union School and Academy he spent one year teaching at Georgetown. Desiring a still better education than he had already acquired he entered Colgate Academy at Hamilton, and after graduation from that institution he completed a course in Madison (now Colgate) University, in 1886. Previous to this time he had decided to enter the Christian ministry and had preached in DeRuyter, and various other places in the vicinity of Hamilton during his university course, using money obtained for his services in the pursuit of his education. He preached for several weeks during the winter of 1885-6 in Stillwater, Saratoga Co., making the long journey on Saturday and returning to his school work on Monday. One summer’s vacation was spent at Smithville, Jefferson Co., where he supplied the two charges, Smithville and Henderson.
Soon after leaving the university he married Miss Sophia M. Wall, daughter of William Wall of his native town. Having accepted a call from the Baptist church at Genoa, Cayuga Co., he moved there and was ordained to the Christian ministry December 9, 1886. His two years of work there was very successful, and there as elsewhere he was held in high esteem not only within his church and denomination but by all with whom he became acquainted.
The first year of his theological course was taken at the Auburn Theological Seminary during the last year of his pastorate at Genoa. Desiring, however, to complete the course under instructors in his own denomination, he resigned his charge in Genoa and removed to Rochester, completing his course in the Rochester Theological Seminary in 890. While in Rochester he preached whenever opportunity was found, sometimes in the city and sometimes in adjacent villages.
Having decided on the West as his future field of labor he went to Sloan, Iowa, and soon afterwards received a call to the pastorate of the Baptist church in Madison, South Dakota, where the church was greatly increased and strengthened during his brief period of ministry.
But the climate of Dakota proved too severe for his wife’s health and he resigned his pastorate to seek a milder climate, going first to Tennessee and thence in June, last, to Phoenix, Arizona. Here, with almost the entire care of his family, he supplied the pulpit of the Baptist church so acceptably that they extended him a call, which he had decided to accept. By the advice of his wife’s physician they were temporarily located on the ranch of one of his parishioners six miles from the city. While driving to church on Sunday, July 31st, his horse was frightened by the whistle of a traction engine just as he had passed it in the street, a short distance from the church. Mr. Ames was thrown from the carriage, one leg broken and his head dashed against a telegraph pole, rendering him unconscious, from which condition he never rallied. His wife, who is in feeble health, and two children survive him.
His brother, Fred L. Ames, and his wife’s daughter, George Wall, reached his bedside before he died.
Mr. Ames was a man of singular purity of character and unswerving devotion to truth and duty, a kind, indulgent parent and a devote husband. He had consecrated his life to the Christian ministry and bent all his energies to the faithful performance of the work of the Master as revealed to him. His untimely deaths, caused by criminal recklessness, and the sad circumstances connected with it, have cast a deep gloom over a large circle of relatives and friends.
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