The Death of an Aged Pioneer
By S. B. Whitney
At his home in West Monroe, New York, on the evening of October 11, occurred the death of Elder Frederick Wheeler. He was born at Acton, Massachusetts, March 12, 1811, and therefore lacked only a few hours of being ninety-nine years and seven months old. He was married to Lydia Proctor, March 25, 1832, at Washington, New Hampshire. To them were born six children, five of whom are still living, three sons and two daughters, George, Theodore, and Mrs. Mary Halliday in New York, Nathan in California, and Mrs. Lucy Spaulding in New Hampshire. In addition to these he had an adopted son, William Henry Anderson, with whom he spent the last years of his life. From these have sprung twenty-five grandchildren, including the son of Brother Anderson, thirty-nine great-grandchildren, and at least four great-great-grandchildren. The death of his wife occurred March 12, 1886. His religious experience began with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and about 1840 he was ordained as a minister of that denomination. By rather a peculiar providence, in 1842 he became interested in the advent movement under William Miller, and soon began advocating the doctrine of the immediate return of the Lord to this earth. At this time he was residing near Washington, New Hampshire, and was among those who received the light on the Sabbath from the Seventh-day Baptists, and is supposed to have preached the first sermon in favor of the seventh-day Sabbath ever given by an Adventist minister, before the passing of the time in 1844. In the spring of 1857 he removed to the state of New York, locating first in Brookfield, Madison County; but in the fall of 1861, he went to West Monroe, settling on a farm which has since been his home. In his earlier Adventist experience he was a man of strong faith, being frequently called to pray for the sick, and experienced some remarkable answers to prayer. He was a charter member of the New York Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, and sustained the relation of minister in the conference until his death. He never occupied a prominent position of responsibility in the denomination; neither did he aspire to such a place, but being of a modest, retiring disposition, preferred to fill some humble place of usefulness. It was the privilege of the writer at one time to be associated with him in tent labor; and a more agreeable or companionable fellow laborer it would be difficult to find. After his advanced age prevented him from engaging in active evangelistic labor, he continued to serve his home church with acceptance, his influence and instruction being of great assistance and encouragement. After his power of locomotion and his eyesight had become greatly impaired, he still retained the use of his mental faculties in a wonderful degree; and in the last decade of his life, some of his exhortations had the force and pungency of his younger days. In his ninety-fifth year he dictated a message to the conference in its annual session, which was as straightforward, clean-cut, and pointed as any he ever gave. His mind remained active and clear to the last. For some years it has been my privilege to visit him frequently, and these visits were always very gratifying, the last one being less than a month before his death. On one of these occasions he expressed himself as being especially grateful for the preservation of his mental powers. As failing eyesight deprived him of the opportunity of reading, these visits seemed to afford much comfort and enjoyment. Being of a strong constitution, and possessed of great vitality combined with adherence to strict temperance principles and practice, giving him a tenacious hold on life, he literally died of old age, and breathed his last like a child going to sleep. A large concourse of people attended the funeral services, which were held from the Methodist Episcopal Church. The funeral discourse was founded on Job 5:26.