Hiram T. Hawkins
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he owned a good farm and accumulated a comfortable competence. He was thrice married, his first wife, referred to in a preceding paragraph, bearing him two children, Hiram T., the subjec of this sketch, and a daughter by the name of Alice, who died at the age of six months. Reverend Hawkins accomplished much good in the holy office which he so worthily filled. He departed this life in the prime of his physical and mental powers, January 5, 1875, being in his thirty-seventh year at the time, with bright prospects for future usefulness.
Rev. Hiram T. Hawkins spent his early life in his native county and Illinois, and grew to manhood with a well defined purpose to make the most of his opportunities and achieve success in some honorable vocation. Brought up in a home where morality and religion obtained, his childhood and youth were comparatively free from those influences which pollute the body and degrade the mind, but it was not until his thrity-first year that he experienced conversion and decided to devote his life to the ministry. He received his conversion and decided to devote his life to the ministry. He received his educational training at Kinmundy, Illinois, and Hartsville, Indiana, and shortly after uniting with the church began active preparations for the ministry, the labors of which he entered upon in due time and son made his influence felt as an unusually forceful and eloquent preacher of the Word.
Reverend Hawkins was duly ordained an elder of the Wesleyan Methodist church by the Indiana conference, and, during the six years following, devoted his attention to the duties of his sacred office, ministering to various churches, and meeting with gratifying success inhis labors. As already indicated, his power in the pulpit soon brought him prominently before the public, and whereever he preached he attracted large and appricative audiences. By reason of failing health he was obliged to discontinue ministerial work at the expiration of the period referred to, since which time he has been engaged, principally, in tilling the soil, owning a fine farm of one hundred ten acres in Washington township, known as "River View."
Reverend Hawkins still preaches at intervals, his services being in great demand upon special occasions and he is frequently called on to conduct funerals, deliver memorial and other addresses, and solumnize the rites of marriage. He takes a lively interest in public affairs and votes with the Prohibition party.
Maud Wheatley became the wife of Reverend Hawkins August 6, 1884; she is a native of Bartholomew county, Indiana, where her birth occurred in the year 1865, March 17th. Two children have been born to this union, viz: Harriet and Grace, who were born in the years 1885 and 1887, respectively. After finishing the common schools Harriet and Grace entered the high school at Albion, in Noble county, where they remained for two years, after which they entered the high school at Boxley, from which they were graduated in due time. Harriet then entered college at Marion, Indiana. She taught one term of school at Baker's Corner, in Hamilton county, Indiana. Later she became the wife of Otto Rigsbee, to whom was bonr one child, Lavelda, who first saw the light of day March 9, 1908. Grace, who was also a graduate of the Boxley high school, married Lee Ottis Vickery, and lives in Hamilton county, where he is a minister in Wasleyan Methodist church, at Baker's Corner.
History of Shelby County, Indiana, by Edward H. Chadwick, B.A., assisted by well known local talent, 1909, pages 762-764.
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