Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 26.djvu/287

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Reverend Andrew J. Hunsaker
227

in winter and farmed in summer. On September 15, 1855, he was married to Emma J. Hill, a daughter of Dr. R . C. Hill. She died June 11, 1858. In 1860 he married Mary C. Adams. In 1870 he entered the ministry, though still continuing his farming operations until 1875. The reremaining years of his life were devoted to the Church. His field covered practically all of the Northwest, extending from California on the south and to the Rocky Mountains on the east. His labors corresponded in kind to those of the time of the Circuit Riders. He traveled on foot, by stage, on boats, cars, wagons and sleds. His compensation was meager. His hours were long. His compeers testify that for general work he was a great success—that he was a man of superior tact—that he knew how to adapt himself to any surroundings—that his social qualities were excellent—that he preached the pure gospel, and that "he was probably the best man the Baptists had in the state for general usefulness." He was known as an Evangelist, and was for several years engaged in general work under the auspices of the American Baptist Home Missionary Society. His pastorates included Albany, Brownsville, Independence, Adams, Weston, Baker, Walla Walla and Spokane, and he was very active in organizing churches at various points. He was also specially active as a friend of McMinnville College, serving for about 40 years as a member of its Board of Trustees, a large part of which time he was President of the Board. In 1919 he was President of the Oregon State Pioneer Association, and was for many years habitual in his attendance on its meetings. His death marked the culmination of a long and busy career. In his 90 years of life he saw more of material and inventive achievement than marked the passage of any preceding 1,000 years. He saw Oregon develop from a wilderness into a greate state. When Father Matthieu and his associates met on these grounds on May 2, 1843, 82 years ago, he was a barefooted boy of nine years in the