THE REV. E. C. GILLENWATERS departed this life Dec. 26, 1884, aged 68 years, 3 months, and 22 days. The subject of this notice was born in the State of Virginia, Sept. 4, 1816, and emigrated with his parents to Jackson County, Ala. There he grew up to manhood, and there he professed religion and joined the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. On the 10th of March, 1839, he was married to E. J. Harris. Having obtained a liberal education, soon after his marriage he became a minister in the Church of his choice. He was of Scotch-Irish descent, tall in stature, commanding and noble in his personal appearance, possessing a strong, vigorous intellect, and generous to a fault; and had the Church sustained him he would have paid her back an hundred-fold. But in an early day he moved to Mississippi, where generally there was no Church, consequently he taught school for seven years. He was then elected in Tishomingo County to the office of County Clerk, and then having prepared himself for the practice of law, he was elected to the office of County Judge. In 1877 he was appointed Register of the Bankrupt Court. In all of which positions he acquitted himself with decided honor, to the entire satisfaction of his constituents. From the above, some might suppose that he to a great extent abandoned his holy calling. But such was not the fact. A great deal of his time with a large, helpless family, he made his own living, gave his children a liberal education, and preached for next thing to nothing, and still he was emphatically a power in the Church. Some ten years ago he moved to Texas, and devoted his time as much as possible to his ministry, and his labors in Texas have been greatly blessed. He was for a time pastor of the Gainesville congregation. It was under his administration that our splendid church-house was built here. He was a member of the City Council when he died, which was on the 26th day of December, 1884. His last sermon was preached on the fifth Sabbath in November. His afflictions were complicated. But when the summons came he was most triumphantly ready, and again and often said all was well, there was nothing in his way. He was buried with Masonic honors. His children are all members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He left a wife and nine children, and a host of friends, to mourn their loss. God bless and comfort them all.
[Source: The Cumberland Presbyterian]

Rev. Edward Campbell Gillenwaters was a native of Virginia. In 1826 his parents emigrated to Alabama, settling near Mooresville. Edward being then 10 years old. The family removed to Jackson county, Ala., and settled near Larkinsville, Young Gillenwaters attended a campmeeting near Tenn. river, when about 21 years old, and there, under the administration of Revs. Albert Frazier, Wm. Chadie and other able and fervent ministers of the C.P. Church, in Jackson Presbytery, he made a profession of religion.

His zeal in the cause and his solicitude for the salvation of others, moved him at once to the front, and his warning voice was heard and his tears were shed and his cries and prayers sounded out in the great congregation. The next year he was licensed to preach by Jackson Presbytery, and was married to Miss Jane Harris. And at 25 years of age we find him settled in our old county of Tishomingo at Farmington.

There he resided for four years, teaching and preaching. He also resided for a time at old Danville, teaching and preaching. He preached also at old Carrolville. He held the office of Probate Judge one term and was twice elected Probate Cl'k, during which time he resided at Jacinto. He finally moved here, to Corinth, and organized and preached to the C.P. Church at this place. He preached the first sermon ever delivered in our town, administrated the first baptism, and the first sermon ever preached in the present C.P. Church was delivered by him as a Judicatory sermon. The few last years he lived here, he filled the office of Register in bankruptcy.

He removed to Texas in 1874, and died at Gainsville, Dec. 26, 1884, aged 68 years. His last words, back to his daughter, Mrs. R. S. Brooks, who resides here, were dated 2nd Dec., and were as follows: "I preached here Sunday and was wonderfully blessed, and when I fall I expect to fall at my post."

Gillenwaters, had his faults and his enemies, but the writer thinks he bore the marks of his Master in any of his works, and also in his chastisements, and he has gone to his reward.

Bro. Gillenwaters leaves a widow and five married daughters and four living sons. His old comrades of Bell Presbytery, Rev. B. M. Faris, B. F. Clayton, A. B. Lambert and Rev. Sam Lambert, have just passed out before him.

Let his friends imitate his virtues and let his enemies cast the mantle of Charity over his faults, and when the last trumpet shall wake the sleeping dead, may we all be as well prepared as we trust our departed friend and brother.
[Source: "The Herald," Corinth, Mississippi, January 9, 1885, page 303]

1839
Licensed to preach by Jackson Presbytery

No Ministerial Directories before 1854.

1854
E. C. Gillenwater, Jacinto, Mississippi
Minister - Union Presbytery - Hernando Synod
Commissioner to General Assembly, May 16, 1854 in Memphis, Tennessee
Served on the Committee on the Minutes of Illinois Synod.
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1854, pages 3, 8 & 93]

1855
No Ministerial Directory in 1855 General Assembly Minutes.

1856
Union Presbytery not included in 1856 Ministerial Directory.

1857
E. C. Gillenwaters, Corinth, Mississippi
Minister - Union Presbytery - Hernando Synod
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1857, page 75]

1858-1859
No Ministerial Directory in 1858-1859 General Assembly Minutes.

1860
E. C. Gillenwater, Corinth, Mississippi
Minister - Union Presbytery - Hernando Synod
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1860, page 101]

1861-1867
No Ministerial Directory in 1861- 1867 General Assembly Minutes.

1868
E. C. Gillenwaters, Corinth, Mississippi
Minister - Union Presbytery - Hernando Synod
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1868, page 109]

1869
E. C. Gillenwaters, Corinth, Mississippi
Minister - Union Presbytery - Hernando Synod
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1869, page 89]

1870
E. C. Gillenwater, Corinth, Mississippi
Minister - Union Presbytery - Hernando Synod
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1870, page 84]

1871
E. C. Gillenwaters, Corinth, Mississippi
Minister - Union Presbytery - Hernando Synod
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1871, page 84]

1872
Gillenwaters, E. C., Corinth, Miss.
Minister - Bell Presbytery - Mississippi Synod
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1872, page 121]

1873
Gillenwaters, E. C., Corinth, Miss.
Minister - Bell Presbytery - Mississippi Synod
Commissioner to General Assembly, May 15, 1873, in Huntsville, Alabama
Served on Committee on the Records of Iowa Synod.
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1873, pages 5, 9 & 98]

1874
Gillenwaters, E. C., Corinth, Miss.
Minister - Bell Presbytery - Mississippi Synod
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1874, page 97]

1875
Gillenwaters, E. C., Sherman, Texas
Minister - White Rock Presbytery - Texas Synod
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1875, page 87]

1876
No directory for White Rock Presbytery in 1976 General Assembly Minutes.

1877
Gillenwaters, E. C., Sherman, Texas
Minister - White Rock Presbytery - Texas Synod
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1877, page 93]

1878
Gillenwaters, E. C., Sherman, Texas
Minister - White Rock Presbytery - Texas Synod
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1878, page 102]

1879
Gillenwaters, E. C., Sherman, Texas
Minister - White Rock Presbytery - Texas Synod
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1879, page 98]

1880
Gillenwater, E. C., Gainesville, Tex.
Minister - Guthrie Presbytery - Trinity Synod
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1880, page 112]

1881
Gillenwater, E. C., Gainesville, Tex.
Minister - Guthrie Presbytery - Trinity Synod
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1881, page 84]

1882
Gillenwater, E. C., Gainesville, Tex.
Minister - Guthrie Presbytery - Trinity Synod
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1882, page 114]

1883
Gillenwater, E. C., Gainesville, Tex.
Minister - Guthrie Presbytery - Trinity Synod
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1883, page 123]

1884
Gillenwater, E. C., Gainesville, Tex.
Minister - Guthrie Presbytery - Trinity Synod
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1884, page 112]

1885
Deceased Ministers
Guthrie Presbytery - E. C. Gillenwater - December 24, 1884
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1885, page 44]

Mrs. Eliza J. Gillenwaters went peacefully to rest a 4 o'clock Monday a.m. Her maiden name was Eliza Jane Harris. She was born near Huntsville, Ala., May 5, 1821 and in March 1839 was married to Rev. E. C. Gillenwaters. In 1845 they moved to old Farmington, in this county, where they lived for a few years and then moved to Jacinto. In 1855 they moved to Boyles, five miles south of Corinth and in 1856 they moved to Corinth.

Mrs. Gillenwaters was the mother of twelve children, ten whom lived to be grown. The following are her surviving children: Mrs. M. F. Brooks, Mrs. A. E. Small, Mrs. Mattie Stout, Mrs. H. B. Gerhart, Mrs. Lillie White. There are living fourteen grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. Her mother and father were Cumberland Presbyterians and early in life she became a member of that church, and in her faithfulness to her church and her religious obligations she was a model.

She was a very remarkable woman. The burden of more than four score years did not rob her of that cheerful spirit and kindly disposition which was her charm to the very last.
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