THE Rev. Robert G. McLeskey was born January 6, 1837, and at the age of nine or ten years professed religion and attached himself to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church at Green Hill, Weakley County, Tenn. He was educated at Bethel College, McLemoresville, Tenn. We have been informed that his boyhood days were well and usefully spent, that his example was good, and that his early life was a continued ray of sunshine.

In 1861 he enlisted in the Confederate army, performed all the duties required of him as a soldier to the end of that unhappy contest; was wounded at the battle of Shiloh, the injury from which he never fully recovered.

His father and two brothers all were ministers of the gospel of the Cumberland Presbyterian faith. He followed the example set before him, and was taken under the care of Hopewell Presbytery, at Rutherford, Tenn., March 31, 1866, was licensed at Humboldt, Tenn., Oct. 6, 1866, and was ordained at Camden, Tenn., Oct. 6, 1867, together with the Revs. W. J. Williams and J. C. D. Cobb. He ministered for several years to congregations in Tennessee and for a short time in Paducah, Ky., when, on the 1st of January, 1877, he was employed by the congregation located at Caseyville, Ky. In 1878 he purchased property, and moved his family to the latter place. His labors were divided between Caseyville, Mount Ephraim, Madisonville, and Greenville, Ky., until 1883, on account of declining health, he gave up all but Caseyville and Mount Ephraim. In the spring of 1884 his health became so bad that he gave up preaching, and, in company with his wife, made a trip to Mississippi, retuned to Madisonville, Ky., in September, and died of consumption on the 15th day of October, 1884.

He joined the Masonic fraternity in early manhood, and the Knights of Honor in 1877. Being a Knight Templar, that order, together with the Knights of Honor, performed the funeral service, assisted by the Rev. A. B. Buchanan, of Madisonville, Ky.

His culture and rare attainments had won for him the admiration and esteem of all who knew him, and was always ready to help in the discharge of his duties to his Master. His light has enabled many wandering feet to turn from a sure course to destruction to Christ, the true light. He was a shining star among us. Death came with her cycles, he peacefully folded his hands to all things here below, and went to dwell in that beautiful city, that eternal home, where all is perfect bliss and joy forever, there to await the coming of his earthly labors.

[Source: Cumberland Presbyterian, February 26, 1885, page 2]

[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1885, page 44]

The history of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, especially in West Tennessee, would be incomplete without mention of the McLeskey family, members of which have been so closely identified with it.

The Rev. William Hamilton McLeskey, himself the son of a preacher, the Rev. Jo McLeskey, Sr., of the Carolinas, came to Weakley County, Tennessee, January 1827, being at the time nineteen years of age, and was married to Miss Jemima Gilbert, July 24, 1828. In 1846 he was received under the care of the Hopewell Presbytery, and was ordained to the full work of the ministry in October, 1850. He was for many years a circuit rider, his circuit covering much of the territory between the Tennessee and the Mississippi Rivers, and it required a full month for him to make the trip round his circuit.

Four sons, Jo, Ben, Bob and Jim, and two daughters, one of whom, Mrs. E. M. Stolts, of Dyer, Tenn., is still living, grew to maturity in this family and their parents being ardent Cumberland Presbyterians, their children were, of course, trained up in the faith and doctrine.

Jo, (he was partial to this spelling of his given name,) was born January 23, 1832, near McKenzie, Tenn. He was received under the care of Hopewell Presbytery in 1855 and was ordained to the full work of the ministry in 1857. He was specially gifted in revival work and there are thousands in heaven and other thousands yet on earth who were born into the kingdom of Christ in his revival meetings. He was also pastor of many of the congregations of West Tennessee, his last work being Paducah, Ky.

Ben, the Rev. B.G. McLeskey, was born near Dresden, Tenn., attained to great distinction, being at the time of his death president of Trinity University in Texas.

Bob, the Rev. Robert Gilbert McLeskey, was born in Tennessee in 1877, was received under the care of presbytery and licensed to preach by Reuben Burrow in 1866, and was ordained to the full work of the ministry at Humboldt, Tenn., in October, 1867.

The Rev. Jo McLeskey was married to Miss Ellen Carter in June, 1858. Of the children born to this union, three, J. E. McLeskey, of Rives, Tenn., Mrs. W. H. Forbis, of Memphis, Tenn., and the Rev. W.H. McLeskey, of Clarksville, Tenn., are now living. His first wife having died while their children were quite young, he was united in marriage in December, 1879 to Mrs. Sallie Cooper. She, with three children, Mrs. D. A. Hipps, of Jackson, Miss Callie McLeskey, of Memphis, and Mr. Jo McLeskey, of Memphis survive him. He died at his home in Fulton, Ky., May 5, 1909, and was carried to Mt. Olive Cemetery, near Dyer, Tenn., where his funeral, attended by a large concourse of friends, was conducted by the Rev. J. A. McIlwain and others. From the time that he entered the ministry until within a few months of his death, he was preeminently a preacher. He preached his first sermon at Meridian camp ground in Weakley County, Tenn., from the text, "Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward," and his last sermon at Dyer, Tenn., only a short time before his death. His was an active life in the service of the church and he is said to have preached more funerals and married more couples than any other minister who ever lived in West Tennessee.

The Rev. William Hamilton (Hamp) McLeskey, the second son of the Rev. Jo McLeskey, Jr., is, and has been for the past four years, pastor of the strong and growing congregation of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Clarksville, Tenn. To him and his wife, who was Miss Florence Meadows, three children have been born, two of whom, the Rev. James M. McLeskey and Hamilton, a five-year-old boy, are now living. He and one of the elders of his congregation, Judge W. B. Young, will be members of the General Assembly at Bowling Green, Ky.

The Rev. James M. McLeskey, for the past two and one-half years the pastor of the Arrington Street Cumberland Presbyterian Church in the city of Nashville, is the youngest of the McLeskey family to enter the ministry of the church. Though but a youth when he came from Bethel College to the pastorate of this congregation, he has been quite successful in his work and his outlook for the future is full of promise. He began work as a pastor in the church at the age of sixteen and has been constantly engaged in that kind of work, though, in common with all of the McLeskeys, he delights in revival as well as pastoral work.

Thus it will be seen that the history of the ministers of the McLeskey family covers a period greater than that of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. In the pictures which appear upon this page, reading from top to bottom, the second, third, fourth and fifth generations are shown and we regret that the picture of the first generation is not available. Reading from left to right are three brothers of the third generation.

[Source: The Cumberland Presbyterian, May 8, 1913, page 290]

In the Passing of Mrs. Mary Louise McLeskey, who departed this life at seven o'clock Sunday evening, the community has lost another of its oldest and most respected citizens.

About two weeks ago she sustained a fall in her room, which at the time did not seem of much moment, but it was a shock to her frail body and perhaps hastened the end, since from that time on she was confined to her bed.

The funeral service, beautiful in its simplicity, was conducted at the residence Tuesday afternoon by her pastor, Rev. S. C. McKee, in the presence of relatives and lifelong friends, with interment in Pythian Ridge cemetery.

The deceased was, before her marriage, Miss Mary Louise Montgomery. She was born on her father's plantation in Mississippi, June 17, 1846, and the span of her years would have exceeded the allotted "three score and ten" by a score and a half years, had she lived until June 1936.

Her life was in the bloom of young womanhood during the Civil War, and she used to charm her listeners with stories of her own knowledge and experiences during those perilous times.

Her most cherished possession was the old fashioned square piano of her girlhood days, which at that time, with the family silver was hidden in the cane brakes, and guarded by faithful negro servants, to protect it from the vandalism which was practiced by some of the unscrupulous of the invaders.

She was a splendid musician of her day and her repertoire of the beautiful melodies of that period was remarkable. It was her delight to play them for her friends on her beloved piano, and no less a delight and a marvel to her listeners as her nimble fingers would fly over the keys.

She was able to play up until six months ago, when her youngest daughter, Miss Callie, who was always her constant companion, went away. She seemed to never quite understand the full significance of her absence and was constantly looking for her return, but from that time she began to fail rapidly both in body and mind, and was no longer able to play her piano.

Along with the hardships of the war, came her beautiful romance, for it brought into her life young Lieutenant Robert G. McLeskey, of Tennessee, who wooed and won her, taking her as his bride to his Tennessee home soon after the war closed.

Shortly after their marriage, the young husband entered the ministry of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. In 1879 he was called to the pastorate of the Cumberland Presbyterian churches at Caseyville and Mount Ephraim, the latter a country church located about five miles from Sturgis, which he served until his death in 1884, both greatly beloved by their people.

The Mount Ephraim Church was moved to Sturgis when the city was young and rebuilt on Kelsey Street. It was the first church erected in the village and all denominations worshiped within its walls. For years her services were given to this church, until prevented by physical disabilities, yet her interest never wavered, and her influence will never die. Men and women of mature years today recall her tender memories of days long gone, when she played the church organ, taught them in Sunday school and trained them in "Children's Day" programs. Truly hers was a beautiful Christian character, and the world was made better by her living.

For many years she made her home with her daughter, Mrs. Ann Lamb, where she was ever a loved and honored member. Indeed she was the sweet rallying point, around which circled the affection and tender ministrations of the devoted family.

Her passing was that of a tired and world-weary pilgrim into that other and better life, to be with her Lord and loved ones gone before, and while the devoted daughters are deeply grieved at the separation, there is a sweet submission and a beautiful spirit of thankfulness to God for such a mother.

She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Lamb and Miss Sarah McLeskey; one grandson, Robert M. Lamb, of Rochester, N.Y.; two brothers and one sister, Messrs. J. M. Montgomery, of Osborne, Miss., W. H. Montgomery, of Rutherford, Tenn; and Mrs. Nannie Embry, of Crowley, La., the youngest of whom is 84 years of age.

Deepest sympathy is extended to the devoted daughters, who will miss her so greatly, and to her other relatives and friends.

[Source: probably Sturgis, Kentucky newspaper, Dec. 1935 or Jan. 1936]