Patterson.--The Rev. D. R. Patterson was born in Wilson County, Tenn., July 27, 1827, and departed this life May 27, 1885, aged 57 years and 10 months. He professed religion at a meeting held by the Rev. J. C. Provine and others at a school-house in his mother's neighborhood, near where Commerce Church now stands, in the year 1849, and joined the Cumberland Presbyterian Church organized at that place in 1850. The following year (1851) he was received by the Lebanon Presbytery as a candidate for the gospel ministry, and after giving satisfactory evidence of his piety and aptness to teach, was licensed to preach. His father died when he was but a youth, leaving to his care a widowed mother and three sisters. he took charge of the little farm, their only possession, with that energy that characterized his life-work, and succeeded in making a support for the family. He was thus engaged at the time he professed religion, and was called of God to the higher work of the ministry. The difficulties in his way seemed insurmountable; the care of family on the little farm with no servants to assist; his educations very limited, for he had neither time nor opportunity to attend school; and in addition to all this, he was naturally diffident and mistrusted his ability for the work. After a severe struggle against the call, he submitted, and as before said, put himself under the care of the Presbytery. Necessity required him to make a crop for his widowed mother, and while making this crop he studied English grammar. He carried his book with him to the field, and when his horse needed a little rest he would open his book and study, and then again at noon and night he wasted no time, but applied himself diligently to reading and study. When his crop was finished, with his mother's consent and prayerful approbation he attended school four miles from home, walking this distance every day, studying his lessons as he went to and fro. In this way he prepared himself for the University at Lebanon, in which institution he completed his education--graduating with credit and honor in 1856. Soon after he was ordained by his Presbytery. But the struggle was not yet over. In acquiring his education he had incurred some debts which had now to be paid, and finding no Church to employ him at a salary that would enable him to assist his mother and liquidate his debts, he took charge of an academy near Lytle's Creek Church, Rutherford County, Tenn. His labor here was a success in a moral, intellectual, and financial point of view. He was enabled to liquidate his debts, and buy a negro man to put on the farm, and take care of his mother and sisters. And many of his pupils in that academy now are ornaments in society, and some of them, pillars in Church and State, will rise up and call him blessed. He had charge of Stone's River Academy for several sessions before the war, and after the war he taught in Murfreesboro several sessions. Whilst here he assisted in a union revival-meeting, in which there were over one hundred professions of religion. In this he did some of his most powerful preaching, with results that will be acknowledged in eternity. It was here that he first met Miss Anna V. Brown, to whom he was married in 1867, and by whom he had eight children--two of whom died in infancy and six are left orphans, his wife having did just five days before he did. After his marriage he taught in Milton Academy one year, after which he taught in Wilson County, Tenn., in the neighborhood of Professor Foster's father, Rufus Foster, Professor Foster being one of his pupils. This was his last school. After this he settled on a farm near his mother's, and was pastor of Commerce and Grant Churches at the time of his death. He was also pastor for some time of Smith's Fork Church. He also preached at Alexandria, and assisted in holding sacramental and protracted-meetings throughout the Presbytery. He was a good man, full of faith and the Holy Ghost. "He rests from his labors, and his works do follow him." "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord."

A. C. Tatum, Ira W. King, J. N. Loughry, Committee.
[Source: The Cumberland Presbyterian Church, June 10, 1886, page 2]

1852
October 23, 1852 - Chapman Presbytery - Candidate
Lebanon, Wilson County, Tennessee

"The committed appointed to converse with young men on the subject of a call to the ministry; reported, --in substance,--that they had held conferences with D. R. Patterson and _____ Dewitt, whom they recommended as candidates for the holy office of the Gospel Ministry, to be received under the care of this Presbytery; which report was adopted."

"Bro's. D. R. Patterson and _____ Dewitt having been received as candidates for the ministry, under the care of this Presbytery, were assigned texts of Scripture on which to prepare written discourses, as follows: Bro. Patterson--St. John, 10:9. Bro Dewitt--Rev. 3:20."

[Source: The Banner of Peace and Cumberland Presbyterian Advocate, November 19, 1852, page 3: "Extracts from the Minutes of Chapman Presbytery."]

1853
April 15, 1853 - Chapman Presbytery - Candidate
Lafayette, Macon County, Tennessee
"Candidates present--Rob Slate. Absent--R. Patterson, and ____ Dewitt."

[Source: The Banner of Peace and Cumberland Presbyterian Advocate, May 6, 1853, page 1: "Extract from the Minutes of Chapman Presbytery."]

1886
Mortuary. Gone Before. Ministers.
Patterson, D. R. - McMinnville Presbytery
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1886]