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[The Hannam Genealogy.GED, compiled by John-Pierre M. Hannam, Sr.]

 

OLIVER HOFFMAN MELCHIOR

 

According to his obituary, Oliver died at the age of 79 years, 8 months, and 14 days.  Although ailing for several weeks, doctors at St. Luke's Hospital could find nothing wrong and attributed his "weakened condition to old age".  According to the article, he had officiated at 1739 funerals, 2715 baptisms, and 829 marriages.   Born on 23 December 1848 in Bedminster Township, his family moved to Nockamixon Township when he was two.  He taught school for two years in Nockamixon Township and two years at Durham.  He graduated from Doylestown English and Classical Seminary in 1871.  He then attended Lafayette for two years and Gettysburg College for two years.  He graduated from Gettysburg Theological Seminary in 1879.   According to the obituary (date and source unknown), he passed away at 10:30 on Friday morning in his home.  He had begun to "fail during the middle of July".   Again according to his obituary, Oliver celebrated the 49th anniversary of his "preaching in the Lutheran congregations at Springtown, Durham, and Springfield..." on July 1st. Had he lived, he and his wife would have celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary on 14 October.

 

The following was provided by Malcolm Melcher in an email to John-Pierre M. Hannam, Sr. (9 Apr 99)

 

     From: Battle's History of Bucks County:
     Oliver H. Melchior of Springtown, Bucks Co., Pa.
          born: Dec 23, 1848 in Bedminster Twp.; moved to Nockamixon Twp. at age 2; son of Tobias and Susanna Melcher
     He was pastor of the Lutheran Congregation at Nockamixon Church from 1880-1892.
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The following is a reprint of an article published in "The Bulletin of the Bucks County Sabbath-school Association, No.1, 1902-1903, provided by Carol Lembke McKee Jenkins.

 

THE BULLETIN
of the Bucks County Sabbath-school Association.

 

NO. 1.    1902-1903.     PRICE, 10 CENTS.

 

Officers of the Bucks County S. S. Association.
1902-1903.
President, Rev. J. R. Bergey, Doylestown
Vice Pres,, Rev. F. W. Randall, New Britain
Cor. Secretary, G. W. Rubinkam, Jamison
Rec. Secretary, Harry Neamand, Perkasie
Treasurer, G.W. Rubinkam, Jamison
Superintendent Primary Department, Mrs. J. P. Erwin, Perkasie
Superintendent Home Department, Mrs. G. W. Rabinkam, Jamison
Superintendent Normal Department, Seward M. Rosenberger, Quakertown

 

The Rev. 0. H. Melchor
President of the Bucks Co. S.S. Association, 1887-1901.

 

     The Rev. 0. H. Melchor was born in Bedminster township, Bucks county, on December 23, 1848. When he was two years old, the family removed to a farm in Nockamixon township, where his father died in 1883. Young Melchor, therefore, was brought up on a farm, attending school during the winter, first at Nockamixon Church, and later, at a new school-house built on his father's farm, which is still known as "Melchor's school." He was always fond of books and study, but his school privileges were limited to four or five months in a year, and the remainder of the time he worked on the farm. During these years he attended a Sunday-school held in the "Old Starch Factory," in Kintnersville, more than two miles away. One of his teachers at this place was Mr. Michael Yost, now living near Doylestown.
     When eighteen years of age he entered a private school taught by David W. Hess, only a short distance from Mr. Melchor's present residence, and six miles from his father's home, which distance he walked every morning and evening. During this year he connected with the Lutheran congregation at Nockamixon, the Rev. W. S Emory, pastor.
     He commenced teaching when nineteen, at Melchor's school-house. Here he organized and superintended a Sunday school, which was attended by young and old. The parents even attended Melchor's Sunday-school. After teaching here two terms he was called to the adjoining township of Durham, to the Monroe school, where he taught two terms, at the then high salary of forty dollars a month. At this place he also organized and carried on a Sunday-school which was well attended by young and old.
     Having now made and saved some money, he was ready to enter upon a course of preparation for the work for which he longed, and to which he had felt himself called from boyhood. In the spring of 1871 he entered the Doylestown English and Classical Seminary. The Monroe Sunday-school presented him, the Sunday before he left, with fifteen dollars. During this term and the following year he prepared to enter college. During the first term he did some teaching in the Seminary, and the following year was private tutor to Will Mercer, at the Laurence homestead. He has never forgotten the kindness and financial aid received from the Mercer family.
     He entered Lafayette College in the fall of '72 and boarded himself the first year, enjoying but one warm meal during the first four weeks, at the house of a friend. At the end of the year he received a prize of twenty-five dollars for proficiency in Greek and Latin. The second year he waited on the table in a boarding-house for his board, and at the end of the year received a second prize of fifty dollars for proficiency in Latin and Greek. While in college here he attended a country Sunday-school "up the Bushkill."
     In his Junior year, acting upon the advice of Lutheran ministers, he left Lafayette, and entered his own Church College, Pennsylvania, at Gettysburg, receiving aid from the Church, so that he could give all his time to study and reading, this being the more necessary because of his lack of early opportunities.
     He graduated from Pennsylvania College 1876, and from the Theological Seminary at the same place 3 years later.  During the last two years that he was in Gettysburg he was Superintendent of the Reformed Sunday-school, from which he received a twenty-dollar gold piece when he left.
     In the spring of 1879 the Kintnersville charge, of which he was a member, composed of the Churches of Lower Tinicum, Nockamixon, Durham, Springfield and Springtown, was divided, Lower Tinicum and Nockamixon to compose one charge and the remaining three the other. The latter immediately called Mr. Melchor to be their pastor, which call he accepted, and entered upon his work July 1. 1879, coming back to the Melchor homestead, where he lived with his father until October 14, 1880, when he was married to Mary E. Montfort, of Gettysburg, a graduate of the Millersville Normal School.
     After serving his three congregations for half a year, the Nockamixon congregation, of which he had been a member, having voted to also connect with the General Synod, of which general body the other three had already become a part, elected Rev. Melchor as their pastor. He greatly appreciated the honor of the election, and felt glad to serve them, but his field was large, his people were having twice as much preaching as they had before the division, and he feared the work would be too heavy. Laying the matter before the President of Synod, the latter advised him to accept and supply Nockamixon as best he could.
     This relation continued for twelve years, when Mr. Melchor broke down physically, and had to lay down his work for 3 months.  He resigned the pastorate of Nockamixon, which then united with the Upper Tinicum Church and called the Rev. S. S. Diehl to become their pastor, and continued to serve only his three original churches, which he will have served twenty-four years by July 1 of the present year. During his pastorate eight young men from the charge have entered the ministry. The most pleasant relations have always existed between pastor and people.
     The Rev. Mr. Melchor has never had a fixed salary, but has always been liberally supported. The money received from the Church to complete his education, although not a legal debt, he refunded to the Board of Education during the first years of his ministry, thus becoming literally a self-educated man.
     At the present time he is president of the Easton Conference of the East Pennsylvania Synod.  He is an active member of the Buckwampun Literary Society, and a regular contributor to its annual meetings.

 

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After her husband's death, Sarah Thompson Montfort, took in boarders at her home in Gettysburg to help meet expenses.  According to Charles Melchior in an email to John-Pierre M. Hannam (15 June 2000), Oliver Hoffman Melchior was one of those boarders while he was attending seminary.  It was here, of course, that he met his future wife, Sarah's daughter, Mary Elizabeth Montfort.

 

Death Headlines added by Larry Hillpot 7 March, 2004

Intelligencer September 13, 1928: MORE THAN 2000 ATTEND FUNERAL OF CLERGYMAN: Springtown, Sept. 12-One of the largest funeral ever seen in Upper Bucks county was held yesterday, when over 2,000 persons attended the services for the late Rev. O. H. Melchior.  Private services were held at the house for the immediate members of the family. Rev. Irwin Deaterly, Springtown, and Rev. John W. Gilds, Riegelsville, had charge of these services.  Several thousand persons were assembled at the Durham church when the cortege arrived and about 1200 of this number were unable to get into the church.  The sermon at the church was delivered by Rev. George Greiss, Allentown, while prayer was offered by Rev. C. F. Althouse, Kintnersville. The scripture was read by Rev. George Haffer, Phillipsburg, N. J., the Dr. C. P. Swank, Phila., president of the Eastern Penna Synod of the Lutheran Church, spoke briefly, and U. A. Apple, Annville, secretary of the synod, read the obituary. More than a score of the members of the Eastern Penna Synod were in attendance.  Miss Esther Hindenach, a member of the Durham congregation sang two solos, “Just As I Am” and “Crossing the Bar.”  Monday evening more than 250 persons viewed the body at Rev. Melchior’s late residence and over 2000 persons passed by the bier yesterday.  Six elders of the Durham, Springtown and Springfield congregations, of which veteran clergyman was pastor, acted as pallbearers consisted of the 12 deacons of the three congregations.  The acting pall bearers were Alvin Pearson, Henry Cawley, Jacob Koder, Howard Sterner, Joseph Nicholas and William Gross. Interment was made in the Durham church cemetery.

Intelligencer September 13, 1928  REV. O. H. MELCHIOR DIES, AFTER LONG PASTORATE Springtown Minister Baptized Over 2700 Persons; Married 829 Couples: SPRINGTOWN, Sept. 8-Rev O. H. Melchior, pastor of the Springfield Lutheran charge comprising three churches, died at his home yesterday after an illness lasting several weeks just a few months short of celebrating his golden anniversary as pastor of this charge.  Mr. Melchior, who was in his eightieth year, was one of the most widely known and most respected clergymen of the county. His illness, a stroke of paralysis, came just a short time before the celebration of the fiftieth harvest home service of his pastorate.  He was born in Bedminster township, December 23, 1848, and was a son of Tobias and Susanna Melchior.  When he was two years of age, the family removed to Nockamixon township, As a young man he taught school for two years in Nockamixon township and two years at Durham. In 1871 he was graduated from the Doylestown English and Classical Seminary and then attended Lafayette for two years and Gettysburg College two years. He was graduated from Gettysburg College in 1876 and from the theological seminary of that institution in 1879.  During his long pastorate at Springfield and Springtown he has baptized  2715 children and adults, united in marriage 829 couples and officiated at 1739 funerals. Memberships of his congregation are now three times as large as when he took charge in 1879.  Mr. Melchior is survived by his widow, who before her marriage was Miss   The marriage of Emma Schively, also survived by four children, Montfort D. Melchior, of Lansdowne; Dr. William T. Melchior, Syracuse, N. Y.; Charles Melchior and Mrs. Floyd Rau, of Springtown and a number of grandchildren.