- REV. ISAAC S. BUSSING, for several years pastor of the local
church of the United Brethren
- in Christ, is counted one of the strong clergymen of Monroe,
Green county. He is a man of great natural gifts, strong character,
and deep devotion to the sacred calling in which he is engaged.
Well versed in its divine lore, he is a Bible preacher, ever
loyal to his Master.
- Mr. BUSSING was born at Albany, N.Y., May 25, 1855, a son
of Harmon and Harriet
- (SMITH) BUSSING, natives of New York. They had a son and
a daughter, the latter of whom died when twenty-one years of
age from the effects of an accident. The father was a dry-goods
merchant in Albany, and lived there until a year and a half before
his marriage. His first wife died about 1857, and he married
Betsey M. SMITH, a sister of the first Mrs. BUSSING. To this
marriage were also born a son and a daughter, Alice B. and Walter.
Mr. BUSSING died at the home of his daughter in November, 1891,
at the age of sixty-three years. Mrs. Betsey M. BUSSING died
June 30, 1900. They were members of the Reformed Protestant Church
of America. The grandfather of Rev. Isaac S. BUSSING also bore
the name of Harmon BUSSING; he was born in Ireland, but was brought
to this country when a child, passing the greater part of his
life near Albany, N.Y., engaged in farming. He was the father
of five children, and lived to be eighty-nine years of age. John
SMITH, the father of Harriet SMITH noted above, was born in New
York, and was the descendant of Holland-Dutch ancestors.
- Rev. Isaac S. BUSSING was reared in the city of Albany, where
he attended the public schools,
- and helped his father in the store in the intervals of his
school work. He was an energetic, pushing lad of determined spirit,
and has taken entire care of himself since he was fourteen years
of age. In later years he pursued his studies by the light of
the midnight oil, so congenial to the scholarly mind. Mr. BUSSING
is in every sense of the word a self-made man; he has conquered
difficulties that would have overwhelmed and crushed a less courageous
soul.
- Mr. BUSSING began life for himself as a shipping clerk with
Wood, Lewis & Hawley, well-
- known collar and cuff manufacturers at Troy, N.Y., and remained
with them between eight and nine years. It was while in their
employ that his strong religious nature asserted itself, and
he became a recognized, and powerful worker in the cause of the
Master among the young men of that city, at one time having gathered
a class of seventy-five young men under his instruction and inspiration.
He had been with them about a year, when J. R. PRATT, Wisconsin
secretary of the Y.M.C.A., induced him to come West, and enter
upon the duties of Lumberman's secretary of the association.
Mr. BUSSING did so, and for several seasons spent the winter
season in traveling through the various lumber camps of the northern
woods. This was an arduous life, and his health became so undermined
that he was called in from the field, and assigned to the office
of general secretary at Lake Geneva, Wis. Mr. BUSSING remained
at this point, and discharged the duties of the position until
1892, when he entered the regular work of the ministry of the
Methodist Church, having his first charge at Springville, Wis.
He was pastor there two years, and while he was there a sweeping
revival greatly advanced the cause of the church. In Springville,
today, there is standing a beautiful church, which is a lasting
memorial to the work of Mr. BUSSING in that community. From Springville,
he was transferred to the church at London, Dane county, in the
fall of 1893, where he had a pastorate of twelve months that
was fruitful in the strengthening of the church, the material
improvement of the property, and the lifting of all debt. In
1894 Mr. BUSSING was assigned to the church at Dartford, the
county seat of Green Lake county, and here his ministry was attended
with large revivals and many accessions to the church.
- In the winter of 1896 ideas that had long been working in
the mind of Mr. BUSSING became
- convictions and he realized that as a mater of conscience
he should do his work as a minister henceforth under the auspices
of the religious organization known as the Church of the United
Brethren in Christ. To break away form a ministry that offered
such large attractions, and which had been singularly agreeable
to him was no slight thing, but with the subject of this article,
right went before any question of ease or comfort, and he accordingly
hastened to identify himself with this body as soon as he had
become thoroughly convinced that it was founded on the Gospel.
He resigned from the Methodist communion on Easter Sunday, 1896,
and entered almost immediately upon his work as pastor of the
Church of the United Brethren, at Pickrell, Neb. There his work
was particularly noticeable by one hundred three conversations
taking place under his effective preaching at that point. He
was sent to Julian, Neb., at the next session of the conference,
where he remained a year and a half; and from that point he came
to Monroe, where he has since resided.
- Mr. BUSSING and Miss Ella S. BURGER, a daughter of William
F. and Cornelia E. (WYANT)
- BURGER, were married Nov. 6, 1874. Three sons and three daughters
are the fruit of this union, William H., Harriet, E., Martin,
Benjamin T., Ruth Mary and Esther May. Mr. BUSSING is brigade
chaplain of the Domain of Wisconsin, Knights of Pythias, holding
the rank of major in that order, and also belongs to the Modern
Woodmen of America. He is the first vice-president of the Monroe
Ministerial Association. Mr. BUSSING takes an independent stand
in all political affairs, and aims to cast his vote at every
election with a view to the general good of his country, rather
than the promotion of mere party aims.
-
- Taken from "Commemorative Biographical Record of
the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin,"
(c)1901 Union Publishing; pp. 861-862.
-
- Courtesy of Carol.
|