Republic County Bios
PINKERTON, JOHN CLARENCE - The Reverend John Clarence
Pinkerton, pastor of the United Presbyterian Church at Sterling, was born near
Fair Haven, Ohio, September 1, 1870, son of John Riddlge and Narcissa Scroggins
(Henry) Pinkerton.His father, a farmer, whose grandfather came from the north of
Ireland in 1790, was born near Fair Haven, February 27, 1830. His death occurred
there on August 12, 1872. His wife, also of Scotch-Irish descent, was born at
Clarksburg, Indiana, April 1, 1837, and died at Indiana, Pennsylvania, November
7, 1925. John Clarence Pinkerton received his Bachelor of Arts degree from
Indiana University in 1897. He was graduated from Allegheny (now
Pittsburgh-Xenia) Theological Seminary I 1900 and in 1914 was awarded an
honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity from Monmouth College.
On June 2, 1900
he was married to Abigail Gilbert near Lewisville, Indiana, her birthplace. Mrs.
Pinkerton who was a teacher before marriage was born April 10, 1869. There are
two children living, one deceased, John G., born March 10, 1905, who died March
14, 1905, Helen M. May 8, 1906; and Mabel E., April 30, 1908. Helen, who
received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Muskingum College in 1928, taught
English and Spanish 1928-29, received her Master's degree from Ohio State
University in 1930 and now teaches English at Sterling College. Mabel received
her Bachelor of Arts from Muskingum in 1929, and is a graduate student in
English at University of Colorado. From 1889 until 1891, Dr. Pinkerton taught
district school near Richland, Indiana, and from 1892 until 1894, taught in the
city schools of Oxford, Indiana. Ordained in June, 1900, he was pastor at
Ontario, Ohio, three years and from 1903-11, served the First United
Presbyterian Church at Detroit, Michigan. He was pastor of the First United
Presbyterian Church of Los Angeles from 1911 until 1919, and executive secretary
of the California State Church Federation the following four years. In 1923, he
became pastor of the First United Presbyterian Church at Indiana, Pennsylvania
and from 1929 until 1932 was executive of the board of administration of the
United Presbyterian Church of North America. He is a member of the Arkansas
Valley Presbytery the Ministerial Allicance. Residence: Sterling. (Illustriana
Kansas, by Sara Mullin Baldwin & Robert Morton Baldwin, 1933, Page 922)
(submitted by Peggy Thompson)
