My Genealogy Hound

REV. WISNER KINNE, pastor of the Baptist Church in the town of Romulus, Seneca County, is a native of this town, and is now ministering to the first church organized in the county, which celebrated its centennial June 27, 1895. It is seldom that a minister of the Gospel locates in the neighborhood where he was born and reared, and less seldom does he have a successful pastorate when he settles there. The Saviour Himself said that “a prophet is not without honor save in his own country,” and the truth of the saying has been exemplified over and over again. Occasionally, however, there arises one who is honored even in his own country, and this is true of the subject of our sketch.

In the town of Romulus, our subject was born October 28, 1859, and here his father, David Wisner, was born March 26, 1814. His great-grandfather, Capt. Elijah Kinne, came from Connecticut to New York about 1790, and settled in the town of Ovid, Seneca County. His son Elijah came with him from Connecticut when a young man. The latter was a successful man and owned about two thousand acres of land in Seneca County. By his marriage to Hester Wisner he had fifteen children, and of these only three are now living.

David Wisner Kinne was reared in Romulus, where his entire life was spent. He was married three times. October 11, 1837, he married Mary L. Stone, daughter of John Stone, of Romulus, who came from Connecticut in an early day; she was one of thirteen children, and was born April 17, 1818, and died March 4, 1872. Of their children we note the following: Minerva is the wife of Emmett R. Sutton, of Forrest, Ill.; Emi K. is the wife of Dr. E. S. Jenkins, of Breesport, N. Y.; Sarah married Joseph Dunlap, and lives in the town of Ovid; Ada resides with her sister Lucy, who is the wife of Rev. J. N. Sackett, of Ovid, N. Y.; Smith and Charles died in childhood; Mary is Mrs. L. H. Ingalls, of Elmira, N. Y.; Ella married James Egbert, of Anaconda, Mont.; our subject completes the family circle.

January 25, 1873, David W. Kinne married Mrs. Mary (Dunlap) Wilson, who died September 4, 1885, and afterward he was united with Mrs. Phoebe H. (Everett) Townsend, who survives him. Our subject was reared on the home farm and attended the district schools until fourteen years of age, when he entered Ovid Academy, and later he prosecuted his studies in Cazenovia Seminary. He engaged in farming until 1887, when he went to New York City and entered the New York Missionary Training Institute, remaining there two years. Meantime he engaged in missionary work in New York City and Jersey City, and later was pastor for two years on Long Island. He was ordained to the ministry January 12, 1892, in the Gospel Tabernacle Church of New York City.

His father stricken with apoplexy in July 1880, our subject was called home to care for him until his death, nearly a year later. After having charge of the Baptist Church at Ovid Center for one year, he next went to Troupsburg, N. Y., and February 10, 1895, he accepted the pastorate of the First Baptist Church of Romulus, N. Y. This church has a membership of one hundred and fifty, and under the leadership of the energetic pastor is doing an excellent work in the Master’s vineyard. Not only by the members of his own communion, but by those of other denominations as well, Mr. Kinne is greatly esteemed. June 3, 1890, he was united in marriage with Miss Margaret M. Payne, daughter of John Wesley and Maria S. Payne, now of Oceanside, Cal. Our subject and his wife have two children, Dean Wesley and Paul Payne.