My Genealogy Hound

John Calien Risk was born in La Grange, Oldham Co., Ky., October 14, 1830. His father, Moses M. Risk, was of Scotch descent, a native of Scott County, Ky., and his mother, Fannie (Crosby) Risk, was reared in Shelby County, Ky. His parents moved to Lewis County, Mo., May, 1842, and settled on a farm near Antioch Church, where they raised a family of nine children. J. C. Risk, the eldest, was trained to farming, but during leisure seasons of the year was kept in the country schools, and at the age of twenty entered Missouri University, at Columbia, where he graduated July 4, 1855. During his first session, 1851, he joined the Christian Church, under the preaching of President James Shannon and Elder D. P. Henderson, and studied the Bible as opportunity offered through his college course. The vacation after graduating, at the solicitation of President Shannon, he taught a private school in Columbia. In September, 1855, he was chosen by President John A. Williams as a teacher in Christian Female College, Columbia, Mo. A year later he returned to Lewis County, and founded Monticello Institute. In 1858 he took charge of Christian Academy, Hustonville, Lincoln Co., Ky., which he successfully conducted for three years, until the academy was interrupted by the civil war. Mr. Risk removed to Harrodsburg, Ky., and spent a year studying the Bible under President J. A. Williams, in Daughters’ College. In July, 1861, he was ordained to the Christian ministry by President Milligan and Dr. Richardson, in the Bible College of Kentucky University. In 1861 he returned to his father’s home, in Lewis County, and devoted himself to preaching the gospel, which he had been doing, as opportunity offered, until the close of the war. In September, 1864, he located in Canton, Lewis County, and took charge of De Soto Institute, a female school, and continued in it for three years. Mr. Risk was chosen trustee of Christian University, located at Canton, and was made its financial agent, and for years has been its secretary. At his suggestion, De Soto Institute was united to the university, and became the female department. In 1872 he was chosen principal of the Canton public schools, and in 1873 was elected to the chair of English language and literature in Christian University; but he finally gave up teaching, and devoted himself to preaching the gospel. He has since lived in Canton, and has preached for churches in the county, has organized congregations, has secured the building of meeting houses, and has been engaged in other ministerial work, having baptized 424 persons, and has received by letter, and otherwise, many others. He has also married 137 couples, has been president of the county and district Sunday-school conventions, and is actively engaged in temperance work, now hoping to secure local option in the county. He has devoted himself to missions, having taken a life membership in the State, the general and foreign societies, and has for years been secretary of the county missions. He has written considerably for the press, and is the author of several pamphlets on the church and the gospel. Elder Risk was happily married, February 4, 1885, to Mrs. Eliza F. Bumbarger, an estimable Christian lady, widow of Judge John F. Bumbarger, and daughter of Elder John Shanks. They have a comfortable home, are in good health, and can say that “goodness and mercy have followed us all the days of our lives.”