Pritchard, Martin

Pritchard, Martin a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church of some standing, was born in Ohio April 23, 1827; was converted and joined the Church at the age of seventeen. He obtained a good elementary education, and for a number of years was engaged as a school-teacher. He was licensed as an exhorter when about twenty-three, and as a local preacher at the age of twenty-five. He joined the Nebraska Conference in 1857, and at once entered upon his duties as an itinerant with that energy and devotion to his work which so signally characterized his whole career as a minister, and the fruits of his labor gave abundant proof that he was indeed called of God. He preached successively at Mount Pleasant, Peru, Belleview, Platte Valley, Pawnee City, Falls City, and a second time at Peru. In 1870 he was appointed presiding elder of the Lincoln district, and at the next annual conference he was appointed presiding elder of the Nebraska district. At the Conference of 1875 he was appointed presiding elder of the Lincoln district, where he continued his earnest and faithful labors until about ten days before his death. which occurred on March 24,1877. He was a member of the Book Committee four years, and was twice elected reserve delegate to the General Conference. See Minutes of the Annual Conferences, 1877, p. 142; N. Y. Christian Advocate, April 19, 1877.