Schell, Levi

Schell, Levi a Lutheran minister, was born Sept. 9, 1823, at Berne, Schoharie County, N.Y. Having prepared himself for the ministry at Hartwick Seminary, he was licensed in 1853, and accepted a call as pastor of St. Thomas's Lutheran Church at Churchtown, N.Y., where he spent twelve years and a half, laboring with all the enthusiasm and intensity of his ardent nature. In 1866 he followed a call to the Clay and Cicero pastorate in Onondaga County, which he soon exchanged in 1867 with West Sandlake, in Rensselaer County. Having spent six years at West Sandlake, he accepted in 1873 a call to West Camp, where, however, his valuable and successful labors were interrupted in 1876 by sickness of so serious a character that he was compelled to discontinue preaching. In 1877 he again entered upon his duties, but in May, 1878, he was obliged to close his pastoral labors. He entertained the hope that he would again be enabled to resume his loved work of proclaiming the tidings of salvation, but his impaired constitution had finally to succumb, and he died Dec. 27, 1878, at the age of fifty-five years, and after twenty-five years of arduous and successful labor in the ministry of Jesus Christ. (B.P.)