Rev. Asa Lynds Smith 1833 - 1917

     		

     		One stormy day in the fall, when the wind, as though conscious
		of the severe winter that was to follow was sighing wearily, a
		little group of preachers with their district superintendent 
		gathered to speak the last words of farewell to another veteran
		of the cross who had gone to gain the crown, Oct. 6, 1917.

		The Rev. A. Lynds Smith was born January 13th, 1833, in Champlain
		Village, Clinton Co.  He was educated in the common schools and
		and later attended Franklin academy at Malone.
	
		He was licensed to exhort on Chateaugay Circuit August 14th, 1859
		by S.C. Goodell, pastor, and to preach on the Malone Circuit April
		14th, 1860, under Presiding Elder L.D. White.  The same year, he
		was admitted on on trial in the Annual Conference.
	
		He was ordained Deacon April 1862, by Bishop Ames, and Elder in 
		1864 by Bishop Baker.

		January 5th, 1861, he was married to Sarah A. Whipple, of Chateaugay.
		There were three children, Rollin F., who died February 4th, 1886,
		Chas. W. and Wilbur F.  These were the days of vast circuits, short
		short pastorates, few church buildings, no parsonages, and salaries
		that might range anywhere from sixty to one hundred dollars. But the
		call had come clear and insistent and, filled with boundless ambition
		the young preacher and his consecrated wife entered into the work.

		About twenty years passed away; then came sudden sorrow, for
		the wife and mother had slipped away into the presenced of
		the King.

		In 1889 he was married to Ida Davis, of Norfolk, who was to be
		his companion for 28 years.  To them were born two children
		Frank H. and Ralph D., who died March 26, 1899.

		His appointments were Chateaugay, Belmont, Fort Jackson,
		Lawrence, West Stockholm, Norfolk, South Canton, Spragues
		Corners, DeKalb, Richville, Evans Mills, Plessis, Hammond
		Chasm Falls, Bucks Bridge, 43 years in all.
	
		A great church builder, he has left behind him scattered
		through the Conference many monuments that speak eloquently
		of his worth.  The fine brick church and parsonage at Norfolk,
		the town where he passed his last years, being but one of many.
	
		A strong man, in the early years when the country was only
		sparsley settled and money scarce, he would go to the woods
		and hew the timbers with his own hand.

		For the last few years he suffered greatly, suffered until
		the strong frame was but a wreck, and to his grief, he found
		it impossible to meet with the worshippers in the church that
		his faith and zeal had built.  It was then, deprived of the
		services of God's, that he loved to creep now and again, to 
		the parsonage and talk eloquently of days long ago. 
	
		Again, the young itinerant claiming the power of God, goes out
		into the lonley settlement to tell the story of the Cross.
		Again the voice of prayer rises from some tiny school house
		almost buried in the forest.  The massive timbers of the little
		church rise slowly at the cross roads and the preacher full of
		faith lays almost all his meager salary upon the alter at the
		time of dedication and trusts God that somehow he will be
		sustained.  Then would come a few words of encouragement, a
		fatherly blessing and the writer of this simple testimony would
		gaze with misty eyes at the tottering figure down the road, and
		turn with renewed faith to the problems of a busy, modern world. 
	               	F.W. Dunning


     		From the book Black River and Northern New York Conference Memorial
		by Albert C. Loucks, published May 1923, The Corse Press, Sandy Creek, N.Y.
                pp 508-510