Simon Peter Hoy Story

Simon P. Hoy is now district agent for the Northwestern Mutual Life

 Insurance Company, with headquarters at Decatur.  Many years of his life were devoted to the active work of the ministry and his influence therein was of no restricted order.  His career has been such a one as makes the world better for his having lived and his influence is ever given on the side of right, the true and the beautiful. Decatur numbers him among its valued and representative citizens, and his many friends in Macon county will receive gladly this record of his career.

Simon P. Hoy is a native of Fairfield county, Ohio, his birth having there occurred on the 16th of June, 1837.  He comes of New England ancestry. 

His father, Peter Hoy, was born in Pickaway county, Ohio,

and there he spent a portion of his early life.  He was a farmer by

 occupation and was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church. 

He possessed considerable musical talent - a characteristic of the

Hoy family - and had a splendid voice.  He died early in life, however,

passing away on the 13th of August, 1837, his death being the

 result of a fall in crossing a stream on his return from church. 

He was a most devoted Christian gentleman,

 zealous in behalf of the church and its harmony with his professions. 

 Although small in stature he possessed great strength. 

He married Miss Mary Stump, a daughter of Joel Stump,

who removed to Ohio from Pennsylvania when a young man,

first settling in Pickaway county.  He spent the remainder of his life in the Buckeye state.  He was a man of great moral worth,

of unquestioned honor and integrity and of high ideals as to family life. 

 He was of German lineage and was a member of the Lutheran

church which was also the faith of his ancestors. 

His daughter, Mary Stump, after losing her first husband

was again married in 1839 to David A. Hoy, a brother of her first husband. 

 By him she had ten children who reached years of maturity,

namely; John B., who served in the Civil War

as a member of Company H. Forty-first Volunteer Infantry;

Joel W., who was also a defender of the Union during the Civil War

 for three months; Adam M., who belonged to Company H, Forty-first Regiment of Illinois Volunteers;

Katherine E.; David W.; Jacob M.; Joshua; Albert; Mary E.;

and Julia, the wife of John W. Jinks. 

All of this family are living.

Simon P. Hoy at the usual age entered the public schools and

therein pursued his studies until he has mastered the

common branches of learning. he afterward spent five months

as a student in the seminary at Shelbyville, Illinois,

under Professor Jerome, and later he engaged in teaching in the district schools of Shelby county for three years.  When twenty-one years of age, while in Hancock county, Ohio, he was converted and became

a member of the United Brethren church, joining the

conference in the fall of 1860 at Lexington, Illinois,

that he might devote his life to the work of ministry. 

The church organization was known as the Illinois Annual Conference

of the United Brethren church.  His first pastorate was the

Broadwell mission, over which he had charge for a year.  He was next appointed to the church in Decatur, Illinois, where he served

for one year, largely advancing the cause of Christianity

through his zealous and earnest efforts here. 

He then located in Shelby county, where he again

engaged in teaching school for one year. 

On the expiration of that period he re-entered the ministry and filled

the pastorate of the church at Washington, Illinois, for two years. 

At the annual conference in the fall of 1866 he was elected presiding

elder of his district, his territory covering ten fields of labor.

  He was the youngest man in the ministry of this district,

 but he proved most capable in his labors as presiding elder,

 and under his guidance the churches did effective work. 

 On the expiration of his term of service in that office he continued in the active work of the ministry,  preaching at the new

Pana mission and afterward at the Macon mission.

During this period of his ministry his labors were greatly blessed with accessions in membership.   Two churches were also built

 during his labors in the ministry, one at Wheatland at a cost of

 three thousand dollars, and the other at Blue Mound,

which was also erected at a similar cost. 

Later Mr. Hoy served the Locust Grove circuit of Shelby county

for one year and was then elected presiding elder. 

At the next annual conference the central Illinois conference

 was formed and he was given charge of the church at

Lexington, Illinois, this being 1871.

Later he was once more chosen presiding elder and continued

 to serve in that capacity for two years, following which time

he was stationed at Streator, Illinois, for one year,

and while pastor there the new church building as completed.

In 1860 Mr. Hoy was united in marriage to Miss Amanda F. Morris,

 a daughter of Nathaniel and Eliza (Fisher) Morris.  She died in her

 sixtieth year on the 11th of February, 1901. 

Seven children had been born of this union: Edward M., who is a druggist

of Springfield, Illinois; Mollie, who is the wife of Frank J. Hodgins;

Charles D., who is bookkeeper for the firm of Linn & Scruggs, of Decatur; Josie E., who is the wife of Harry Lathrop; Ira B.,: and two who are now deceased.  These are Alice M., the first born, and Carla L.,

the third of the family.

In reviewing the life history of Mr. Hoy it seems that special

providence has watched over him and guided him. 

When he was but an infant of six months his mother was carrying

him in her arms on horseback,  when the animal stumbled and fell

and the mother and babe were thrown to the ground with great force,

but Mrs. Hoy shielded her child by striking upon her own elbows,

and though her arms were lacerated in a fearful manner the babe was uninjured.  During his pastorate at the Broadwell mission rather

than miss an appointment for religious service that he had made,

 Mr. Hoy forded the Sangamon river on horseback at great peril

of his own life.  It was in 1861, at the time of high water.  The fording of the river was a very dangerous operation, but he made it in safety, and his compensation for that service was but a dollar and a quarter.  On another occasion Mr. Hoy was crossing a stream in a buggy with his wife and child when the bridge cut loose from its fastenings and started to float down the stream.  Quick as a flash he urged his horse on and

plunging into the stream it quickly brought them

forth in safety to the shore.  Other proofs of the care which the

Creator has for his children and which Mr. Hoy has specially

received might be given.  In his own work in behalf of the church he has greatly promoted moral development.  He was a strong forceful speaker, energetic and zealous and willing to make an effort or sacrifice

 to keep his appointments.  No task was too arduous for him,

and his labors were attended with splendid results,

many additions being made to the church during his various pastorates.

Source:

" Past and Present of the city of Decatur and Macon County Illinois",

The S. J. Clare Publishing Co., 1903

S. P. Hoy,

Veteran minister, dead

Resident of Decatur for past

42 years

Rev. Simon P. Hoy, next to the oldest minister in the Illinois

conference of the United Brethren church, died at

4 o'clock Tuesday afternoon at the residence of his daughter,

Mrs. Frank Hodgins, 776 East Lincoln Avenue.

He was Seventy-nine years old. He had been a resident of
Decatur for the past forty-two years and was known to all the

old residents of the city and county.

JUST PAST BIRTHDAY

Mr. Hoy had been in good health for a man of his age, up to last

Thursday, when he suffered a bout of acute indigestion. He was

seventy-nice years old Friday and plans had been made to

celebrate his birthday by a family reunion and birthday dinner

and supper at Fairview Park, but the illness of Mr. Hoy

prevented that. His condition grew steadily worse and all day

Tuesday, it was known he could not recover. Mr. Hoy had planned

to attend the annual conference and was preparing an address

that he intended to deliver.

BORN IN OHIO

Mr. Hoy was born in Fairfield county, June 16, 1837. He was a son

of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Hoy. He came to Illinois when a boy. After

attending the common schools he attended the seminary, at

Shelbyville for five months. After that he taught district schools in

Shelby county for three years. He united with the United Brethren

church in Hancock county when he was twenty one years old and

immediately began studying for the ministry, and was ordained a

minister at the annual Illinois conference of the church at

Lexington Illinois in 1860.  His first charge was the Broadwell

mission. He had charge of this for a year. The following year he came

to Decatur and had charge of the church here for a year. Then he

returned to Shelby county and taught school for a year at the end

of that time accepted a call to the church at Washington, Illinois.

He remained in charge of that church for two years. In the fall of

1886 he was elected presiding elder.

Mission AT PANA

He was then the youngest minister in the district. After his term as

presiding elder expired he had charge of the mission at Pana and

the Macon church. During his ministry a new church was built at

Wheatland and another at Blue Mound each costing $3,000.

Later he served the Locust Grove circuit in Shelby county for a

year and was again elected presiding elder. In 1878 he had charge

of the church at Lexington, Illinois. Later he again was again

elected presiding elder, serving two years. The following year he

had charge of the church at Streator and a new church was built

there during his pastorate.

He came back to Decatur in 1874 and located permanently. For a

number of years he sold the American Encyclopedia. He entered the

employ of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance company in

1883 and later became district agent. He continued in the life insurance

business until a few years ago, having his office in the Millikin building

for many years. He was frequently called to preach after coming to

Decatur and often supplied pulpits in neighboring towns. He was a

forceful speaker and a willing worker. He experienced all the

hardships that attended the pioneer minister who like doctors at

that time made their round on horseback fording streams when

necessary to reach their destinations. He always felt that a special

providence watched over him as he had many narrow escapes

from death or injury. When he was only six months old his mother

took him in her arms and started on horseback to visit a neighbor.

The horse fell with them. The mother shielded him by breaking

the fall with her arm. She was badly injured, but he was unhurt.

FORDED SANGAMON

In the spring of 1861, while the Sangamon river was high he forded

the stream and came near being swept away. He had an appointment

to preach and was bound to keep it. The amount he received for

that days labor in the church vineyard  was $1.25. Some time later

while he with his wife and child were crossing a bridge in a buggy,

the bridge was washed away. As it swung near the bank, Mr. Hoy

urged the horse into the water and the animal was able to pull the

buggy to the bank. All got wet but were unhurt.

Mr. Hoy is the second of eleven children to die. He was twice married.

His first wife was Miss Amanda F. Morris. She and Mr. Hoy were

married August 23, 1860. Seven children were born to them. Two

died in infancy, and Mrs. Hoy died February 11, 1901. In 1907, he

and Mrs. Olive Edgett were married and she with the following children

by the first wife survives. Edward Hoy of Springfield;  Charles Hoy of

Los Angeles, California;  Ira B. Hoy of Decatur; Mrs. Frank Hodgins

and Mrs. Harry Lathrop, also of Decatur. The following half-brothers

and half-sisters also live in this vicinity. Wesley Hoy; Joshua Hoy; and

Jacob Hoy of Assumption, Mrs. John Jinks of Bethany and

Miss Kate Hoy of Assumption; another half-sister, Mrs. Kate Carnell,

lives at Big Pine, California.  Mrs. Jinks and her husband and the

three half-brothers arrived Tuesday before the death of Mr. Hoy.

The Decatur Review

June 21, 1916

Obituary Courtesy of Loretta Taylor

One of My Many Find A Grave Friends.