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Note: Rev. James Henry Hall Is Claimed Oldest Minister in Rowan County Dies at Clearfield Monday
Rowan County's oldest minister, both in age and in years of spiritual service, James Henry (Uncle Henry) Hall died Monday at his home in Clearfield. Born May 29, 1866, he was 86 years of age. Rev. Hall began preaching when a young man, and spent practically all of his adult life in this field. He has conducted services all over Eastern Kentucky and in other states and was probably the most widely known citizen in Rowan County.
On June 16, 1885 he married Clara Johnson, who survives. To this union there are six surviving children: Mrs. Ocie Blair, Cleveland, Oh., Mrs. Cordie White, Howard M. Hall, Rev. Hassard Hall, William Henry Hall and Ora Hall, all of Clearfield. He also leaves two brothers, Walter and Albert, and a sister, Mrs. Alice Quesenberry, Kingston, Ind. Other survivors include 19 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were conducted Tuesday afternoon at the Church of God Tabernacle in Clearfield with Reverends William Moore and Clifford Hutchinson officiating. Interment was in Clearfield Cemetery.
James Henry survived a 73 ft fall from a cliff Oct 8, 1882. The following article was printed in the Rowan County News of Tues, Oct 6, 1936:
Rev. Henry Hall, whose home is at Clearfield, celebrated a service of Thanksgiving on Sunday last for an incident that occurred 54 years ago. Rev. Hall, or as he is known to his friends, "Uncle" Henry Hall, on that memorable day 54 years ago fell from a cliff, seventy-five feet and is alive to tell the story.
It seems that at that time, Mr. Hall was sixteen years of age. He together with Isaac Quesinberry, who recently passed away, was out hunting. The two boys had wandered about in search of game until darkness gathered. Mr. Hall in telling the story says that he walked up to the edge of the cliff and in the darkness evidently mistook the tops of the trees in the canyon for level ground, walking out over the edge and falling the entire distance to the ground. He remembered calling to Mr. Quisenberry not to move as the cliff was there. Someway Quisenberry found his way down the cliff and found Mr. Hall buried up to his knees in the ground. He had struck on his feet and the force of his fall had literally driven his legs into the solid earth. So firmly was he imbedded that it took some time to dig around his legs and get him out.
For some time following his terrible experience he was an invalid, but finally recovered and is today a hale and harty man.
On Thurday, October 8 is the fifty-fourth anniversary of that fall and almost miraculous escape from death. In celebration of his rescue, Rev. Hall held services on Sunday at the foot of the cliff near the Morgan-Rowan county line. He preached the sermon, standing on the exact spot which he had landed fifty four years before. An immense crowd of friends from over the entire county were present at the services. Following the service, a picnic dinner was served to all who attended.
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