Missouri monument honors Sunday School missionary

Friday, November 2, 2007

Sunday School students from Illinois and Missouri raised money to erect a monument over the grave of Stephen Paxson in Bellefontaine Cemetery near St. Louis in 1881. Paxson was born on November 3, 1808 in New Lisbon, Ohio. His father died when he was young which forced his mother to place her seven children among strangers. Stephen was indentured to Harmon Fagan, a farmer, on the condition that he attend school 3 months a year. He had a serious speech impediment and the teacher sent a note home demanding that he be taught to speak correctly before coming back to school. This gave Fagan the excuse to keep him working. But Stephen contracted an illness that left him a cripple so he was apprenticed to a hatter. He had taught himself to read and do some math and he had a high native intelligence. But he still stammered and was lame.

To Read More
Subscribe Sign In
Continue reading with a subscription
Subscription options