BRIEF MEMOIR 
 
 OF 
 
 DENNIS CURTIS, 
 
 PREPARED BY HIS PASTOR, 
 
 Rev. L. W. CRAWFORD, 
 
 A nd read on the occasion of his funeral at the MetJiodist 
 Church, in Greensboro, Sept. 15, 1885. 
 
 Published for private distribution among friends by the 
 family of the deceased. 
 
 GREENSBORO: 
 Thomas, Reece & Co., Job Printers. 
 1885. 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2013 
 
 http://archive.org/details/briefmemoirofden01craw 
 
ME1MOIR. 
 
 The subject of this memoir, our dear departed 
 brother, Dennis Curtis, was born in Randolph county, 
 N. C, November 14th, 1826. He never possessed a 
 robust, hardy constitution, but from boyhood was 
 thoughtful, steady and energetic. 
 
 At an early age, by reason of his industrious and 
 temperate habits, his strict attention to business and 
 his marked propriety of conduct, he won the esteem 
 and confidence of his employers in the town of Frank- 
 linsville and became a trusted and influential clerk in 
 a mercantile house there. 
 
 While yet a young man he accepted a position in 
 the Franklinsville Manufacturing Company, where he 
 served with great efficiency for a number of years. 
 On the organization of the Deep River Manufacturing 
 Company he became a member of that corporation and 
 gave his personal attention to its business. 
 
 Here, by reason of his marked integrity, his fair and 
 upright dealing, his kindly attention to all with whom 
 he was associated, he won the confidence, and to a 
 great extent the affection, of the people generally in 
 the community. In the year 1856 he was elected 
 principal agent of the Deep River Manufacturing Com- 
 pany, and to his management was committed to a large 
 
4 
 
 extent the business interests of that prosperous and 
 influential corporation. So satisfactorily and success- 
 fully did he discharge the duties of his office, that for 
 eighteen years he was annually re-elected to the same 
 responsible position. 
 
 In 1880 he removed from Franklinsville to Greens- 
 boro, in order to engage personally in the mercantile 
 business with the firm of Odell & Co., in which busi- 
 ness he had had an interest for a number of years. 
 Having exclusive charge of the retail department of 
 this large establishment, he came directly in contact 
 with the better class of people in Greensboro and the 
 surrounding country. Such were his manners, his 
 methods, his high-toned, gentlemanly bearing and 
 spirit, that he won very soon the respect and confid- 
 ence of the community, and it is but simple justice for 
 me to say, that possibly no business man among us 
 enjoyed a wider reputation for honesty, integrity and 
 uprightness of character than did he. 
 
 Everywhere respected and appreciated, possibly, 
 nowhere else were his many virtues and excellencies 
 so clearly seen as in his domestic relations. As a 
 husband and father he was constant, affectionate, 
 gentle and forbearing. To him, in truth, there was 
 "no place like home." He spared no effort to make 
 home comfortable, attractive and pleasant, and he was 
 never happier than when in the family circle surrounded 
 by all the members of his household. This loving 
 affection was mutual among the inmates, and his 
 brightest, happiest hours were passed within the sacred 
 precincts of his own quiet, lovely home. 
 
5 
 
 Of his religious life and character much might be 
 written. 
 
 It is not known certainly at what time he made a 
 public profession of faith in Christ, but it was at an 
 early period of his life. So uniform, consistent and 
 upright had been his general deportment of conduct 
 all the while, that there was little change in his outer 
 life after he professed conversion. However, he be- 
 came more interested in. Church work, more attached 
 to the preachers, and more anxious to do good. About 
 the year 1860 he was elected Superintendent of our 
 Sunday School at Franklins ville. For this work he 
 was peculiarly adapted, being by nature fond of 
 children, and so constituted as to take special pleasure 
 in reading and studying the word of God and of in- 
 structing and encouraging the young. He was greatly 
 beloved by both the teachers and pupils of his school, 
 and so great was the satisfaction felt by the Church and 
 people in regard to his work, that for eighteen years 
 he was continued in the same position. To him this 
 proved both a pleasant and profitable work, and he 
 has often spoken to me of how much he enjoyed this 
 labor of love in the vineyard of the Lord. 
 
 Three years ago he transferred his membership 
 to the church in Greensboro, and at once became active 
 and useful. In the fall of 1882 he was elected a stew- 
 ard, and also put in charge of the infant department 
 of the Sunday School. In both of these positions he 
 served with great fidelity, was prompt, attentive, in- 
 dustrious and intelligent. No member of the Official 
 Body seemed more ready to approve what was proper 
 
6 
 
 and more willing to help in everything that looked to 
 the prosperity of the church, than was he. He was 
 very fond of the public church service, and like the 
 Psalmist, seemed always to say, "I was glad when 
 they said unto me, let us go unto the house of the 
 Lord." 
 
 For some time past it has been his custom to sit 
 near the pulpit and take notes of the sermon, that he 
 might study it more thoroughly after his return home. 
 He was also a diligent reader, and devoted much of 
 his leisure time to the perusal of good books, and in 
 this way continued to improve and enrich his mind, 
 and also largely add to his store of knowledge. 
 
 There were two features of his religious character 
 that ought especially to be made prominent. 
 
 The one was his readiness at all times to talk pri- 
 vately on the subject of religion. While he was 
 always too timid to say much in church meetings, it 
 seemed always a pleasure for him to converse pri- 
 vately about his own personal experience. He was 
 not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, because he felt 
 that it was, to him, the power of God unto salvation. 
 
 Brother Curtis had not enjoyed perfect health for 
 a number of years. Although he was active and kept 
 constantly at work, his friends feared that his consti- 
 tution was too much impaired to resist long the strain 
 and wear of active business life. Alas, this fear was 
 only too well founded. Last Winter he contracted 
 deep cold, which settled upon his lungs and superin- 
 duced a violent case of pneumonia. For days and 
 weeks it was uncertain whether or not he would be 
 
I 
 
 7 
 
 able to resist the disease, but receiving the best medi- 
 cal attention, together with the most careful and ten- 
 der nursing, by the blessing of God, he sufficiently 
 recovered to return again to business for a few months, 
 but kept feeble all the while. 
 
 About three months ago he began to suffer with 
 what proved to be disease of the heart — defective heart 
 action. This trouble at once alarmed his physician, 
 for he feared it was of too serious a nature to be 
 easily, if at all, remedied. These fears were well 
 grounded. 
 
 Since that time he has all the while been in a most 
 critical condition. Sometimes at the point of death, 
 sometimes seemingly, but not really, better. This 
 varying condition continued until ten days ago, when 
 he began rapidly and steadily to decline. Day after 
 day his symptoms became more alarming and his 
 strength grew less, until, on Friday, all thought the 
 end was at hand. 
 
 However, he developed some strength and rallied a 
 little for a few hours, but on Saturday the life tide 
 began surely to ebb away. Conscious, but unable to 
 speak, without fear, and seemingly without suffering, 
 he waited the final result. At 101 o'clock, on Sun- 
 day night, Sept. 13th, surrounded by friends and loved 
 ones, without a struggle he breathed his last and fell 
 asleep. " Mark the perfect man, and behold the up- 
 right, for the end of that man is peace." 
 
 "Jesus can make a dying bed 
 
 Feel soft as downy pillows are, 
 While on his breast 1 lean my head, 
 
 And breathe my life out sweetly there." 
 
8 
 
 Having finished his work on earth, Bro. Curtis has 
 entered upon rest. He leaves the Church a rich 
 legacy in a name unsullied, a character untarnished, 
 and an example that we may all follow with safety. 
 
 May all the members of his household, and the en- 
 tire membership of the Church, live as he lived, with 
 constant reference to death and eternity, and may we 
 all like him find, in Christ, a sure support in life and 
 in death. 
 
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