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Joseph H. Holbrook*
Biographical Sketch On The Life Of J.H. Holbrook In
this sketch of the life of Joseph H. Holbrook we have another lesson in
the struggles in poverty and obscurity to prominence and usefulness in
human society; also a lesson how one struggles from the bondage of
superstition and denominationalism to the light and liberty in Christ
Jesus. These lessons ought to encourage any one who may be handicapped by
the circumstances of life. Any one who wills to become good and useful may
do so. J.
H. Holbrook was born on December 14, 1841, in Perry County, Tennessee. His
parents moved to Hickman County while he was quite young. His parents were
accustomed to hard work and poverty. Young Holbrook learned the lesson of
economy and self-denial in childhood. He knew what it was to be pinched
with poverty and endure hardships in this life. He had very few
opportunities for an education. The school terms were short, and he never
had the opportunity to attend a full session. There were very few churches
of any kind in his younger days, and the preachers were not educated. Young
Holbrook's mother was a member of the Primitive Baptist Church. His father
was one who waited for the "call." His mother had deep
convictions and entertained the preachers of her faith in her home with a
hope that her husband would receive the "call" that he was one
of the elect. Young Holbrook loved his father and knew that he was a good
man. He could not understand why his father, who, wanted to go to heaven
and who was deeply interested in religion, was not chosen. Much of the
preaching that he heard was only the relation of experiences. The
preachers always started in relating their experiences with the fact that
they were very wicked in their former days, but that God had saved them.
Young Holbrook could not understand why the Lord would call to be his
children the extremely wicked men, but would not call his father. On
December 14, 1862, J. H. Holbrook enlisted in the Confederate Army. He was
twenty-one years old the day that he enlisted. He made a good soldier, as
he was used to the hardships of poverty and self-denial. He was captured
by the Federal Army at Nashville, Tenn., December 15, 1854. He was carried
as a prisoner of war to Camp Douglass, at Chicago, Ill., and remained a
prisoner till the war closed. When he was mustered out of service, he
returned home with very little clothes, almost naked, and was seventy-five
dollars in debt, with not a penny to pay his indebtedness. He returned
home too late that year to plant a crop. He had courted a sweet girl
before he enlisted in the army; and so, when he returned in such dire
circumstances, he borrowed two dollars with which to buy his marriage
license and borrowed a coat in which to get married. He married a girl, to
use his own language, "who had nothing but a pure heart and a good
stock of religion." His wife was a member of the church of Christ.
She began to teach him the way of the Lord. She had a godly influence on
him and soon brought him to see the light which is revealed in the New
Testament. He had not been married long before he was baptized by E. A.
Land, who was preaching in that country. Brother Holbrook was anxious for his neighbors and relatives to learn the truth, so he began trying to preach. He knew but little about the Bible and had no opportunity to, associate with any preachers who were well informed from whom he could learn. He was forced to study the New Testament. He did this, and within a few years no, other preacher in that country knew more of the word of God than did J. H. Holbrook. He was industrious and exercised good judgment with his economy and bought a little farm. He paid for this farm and accumulated some property. However, his desire to preach the gospel was so great and urgent that he decided to sell his farm and go to school. He did this, and he entered school at Mars' Hill, near Florence, Ala. The justly famous T. B. Larimore was operating the school at that time. Brother Holbrook was older than Brother Larimore, his teacher. He remained in school there two years and preached as he had opportunity in North Alabama. After leaving school, he moved to Fayette County, Alabama. He had nothing left of his farm, save a horse and buggy and his good wife. He lived in Fayette County sixteen years. He preached throughout the counties of Fayette, Lamar, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Marion, Lawrence, Franklin, and Colbert, all in Alabama. He traveled over the mountains and hills and plains on horseback and preached in schoolhouses, under the trees, in private houses, in courthouses, along the highways, and wherever people would assemble to hear him. He was very successful as an evangelist and baptized thousands of people.
One
day, while he was preaching, he was interrupted by a man, who said to him:
"Parson, water baptism may do for such folks as you; but if I am ever
baptized, I want it to be with the Holy Ghost." Brother Holbrook was
not in the least excited or disturbed, but calmly said to him: "Well,
now, my brother, you bad better take such as you can get. Any preacher can
baptize you with water, but God only can baptize you with the Holy Ghost,
and he may not consider you of sufficient importance to require such
special attention." At another time he was interrupted by another
man, who said to him: "If you have not been baptized with the Holy
Ghost, I would not give much for your religion." Brother Holbrook
replied: "It is of no concern to me whether you would give much for
my religion or not. I did not come here, anyway, to auction off my
religion; I came to tell you how to live so that you might have a religion
of your own. My religion is not on the market." He was asked at one
time by one who was interested in the Alabama Christian Missionary Society
how much could be raised in his field for missionary purposes. He replied:
" I do not know how much can be raised in my field for missionary
purposes this year. I have planted my field in cotton, and it is too early
in the season yet to tell how it will pan out, but all it makes is for
missionary purposes." Brother
Holbrook was so successful as an evangelist that his services were in
demand in other States. He preached extensively in Tennessee, Mississippi,
Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas. There are prosperous churches in
all of these States now which are the result of his preaching. He seldom
went into a new section that he did not establish a congregation there.
The joy of his life was to plant churches in new territory. Many prominent
citizens in the various callings of life today were baptized by J. H.
Holbrook. In his latter days he moved from Alabama to Levy County,
Florida. For a number of years he was in bad health, but preached as he
had opportunity. He was a good man, and lived His
wife preceded him some years, and Brother Holbrook left his property so
that one or two young men could he educated in the Nashville Bible School,
now David Lipscomb College. He not only did good while he lived, but made
such arrangements for his property to do good after be was gone. What a
beautiful example for others! From Biographical Sketches of Gospel Preachers, H. Leo Boles, pages. 317-321 Addenda: A note of interest concerning Brother Holbrook should be mentioned here. While in Walker County, Alabama, a young man who came under his influence, and was baptized by him was none other than Charlie Wheeler. Wheeler baptized 6000 people in his lifetime. One of the young men Wheeler taught and converted was Gus Nichols, who in turn baptized over 12,000 people in the course of his own life. Consider the powerful influence of this great man of God! Another young man who came under Holbrook's influence and was baptized by him was F.B. Srygley at Rock Creek, Alabama. Srygley also became known as a great gospel preacher.
Directions To The Grave Of J.H. Holbrook In Florida heading south of the city
of Gainesville on I-75, at Mile Marker 385, take Hwy 24
(Gainesville/Archer) Exit #75. Head west on Hwy. 24 toward the city of
Bronson. From I-75 it is 19.4 miles to Bronson. In Bronson you will come
to a traffic light, the cross road of which is SR500/Alt-27. Turn right
heading north out of the city. Go 3.2 miles and Alt-27 bears to the left. Stay
straight and enter CR 339A. Go another 3.5 miles on CR339A and turn
right on NE 120 St. (Note: If you turned left here
*Holbrook, is sometimes spelled Halbrook, Hallbrook, Halbrooke, in different writings. His first wife, Margaret died Sept. 22, 1891. Her stone records, "Wife Of J.H. Holbrook." The stone of his second wife, Eliza S., who incidentally, died 13 days after her husband, renders her as "wife of J.H. Holbrook," hence, the spelling with an "o."
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you would be on CR320).
On The Corner is the
sign of Ebenezer Baptist Church. Travel down NE 120 St. .6 mile and bear
to the left. You will see the church building off to the left. Continue traveling
past the front of the building and you will be between the building and
the old cemetery. Enter into the gate, and go straight into the graveyard
from the gate about 50 yards. This is where the Holbrook plot is located.
Holbrook is buried between his two wives: the wife of his youth was
Margaret E. who died in 1891. He later married Eliza S. who survived her
husband only 13 days.
