Isaac Goodman Lamb
1856-1926
The Life of I. G. Lamb
Isaac Goodman Lamb was born near the Wabash River on August 1, 1856, in the small township of Hutsonville, Crawford County, at the eastern border of Illinois. He was the fifth child and first son of Christopher Lamb (04.16.1820-02.16.1893), originally of North Carolina, and Margaret Jane Hand, originally of Ohio (01.24.1817-03.29.1882). He married Mary Ann Rousch (1855-1939) on February 13, 1877, in Hutsonville. The two had six children.
I. G. Lamb was a member of the church of Christ. The earliest reports of his preaching are in 1886, when he preached for a year for the Pleasant Ridge Christian Church, about five miles north of Lawrenceville, Illinois. (welcometotheridge.org)
He attended the preacher training school at Elletteville, Indiana. There, he sat at the feet of the renowned W. H. Krutsinger. Graduating in 1896, Isaac returned to work in the field of Eastern Illinois.
The following illustrates some of I. G. Lamb’s preaching activities. Living in Charleston, Illinois, in 1895, he was reportedly preaching a protracted meeting at Allensville, near Windsor, Illinois, in September of that year. (The Windsor Gazette, 09.26.1895, p.1) Then, a report the following year revealed him preaching at West Hudson, near Decatur, Illinois, in May. (The Daily Review, Thursday, 05.07.1896. p.4)
In June of 1897, “Elder Isaac G. Lamb of Charleston” preached at the Christian Church in the Whitley Township in Shelby County, Illinois. (Shelby County News-Gazette, Windsor, Ill., Thursday, 06.24.1897, p.5. Then, in July, a report showed that Lamb was with Elder Ed Ellis, who preached at Boling school house in the Ash Grove Township, near Windsor, Illinois, on a Sunday afternoon. On that occasion, brother Lamb was said to have made a short talk. (The Shelby County News-Gazette, Thursday, July 8, 1897, p.5)
In 1900 the Lamb family was living in Nevins, just west of Elbridge, in Edgar County, Illinois, where he based his preaching the Christian Church in that community. Some reports show that he traveled up to Catlin some miles north to preach from time to time.
By 1915, the Lambs were living in Paris, Illinois, and he was reported to have been to Longview on an occasion in February, where he held worship services. (The Arthur Graphic-Clarion, 02.19.1915, p.4) A year later, he was said to be preaching at “Liberty” near Martinsville. (The Reporter-Times, Monday, 02.07.1916, p.4) In April, another news report said, “Elder I. G. Lamb, of Paris, Illinois, who is preaching this year each second Sunday of the month at Liberty church and each third Sunday at Union, fill his appointment at Liberty Sunday. He is spending the week with the membership of the two churches and will preach at Union next Sunday.” (The Reporter-Times, Martinsburg, Ill. 04.10.1916, p.1) There were a few reports that year where he met his regular appointments at Union Christian Church in Martinsville, Indiana, in 1916, including this one in July. (The Reporter Times, 07.16.1916, p.3)
In the early 1920s, he made some preaching trips to Missouri. In the spring of 1922, “Elder I. G. Lamb of Paris, Ill.,” was reported to have held a “meeting at Jericho school house, near Parma.” (The Dexter Statesman, Dexter, Mo., Friday, 04.14.1922, p.5). Then, in the fall of 1925, “Rev. I. G. Lamb, of Paris, Ill.,” preached “in the opera house Thursday night and Sunday” in Greencastle, near Kirksville, Missouri. (Kirksville Daily Express and Kirksville Daily News, Thursday, 10.1.1925, p.5)
According to Illinois state death records, Isaac Goodman Lamb passed from this life on April 17, 1926, in Symnies, Edgar County, Illinois, at the age of 69. (Ancestry.com) Burial followed in the Marshall Cemetery in Marshall, Clark County, Illinois.
-Scott Harp, 09.21.2024
Postscript: History has a most remarkable way of weaving events and people across similar paths. I became aware of the person and life-work of Isaac Goodman Lamb as a result of an email sent to me by his great-grandson, Roger Lamb in September, 2024. It should also be noted that Roger attended Harding College where he met his wife and married in 1968. In time they were able to put together a recounting in history that Roger's great-grandfather, I. G. Lamb, taught and baptized his wife's grandfather in West York, Illinois, many years ago. Along these same lines, from 1973-83 Roger preached in Charleston, Illinois for the Heritage Chapel church of Christ, most interestingly the same congregation his great-grandfather preached for during his preaching career. As the song goes, "Blest be the ties that bind!" Many thanks to Mr. Lamb for making the photos and a good bit of the information on this page available. Included in the list of things sent to me, but not seen here are birth and death dates from the Lamb family Bible as well as a complete bibliography of the library of his ancestor now in his possession.
Isaac G. Lamb at home, Charleston, IL ca 1896
Graduation Certificate From W. H. Krutsinger's
Preacher Training School In Elletteville, Indiana
Matrimonial Certificate Of
Isaac G. Lamb and Mary Ann Roush
February 13, 1887
Personal Library Of I. G. Lamb
presently in the possession of his great-grandson,
Roger Lamb
Primitive Christian, Wichita, Kansas
December 13, 1906, page 6.
The Reporter Times, Martinsville, Indiana
Monday, April 10,
1916, page 1.
Octographic Review
April 17, 1900, p.5
Octographic Review
May 22, 1900, p.8
Apostolic Review
April 25, 1922, p.15
Directions To Grave
I. G. Lamb is buried in Marshall Cemetery, Clark County, Illinois. Located between Martinsville, Illinois and Terre Haute, Indiana. Take I-70 to Marshall and head south into town. Turn right on the by-pass (Hwy. 40) and at the E. Clarkesville Rd. intersection turn right. You will soon see the cemetery on your right. As I've not been there, you will have to walk the cemetery to find the grave. The GPS below is for the cemetery location.
GPS Location of Marshall Cemetery
39°24'12.2"N 87°42'31.7"W
or D.d. 39.403400, -87.708800
Marshall Cemetery Entrance, Marshall, Illinois
Source: Google Maps
LAMB
Isaac G. 1856-1926
Mary A. 1855 - 1939
Webpage produced 09.21.2024
Courtesy Of Scott Harp
www.TheRestorationMovement.com
Special Recognition: Special thanks to Roger Lamb, great-grandson of I.G. Lamb for much of the content that appears on this webpage.