The Conference of 1871 was held in the Summerfield Church, Milwaukee, Oct. 11, and was presided over by Bishop Simpson. At this session the election of Delegates to the General Conference again occurred. The Conference was entitled to five clerical Delegates, and the Laymen to two. The Conference elected G.M. Steele, C.D. Pillsbury, Henry Bannister, P.R. Pease, and W.G. Miller. The Laymen's Convention elected Hon. Wm. P. Lyon, of the Supreme Court of the State, and R.P. Elmore, Esq., of Milwaukee. Judge Lyon being unable to attend, his place was filled by Prof. H.A. Jones, of Lawrence University.
At this session provision was made to hold a Methodist State Convention at Madison during the following summer. Able reports were also adopted on the subject of Temperance and the observance of the Christian Sabbath, showing that the members of the body kept abreast with the demands of the times.
This year the Conference was called to make a record of the death of two of its members, Rev. Isaac Searles, and Rev. Thomas Hughes. As reference has been made to the first named in a former chapter, it need not be repeated in this connection.
Brother Hughes was a native of Wales, and had been connected with our Welsh work. Alter serving two years in the Welsh Mission in Oneida Conference he came to Wisconsin in 1857. He settled in Fond du Lac county, and for several years supplied the Welsh Mission in Nekimi, preaching also at times to the English population in that neighborhood. His death occurred in Utica, N.Y. He was a man of strong mind, amiable spirit, and thoroughly versed in the doctrines of the Bible and the standards of the Church.
Besides this depletion of the Itinerant ranks, three of our brethren had been called during the year to go down into the deep shadows of domestic affliction, in the loss of their companions, Revs. William Teal, Warren Woodruff and H.H. Jones. The obituaries of these devoted co-laborers were inserted in the Conference Minutes.
During the session of the Conference, Mrs. Miller and myself were entertained by the Misses Curry, whose generous hospitality made our stay with them exceedingly pleasant. We also visited many of our old friends in the city as opportunity permitted, little dreaming of the surprise that was awaiting us.