In his teens, Alonzo became an Advent, a faith which he and several of his children followed all their lives. Alonzo was liberal in his belief. He not only kept the Sabbath Day holy, but he kept Sundays holy also. He would not do anything nor permit any members of his household to do anything on Sunday that would disturb people of other faiths. There was no Advent Church at Texas. His daughter Sarahtells how they used to worship.
On Saturdays in the afternoon, Alonzo Ennes gathered his family in front of the fireplace in the big dining room. There by the fireplace light, if it were cold, or by candle light if it were warm, (Alonzo never had a lamp in the house) he would read from the Old Ennes Bible, which had been handed down from generation to generation since the three sons left the Erne River Valley in Ireland nearly 200 hundred years before. After reading a passage from the Bible, they had a short prayer after which, if the weather was nice he took the children in the woods. Although there were no newspapers, Alonzo read many books, all by candlelight. He made the woods and outdoors interesting to his children by his nature stories. One of the books owned and read by him was “The Life of Abraham Lincoln” of whom he was an ardent admirer. The book, published before Lincoln’s death is now in the possession of Mrs. Mary Wilkins, one of his grandchildren.
When the
Community Church was built at Texas, Sarah Ennes stated that Alonzo Ennes
was instrumental in getting the church finished by giving a large contribution
towards its completion. Although always an Advent by faith, he wanted other
churches to thrive. Alonzo Ennes was an ardent worker. It is said that
during the busy season, he never took the harnesses off of the horses that
worked his large farms. He had his children work in the fields too, with
him. At meal time he usually sent Sarah and the younger children to the
house to get meals ready while ha and the older children remained in the
fields, for their mother was dead.
Click on page number below
Cover Page....Cover
Page2
1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10..11..12..13..14..15..16..17..18..19..20..21..22..23..24..25..26..27
28..29..30..31..32..33..34..35..36..37..38..39..40..41..42..43..44..45..46..47..48..49..50..51
Index