Rev. Jacob Blough, III

from The Herald of Truth - Vol. XVI, No. 2 - Feb 1879 - pages 30, 36, 37.

DEATH OF PRE. JACOB BLOUCH In Somerset County, Pa., Pre. Jacob Blouch departed this life on the 31st of December, 1878, aged 77 years, 10 months and 29 days. He was buried on the 2nd of January, in Jacob Blouch's burying-ground, upon which occasion, Samuel Blouch preached from Daniel 12:2, 3. His funeral services were held in the Mennonite Meeting-house, in which the deceased preached the gospel so many years, and so often pointed the people to the way of peace and eternal life. He was in the ministry nearly 48 years, and was never absent from his place unless called away to funerals (which was frequently the case) until about three years ago, when he had a stroke of palsy, which affected his body, voice and mind, that he was unable to preach much since, and during the last year he could no longer to go meeting unless he was brought; and continued to grow weaker, body in body and mind, so that during the last period of life, he had to be constantly taken care of, and watched over. His first wife died some 22 years after their marriage. He had with this wife eight children, six of whom are now living and two of the sons are ministers. His second wife died after having been united with him in marriage some 15 years. He leaves also 30 grand and 6 great-grand-children. In the evening before his death he seemed stronger, was put to bed and in the morning the spirit had fled. He was the successor of his father, Bishop Jacob Blouch, who was the first Mennonite preacher, in Conemaugh Twp., Somerset County, The two, father and son, preached in the church for a period of nearly 80 years, and never refused to preach at funerals whenever they were called.