Charles T. Durboraw, D. D., pastor of the First Methodist Episcopal Church at Coffeyville, Kan., was born near Gettsyburg, Pa., Sept. 5, 1855. His parents were Samuel and Mary R. (Coshun) Durboraw, natives of Pennsylvania, where their entire lives were spent. Samuel Durboraw was a farmer who took an active part in the political life of the community and was twice elected to the state legislature on the Republican ticket, previous to the Civil war. He was a Presbyterian, and his wife belonged to the Methodist Episcopal church. Charles T. Durboraw was reared in Pennsylvania, educated in the public schools, and then entered the preparatory department of Pennsylvania College, at Gettysburg. When his elementary education was completed he entered the college proper, graduating with the class of 1875. Three years later he received the degree of Master of Arts from the same institution. Immediately after leaving college he erected[sic] Drew Theological Seminary, at Madison, N. J., in which he graduated in 1878. In March of that year he came to Kansas and entered the South Kansas Conference. Since that time he has served as pastor at the following places: Pleasanton, three years; Girard, two years; Cherryvale, three years; Chetopa, four years; Burlington, five years; Fort Scott (first church), four years, and then was presiding elder of the Ottawa district for the full term of six years. At the expiration of that service he went to Pittsburg and served his sixth year there in 1910. Mr. Durboraw is a builder, and desires to see not only his congregation but his churches grow. While he was at Pleasanton a new church was built, and it was dedicated the last Sunday of his pastorate there. The parsonage at Cherryvale was built while he ministered there and the Burlington church was rebuilt during his services at that place. While at Pittsburg extensive improvements were made on the church and a pipe organ was installed. Mr. Durboraw has been one of the pioneers in the temperance work in Kansas and in the enforcement of the law. His work along that line began in Burlington and has since grown. He took an active part in the enactment of the Kansas prohibition amendment. While at Fort Scott, he took a prominent part in the election of officers who would see that the law was properly enforced. His interest in this work is very keen and he is doing a great good for temperance in Kansas. When the appropriation for the Kansas State Manual Training Normal School of Pittsburg was before the legislature, it met with opposition because of the lack of enforcement of the liquor law in that city, and Mr. Durboraw put forth a great effort to better the local conditions. It took several years to secure the passage of a city prohibitory ordinance, but the temperance advocates succeeded in the end. Mr. Durboraw took considerable interest in the elections at Pittsburg and in Crawford county, in order to secure the best men for office, and he was especially gratified at the result of the 1910 election, as the law enforcing officers elected had the endorsement of the twelve Methodist ministers of Crawford county. On Aug. 15, 1878, Mr. Durboraw married Ida Gehr Sheads, of Gettysburg, Pa., and five children have been born to them: Flora May, deceased; Anna, the wife of J. L. Kirkpatrick, Esq., of Pittsburg, a graduate of the law department of the state university; Margery, at home; Ida Estelle, a teacher of domestic science in the Kansas City University; and Ruth, deceased. In 1909 Mr. Durboraw had the honor of having the degree of Doctor of Divinity conferred upon him by the University of Upper Iowa. He was appointed pastor of the First Methodist Church at Coffeyville, in March, 1911.