Rev. Charles H. Husband, a prominent Kansas clergyman, now pastor of the Congregational Church at Anthony, is a native of the Sunflower State. He was born on a farm in Saline county, June 4, 1870, and is a son of Elijah and Mary M. (Elwell) Husband. He comes of Revolutionary stock, tracing his ancestry back to Herman Husband, who lived in North Carolina prior to the Revolution, and who, in 1770, raised a regiment and waged battle with the British Governor Tryon, in which he was defeated. He escaped to Pennsylvania, where he became the first settler in Somerset county, and later becoming prominent in political affairs, being a member of the State legislature. The line of descent is through his son Isaac Toscape (born during the flight from North Carolina and named in commemoration of the event), who became a celebrated theologian of his day. Then through his son Herman, who was a noted minister of the Disciples' church for forty years. To Herman were born ten children, of whom the third, Elijah, born in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, February 2, 1838, was the father of the subject of this sketch. When Elijah Husband was six years old his parents removed to Randolph county, Illinois, where his father followed farming and the ministry until his death in 1876. He was killed in an accident by being thrown from a colt at the age of sixty-five. Elijah Husband was reared in Randolph county where he followed farming until 1866, when he came to Kansas, locating on government land in the Smoky Hill Hiver[sic] Valley, near where the town of New Cambria is now located. He was one of the very first settlers in that section of the State. His first home was a dug-out, and he entured[sic] all the hardships and privations incident to early life on the plains, and at that time hostile Indians were not infrequent in that part of the State. In 18878[sic] he sold his homestead and bought land in Saline River Valley, where he was successfully engaged in farming and breeding thoroughbred horses until his death December 26, 1879. He was a veteran of the Civil war, having served as a private in Company K, Illinois Marine Regiment, which bore the particular designation of "The Horse Marines." Politically he was a Republican but never aspired to hold public office. He was elected justice of the peace one time, but refused to qualify. He lived a consistent Christian life, and was a member of the Presbyterian church. He was married in 1862 to Emeline Conant, who died three years later, leaving one child, William Horace, and in 1869, Elijah Husband and Mary M. Elwell were united in marriage. She was a daughter of John Calvin and Elizabeth (Sawyer) Elwell, and was born February 18, 1848, in Washington county, Illinois, and was a teacher in Saline county, Kansas, a number of years before her marriage. To Elijah and Mary M. (Elwell) Husband were born three children: Charles H., the subject of this sketch; John Harmon, born November 2, 1873, in Saline county, married Nellie Deitrick and they have two children, Harold and Helen. John H. is a veteran of the Spanish-American war, having served in Company E, Twenty-second Regiment, Kansas infantry. He is now a farmer and dairyman in Chase county, Kansas. The youngest of the family, Emma Edith, was born March 24, 1877, in Saline county. She was educated in the Saline Normal School, and was engaged in teaching ten years prior to her marriage. She is now the wife of William W. Stegeman, of Marion county, Kansas, and they have three children, Ralph, Margaret and Ruth. Rev. Charles H. Husband was educated in the public schools, attending high school at Salina, and at the age of seventeen began work in a planing mill at Salina, remaining there for three years. In 1890 he went to Pittsburg, Kans., and was employed as a salesman in a department store four years. When fourteen years old, he had identified himself with the Presbyterian Church of Salina, and had been active in Christian Endeavor and Y. M. C. A. work, and in 1894 became General Secretary of the Y. M. C. A. at Parsons, Kans. He held that position four years. In 1896 he was elected state treasurer of the Kansas State Christian Endeavor Union and for three years was president of the Fifth District of the Kansas Christian Endeavor Union. In 1898, he became city editor of the "Parsons Daily Globe" and held that position one year. During all these years he had been preparing himself for the ministry, and for five years was a licensed minister in the Congregational Church, and on July 7, 1903 was regularly ordained a minister of the Congregational church at the council held at Dover, Kans, of which Dr. Charles M. Sheldon of Topeka was Moderator. In 1904 he became pastor of the Congregational Church at Chapman, Kans., remaining there two and one-half years. He was next located at Linwood, Kans., for four years and two years at Highland, Kans. On April 1, 1913 he became pastor of the Congregational Church of Anthony, Kans. This is one of the oldest congregations in Harper county, and was the first church organized in Anthony and the first to build a church edifice in the town. This was in 1878. Rev. Charles H. Husband was married June 4, 1900, at Neodesha Kans., to Miss Blanche Hendricks Lindley, a native of Neodesha, born May 7, 1877. She is a daughter of Frank C. and Carrie Hill (Lane) Lindley, the former a native of Ohio born at Athens, April 20, 1834, and came to Kansas in 1872 and is now living retired at Neodesha. His wife was born in Montezuma, Ind., October 21, 1852. Mr. Husband seems to have inherited his talent for his ministerial work, as not only was the great-grandfather a noted theologian, and the grandfather an able minister for forty years, but an uncle, David Husband, has been very prominent in evangelistic work in the Disciples' Church for more than forty years, having served as State evangelist of several States, active in Kansas in 1877 and 1878, and at present is located at Eugene, Oregon. Mr. Husband became a Mason in 1907, and has been active in Masonic circles since that time.