THIS DAY IN 1918 IN THERECORD

Sunday, April 21, 1918. Hours after delivering a “virile and patriotic sermon” to his congregation at Fifth Avenue Baptist Church, Rev. Warren G. Partridge dies at his Myrtle Avenue home this afternoon at the age of 63. Partridge had been pastor of Fifth Baptist since November 1911. A Maine native, he came to Troy after leaving Pittsburgh’s largest Baptist church because “the climate in Pittsburgh had affected his lungs and throat.” Members of the congregation tell The Record that Partridge seemed “more active than ever” this morning as he preached on Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good, to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” Some describe the sermon as “one of the best ever heard in the church.” Partridge takes ill after eating dinner at home, but feels better after a nap. He plans to preach as scheduled tonight, but the family physician, Dr. L. S. Schneider, tells Mrs. Partridge that the pastor should take the evening off. When she goes to tell her husband what the doctor said, she finds him dead. “Our beloved pastor, like Paul, had fought a good and faithful fight and had been called to his eternal reward,” a church official says tonight. Partridge was a nationally popular author of children’s stories. His “Jimmy Coon” animal adventures are currently being serialized in newspapers across the country.

St. Patrick’s Service Flag

Rev. P. F. Doheny, assistant pastor of St. Patrick’s Church, blesses a service flag honoring 107 parishioners currently serving in the U.S. military during services this morning.

“Clustered around this ceremony are many patriotic sentiments of the past, in the present, and for the future,” Doheny says, “It speaks more eloquently than words of the sacrifices of our young warriors of the present, and will record their deeds of heroism when their sword will have won the battle for the free.”

Doheny assures parishioners that their boys are “only too anxious and willing to go over the top” in Europe, “One day it will be said of them that – as their good Catholic forefathers – they were ever in the foremost ranks. They never left the field until the broken sword of the enemy spelt defeat.”

With Americans troops battling a massive German offensive, and news arriving this week of the first Trojan killed in action, Doheny urges the mothers in his congregation to “Clasp your dear ones to your heart as you say ‘Good-bye, God bless you.’ Our hearts are breaking but our love for our country tells us to bid you go forth, young men.”

-- Kevin Gilbert