"August 25, 1835 The widowed Negro Brother John Emanuel departed this life at the age of 70 years. He had been afflicted with dropsy of the chest. At his funeral there were about 30 Negroes and many members of our congregation with their children. The departed Brother was born in Virginia. In his early years he was brought by his master to Salem and taken into the service of a Brother. He next served a married couple in Bethania diligently and faithfully. He early began to attend regularly preaching and other meetings and came under the blessing of the Lord to consider his need of grace and forgiveness. His soul was blessed and he was baptized 6 January 1803 by the late Br. Reichel. He went astray, alas, but the savior brought the lost sheep again into the way. He came to Salem many years ago and served faithfully in the tavern. On 28 December 1823, with his wife he became one of the first members of the little Negro Church and from that time on until the end he served as a sexton. His wife Sarah died in 1831. A peculiarity of his should not be left unnoticed. Since his baptism in the year 1803, on January 6, each year on this day, formerly in Bethania and later in Salem, he took pleasure in inviting a number of children of out members to an afternoon vesper, which they enjoyed together. He was a great friend of the children, who loved him, and often on Sundays a number of them would go to talk with him. He left in writing the notice that next year on January 6 he was going to have such a vesper with the children invited. He was beloved also by the grown people. I his last days he confessed his sinfulness and concluded with the words: "I shall soon depart; I have nothing in the world that gives me pleasure; I know the Lord and I am bound to Him; with all my waywardness and bad behviour He has not cast me off; I am certain that I, a poor sinner will be received by Him and I desire to depart and to be in the spirit, and look forward with joy unto blessed eternity, in full confidence in my Saviour and Redeemer.""

Citation:
Fries, Adelaide L., and Douglas LeTell Rights, eds. Records of the Moravians in North Carolina. 1823-1837 ed. Vol. VIII. Raleigh, North Carolina: State Department of Archives and History, 1854. 4196-4197.

Information provided by ellechelle