Son of Jacob Piper Fisher and Jane Michelle Brownlee (sic).
Brother, Samuel B. Fisher
********
The Presbyterian church was filled to capacity yesterday with the friends of the Rev. George McVey Fisher, pioneer minister of the Flathead, who came to pay tribute to his memory.
Mr. Fisher was born at Cherry Fork, Ohio, October 31, 1949, the son of Rev. and Mrs. Jacob P. Fisher. His father died when he was three years old and he afterward made his home with his grandmother at Washington, PA where he grew to manhood, graduated from Washington and Jefferson College in 1875, and afterward entered Union Theological Seminary in New York, graduating in 1882. In that year he was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Washington, and came to Missoula as a missionary. There he was the founder of First Presbyterian Church in Missoula County, which then included much of western Montana, purchased a site and erected a temporary church building. He also established missions at four points in the Bitterroot valley, where permanent church organizations have since been founded, and was ordained by the Presbytery of Montana in 1883; was elected clerk of the synod for two terms and served as moderator in 1898.
He was married to Miss Mary Swaney, a sister of Andrew W. Swaney of this county, at Missoula on January 14, 1886.
In 1886, accompanied by his wife, he came to what is now Flathead County (then a part of Missoula County)on a vacation, and preached at Ashley, which was the first religious service ever held in the valley. Attracted by the beauty and agricultural possibilities of the valley, Mr. Fisher and his family located here in 1887. He purchased 160 acres in what is now the west side of Kalispell, which he later sold to the Kalispell Townsite company when the location of the future city was decided upon in 1891. He afterward took a 40 acre timber claim which he platted and sold as Fisher's addition to Kalispell.
After establishing his residence here, Mr. Fisher organized the Presbyterian Society of Ashley, which became the First Presbyterian Church of Kalispell. He was teh first pastor and continued in that capacity until his resignation in 1930. During all this time, and until very recently, when he was compelled to discontinue on account of ill health, he preached in various communities in the county. Also he was frequently called upon to perform wedding ceremonies and to officiate at funerals long after he had ceased his active ministry, and up to the time he became disabled by ill health.
Mr. Fisher was always liberal in his views, was greatly beloved by all classes to be found in a frontier town of the early eighties and performed the last rites for many a man who literally "died with his boots on". He was the only clergyman of Demersville days and was always held in the greatest respect, even by those who professed no religion.
In addition to his work in Kalispell, he was authorized by the general assembly to organize a presbytery at Great Falls, which he did in October, 1883.
His passing will be greatly regretted by all who know him and particularly by those who were associated with him in the pioneer days.
Beside Mrs. Fisher, he is survived by five children, Mrs. C.H. Scherf, George McVey, Jr., and Hugh G. Fisher all of Kalispell; Mrs. S.C. Robinow of Berkeley, California, Mrs. James Keller of San Francisco and Miss Crystal J. Fisher of Wallace, Idaho.
Brother, Samuel B. Fisher
********
The Presbyterian church was filled to capacity yesterday with the friends of the Rev. George McVey Fisher, pioneer minister of the Flathead, who came to pay tribute to his memory.
Mr. Fisher was born at Cherry Fork, Ohio, October 31, 1949, the son of Rev. and Mrs. Jacob P. Fisher. His father died when he was three years old and he afterward made his home with his grandmother at Washington, PA where he grew to manhood, graduated from Washington and Jefferson College in 1875, and afterward entered Union Theological Seminary in New York, graduating in 1882. In that year he was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Washington, and came to Missoula as a missionary. There he was the founder of First Presbyterian Church in Missoula County, which then included much of western Montana, purchased a site and erected a temporary church building. He also established missions at four points in the Bitterroot valley, where permanent church organizations have since been founded, and was ordained by the Presbytery of Montana in 1883; was elected clerk of the synod for two terms and served as moderator in 1898.
He was married to Miss Mary Swaney, a sister of Andrew W. Swaney of this county, at Missoula on January 14, 1886.
In 1886, accompanied by his wife, he came to what is now Flathead County (then a part of Missoula County)on a vacation, and preached at Ashley, which was the first religious service ever held in the valley. Attracted by the beauty and agricultural possibilities of the valley, Mr. Fisher and his family located here in 1887. He purchased 160 acres in what is now the west side of Kalispell, which he later sold to the Kalispell Townsite company when the location of the future city was decided upon in 1891. He afterward took a 40 acre timber claim which he platted and sold as Fisher's addition to Kalispell.
After establishing his residence here, Mr. Fisher organized the Presbyterian Society of Ashley, which became the First Presbyterian Church of Kalispell. He was teh first pastor and continued in that capacity until his resignation in 1930. During all this time, and until very recently, when he was compelled to discontinue on account of ill health, he preached in various communities in the county. Also he was frequently called upon to perform wedding ceremonies and to officiate at funerals long after he had ceased his active ministry, and up to the time he became disabled by ill health.
Mr. Fisher was always liberal in his views, was greatly beloved by all classes to be found in a frontier town of the early eighties and performed the last rites for many a man who literally "died with his boots on". He was the only clergyman of Demersville days and was always held in the greatest respect, even by those who professed no religion.
In addition to his work in Kalispell, he was authorized by the general assembly to organize a presbytery at Great Falls, which he did in October, 1883.
His passing will be greatly regretted by all who know him and particularly by those who were associated with him in the pioneer days.
Beside Mrs. Fisher, he is survived by five children, Mrs. C.H. Scherf, George McVey, Jr., and Hugh G. Fisher all of Kalispell; Mrs. S.C. Robinow of Berkeley, California, Mrs. James Keller of San Francisco and Miss Crystal J. Fisher of Wallace, Idaho.
Son of Jacob Piper Fisher and Jane Michelle Brownlee (sic).
Brother, Samuel B. Fisher
********
The Presbyterian church was filled to capacity yesterday with the friends of the Rev. George McVey Fisher, pioneer minister of the Flathead, who came to pay tribute to his memory.
Mr. Fisher was born at Cherry Fork, Ohio, October 31, 1949, the son of Rev. and Mrs. Jacob P. Fisher. His father died when he was three years old and he afterward made his home with his grandmother at Washington, PA where he grew to manhood, graduated from Washington and Jefferson College in 1875, and afterward entered Union Theological Seminary in New York, graduating in 1882. In that year he was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Washington, and came to Missoula as a missionary. There he was the founder of First Presbyterian Church in Missoula County, which then included much of western Montana, purchased a site and erected a temporary church building. He also established missions at four points in the Bitterroot valley, where permanent church organizations have since been founded, and was ordained by the Presbytery of Montana in 1883; was elected clerk of the synod for two terms and served as moderator in 1898.
He was married to Miss Mary Swaney, a sister of Andrew W. Swaney of this county, at Missoula on January 14, 1886.
In 1886, accompanied by his wife, he came to what is now Flathead County (then a part of Missoula County)on a vacation, and preached at Ashley, which was the first religious service ever held in the valley. Attracted by the beauty and agricultural possibilities of the valley, Mr. Fisher and his family located here in 1887. He purchased 160 acres in what is now the west side of Kalispell, which he later sold to the Kalispell Townsite company when the location of the future city was decided upon in 1891. He afterward took a 40 acre timber claim which he platted and sold as Fisher's addition to Kalispell.
After establishing his residence here, Mr. Fisher organized the Presbyterian Society of Ashley, which became the First Presbyterian Church of Kalispell. He was teh first pastor and continued in that capacity until his resignation in 1930. During all this time, and until very recently, when he was compelled to discontinue on account of ill health, he preached in various communities in the county. Also he was frequently called upon to perform wedding ceremonies and to officiate at funerals long after he had ceased his active ministry, and up to the time he became disabled by ill health.
Mr. Fisher was always liberal in his views, was greatly beloved by all classes to be found in a frontier town of the early eighties and performed the last rites for many a man who literally "died with his boots on". He was the only clergyman of Demersville days and was always held in the greatest respect, even by those who professed no religion.
In addition to his work in Kalispell, he was authorized by the general assembly to organize a presbytery at Great Falls, which he did in October, 1883.
His passing will be greatly regretted by all who know him and particularly by those who were associated with him in the pioneer days.
Beside Mrs. Fisher, he is survived by five children, Mrs. C.H. Scherf, George McVey, Jr., and Hugh G. Fisher all of Kalispell; Mrs. S.C. Robinow of Berkeley, California, Mrs. James Keller of San Francisco and Miss Crystal J. Fisher of Wallace, Idaho.
Brother, Samuel B. Fisher
********
The Presbyterian church was filled to capacity yesterday with the friends of the Rev. George McVey Fisher, pioneer minister of the Flathead, who came to pay tribute to his memory.
Mr. Fisher was born at Cherry Fork, Ohio, October 31, 1949, the son of Rev. and Mrs. Jacob P. Fisher. His father died when he was three years old and he afterward made his home with his grandmother at Washington, PA where he grew to manhood, graduated from Washington and Jefferson College in 1875, and afterward entered Union Theological Seminary in New York, graduating in 1882. In that year he was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Washington, and came to Missoula as a missionary. There he was the founder of First Presbyterian Church in Missoula County, which then included much of western Montana, purchased a site and erected a temporary church building. He also established missions at four points in the Bitterroot valley, where permanent church organizations have since been founded, and was ordained by the Presbytery of Montana in 1883; was elected clerk of the synod for two terms and served as moderator in 1898.
He was married to Miss Mary Swaney, a sister of Andrew W. Swaney of this county, at Missoula on January 14, 1886.
In 1886, accompanied by his wife, he came to what is now Flathead County (then a part of Missoula County)on a vacation, and preached at Ashley, which was the first religious service ever held in the valley. Attracted by the beauty and agricultural possibilities of the valley, Mr. Fisher and his family located here in 1887. He purchased 160 acres in what is now the west side of Kalispell, which he later sold to the Kalispell Townsite company when the location of the future city was decided upon in 1891. He afterward took a 40 acre timber claim which he platted and sold as Fisher's addition to Kalispell.
After establishing his residence here, Mr. Fisher organized the Presbyterian Society of Ashley, which became the First Presbyterian Church of Kalispell. He was teh first pastor and continued in that capacity until his resignation in 1930. During all this time, and until very recently, when he was compelled to discontinue on account of ill health, he preached in various communities in the county. Also he was frequently called upon to perform wedding ceremonies and to officiate at funerals long after he had ceased his active ministry, and up to the time he became disabled by ill health.
Mr. Fisher was always liberal in his views, was greatly beloved by all classes to be found in a frontier town of the early eighties and performed the last rites for many a man who literally "died with his boots on". He was the only clergyman of Demersville days and was always held in the greatest respect, even by those who professed no religion.
In addition to his work in Kalispell, he was authorized by the general assembly to organize a presbytery at Great Falls, which he did in October, 1883.
His passing will be greatly regretted by all who know him and particularly by those who were associated with him in the pioneer days.
Beside Mrs. Fisher, he is survived by five children, Mrs. C.H. Scherf, George McVey, Jr., and Hugh G. Fisher all of Kalispell; Mrs. S.C. Robinow of Berkeley, California, Mrs. James Keller of San Francisco and Miss Crystal J. Fisher of Wallace, Idaho.
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