Rev. Robert Stewart
Rev. Robert Stewart was born January 6, 1797, in Ohio County, West Virginia, but when he was six years old the family removed to Belmont County, Ohio. He was educated in the Grammar School of Steele & McMillan in Xenia, Ohio, then in the Classical School at New Athens, which afterward became Franklin College. He also studied in the academy at New Washington, which grew into Madison College. He studied theology in the Western Theological Seminary two years under Dr. Herr and one year with Rev. Mingo Dick, Professor pro tem. He was licensed to preach May 26, 1830, by the Second Ohio Presbytery (United Presbyterian Church), and was ordained in December, 1832. At the time of his ordination (by the first Ohio Presbytery) he was installed pastor of the Cherry Fork and West Fork Churches in Adams County, Ohio. In 1838, he resigned the West Fork Branch of his charge and gave all his time to Cherry Fork. He died November 24. 1851.
Rev. Marion Morrison, of Mission Creek, Nebraska, says of him: "It was my privilege to have been a member of his congregation for several years, in my youth. While he was a very instructive preacher, he excelled in his work as a pastor among his people. As a companion, he could not be excelled. He was always cheerful and lively, but was never in the company of old or young for any length of time without imparting some word of instruction that would help in the journey heavenward. He was always ready for a joke, but carefully avoided offending in such pleasantries. He looked upon the pastoral relation with the same sacredness as the marriage relation." Cherry Fork was his first and his only pastoral charge. There he married Martha, the eldest daughter and child of John Patton. There his children were born and there he took his departure to the church triumphant. It is said of him that it never occurred to him to change his pastoral relations from Cherry Fork.
From History of Adams County, Ohio from its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time - by Nelson W. Evans and Emmons B. Stivers - West Union, Ohio - Published by E. B. Stivers - 1900