Walter Abel Briggs was born 7 July, 1863 in Macomb County, Chesterfield Twp., Michigan to Jerub and Harriet Briggs.

He spent his young years working on his parents farm. He was educated in the local school and, in 1886, he went to Olivet College from which he graduated in 1892. He worked for Professor Joseph Estabrook while attending college.

Brought up by Godly parents and his Mother’s desire that he become a preacher, it was only natural that he respond to God’s call. During the summer of 1892, he supplied churches in Northern Michigan for the Congregational association. That fall he entered Chicago Theological Society. He was only able to complete two of the three year course. He served as Columbian Guard at the World’s Fair in Chicago, ILL from May to November, 1893.

In May, 1894, he went to Hudsonville, Michigan to supply the Congregational Church for the summer. He was ordained in that Church on June 26,1894 and served there for 4 and one-half years. It was natural that he should desire that his body be taken there for burial, for many pleasant associations always came to his mind in thoughts of his first parish.

Maud Grinnell, whom he had known for many years, became his bride on 12 December, 1894, at the home of her sister, Louise Grinnell Topping in Cedar Point, KS. To this union were born two sons, Egbert Estabrook, born 12 October 1895 at Hudsonville, and Dwight Newton, born 12 March 1900, at Big Rapids, MI.

The second parish her served was at Big Rapids where he stayed for five years. Then the family moved to Toledo, Iowa; Stuart, Iowa, and Perry, Iowa. From there he became the pastor of Fourth Congregational Church in Chicago, ILL. Other pastorates: Villa Park, ILL, Pacific Congregational Church and Auburn Park Congregational Church, both in Chicago. Vermontville, MI, was his last charge and he left there in October, 1935, planning his retirement from the ministry. He ‘passed in’ to the Glory Land on 11 July, 1936, after two weeks of treatment in the Fifth Avenue Hospital, New York City.
In commenting on his life the Stuart, Iowa Herald on 24 July 1936 stated:

"Rev. Briggs was one of the best loved pastors that ever served here in the Congregational Church. He made many friends not only in his congregation but among the people of other denominations."

Created: 8 April 2006
URL: http://kent.migenweb.net/obituaries/briggswa.html