CRIST, Mark Brown

Source: History of Boone County, Indiana, by Hon. L.M. Crist, 1914.

MARK BROWN CRIST Mark Brown Crist, son of L. M. and Mrs. Eunice (Brown)
Crist, was born at Liberty, Indiana, December 2, 1872, and died at his home, 7224 Mt.
Vernon street, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, October 26, 1914. He was married at Dayton,
Ohio, March 25, 1900, to Miss Anna Field. To this union were born five children,
Eunice, Floyd F., Mary Eleanor, Ida and Orpha Lee.

Mark B. was tutored at home, chose his profession at the age of twelve, graduated at
Purdue University, went into the shop at Dayton, Ohio; thence to Troy, New York;
thence to New York City for five years, where he received the practical training for his
profession, electrical and mechanical engineering. The past ten years he has been with the
Westinghouse people at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. He attained to the position of chief
engineer. Early in life he gave his heart and service to Christ and was faithful to the end,
attaining to the highest positions of trust and usefulness in the church home of his choice,
the United Presbyterian church at Homewood, in Pittsburg.

We quote Miss Lydia Hoath at the funeral services October 29, 1914: "I wish that I were
able to pay to the life and character of Mark Brown Crist the tribute that is due. Most of
his boyhood years were in our midst. His activities were more closely centered in the
home than was usual with most of us. It was for the most part his school and workshop
and in a large measure, too, his playground and his social world; for its doors were ever
open to aspiring youth and its spacious grounds witnessed many a wholesome festival
and frolic; and here the family gathered about them many choice, congenial spirits for the
mutual enrichment of their lives. In this home of rare culture, careful discipline and high
moral ideals, he grew to manhood a happy, obedient, ambitious son.

The best testimony to the value of these early influences and training is the record of the
years that closely followed. Mark went out from such fostering care to pursue his studies
at the university, thoroughly equipped to meet its requirements in scholarship--a student
of independent mold--and also, fortified against such temptations as often prove too
strong for many college men. Such was his record, that on graduating from Purdue
University, the president made this remarkable statement, that he could say of Mark Crist
what possibly he could not say of any other young man, 'He had done more for Purdue
University than Purdue University had done for him.'

His graduation was indeed the commencement of steady progress in his chosen
profession, electrical engineering. The great city hence became his home, but it had
spread in vain its snares for his feet. Here as in college life he was able to stand the test.
After a few years in Dayton, Ohio; Troy, New York; and New York City, he accepted a
position with the Westinghouse Company of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, with which
corporation he has been connected for the past ten years. In this day of close competition
and increased efficiency, he was recently promoted to the position of chief engineer. An
incident marks the freedom of his professional progress from the all too prevalent taint of
greed and selfishness. The Westinghouse people found it necessary, a few years ago, to
lessen its force of workers on account of a general financial depression. Among those
thus reluctantly laid aside was a man who had served the company faithfully and well for
about twenty years and who would feel the disappointment keenly. This so weighed upon
the heart of Mark Crist that he went before the board of directors and requested that the
older man be retained and he himself dismissed.

While living in New York City, Mark was married to a Christian young woman of
sterling qualities, Miss Anna Field. To them have been born five happy children, Eunice,
Floyd F., Mary Eleanor, Ida and Orpha Lee and each was welcomed as a gift from the
Father above. It was my privilege during two years residence in Pittsburg, to be granted
the freedom and fellowship of this home. Here was what may be best described as normal
family life, in the midst of much that is more or less artificial or stunted and narrow.
Though the interest of the father largely centered in the home and in his business, none of
life's right relationships were ignored or seemed neglected. He was responsive to the call
of duty in the political world, in the church and in the community. His close relationship
to activities of the Young Men's Christian Association and the church, form a continuous
thread through the fabric of years, marking his attitude toward God.

At the time of his death he was a deacon in the Reformed Presbyterian church and a
teacher of its large Bible class of adult men. On being chosen teacher of the class, he
wrote his father that he felt unworthy of such a trust, but knowing of his years of study of
the Word and his conscientious devotion to any accepted task, the father encouraged him
to respect the estimate of others.

In this brief survey, I am impressed with the unity which existed in the midst of great
variation of environment. That unity lay in the habit of seeking to get from every
situation and experience the highest and best it had to offer, and to contribute to them in
turn the best of which he was capable. And now the final test has come. The life has
returned to God who gave it, whose balances are not deflected by any errors of human
judgment. As a minister of the Gospel of Christ, I bear testimony that over all this
splendid record of years would be written failure, not success, had Mark been without
that faith in Christ Jesus as his Redeemer and Savior, which brought to him the
satisfactory evidence that he pleased God. We believe the life which we saw was made
possible by beholding Him who is invisible.

His last words were, 'leaving--leaving--leaving, all is complete.' He was leaving father
and her, who through the ministry of years he had recognized as mother and the devoted
wife, all honored and beloved; the children for whom he had joyfully planned and
striven; many comrades and friends. He was leaving when he seemed most needed, with
great tasks seemingly incomplete and with skies full of promise, but in that hour he could
say, 'All is complete.' Surely this is the utterance of a sublime faith--a faith that believes
with the great John G. Paton, 'The servant does his work and passes on through the gates
of sleep to the Happy Dawn; but the Divine Master lives and works and reigns, and by
our death, as surely by our life, his holy purposes shall be fulfilled.'

We have suffered loss and the sorrow will be keenest for those who knew and loved him
best. These are left to mourn, 'tis true, but to be sustained, as well, by a Mighty Hand.
The children too, may find that father's footsteps may be traced and father's God is nigh.
He has been allured to brighter worlds and led the way."

BROWN CRIST FIELD HOATH

Submitted by Amy K Davis