Claremont Loses Spiritual Leader In Dr. Kingman

Dr. Henry Kingman, pastor emeritus of the Claremont church, died last night shortly after 7:00 o'clock following an illness of about a week's duration. The news of his death came as a great shock to the community, for although he had been a sufferer of cardac asthma for many years and had often before been critically ill, he had recovered from these attacks so many times that his friends could not believe last night that the end had come.

The spiritual leader of the commuity for twenty years, Dr. Kingman had become the most revered and respected man in Claremont. Until a few years ago when he became pastor emeritus, Dr. Kingman was the active leader of the Claremont church which became the strong organization which it is today under his leadership. He was also a trustee of Pomona College, having served on the board since 1901, and having taken an active part in the program of development which has placed that institution at its present high standing.

Dr. Kingman is survived by his wife; one daughter, Mrs. Maxwell Chaplin of Nanking, China; two sons, Harry Kingman, who is a traveling Y. M. C. A. secretary with headquarters in New York; and Allan Kingman who is a medical student in Chicago. It is hoped that both sons will be here for the funeral services, the time for which has not been set. Dr. Kingman also leaves a brother, Abner Kingman, who with his wife, was a recent visitor at the Kingman home in Claremont.

Dr. Kingman was born at Boston on December 2, 1862, being 58 years of age at the time of his death. He attended Colby College in Maine and later attended Hartford Theological Seminary where he received his degrees of Doctor of Divinity.

Having decided to devote his life to the ministry Dr. Kingman chose China as his field and went out to that country under the auspices of the American Board for Foreign Missions. He was in Peking for many years and his work in that country won for him much praise and recognition among the churches of this country. He wa sin the Chinese capital at the time of the Boxer uprising and barely escaped with his life. A Chinese-English dictionary which he had written at great effort and which was to have been one of the major achievements of his life was destroyed at that time.

It was in Peking that Dr. Kingman met his wife, who was the daughter of the head of the English missionary compound there. They were married in China and both of their sons were born in that country.

Ill health made it necessary for Dr. Kingman to return to this country and give up his career as a missionary. He came to California with his family and first lived in San Diego before coming to Claremont. He was called to the pastorate of the Claremont church in 1900 and was formally installed as pastor of the church in December, 1901. The congregation met at that time in Holmes Hall and the membership was only 204. In 1907 the new church was built and when Dr. Kingman became pastor emeritus on November 5, 1917, the membership of the church was 725.

Dr. Kingman became a trustee of Pomona College in 1901 and a few years ago Dr. C. B. Sumner, writing in his history of Pomona College, said of Dr. Kingman that "by inheritance, by education, by years of peculiar experience, and by his superb ability and rare, ripening Christian character, Dr. Kingman is one of the greatest assets of the college."

When Dr. Kingman was obliged three years ago to give up his active duties as pastor of the Claremont church, the church and the community realized the large palce that he had filled in its life. He preached on rare occasions and during the summers and his sermons were eagerly welcomed by the congregation. He had a rare power of expression, a high idealism and his sermons were always full of meaning, the products of deep thinking and high purposes.

Dr. Kingman was the author of several books on religious subjects and was a contributor to religious periodicals.