Walter M. Sutherland: A Saint Enters H is Rest W a l t e r M. Sutherland was bom on March 6, 1868, in Hanover, Indiana. He was one of seven boys and two girls in the family. auditorium at 8:30 and were taught the great truths of Scripture by means of object lessons, slides, and other visual aids which were originated by Reverend Sutherland. for ten years as Stated Clerk of the Benecia Presbytery (now Presbytery of the Redwoods). He served as Moderator of the San Joaquin Presby tery for two terms.
He was graduated with his Bacca laureate degree from Hanover Col lege, in 1895, and graduated from the San Francisco Theological Seminary in 1898. In 1904, he received his Mas ter of Arts degree from Hanover Col lege. He was ordained to the Gospel min istry at Fulton, California, where he began his public ministry in 1898. In that year he was married to Miss Mary Baldridge, daughter of Dr. Baldridge, President of Hanover Col lege. At Fulton, two sons were bom, Samuel H. (1900) and Walter F. (1907). In 1910 he was called to the pastor ate of the First Presbyterian Church of Sausalito, California. In 1912 Mrs. Sutherland passed away and in 1914, he married again to Miss Jessie Leslie, a public school teacher of Windsor, California. In 1915 he was called to the pastorate of the First Presbyterian Church of Fort Bragg, California, a redwood lumbering town; here he had also a very effective ministry among the men of the lumber camps. In 1920 he became pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Lemon Cove, California. During his eleven years in Lemon Cove, he established what was probably the first Released Time Education program in the state of California. The church adjoined the public school grounds and for a num ber of years, each school day morn ing at least 75% of the grammar school children met in the church
In 1959 he flew to Hanover College to attend the inauguration of the present President of the College, as representative of his class of 1895. He was recognized at that time as the oldest living alumnus in attendance and as the oldest living member of the Sigma Chi National Fraternity. During the time of the BIOLA fund raising campaign for the new campus, in 1955 and 1956, Mr. Sutherland ob tained more gifts for the campus than any other volunteer solicitor. On the occasion of his ninetieth birthday, his friends in Chowchilla presented him with a b i r t h d a y g i f t exceeding $2,000.00 which, at his request, was designated for the BIOLA College campus. It was also his request that at his death gifts to BIOLA should be given in lieu of any floral remem brances. An appropriate memorial will be provided by these gifts. Reverend Sutherland suffered a coronary occlusion on the evening of June 1, and on June 2, went home to be with the Lord. He is survived by his two sons: Samuel H. Sutherland, President of BIOLA, Los Angeles, and Walter F. Sutherland, U. S. Park Ranger in Nevada; by five grand c h i l d r e n , Phillip Sutherland and Mary (Sutherland) Chase, David Sutherland, Beverly (Sutherland) Zimmerman, and Leslie Sutherland; and by three great-grandchildren, Kenneth Chase, Susan and Sharon Sutherland.
In 1931 he became pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Chow-
Four generations of Sutherlands. Top to bottom: Walter, Samuel, Phillip and David.
chilla, California, where he served until his retirement in 1947. He was made Pastor Emeritus of the Church in Chowchilla. Until shortly before his death he was regularly teaching a young people’s Sunday School class and frequently preached in the pas tor’s absence and whenever calls came for his services. During the years of the depression and World War II, in addition to his many pastoral duties, he directed and assisted in many civic and patriotic committees and programs. He served
army the men are instructed, “ Don’t aim a gun at a man unless you intend to kill him.” Had the teenager dry-firing from a third-story window been told that? Commercial interests are brainwashing the minds o f our children into believ ing that pointing guns at people is the thing to do. Could it be that we are raising a generation of gangsters who think that killing is a mere pastime? By the way, we bought our four oldest children a B-B gun not long ago. Under their father’s supervi sion, they are learning to respect it as the lethal weapon that it is. They don’t look down the barrel, and they never, never point it at a person. Had a certain sixteen-year-old been taught the proper handling o f a gun, my husband wouldn’t have been the near-casualty that he was. Death stalked close. Too close. Because a careless teenager was trigger-happy! THE KIN G 'S BUSINESS
DEATH STALKED CLOSE— TOO CLOSE (cont.) where. But by patiently explaining my reasons, m y children understand. They are being reared in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. W e want to be consistent. So toy guns are out. Maybe it sounds as if I would toss out all guns. Far from it. Guns are a wonderful invention; a necessary auxiliary to our economy. The chances of survival for our early pioneers would have been slimmer had they not had guns, crude as they were, to help keep meat on the table. I married a soldier. He carried a gun for three and a half years in the service of his country. The right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness which we cherish must sometimes be defended — at gunpoint. But bearing arms in the service of your country and pointing a gun at an individual in civilian life are two different things. When guns are issued to an outfit in the
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