Betts, Xenophon

Published Biography

From Harriet Taylor Upton, A Twentieth Century History of Trumbull County, Ohio: A Narrative Account of Its Historical Progress, Its People, and Its Principal Interests (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1909), Volume 1, pp. 594-595:

Xenaphon Betts and his wife Jane were among the later settlers of Vienna. Betts was a minister and served the Presbyterian Church twenty-eight years. He was not only interest in his own township, but in the county’s educational and religious affairs. He had five children, the best known being Dr. Helen Betts, now a successful practicing physician in Boston. She was the first woman physician in Trumbull County, being a student of D. B. Woods. After she had taken her medical course and graduate, practiced for a little time in Warren, she went to Youngstown, and then to Boston. She made a place for herself in the profession, when that profession hardly tolerated women.

Death Notice, Western Reserve Chronicle

The following is transcribed from a digital version of the original issue of the Western Reserve Chronicle, May 24, 1871, page 3. (The digital version is available here at the Library of Congress's Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers site.)

Death of Rev. Xenophan Betts.

Died in Vienna, Thursday evening, May 18th, 1871, REV. XENOPHAN BETTS, in the 72d year of his age. His funeral was attended by a large concourse of people, on Saturday at 11 A.M. The church was appropriately draped in mourning, and crowded with friends of the deceased from far and near; for all men loved and reverenced him as a good man, full of meekness and the spirit of the Master. An excellent sermon was preached by Rev. Henry B. Eldred, of Kinsman, the oldest pastor in the county, and well acquainted with Mr. Betts during the 28 years he labored in Vienna. The death of an aged, faithful and loved pastor is no common loss to the people over whose spiritual interests he has watched with anxious solicitude for long years. The little children, the youth and the middle aged whom he has baptised, and with earnest prayer commended to the mercy of the Father of all; and that only company of happy ones who came to him in the May time of their young love for a holy confirmation of their mutual vows, to love, honor and be true through all life’s sunshine and cloud; these with those who remember his tears mingled with theirs in the dark hours of bereavement, or when days of sickness shadowed their homes—all these, and many more, will drop a tear of unfeigned sorrow over the grave of the good, kind and pure old man whose oft familiar voice shall be heard at the alter [sic] and family circle no more forever.

Xenophon was also a pastor of the Wakeman Church in Wakeman, Ohio before coming to Vienna. He was also a pastor at Vermilion, Ohio.[1]