REV. ALFRED APPLE was born December 12, 1812, in Guilford county, North Carolina, and died April 10, 1886, in Mecklenburg county, Virginia, where he had finally settled.
His great-grandfather whose name was Adam Apple was reared and married in Germany. He immigrated to America and settled first in Pennsylvania, but afterwards removed to Guilford county, North Carolina. He belonged to the Regulators and took part in the Battle of Alamance. The grandfather of Alfred Apple who was named Daniel, married a lady by the name of Spoon. They reared a large family of children, one of whom was named John. This son married Mary Wagoner, and of these parents Alfred Apple, the subject of this sketch, was born.
He professed faith in Christ and united with the church at Apple's chapel in 1831. He was licensed to preach by the General Meeting of the North Carolina and Virginia Conference held at Kedar (Mt. Auburn) in Warren county, in 1833, and was with Thomas J. Drumwright assigned to the Surry circuit, in Virginia. He attended the Conference at New Providence in 1834, and in 1835 he was ordained an Elder, at Pleasant Grove church, Virginia, and was assigned to the Staunton River circuit. In 1836, he was at the General Meeting at O'Kelly's chapel, and was assigned with Alfred Iseley to Raw River circuit; in 1838, at Pope's chapel, he was assigned to Staunton River circuit. In 1837, he married Jane Butler of Halifax county, Virginia. Their children were Flavius J., Lewis, and William.
From the time of his ordination to 1844, he traveled extensively in Virginia and North Carolina preaching the Word. He was in attendance upon the Conference at Union in Alamance county (then called Union meeting house, in Orange county), held October 2, 1840. From a letter to the Editor of the Palladium, dated, Halifax, Virginia, March 5, 1841, he says: "Bro. Marsh, Several numbers of the Christian Palladium have fallen into my hands, with which I am much pleased. Because, 1st, It is not for war, but for union with all Christians. And 2nd, It holds up in bold relief the best and only standard, around which the saints can be united. May God prosper the great work." At the Conference at Pleasant Grove, Randolph county, North Carolina, in 1843, he was appointed and served on the committee on the state of the church, and on a like committee at the Conference in 1844, at Hanks' chapel, in Chatham county. This Conference appointed him one of the fraternal messengers to the Eastern Virginia Conference, and to travel as an itinerant the ensuing year. He attended the Conference at Pope's chapel in Granville county, in 1847. In 1850, he was at the Conference at Union chapel, and served on the committee on ordination to examine candidates for Elder's orders. He was chosen a delegate to the Southern Christian Association. In 1852, he was at the Conference at Union chapel again, in which he took an active part. He was a fraternal messenger to the Eastern Virginia Conference held at Providence chapel, Norfolk county, Virginia, November 4, 1852, and preached on Sunday by appointment of the committee on religious exercises.
He delivered the opening address at the Conference at Mt. Pleasant in Randolph county, in 1853, and served on the committee on ordination which recommended Thomas Truitt for ordination. He was assigned to Kedar, Fuller's, Harris, Lebanon, Mt. Zion, and Alamance Factory. At New Providence in 1855, he was on the committee on ordination.
Rev. A. Apple was a delegate from the North Carolina and Virginia Conference to the Southern Christian Convention, first organized at Union chapel, in Alamance county, in 1856, and acted on the committee on the organization of conferences. The plan submitted embodied what had already been practiced, and though a half century has elapsed since, it remains substantially the same. Also he was appointed on a committee whose duties were similar to those of what would be called an Executive committee. At this time he resided at or near Clarksville, Virginia.
At the Conference immediately following the Convention, he was requested, in the form of a resolution, "to supply the vacant churches in his portion of Virginia with preaching the ensuing year," if he could not, to get someone to supply if possible. In 1857, the Conference met at Bethlehem, and elected him, a delegate to the Southern Christian Convention to meet at Cypress chapel, Nansemond county, Virginia, and a fraternal messenger to the next regular session of the Eastern Virginia Conference. He served these churches in 1859: Midway, Mt. Auburn, Union, and Reece's chapel. In 1866, he was chosen a delegate, to the General Convention which met at Mt. Auburn, in Warren county, North Carolina, and in 1867, was appointed a fraternal messenger to the Central Virginia Conference. In 1870, he was appointed a fraternal messenger to the North Carolina Conference of the Methodist Protestant church. He represented his Conference in the General Convention at Suffolk, Virginia, in 1870; at New Providence, Graham, North Carolina, in 1874; and at Lebanon, Caswell county, in 1878. In the mean time he took regular work, which he continued to do till 1883, when he became too feeble for regular service, but preached occasionally. He was for fifty-two years a preacher of the Gospel and did good work in his day. Sometime before his death, he requested Rev. S. B. Klapp to preach his funeral sermon, which he did in Union church, Halifax county, Virginia, from the text: "And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them." Rev. 14:13. And at the grave by his special request also, the old hymn "Deliverance" was sung:
His body was laid away beside that of Rev. Lewis Craven in the Union church-yard burying ground, in Halifax county, Virginia.
