Rev. Charles and Mrs. Josephine Dayton Biography

by Mildred Jenkins, May 30, 1980

Norfolk-The Rev. and Mrs. Charles (Josephine) Dayton, Norfolk, are closing the year with the Norfolk Wesleyan Church and are retiring in West Chazy, N.Y., and Brooksville, Fla., (near Orlando).  They will be leaving the last week of June where they will be attending the Annual Conference and Camp Meeting of the Champlain District of the Wesleyan Churches, to be held at West Chazy starting June 25.  The Rev. Dayton’s last Sunday, as pastor of the Norfolk Wesleyan Church will be June 22, and they plan to leave for West Chazy on Monday, June 23.

          The couple’s daughter, Mrs. John (Camilla) Luckey, Alexandria, Va., plans to spend the week-end of June 21 at the home of her parents, and will accompanying them to West Chazy on June 23 and will leave on Tuesday, June 24, to return home to Alexandria, Va.

          The Rev. and Mrs. Dayton have resided in Norfolk for the last four years where the Rev. Dayton has served as pastor of the Norfolk Wesleyan Church. 

Chop and Chip with families probably picking berries on Hadley Hill circa 1929

          This makes 50 years that the Rev. Dayton has served as a minister with the Wesleyan Church, which started in 1930 when he first carried on the work in a country schoolhouse in Lake Luzerne (near Corinth) and in the Wesleyan Methodist Church in East Corinth for two years.  For the past 48 years he has served under Conference appointment, since 1932 with his appointment as pastor, June 1932, in Chittenden, Vt., where he served for three years.

          The Rev. Charles Dayton was ordained by the Champlain Conference in July 1934.  He served as Champlain District President for 22 years.       

          He served the Champlain District in many responsible positions starting as a layman, President, and trustee.  He served several terms as Youth President and several years as Sunday School Secretary, and many years as Camp Meeting President and represented the District several times as the District Representative at the General Conference of the Wesleyan Methodist Church (which became the Wesleyan Church in 1968) and represented the conference on the college boards at the United Wesleyan College, Allentown, Pa.  He was a member of the comity(sic) Committee for pursuing of the merger of the two churches: The Pilgrim Holiness Church and the Wesleyan Methodist Church, which became the Wesleyan Church in 1968.

          The Rev. Charles Dayton has pastored the following Wesleyan churches: Chittenden, Vt., 1932-1935; Glens Falls, 1935-1940; he started a new church in Watervliet, 1940-1946; he became the Champlain District Superintendent in 1946 where he served until 1952.  He served his home church as pastor from 1952 to 1960.  He became District Superintendent, again, in 1960, where he served in that capacity until 1976, when he was called to become pastor of the Norfolk Wesleyan Church.

          As District Superintendent, he also pastored.  He was instrumental in opening a church in Waterford where he pastored 1945-1946, and he pastored, twice, at the Springfield, Mass., Church, and has opened up other churches.

          The Rev. Dayton has been a member, for the past 40 years, of the Christian Holiness Association, which is a National Organization; and a member of the Board of Administration of the Christian Holiness Association for 25 years.  He served two terms as the President of the New York Holiness Association and has served as President of the Tri-County Holiness Association, for several years, comprising the counties of Saratoga, Washington, and Warren, and has also served as the President of the St. Lawrence County and Clinton County Christian Holiness Association.   At the present time, he is serving as the President of the New York State Christian Holiness Association.

          He has conducted evangelic(sic) Services, done work and preached across the country from Massachusetts to Oregon, Canada, Columbia, South America, Puerto Rico, Italy, and in several other states in the Union.

          The Rev. Charles Dayton was united in marriage to the former Gladys R. McDonald of Corinth, on February 3, 1926. She died in 1949.  They were the parents of two daughters: Isabelle and Doris.  Isabelle is married to Major Quentin O. Hayes, former Chaplain in the U.S. Army, and the couple reside in Phoenixville, Pa.  Doris, who is a Registered Nurse, is married to the Rev. John Lamos, who is pastor of the Springfield, Mass., Wesleyan Church, and the couple reside in Springfield, Mass.

          On April 11, 1950, the Rev. Charles Dayton was united in marriage to the former Josephine Fisher, in Corinth.  They are the parents of one daughter, Mrs. John (Camilla) Luckey, Alexandria, Va. 

          The couple has 8 grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

          Mrs. Charles (Josephine) Dayton, is director of Christian Education at the Norfolk Wesleyan Church, and as a retired educator.  She taught for 11 years in Ohio and 11 years in N.Y.S. Public Schools. She also taught missionary training at Nyack and had 4 years’ experience as a civilian supervisor at the military communications in Arlington, VA, during World War II. She also taught in Nyack Missionary Training College, north of New York City, and for the past 15 years she served as District President of the Women’s Missionary Society of the Champlain District. She has taught classes in teacher’s training in the Champlain District churches for the past 30 years. She holds a degree in education from Asbury College, {Wilmore} Kentucky, and a Masters of Religious Education from the Northern Baptist Seminary, Chicago, Ill.  In April 1980, she was re-elected, for a 2^nd term as second Vice President of the Women’s Auxiliary of the National Christian Holiness Association at a meeting held in a Baptist Retreat at Richcrest, North Carolina.

          The Rev. Dayton has also served as President of the Wesleyan Benevolent Society of the Champlain District and at present is a member of the board.

          The Rev. and Mrs. Dayton have made 3 trips to the Holy Land and have given several inspirational illustrated talks of their trips.

          The Rev. Dayton’s ministry has led him on many speaking engagements in evangelism to Europe, to: Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Luxemburg, Belgium, Netherlands, Greece, Cyprus and Rhodes in the Mediterranean; and also to Mexico, and several meetings throughout Canada and the Maritimes.

          The Rev. Charles Dayton is now listed with the General Wesleyan Church as an evangelist and with headquarters in Fla., and he will now be traveling throughout the country and to mission fields, overseas, and the Daytons hope to conduct tours to Israel.

          While the couple have resided in Norfolk, the Rev. Dayton, was overseer of the new building annex to the Norfolk Wesleyan Church, the sale of the old parsonage located on Morris St., and the new parsonage located over the church; new piano and organ installed, insulation, paneling, carpeting of the church, and updating of the Sunday School rooms and Sunday School equipment and general repairs.

          Mrs. Josephine Dayton is also Director of the Norfolk Women’s Missionary Society, and treasurer of the WMS, and also Director of Community Missions.

          The Rev. Dayton is a member of the Nutrition Advisory Board of St. Lawrence County.

          Both Rev. and Mrs. Dayton are members of the Jolly Agers Senior Citizens Club of Norfolk; and the Golden Agers Senior Citizens Club of Norwood, and the Rev. Dayton has served 2 years as secretary of the Golden Agers Senior Citizens Club of Norwood; and he is also a member of the Advisory Board of the SLCCSC (St. Lawrence County Council of Senior Citizens).

          Everyone is invited to attend the Open House to honor the Rev. and Mrs. Dayton, which be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday night, June 14^th, in the Norfolk Fire Station so that everyone may come and say “good bye” to the Daytons!

          Everyone who has known and worked with the Rev. and Mrs. Dayton, regret to have them leave Norfolk, but we both know that they are very worthy of their retirement, and even though we dread to see them leave this area, everyone of us wishes both of them the very best in their retirement and in their plans for traveling throughout the country and overseas in evangelism!

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