Information on Ida Gage and her personal life are difficult to come by. I hope as I do archival research in Wood County, Ohio, next week that I will find out more about her Bowling Green Circuit. I am also hoping that the Free Methodist Magazine archives will shed light on Ida’s personal life. The magazine certainly helped outline Clara Wetherald’s ministry and life, and I’m very hopeful that information on Ida will also be forthcoming. She was prolific in ministry, and as both her and Clara were gifted public speakers there is a record of their various places they preached at. The more difficult task is finding those speeches to analyze. However, I have a brief outline of Ida’s ministry in Ohio and a map of the places she served at. She often traveled across the northern part of the state preaching at various churches. Her job was by no means easy, and considering her health complications is quite impressive.
Ida Gage History of Ministry in Ohio, Michigan and California served from 1892-1914
Licensed Evangelist by 1893
Basic Family Info
Born: Ohio, approximate Date of Birth 1856
Lived in Montgomery Township in Wood County in 1870 Census
Approximate Date of Death: March 23, 1916 – in Los Angeles County, California
1892 Appointed to Bowling Green
1893 Appointed to Bowling Green
1894 Appointed to Deshler, Hume, Santa Fe
1896 – Lima and Cridersville
1897 Appointed to Delta and Amboy
August 4 Times Democrat Lima – Rev. Ida Gage preached at the Free Methodist Chapel on Elm Street. Subject “Church Ordinances”
August 28 Time Democrat Lima – Rev. Ida Gage left Lima in August, preached
1898 – Delta and Amboy
1899- Toledo, Bowling Green, Burgone
1900- Ridgeville and Bennett Corner
1901 Appointed to Ridgeville and Bennett Corner
November 14 Elyria Reporter – Sunday School Convention Rev. Ida Gage speaks on “The Pastor’s Place in Sunday School” – one of several addresses given at the convention
December 5 Elyria Reporter– Mr. Gage (Probably Ida’s Brother) visited Rev. Ida Gage in Brownhelm where she was living
1902 No Appointment
February 11 Elyria Reporter – North Ridgeville Protracted Meeting at Free Methodist Church held by Rev. J.C. Sherburn of Youngstown and Rev. Ida Gage
March 11 Elyria Reporter – Rev. Ida Gage travelled to Rockport where she was to assist the Rev. Casto in a series of revival meetings
March 20 Elyria Reporter – Methodist Episcopal Church in Fields held a Sunday School convention for Ridgeville Township. Rev. Ida Gage was the chair.
1903 Appointed to Chicago Junction and Tiffin
December 4 The Weekly Chronicle Elyria- Based in Chicago Junction at the time, the newspaper notes that the Rev. Ida Gage has been sick but is recovering. They note her the former pastor of the Chicago Junction Free Methodist Church
1904 Appointed to Mansfield and Chicago Junction
March 1 Elyria Chronicle– Sunday School Convention for Ridgeville Township in Fields, Ohio. Rev. Ida Gage President of Sunday School Union. The Union was comprised of the Free Methodist, Disciple, Methodist Episcopal, Congregationalist and other Sunday School groups in the county
June 28 Elyria Chronicle – Ida Gage, who was living in Clyde, visited Elyria
September 10 Mansfield News- Rev. Ida Gage, pastor of the Mansfield Free Methodist Church, is holding Sunday services 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.
1905 Appointed to Hume and Cridersville
July 29 Sandusky Star – Rev. Ida Gage accompanies her friend Miss. Emma Fry, who is suffering from lung troubles, to Colorado
1906 Appointed to Hume and Cridersville
1907-1908- Conference Evangelist for the Michigan Conference, living in Spring Arbor Michigan
During this time she was also a matron for the women’s dorm at Spring Arbor University. Family narratives note her daughter and son-in-law were attending Spring Arbor University during this period.
1909- Appointed to Jasper and Seneca Michigan Circuit
1912-1914- Conference Evangelist for the Southern California Conference
She moved to California with her daughter and son-in-law in 1910. She officially divorced her husband in 1912 and remarried a United Methodist minister in 1912. All Southern California records show her evangelists license under the name of Ida Gage Wood.