Edwin Daniels was born in the town of Butternut, Otsego County, N. Y., February 19, 1824. He moved with his parents into the town of Bolivar, Allegany County, in the year of 1830. The family consisted of father and mother and five children - four boys and one girl. Later one more daughter was born into the family. On the 21st day of April, in 1834, the father and a son next younger than Edwin were drowned in a mill-pond between Bolivar and Little Genesee.
Deacon Daniels wrote as follows concerning his conversion and his religious experience: "Being under the influence of a devoted mother, I was often impressed with the need of being a Christian, and the Holy Spirit urged me to take a stand for Christ. While attending a revival when I was thirteen years old, which was held in a barn by a Methodist minister by the name of Benjamin, I felt the joy of sins forgiven. Since that time I have taken much comfort in trying to follow the Saviour, but I look back with many regrets at the mistakes which I have made. When I was about eighteen years of age, I joined the Free Will Baptist Church. In my 23d year, I was married to Abby J. Williams, September 24, 1846. In the next year I embraced the Sabbath that the Bible requires to be kept, and I joined the Seventh-day Baptist Church at Richburg, N. Y. In the spring of 1881, I was chosen deacon of that church." In that same year (1881) the oil business was developed at Richburg, and there being considerable demand for real estate, Mr. Daniels sold his place and moved to Nile, N. Y., in the town of Friendship. At that time Deacon Daniels joined the Friendship Seventh-day Baptist Church. After a few years of residence at Nile, Mrs. Daniels health failed and she gradually faded away. On the 22d day of October, 1889, she died trusting that Saviour who had been her support from early youth through a life of more than sixty-six years.
On December 4, 1890, Deacon Daniels married a second wife, Mrs. Elizabeth L. Wilson, the oldest daughter of W. F. Daniels of Morris, Otsego County, N. Y. He was a brother of Deacon Daniels' father. Deacon Daniels was a faithful worker in the church and could always be counted upon to bear his part of its responsibilities. He had been in poor health for several years, and for several months was confined to his bed nearly all the time. He really seemed stronger for the past few weeks, so every one was surprised when he quietly passed away on the evening of November 30, 1908, at his home in Nile, N. Y. His funeral was conducted at the family residence, December 2, by the pastor. The body was interred in Richburg Cemetery.
J. L. Skaggs
