From the 1800’s
KIMBALL (These two paragraphs are from the People Section of the USA deaf history page)
Ellen White in the fourth volume of the Testimonies, p. 300, White refers to the ministry of a deaf man by the name of Kimball. She explains his work with Deaf during her time.
“We were interested in Brother Kimball, who is a mute and has been a missionary among the mutes. Through his persevering labors quite a little company have accepted the truth. We meet this faithful brother at our yearly camp meetings, surrounded by several of his mute converts. Someone who can hear writes out as much as possible of the discourse (sermon), and he sits surrounded by his mute friends, reading and actively preaching it over again to them with his hands. He has freely used his means to advance the missionary work, thus honoring God with his substance.” {4T 300.3}
Research by Douglas Silva and André Oliveira [from Brazil] discovered various interesting facts. found that Kimball had been married with two children. His wife died much too young, but he then made it his life purpose to take the Adventist message to Deaf in five different states. One time he was actually hit by a train, though not killed. They found that Kimball was buried in the same cemetery in Battle Creek where Ellen and James White are buried.
FROM REVIEW & HERALD: Page 20, Vol. 31, April 28, 1868
From Bro. and Sr. Kimball. (Both Deaf)
DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS IN CHRIST:
My wife and self are deaf and dumb. We got our education at Hartford, Conn., deaf and dumb Institute. We left school thirty-three and thirty-four years ago, after learning, four years, how to write and read. We were taught that man possessed an immortal soul, and my mind was very much on the future of the wicked.
We were members of the Baptist church for twenty-five years. We left N. H. sixteen years ago, and live in the West. We visited a deaf and dumb family in Indiana, and they talked with us that man did not have an immortal soul. I had a book of him, Mortal or Immortal, and I searched the Scriptures with interest, and compared the book with Bible truth. We had no books on Sabbath question for seven years.
Bro. Cornell lectured in Anamosa, Iowa, and we did not know any thing of it until he had most closed his lectures; but our two children heard and talked to us. So we had books of Bro. Cornell, and searched the Scriptures, and could not find a first-day Sabbath in the Bible. We understand that Christ said that there would be many false teachers; so we were all taught by false teachers that knew nothing, that held the tradition of the Catholic church.
I was much interested on the Bible prophecy, and wanted preachers at my house to show me what I did not understand of the Scriptures. There were many things in the Bible that I could not understand.
We have kept the Sabbath eight years, and we do not get tired nor discouraged, but we feel thankful to God that we were led to see the truth of God. We are not able to hear a loud noise, reading and writing are all our preaching.
We came to St. Joseph, Mo., last Nov., to visit our two children. We live with each, part of the time; our son lives in Leavenworth City, Kan. We keep Sabbath with our daughter alone in this city; she is married to a young man; he has read some of our books, but he does not keep the Sabbath.
We would be glad if any preacher Could come here. We don’t know that any one has heard Advent preaching in this city. We would be glad to keep preachers with us if they could come this way, and if the Lord would open the way for the people to receive the truth. We would like to see any brethren and sisters who may live somewhere about here, or near Leavenworth City, but we don’t hear of any one near these cities.
We are at Leavenworth City sometimes, and keep Sabbath alone in our room, and we think that it is right in the, sight of God to keep his commandments.
As Noah was a righteous preacher among a great many people that would not hear the law’ of God, and .it [was] destroyed; so this generation will be destroyed, and few will be saved, and they will keep the commandments of God and faith of Christ until he comes.
We shall try to live out the truth, and when the Lord comes, our deaf ears shall be unstopped, and [the deaf] shall hear and sing with the people of God on Mount Zion, and be with the Lord forever, if we are faithful, and get rid of sin and do the will of God.
We are among the people that are in more darkness than light, but there may be a few honest hearts, we hope they may hear our preaching if the Lord will open the way.
Your brother and sister in Christ.
E. M., & MARY KIMBALL
AuOtiaan do., Mo., April 16, 1868.
“Deaf Mutes Journal”, New York: April 21, 1887 [Obituary for Brother Kimball]
Mr. E. M. Kimball, died at Battle Creek, Mich, April 1st, aged 71. He was a deaf mute, and for years has traveled through the western states as a sort of missionary, being a disciple of the Second Advent doctrine. His wife died at Leavenworth, Kansas, some years since. A son and daughter were in attendance at the funeral.
Mrs. Kimball was a man of simplicity of disposition and faith and spent almost the entire amount of a very respecable little fortune for the advancement of his religious enterprise with which he was in sympathy…
[The above, Eliphalet M. Kinball, (attended) the Hartford School from New Hampshire, in 1832, and was a pupil four years, the limit at that time and … (not clear on photo). He was a good scholar as a four years pupil and was a good man through life. E. M.]
KIMBALL – Died in Battle Creek, Mich., April 1,1887. Bro E. M Kimball. He was born in Lyme, N.H., March 18, 1817. At the age of four and one half years he lost his hearing from spotted fever. He was educated at the deaf and dumb asylum at Hartford, Conn.
He married Mary Webster, of Sandwich, .H., who received her education at the same school, and who lost her hearing also from spotted fever, when eighteen months old.
From early childhood our brother had an interest in the religion of the Bible, and embraced the Christian’s hope when young. About twenty-six years ago he commenced the observance of the Bible Sabbath.
Some fifteen years ago his companion fell asleep in Jesus, since which time he has labored somewhat among the mutes, to show them the truth of the near coming of Jesus, and that the commandments of God are binding upon men, as proclaimed upon Sinai.
He came to the Sanitarium about ten weeks before his death, but not until a chronic difficulty, of a very severe and prostrating type, had made inroads upon his strength and vitality so far that a possibility of his recover had taken its flight. His daughter, from Chicago, was with him some days before his death, and his son arrived in time to bid him farewell, while the father could recognize him.
Our brethren, who knew the deceased, will cherish his memory as a good man. My first acquaintance with him was in 1843, at which time he was a Baptist. We hope to meet him again, when the tongue of the dumb shall sing. Funeral services in the Tabernacle, Sabbath, the 2nd inst.
Text: “If a man die, shall he live again?” A. S. Hutchins
OBITUARY FOR MRS. KIMBALL: [Probably printed in the Review and Herald]
Died, in Leavenworth, Kansas, Nov. 15, Mary A. Kimball, wife of Bro. E. M. Kimball (deaf and dumb), ages 54 years. Sister K. embraced the truth in this place (Anaamosa, Iowa), under the labors of Bro. M. E. Cornell, in 1860. We learn from Bro. K. that the truth sustained her until the last, and she earnestly entreated her children to meet her in the first resurrection. Wm. V. Field.
MARRIAGE ‘NOTE’ THAT WENT WITH THE MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE # 2072: When the Kimballs were married, there was a special note stating that Kinball was deaf, had become deaf through spotted fever, went to the Hartford school starting in 1831 at age 15 for a period of 4 years. His occupation was listed as: “A traveling preacher of the 7th day Advent faith.”
Battle Creek Michigan, Tuesday, April 2nd, 1887 – Vol. #4, No.17 Wnote No. 1812 [Probably Published in the Review and Herald, but the source does not specify this]
Kokomo Tibune, Indiana., Saturday, April 22, 1883 – Accident Note
“E. M. Kimball, a deaf mute missionary of the Seventh-day Adventist Church aong deaf mutes received a compound fracture of the right arm when struck by a Panhandle freight train as he walked along the right of way of the railroad south of the city.”
A Battle Creek P.S. dated Anamosa, Iowa, Feb. 6, 1860 [Probably also in the Review & Herald]
There is a church here of deaf and dumb members, and one of them is a preacher. They are very intelligent. I gave the preacher some books. After reading on the Sabbath, he told me by signs that the argument could not be refuted. He pointed to a nail in the floor, and then motioned to pull it out with his fingers; and then compressed his lips and shook his head – it could not be done. M.E.C.
ELLEN WHITE KIMBALL NOTE in 4T. p. 300
We were interested in Brother Kimball, who is a mute and has been a missionary among the mutes. Through his persevering labors quite a little company have accepted the truth. We meet this faithful brother at our yearly camp meetings, surrounded by several of his mute converts. Someone who can hear writes out as much as possible of the discourse, and he sits surrounded by his mute friends, reading and actively preaching it over again to them with his hands. He has freely used his means to advance the missionary work, thus honoring God with his substance. {4T 300.3}
Almost the same item is recorded in the Sept. 12, 1878 “Signs of the Times”, but it adds that “Twenty-two received baptism.” And- there are slight differences in wording
“We were interested to meet Brother Kimball who is a mute and has been a missionary among the mutes. Through his persevering labors, quite a little army have accepted the truth. We meet this faithful brother at our yearly camp-meetings surrounded by several of his mute converts. Some one who is interested, who has ears to hear, writes out some portion of the discourse, and he sits surrounded by his mute friends actively preaching to them with his hands. He has freely used his means to advance the missionary work, thus honoring God with his substance. By and by, if faithful, he will receive a precious reward. Twenty-two received baptism.” {ST, September 12, 1878 par. 14}