The Beloit Alumnus
December 1931

Rev. J. Franklin Candy

J. Franklin Candy was born April 9, 1886, on a farm near Dakota, Ill. After completing his elementary schooling in a small country school he entered Beloit College Academy and later Beloit College itself where he was g raduated in 1911. While in college he served on two debate teams, was president of the Y.M.C.A. and editor of the Round Table. He was a member of Delta Sigma Rho, public speaking fraternity and was a charter member of the Delta Phi Upsilon social fraternity and when that organization became a national chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon, Frank was initiated into the new organization as an alumni member.

Upon leaving college Frank went to Turkey as an instructor in St. Paul’s Institute at Tarsus. Poor climatic conditions made it impossible for him to remain there and after six months he returned to the States and soon after entered Yale Divinity School where he was graduated in 1915. He immediately accepted the pastorate of the Geneva, Ohio, Congregational church and remained as its pastor until his death on Nov. 7, 1931. During the Word War he was connected with the Y.M.C.A. and was stationed at Camp Sherman, Ohio. He was married in Nov., 1915, to Mary Pierpont Hubbard, a graduate of Beloit in 1910. Besides Mrs. Candy, there survive two sons, Dallas, 13, and George, 10, an aged father, also a sister and brother. Frank had been in poor health for three years. The immediate cause of death was a cerebral hemorrhage which came shortly after he had been transacting some church business and he passed away almost immediately.

The Geneva Press had this to say concerning his passing: “The Rev. J. Franklin Candy, Dean of Geneva ministers, died at 11 A.M. today and a community bowed its head in sorrow at the passing of a man universally l oved and respected. His activities brought him in contact with hundreds in all walks of life outside his own church. He was primarily interested in young people and their problems. He helped in the development of many young peoples groups and one of his most recent activities was the heading of Geneva’s first troop of Cub Scouts. For many years he was one of the leaders in the Congregational young peoples camp at Lakeside, O. He was a member of the Masons and of Rotary. His death shocked and saddened Geneva as the death of few other men would have. His genial personality, his uniform good spirits and kindliness, his capacity for genuine friendship won for him a place in the hearts of hundreds. He filled a place in Geneva’s life, civic, spiritual and intellectual that will long go unreplaced.”

The president of the Geneva Ministerial Association offered this tribute: “Mr. Candy was a great hearted man and minister. His daily life exemplified the spirit of Christian brotherhood and fraternity. Always interested in every worthy cause represented by the church, we found him to an unusual degree ready to cooperate in any enterprise looking towards the community betterment.”

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