I never knew
my grandparents. My grandfather died when my dad
(Richard Lee Corliss) was eight years old.
Dad doesn't remember him
much. . A copy of His
letterhead indicates that at one time He
held the title of Adjutant
Special Efforts Secretary in the Special
Efforts Department at the
Headquarters for the Central Territory in
Chicago, Illinois.
Though he died at age 43, He
led a full life in service for the Lord with the Salvation Army.
He was looked upon as one of the most brilliant and promising Salvation
Army officers in the country. Keen, alert, intelligent, with a brain teaming
with ideas. He was a gifted and talented leader with a touch of personal
magnetism. He made friends for the Salvation Army wherever he went. Two
weeks before he entered the coma which finally ended in death he said,
"Nothing matters now but belonging to the Lord - Nothing else counts but
that." His last words to Mrs. Corliss were: "I'll see you in the morning
!"
Granpa's parents were Salvation
Army officers. He was an excellent trombonist and assisted his parents
at a young age in open air meetings. In 1914 he accomanied the Chicago
staff band to the International congress in London. The influence of the
congress weaned him from secular ambitions. He expected to take a job with
the Great Western Railroad ,but on the ocean liner returning home he decided
to become a Salvation Army Officer. He enjoyed golf and horses and served
in 1916 with the calvary on the Mexican border. In 1917 he was amoung
the first to go to France in WWI with the Salvation Army and served as
an ambulance driver for more than two years. His wife Elsie (nee: Merrifield)
was born in wiliamstown, South Wales on June 11, 1896. Coming to the U.S.
as a child she became interested in the Salvation Army, was converted at
the age of 15 was a Corps cadet and local officer before she was commisioned
as a Salvation Army Officer in january of 1917. A few months later she
received an appointment to serve at the war front in France for 18 months
as one of the original "Doughnut Girls." She returned to the U.S. and was
married in June of 1920 to Captain Lorin Corliss. Together they worked
in various Field and Headquarters appointments. They had four children
Lorin Dixon Corliss (4/10/21 Wichita Falls, TX), Elsie Bell Corliss (7/31/23
Wichita Falls, TX), Richard Lee Corliss (10/17/31 Chicago, IL), and Janet
Leah Corliss (1/9/35Chicago, IL).
The sons both play the trombone,
as their father. Lorin's family is still active in the Salvation
Army in Whittier,CA.(wife -Millie); Richard (Dad) lives in St. Cloud, MN
with his wife Mary (Mom); Elsie (Kogler)lives in Aneheim,CA; Janet
(Roth) lives in Hillside, IL.
As a young
man I remember being told that Grandpa was a
Minister and great speaker and travelled
all around the country and spoke in many cities. When
I was about 13 I stumbled across an automatic .25 caliber pistol
hidden amoung hats in a hat box in my parents
bedroom closet. It
intrigued me that my parents would own a
gun and mom informed me that
it was Grandpa's which the Chicago police
gave to him for his personal
protection because he was working in very
rough neighborhoods. Upon
their insistance he reluctantly accepted
this pocket pistol. I don't know
that he ever carried it, but I tell this
to emphasise that He lived in a
different time in America's history. He
left a collection of Sermons, speaches and devotions
which I have possesion of and am beginning to transcribe and
post at this time. There are many which relate
to Salvation, The Holiness of God, and the homeless and transient
problem in the United States during the postwar depression era he lived
in. He was a gifted expositor of scripture and a great fundraiser for not
only the Salvation Army, but also was the kick-off speaker in many
cities community chest drives. I intend to e-mail these sermons
to family members
and anyone interested as I transcribe them.
I also plan to post these to
the internet on an Inspirational page of
a website that I host
www.Christianmusicweb.com . Those Christians
interested in the Word of
God, evangelism, the homeless or the Salvation
Army will find His writings to be an excellent
source of inspiration. He was an excellent expositor of
scripture with the ability to apply it to
the needs of the day. I believe
you will find His words relevant to
the needs of today as well.
Grandpa was very
organized. His sermons are mostly type writtten
and filed in manilla envelopes by topic.
He also has dated the messages as
to in what city and at what dates he delivered
these sermons. What I
have started reading He delivered to different
audiences in the years
between 1922 and 1937. I hope to eventually
organize his writings and
post them to the internet in a file structure
using His topics, but for
now I will be transcribing them as my interest
leads me. I came into
posession of these when when I beacame a
Christian 20 years ago and
began enjoying the study of God's word.
I knew of these sermons and
asked my parents if I could have them.
I hope that you enjoy them and
that God might use them to enrich your life
as He is using them with me
now !
James Lorin Corliss, August 12th, 2001