Carlos Dinsmore

Carlos Millson Dinsmore (1875 - 1948)

Birth, Parents and Siblings

Carlos was born January 28th, 1875, in St. Mary’s, Blanchard Township, Perth County, Ontario, Canada to Mary Jane Beersheba Millson, (whose maiden name became her son’s middle name.) and Andrew Dinsmore, who was listed as a teacher at that time. However, at the time of Andrew ’s death in 1913, his death certificate lists him as a traveling salesman, whose business was hardware. Andrew and Mary Jane had been married for approximately one year in 1875 when Carlos was born. Andrew was approximately 24 years old, and Mary Jane was approximately 19 years old at that time.

Carlos was the oldest of seven children, including Della (1881) – Bonnie Elizabeth Dinsmore Riordan sang at their granddaughter, Barbara Simon’s wedding in Kansas City in 1953, when Bonnie was in high school, Kenneth (1892 and died at the age of two and a half in 1894 when Carlos was nine), B. Maggie (1895), Mary Clarissa (1876), John (1886) and Andrew Milton (1877).

Growing up

Carlos grew up in St. Mary’s, Ontario, Canada. He was 6 in 1881 when his father moved their family from Canada to Imlay City, Michigan. According to his diploma, he graduated from Imlay City High School on March 25, 1891. He would have been only 16. (1891-1875 =16)

Educationally, he received an associate bachelor’s degree from Kalamazoo College in 1900, a bachelor’s degree from University of Chicago in 1907 and a doctorate degree from Franklin College in 1920.

Between graduation from Kalamazoo college and the time of his marriage in August, 1903, records show he spent time in Imlay City, Michigan, Lafayette, Indiana and Ocoya, Illinois. He was the Secretary of the Y.M.C.A. for Purdue University in Lafayette, likely from 1900 – 1902. Anecdotally, he was ordained in 1902. After that at some point before his marriage, he became affiliated with the Baptist church in Ocoya, Illinois.

According to newspaper articles, he was “back in Imlay City as a guest of some friends” in June 1902 and “visiting friends on the west side of Lafayette” in March 1903.

Marriage and Children

Carlos married Bertha Irwin Buschman on August 26th,1903, in Lafayette, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, when he was approximately 28 years old and she was approximately 26 years old.

It is unclear when, where and how they met. They both had affiliations with the Y.M.C.A. / Y.W.C.A. at the time, which could have been the reason they met. Perhaps they met in December of 1902 when he would have still been in Lafayette, and she was visiting Lafayette for the holidays.

They had four children, including Dorothy Irwin Dinsmore (born July 19, 1904 in Chenoa, Illinois, died May 22, 1980 in Louisville, Kentucky), Margaret Millson Dinsmore (born April 4, 1907 in Harvey, Illinois, died January 1, 2000 in El Toro, California), William James “Jim” Dinsmore (born April 12, 1911 in Anderson, Madison, Indiana, died July 27, 1985, in Waynesville, Warren Ohio at Quaker Heights Nursing Home) and Bertha Elizabeth Dinsmore (born July 13, 1917, in Indianapolis, Indiana, died Feb 13, 1997 in Atlanta, GA).

Adulthood

Carlos had a successful career as a Baptist Pastor and Leader, progressing through increasing levels of leadership responsibilities for churches in Ocoya, Illinois, Harvey, Illinois, Anderson, Indiana and Evansville, Indiana. He then went on to leadership roles in the Baptist community, first as the General Superintendent of the Indiana Baptist Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana and then as the Secretary American Baptist Home Mission Society in Teaneck New Jersey. In his last role, preparing for retirement, he became a pastor at First Baptist Church South Haven Michigan.

According to a text written by Sue Brucks Koenig as related to her by Dorothy Irwin Dinsmore, Carlos’ daughter (note: many of the descriptions below do not align with the documentation and timeline further below):

Carlos, the oldest, was born in Ontario, Canada on January 28, 1875. When he was 16 [was really 6] his father moved their family to Imlay City, Michigan where they lived for many years. Just before Carlos entered college, he became a naturalized citizen of the U.S. The story of that experience has become a legend in the family. As he told it, he remembered with great emotion the feelings he had to "forswear allegiance " to Queen Victoria. But how proud he was of his papers!

Carlos went to Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo' Michigan. It was while he was there that he decided to become a preacher. Apparently, he had great talent for speaking and a sincere devotion to the church…Amen! And he was a good student even though he had to work his way through school. Among the other legends in the family was the story of his buying his very own first set of books. THE LIBRARY OF ORIGINAL SOURCES. The entire set is still in existence and in good condition.

After graduation, he went to the University of Chicago in order to get his Doctor of Theology degree – they called it a Doctor of Divinity. By this time he was earning money as a pastor in various small churches around Chicago.

He became full-time pastor of the church in Harvey, Illinois, where he met and married Bertha Buschman who was the paid secretary of the Y.W.C.A. They were a devoted pair whose great dream was to become missionaries to China. In fact, they had many interviews and plans were being made for them to go – when it was discovered that Bertha could not pass the physical examination. Just why isn’t clear. They stayed on for several years in Harvey. Their 2nd child, Margaret Millson was born there.

The friendships they made in those early years were to greatly influence their lives – and the lives of their children. Many of their friends from the university did get to go to various countries of the world as missionaries… and when they returned to the U.S. on furlough they always visited the Dinsmores wherever they were. Their four children grew up knowing and admiring Asians, Africans and Orientals. There was little prejudice in that family – but a great evangelism – which was typical of that era.

From Harvey, Illinois in 1907 they went to Anderson, Indiana -- a much larger church. Two children were born there.

In 1914 they were asked to come to Evansville, Indiana. The church there had been sadly neglected for many years -- so the record of Carlos and Bertha was unusual.

All of the Baptist churches in Indiana were under a board of directors called The Indiana Baptist Convention. In 1916 Carlos was elected to the board and was asked to be head of it. They moved to Indianapolis where their fourth child, Bertha Elizabeth was born. For more than 15 years Carlos managed the Indianapolis office and visited most of the Baptist churches in the state. Bertha taught Sunday school classes wherever they lived. In Indianapolis, she had the largest women’s bible class in the state for many years. Bertha and Carlos were avid readers and shared their interest in studies of the Bible.

The Baptist churches in the 26 northern states of the USA are members of The Northern Baptist Convention – whose Board of Directors and national offices were in New York. Carlos was elected to that board and was asked to head up the Edifice Committee which had charge of all of the funds that were available to Baptist churches when they wanted to enlarge, renovate and build a new church. The Dinsmores moved to New Jersey and from there Carlos traveled to each of the 26 states. He had the advice and counsel of a well known firm of church architecture and as a result of their work, there are now many more beautiful Baptist churches across the country.

They stayed in the east until his retirement, when they came back to Michigan where he served as a pastor of a small church in South Haven for a little while. He died there in (1948).

According to the Anderson Indiana Historical Society:

…taking over the reins from Dr. Pearce. The Church’s tribute to Carlos on his ending his work there to go to Evansville, said that “his dynamic personality and perseverance were responsible for a large increase in membership. Through the organization of the Brotherhood, the men’s work was strengthened. Then, too, through his suggestions and wise planning the women’s work was more efficiently developed. As a result of this growth and development, larger accommodations were needed, and alterations were affected in the main building and new rooms added on the south end of the church. Dr. Dinsmore ended his fruitful work here in the fall of 1914.” Their only son, William James was born there in 1911.

An anecdote from Bonnie Elizabeth Dinsmore Riordan when she was quite young:

“Once when Carlos and Bertha were visiting us, in Muskogee, Oklahoma, at mealtime, grandfather began offering the blessing, whereupon I turned to my mother and asked outloud, ‘What the man doing, Mama? What the man doing?’”

At this time their daughter Margaret had come to Muskogee and she was teaching at a Native American school, which is the reason Bertha and Carlos had come to visit, as well as the added advantage of seeing his son, daughter in law and granddaughter.

A letter typed and hand signed from Carlos to his children in 1941:

Dear Children

A part of my philosophy of life has been to take care of each day as it came as best I could with little concern as to the future. I believe that this is the Christian attitude.

But I must confess that when the time came for me to retire I was a bit shocked. It was something of the same feeling I had the morning when I discovered that I was sixty five. I am now an old man. But what of it?

I believe that the Spirit of God is at work in our world. I believe that the more completely my life is lived in harmony with this Spirit the better investment I shall make of my life, the deeper will be the satisfactions and the more certain I shall be of HIS leadership.

I know that my life has been far from perfect. I never was more sure that sin in any form is a poison to the soul and a hindrance to this wonderful fellowship in service. When I keep my mind clean and open to the truth I can be sure of HIS guidance and help.

Your mother and I never were more sure we were doing HIS will than we are in this decision to resign my present position with this great Society.

We expect to find a field of service with less responsibility and one where we may be able to live and work together for the balance of our lives.

Your mother has paid a big price for whatever of success has been mine for the past twenty seven years. I hope to be able to repay her somewhat during the years ahead. I am hoping that we may have many years together from now on.

I am looking forward to the next chapter of my life and our lives with no regrets so far as this decision is concerned but rather with a deep interest and some real excitement.

He who has so wonderfully blessed us in years past is still our Guide, our Helper and our God who is revealed to us in Jesus Christ.

June 1941

[signed] Your Dad

Death

Carlos died on April 5, 1948, in South Haven, Michigan, Van Buren County at the age of 73. The cause of death was Uremia (kidney failure) and contributory Prostate adenoma but additionally there had been the onset of dementia from some years before. Just hours before his passing, his son William James (Jim) came to be with him and carried him to the car to be taken to the hospital. As he was being carried, Carlos looked up at his son and said, “You think you’re pretty smart, don’t you?” He was buried on April 9, 1948, in Memorial Park Cemetery on the east side of Indianapolis, Indiana. His wife, Bertha, went on to live another 18 years after his death.

NOTE: It has been unclear why an Anglican Canadian couple would name their son Carlos. According to Ancestry.comas a source, the name Carlos has its origins in the Spanish language and can be traced back to the ancient Latin name Carolus, meaning free man. This name gained popularity in the Middle Ages and became particularly associated with the powerful rulers of the Carolinglan dynasty, such as Charlemagne. Throughout history, the name Carlos has been borne by notable individuals who have left their mark on various cultures and societies.

In historical contexts, Carlos appears prominently as the title of kings and emperors. Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great, was a Frankish king who ruled a vast empire encompassing much of Western and Central Europe in the 8th and 9th centuries. His legacy as a military conqueror and patron of the arts has had a profound influence on European history. Another significant figure with the name Carlos was Carlos 1 of Spain, who was also known as Charles V Holy Roman Emperor. Carlos 1 played a crucial role in shaping the political and religious landscape of 16th-century Europe through his vast empire and support of the Catholic Church.

Riordan-Durant Family Tree

Connecting Generations, Sharing Stories

Carlos Millson Dinsmore (1875 - 1948)

Timeline

Capturing Memories: An Ancestral Photo Album

Riordan-Durant Family Tree

Connecting Generations, Sharing Stories

Carlos Millson Dinsmore (1875 - 1948)

Timeline

Capturing Memories: An Ancestral Photo Album

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