Rev. Dr. Benjamin Copeland was the son of George Morey and Laura Ann (Sturges) Copeland. He was the husband of Harriet A. (Rice) Copeland. They were married June 17, 1880. Harriet died April 5, 1942. Rev. Copeland was a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church: Genesee (Western New York/now Upper New York) Conference 1877 F 1879.

Buffalo: Richmond Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church
"On 1 April 1886 Rev. Benjamin Copeland officially organized the congregation of 23 charter members."

Buffalo, New York, City Directory, 1890.
Rev. Benjamin Copeland, pastor, Richmond Avenue Meth. Epis. Church, 498 W. Ferry.

Memoir
Methodist Church
Genesee Conference Journal
1941, Pgs. 261-262

In America's "Who's Who" and Methodism's Hall of Fame and in the Heavenly Book of Heroes the name of Benjamin Copeland has an important place. The concise eulogy of Bishop Adna Wright Leonard, read at Dr. Copeland's funeral service, is none too strong. "The passing of Benjamin Copeland takes from Methodism one of its most significant characters. He was genuinely Christian, a devoted servant of the Church, a good minister of Jesus Christ, a patriot and a poet, a combination rarely found these days."
He was born in Clarendon, New York, on Flag Day, June 14, 1855. He died at his home in Buffalo on Advent Sunday, December 1, 194O.
His family tree was connected with the Pilgrim settlers in Massachusetts, John Alden being a direct ancestor.
He was married in June 188O, to Harriet Rice of Buffalo. She and a daughter, Gertrude, now Mrs. Allen G. Werner, survive. Three sons, Theodore, George and Stanley, also a daughter, Ruth preceded him to the heavenly home. A stained glass window was installed many years ago in the chapel of Buffalo: Richmond Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, by Rev. Dr. and Mrs Copeland in memory of Ruth. A rose placed in this window by Rev. Dr. Copeland when he last visited the church, was found there, withered and faded, at the time of his funeral.
Rev. Dr. Copeland's first appointment was Limestone, New York. His last before retiring in 1919 was Attica, New York. During the years of his retirement he was untiringly active as Supply Pastor, writer for the press, Executive of the Buffalo City Missionary Society, and hospital visitor. In the last named activity he made as many as 7OOO calls on the sick in one year.
He organized five Methodist Societies in the City of Buffalo. They were: Glenwood (aferward Trinity), Humboldt Parkway, Richmond Avenue, Central Park and Ontario Street. A clue to his splendid success in gathering persons together in a new church-fold is found in one of his favorite quotations, "I fancied that you cared more to hear a warm-hearted pastor than a cold-blooded preacher" (T. L. Cuyler).
No analysis of his richly endowed and colorful personality could possibly be complete. An appreciation especially dear to his beloved companion came after his death in a letter from a brother minister. It read: "So dear Dr. Copeland has walked through his gloriously abundant life here. How fortunate we were who knew him as a personal friend. Always frank, fair, affectionate, sagacious, resourceful, sane, spiritual! One of God's knightly leaders. A scintillating mind and a singing soul. May God comfort and gladden your heart as you wait awhile--then 'soul of my soul, I shall clasp thee again, and with God be the rest'!"
Rev. Dr. Copeland's distinguished ability was finely illustrated when twice after his eightieth birthday he "broke into" the national press. First with his added stanza for "My Country 'Tis of Thee" giving to that hymn the sentiment of world patriotism; and again when he gave a fine and convincing interpretation to the two-fold wording in the Lord's Prayer, "Forgive us our debts" and "Forgive us our trespasses."
Hundreds of poems came from his golden pen. These have been published widely. One hundred and fifty of them are assembled in a recent volume of "Poems." Two are enshrined in the Methodist Hymnal.
His sunset hour is tenderly described by one near and dear to him: "His wife of sixty years and his daughter, Gertrude, had been with him through several days of coma, and the kindest look human eye could behold they saw. The afternoon sun of Advent Sunday gently passed ere the glory of the Eternal City shone around his weary, yet, eager, happy spirit. Thus the sweet singer of the Genesee Conference, shoulders erect as ever, humbly walked into the House not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens. It is, to quote his own words, "His heritage of Love."
The funeral service was held in the Church that was peculiarly his own, Buffalo: Richmond Avenue. The officiating minsters were: Rev. Dr. Leon B. Randall, Rev. Dr. Neal Dow Kelley and Rev. Dr. Sylvanus Standford Davies, and a quartette of ministers: Rev. Melvin Joyner Hill, Rev. Harold Frank Hewitt, Rev. Verner Sylvester Mumbulo and Rev. John Augustus Mann--sang two of Rev. Dr Copeland's hymns. The interment was in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Written by Samuel Ashton Keen

Rev. Dr. Benjamin Copeland was the son of George Morey and Laura Ann (Sturges) Copeland. He was the husband of Harriet A. (Rice) Copeland. They were married June 17, 1880. Harriet died April 5, 1942. Rev. Copeland was a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church: Genesee (Western New York/now Upper New York) Conference 1877 F 1879.

Buffalo: Richmond Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church
"On 1 April 1886 Rev. Benjamin Copeland officially organized the congregation of 23 charter members."

Buffalo, New York, City Directory, 1890.
Rev. Benjamin Copeland, pastor, Richmond Avenue Meth. Epis. Church, 498 W. Ferry.

Memoir
Methodist Church
Genesee Conference Journal
1941, Pgs. 261-262

In America's "Who's Who" and Methodism's Hall of Fame and in the Heavenly Book of Heroes the name of Benjamin Copeland has an important place. The concise eulogy of Bishop Adna Wright Leonard, read at Dr. Copeland's funeral service, is none too strong. "The passing of Benjamin Copeland takes from Methodism one of its most significant characters. He was genuinely Christian, a devoted servant of the Church, a good minister of Jesus Christ, a patriot and a poet, a combination rarely found these days."
He was born in Clarendon, New York, on Flag Day, June 14, 1855. He died at his home in Buffalo on Advent Sunday, December 1, 194O.
His family tree was connected with the Pilgrim settlers in Massachusetts, John Alden being a direct ancestor.
He was married in June 188O, to Harriet Rice of Buffalo. She and a daughter, Gertrude, now Mrs. Allen G. Werner, survive. Three sons, Theodore, George and Stanley, also a daughter, Ruth preceded him to the heavenly home. A stained glass window was installed many years ago in the chapel of Buffalo: Richmond Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, by Rev. Dr. and Mrs Copeland in memory of Ruth. A rose placed in this window by Rev. Dr. Copeland when he last visited the church, was found there, withered and faded, at the time of his funeral.
Rev. Dr. Copeland's first appointment was Limestone, New York. His last before retiring in 1919 was Attica, New York. During the years of his retirement he was untiringly active as Supply Pastor, writer for the press, Executive of the Buffalo City Missionary Society, and hospital visitor. In the last named activity he made as many as 7OOO calls on the sick in one year.
He organized five Methodist Societies in the City of Buffalo. They were: Glenwood (aferward Trinity), Humboldt Parkway, Richmond Avenue, Central Park and Ontario Street. A clue to his splendid success in gathering persons together in a new church-fold is found in one of his favorite quotations, "I fancied that you cared more to hear a warm-hearted pastor than a cold-blooded preacher" (T. L. Cuyler).
No analysis of his richly endowed and colorful personality could possibly be complete. An appreciation especially dear to his beloved companion came after his death in a letter from a brother minister. It read: "So dear Dr. Copeland has walked through his gloriously abundant life here. How fortunate we were who knew him as a personal friend. Always frank, fair, affectionate, sagacious, resourceful, sane, spiritual! One of God's knightly leaders. A scintillating mind and a singing soul. May God comfort and gladden your heart as you wait awhile--then 'soul of my soul, I shall clasp thee again, and with God be the rest'!"
Rev. Dr. Copeland's distinguished ability was finely illustrated when twice after his eightieth birthday he "broke into" the national press. First with his added stanza for "My Country 'Tis of Thee" giving to that hymn the sentiment of world patriotism; and again when he gave a fine and convincing interpretation to the two-fold wording in the Lord's Prayer, "Forgive us our debts" and "Forgive us our trespasses."
Hundreds of poems came from his golden pen. These have been published widely. One hundred and fifty of them are assembled in a recent volume of "Poems." Two are enshrined in the Methodist Hymnal.
His sunset hour is tenderly described by one near and dear to him: "His wife of sixty years and his daughter, Gertrude, had been with him through several days of coma, and the kindest look human eye could behold they saw. The afternoon sun of Advent Sunday gently passed ere the glory of the Eternal City shone around his weary, yet, eager, happy spirit. Thus the sweet singer of the Genesee Conference, shoulders erect as ever, humbly walked into the House not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens. It is, to quote his own words, "His heritage of Love."
The funeral service was held in the Church that was peculiarly his own, Buffalo: Richmond Avenue. The officiating minsters were: Rev. Dr. Leon B. Randall, Rev. Dr. Neal Dow Kelley and Rev. Dr. Sylvanus Standford Davies, and a quartette of ministers: Rev. Melvin Joyner Hill, Rev. Harold Frank Hewitt, Rev. Verner Sylvester Mumbulo and Rev. John Augustus Mann--sang two of Rev. Dr Copeland's hymns. The interment was in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Written by Samuel Ashton Keen