The Rev. Stanley E. Lynton was born to be a minister. It was as clear as the bumps on his head.
For nearly 50 years, the Akron pastor was a respected leader, a thoughtful theologian and a reassuring presence in town. His warm smile and friendly demeanor lifted the spirits of friends and strangers alike. When he met people he felt could use a little boost, he gave them peppermint sticks.
Such a sweet gesture.
The only child of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Lynton was born Oct. 12, 1906, in Cincinnati. He was 6 months old when his father died, so his widowed mother took him to Cleveland to live with her sister.
Aunt Carrie Gentile owned a rooming house in a red-light district on the eastern edge of downtown. She was a religious woman and a positive influence, encouraging him to read books and learn as much as possible.
“Be anything you want, but be the best,” she always told him.
When Lynton was a young child, a phrenologist happened to visit the aunt’s home. The old soothsayer carefully studied the shape of the boy’s head and gingerly felt the bumps on his skull, hoping to ascertain personality traits.