From a Clipping in the Archives
For the Mo. Cumberland Presbyterian

Sullivan, Illinois June 12, 1855
Messrs. Editors:- I wish to say to those who may feel an interest in knowing the fact, that in a communication with Rev, Archibald Johnson, in April last, I learned the death of Lawrence Roelofson- He died some days previous to the date of communication. This Roelofson was one of those LICENSED EXHORTERS who came under sweeping stroke of the Kentucky Synod's commission which pronounced them all "laycion." The writer visited him last winter in January. He supposed, from circumstance (records being lost), to be between 90 & 95 years of age. He was feeble, but full of religious enjoyment, waiting and desirous to be removed to his eternal rest. The writer was raised under the influence of the pious arid devoted life of this man of God; and from him received many of his early religious impressions. At that time this heavenly minded man was a member of one of the congregations of the late Rev. James McGrady, in Henderson Co, Kentucky, After the death of this eminent minister, he (Roelofson) became active and successful in securing ministerial attention from Cumberland Presbyterians and co-operated with them actively and successfully in Kentucky. He joined the Cumberland Rresbytarian Church, and continued, with great encouragement his active zealous Christian course, and exhorted with great power for years, and witnessed great and glorious results in the revivals and conversions under the ministry of the Cumberland Presbyterians, with whom he labored. Among the many subjects of saving grace into salvation. He never was an authorized minister of the gospel, but was certainly "apt to teach," and in his very familiar knowledge and use of the sacred text in explaining, illustrating and enforcing, he had but few equals, even in the most active ministry..
After a few years active co-operation with Cumberland Presbyterians in Kentucky he removed with his family to the southeastern part of the State of Illinois, and settled in White Co. near the late Rev. David W. McLin, a man of sacred memory to many in southern Illinois. Here again, by his active and zealous labors, publicly and privately, for some years, he accomplished much good. But again, he removed, some 200 miles farther north, in Illinois. Still maintaining his activity and seal for the cause of God, he continued to exert available influence. For some years past, ago and infirmity had greatly diminished his active labors, but his zeal and Christian enjoyment was unabated, and until within a short time of his death, he would, occasionally at camp meetings, and on other occasions, exhort with great effect.
If there be no mistakes in the recollection of the writer, he lived to see all of his children members of the Church. Some three or more of then, after having families died before him. One daughter, the wife of Rev. Neil Johnson, is in Oregon, the others are in Illinois, so far as is known by the writer. He left 3 sons, all in the same neighborhood, two of them are children of his old age, but by the same wife; they were born in Illinois. They both have interesting families. The father and mother lived pleasantly with one of them.____(torn] living and at the time of the writers visit was enjoying good health-quite pert, and compared with old persons in general, she manifested but little mental dotage. She is mainly confined to the house, in consequence of having but one leg, walking entirely by the assistance of a common frame chair, on which she rests her knee, as she moves about, and when she stops she always has a chair to sit on. The leg was amputated above the knee some years since, and is perfectly well. The cause of amputation was, it broke near the ankle joint and could not be cured. With it she suffered some seven years, in which she endured misery beyond description, when she submitted to having it taken off.
They have many friends in Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois who read some of the papers of the Church, and would no doubt be pleased to see this sketch, unless some one else furnishes a more satisfactory one. It is not the desire of this writer to prevent anyone from giving a better account of the subject of this imperfect sketch; the writer having only seen him once fore many years, and writing entirely from, memory.
The Church should not lose sight of such Characters; and while dotting down a few things which may be preserved, if desirable, it was thought not improper to give something which might afford satisfaction to many personal friends in different parts of the world. The want of personal intercourse for many years and treachery of memory constitute the writer's apology for so poor and imperfect sketch.

Joel Knight

(Wylie W. Roelofson note: "This was from a newspaper clipping pasted in the front of a hymnal. Joel Knight fails to mention in this sketch that he was a nephew of Lawrence Roelofson Jr.)

Lawrence Roelofson died April 1, 1855, at the home of Thomas Smith Rolofson, being sick only three days before his death at about 95 years of age. He was buried on Easter Sunday. He and his wife Mary are buried near Waynesville, DeWitt Co., Illinois. (From notes of L. Rolofson)
An article from the PEORIA STAR, 1938, gives a motor-trip account of David Duniway and wife visiting R. D. Roelofson at Bloomington and visiting the grave of Lawrence Roelofson with its simple white marker. (From an account given by family member, Loren Rolofson)
Lawrence Roelofson and his wife probably had well over 100 grandchildren. Remarkable is the extreme age attained by Lawrence, J. and many of his children. Among them are many teachers, ministers, editors, public leaders, farmers, faithful housewives, soldiers when needed, with strong, religious convictions. (From account given by L. Rolofson)
Lawrence, Jr. was probably born near the Pennsylvania/New Jersey/Maryland border before the Revolution about 1760. A self-educated child, nature taught, an apt pupil, diligent by nature, and though deprived of advantages of schools, was recognized for his knowledge of the Sacred Text and of events and such literature as the times afforded. German was spoken in the family until Lawrence was 19 years old. Mary Gamble mentions seeing his "Arithmetic Book." It was in his own handwriting on coarse paper. The problems were numbered, every figure and rule written out and the answers to the problems given. The Isaac Knight story confirms the family's move from Washington Co., Pennsylvania to Vienna, Kentucky and the move about 1792 about 80 or 90 miles to Henderson Co., where he married Mary Smith about 1795. He was 30 and she was 16. This was the time of hand-made furniture, of split brooms and sanded floors; of vast fireplaces and Dutch ovens and cranes and kettles; of handmade quilts, quilted petticoats, woolen stockings, of splint-bottomed chairs and pine knots for light at night.
Lawrence Roelofson, Jr. lost his right eye by accident with a pen knife when he was about 13 years old. They moved by water (by boat). They lived without bread until their corn was raised from seed. most of the first crop was destroyed by Indians and wild animals. Lawrence, Jr. is said to have made some hunting trips with Daniel Boone.
A great religious fervor swept the country and Lawrence (raised Lutheran) supported and led activities for the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, was considered one of "the founders." He was greatly influenced by the preaching of Rev. James McGready. Meetings were held outdoors, with log for seats, lanterns hung in trees for light. He decided about that time that the use of tobacco and whiskey was wrong and abruptly quit both at the same time. He was a "licensed exhorter." He loved to sing -- trying to teach his grandchildren the "Turtle Dove" song and to learn to count in German.
Personal appearance of Lawrence, Jr. was tall and slender, blue eyes, white hair, light complexion, blind in one eye, over which he wore a knitted pad; walked with a cane, serious, austere manner, diligent student, spoke both English and German, singer, mechanical turn of mind. In earlier years, made "piggies" of cedar and brooms of white hickory saplings, the "bottoms quite large." He would peel bark, make flat splints for the sweeper, which had a small handle. he was always busy, but not successful, financially.
Deeds recorded in Henderson Co., July 26, 1821, show relinquishment by Lawrence, Jr., and wife Mary Roelofson to claim of land as legitees of Thomas Smith, St, to Robert and Thomas, Jr. Also recorded same day, the sale of 50 acres for $329.00 by Lawrence Roelofson and wife, Mary (signing her mark).
It is believed when Lawrence, Jr. moved to Illinois from Kentucky, his children all went. Their transportation was by pack horse and sleds, no vehicles then. The Trousdales, Cyrus Goudy families settled in southern Illinois. Moses, the eldest son, the Scott's Johnsons, Caffee's all went further north to Tazewell Co. The Stinson Goudy's went as far as Peoria (which was then a small village), later moving to DeWitt Co., Lawrence, Jr. settled in White Co, near Carmi first, where his two youngest sons, William and Thomas, were born. His brother, William, lived with Mary and Lawrence, Jr. and lived to a great age.
From a letter by an unknown author: "Lawrence could do more work than any of his sons as he was so strong and rugged."
In 1847, after their marriage, Thomas Smith Roelofson's wife, Hannah Gilson, went into the home of Lawrence, Jr. and Mary to care for them. In 1849, Lawrence, Jr. moved to Dewitt Co. so that Thomas could take a partnership with his brother, William, in a sawmill.
W. A. Roelofson writes (Aug. 24, 1907, Charleston, WA): Father was born 1764 in Maryland; was 12 years old at the commencement of the Revolutionary War. After growing to manhood, he married an English girl. They moved to Kentucky. Settled at Redbanks on the Red River. Father became a Christian in 1800. He being of religious turn-of-mind was soon given license to exhort, which was continued to the day of his death. He died April 4, 1856 on Good Friday; was buried Easter Sunday, age 92 years. (From L. Rolofson's notes)
From a clipping in the archives of the Missouri Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Sullivan, Illinois, June 12, 1855 (sic):
Messrs. Editors: I wish to say to those who may feel an interest in knowing the fact, that in a communication with Rev. Archibald Johnson, in April last, I learned the death of Lawrence Roelofson. He died some days previous to the date of communication. This Roelofson was one of those LICENSED EXHORTERS who came under sweeping stroke of the Kentucky Synod's commission which pronounced them all "laymen." The writer visited him last winter in January. He supposed, from circumstance (records being lost), to be between 90 and 95 years of age. He was feeble, but full of religious enjoyment, waiting and desirous to be removed to his eternal rest. the writer was raised under the influence of the pious and devoted life of this man of God; and from him received many of his early religious impressions. At that time this heavenly-minded man was a member of on of the congregations of the late Rev. James McGready, in Henderson Co., Kentucky. After the death of this eminent minister, he (Roelofson) became active and successful in securing ministerial attention from Cumberland Presbyterians and co-operated with them actively and successfully in Kentucky. He joined the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and continued, with great encouragement his active zealous Christian course, and exhorted with great power for years, and witnessed great and glorious results in the revivals and conversions under the ministry of the Cumberland Presbyterians, with whom he labored. Among the many subjects of saving grace unto salvation, he never was an authorized minister of the Gospel, but was certainly "apt to teach," and in his very familiar knowledge and use of the Sacred Text in explaining, illustrating and enforcing, he had but few equals, even in the most active ministry.
After a few years of active cooperation with the Cumberland Presbyterians in Kentucky, he removed with his family to the southeastern part of the State of Illinois, and settled in White Co., near the late Rev. David W. McLin, a man of sacred memory to many in southern Illinois. Here again, by his active and zealous labors, publicly and privately, for some years he accomplished much good. But again, he removed, some 200 miles farther north, in Illinois. Still maintain his activity and zeal for the cause of God, he continued to exert available influence. For some years past, age and infirmity had greatly diminished his active labors, but his zeal and Christian enjoyment was unabated, and until within a short time of his death, he would occasionally, at camp meetings and on other occasions, exhort with great effect.
If there be no mistakes in the recollection of the writer, he lived to see all of his children members of the Church. Some three or more of them, after having families died before him. One daughter, the wife of Rev. Neil Johnson, is in Oregon, the others are in Illinois, so far as is known by the writer. He left 3 sons, all in the same neighborhood, two of them are children of his old age, but by the same wife; they were born in Illinois. They both have interesting families. The father and mother lived pleasantly with one of them. [She is still] living and at the time of the writer's visit was enjoying good health -- quite pert, and compared with old persons in general, she manifested but little mental dotage. She is mainly confined to the house, in consequence of having but one leg, walking entirely by the assistance of a common frame chair, on which she rests her knee, as she moves about, when she stops, she always has a chair to sit on. The leg was amputated above the knee some years since, and is perfectly well. The cause of amputation was it broke near the ankle joint and could not be cured. With it she suffered some seven years, in which she endured misery beyond description, when she submitted to having it taken off.
They have many friends in Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois who read some of the papers of the Church, and would no doubt be pleased to see this sketch, unless someone else's furnishes a more satisfactory one. It is not the desire of this writer to prevent anyone from giving a better account of the subject of this imperfect sketch; the writer having only seen him once for many years, and writing entirely from memory.
The Church should not lose sight of such characters; and while jotting down a few things which may be preserved, if desirable, it was thought not improper to give something which might afford satisfaction to many personal friends in different parts of the world. The want of personally intercourse for many years and the treachery of memory constitute the writer's apology for so poor and imperfect a sketch. Signed: Joel Knight, Reverend (This was from a newspaper clipping pasted in the front of a hymnal. Joel Knight fails to mention in this sketch that he was a nephew of Lawrence Roelofson, Jr.)
A group of friends, relatives, and neighbors left Washington Co., for Kentucky and failed to send word that they were safe and well. Lawrence, Jr. (then a young man) volunteered to go to Kentucky to search for them. "With his gun and a well-filled powder horn, he set out on horseback, alone. Through danger-filled forest, fording swift rivers, crossing mountains, avoiding hostile Indians and wild beasts, he finally found the group he was seeking. They were in a stockade, living on dried bear meat. Fearing the Indians, they had been unable to reach the salt licks and their fare was very unpalatable. Some were down with scurvy. Word was sent back to anxious relatives and friends in Pennsylvania. Lawrence, Jr. must have returned to Pennsylvania and returned later to Kentucky with his father's family.
"The family was surrounded, far in advance of civilization, practically without protection. No store-goods or markets; without shoes ... both men and women wearing shoes made from untanned hides; no mail, only trails for roads; no schools. Trade with the outside-world was limited to packhorses from Philadelphia and flat-bottomed boats from New Orleans." (Notes from L. Rolofson)
Lawrence Rolofson was born in Pennsylvania where he followed his trade as a cooper. He afterwards located in Virginia and removed to Kentucky, thence to Illinois and there spent his remaining days, dying at a venerable age.
The grandfather of our subject was one of the early settlers of Kentucky, and experienced all the hardships and trials of life on the border in a country that was sparsely settled, occupied by Indians, and was the home of deer and other wild animals. He had a nephew by the name of Knight, who was captured by the savages and was held a prisoner two years and six months. Mr. Rolofson was a great hunter, and killed many bears and buffalo. At one time he killed a buffalo cow, wore the hide home and was followed by the calf.
The grandfather of our subject settled among the pioneers of Southern Illinois in 1823, making the journey from his old Kentucky home with a sled and one horse and camping out by the wayside when night overtook him. He lived in that part of the State four years, and led rather a solitary life there as there were but very few settlers within many miles of his lonely cabin. In 1827 he removed to Tazewell county, where but few pioneers had preceded him and entered a tract of land from the Government. The settlers there lived in very primitive fashion and cornbread was their staple food, the corn being pounded in a mortar and ground by horse mills. Their humble fare was often varied by venison and turkey, as deer and other wild animals were very plentiful. The nearest market for their products and supplies were at Peoria and Pekin on the Illinois River. In 1850 Mr. Rolofson came to De Witt County, and settled at Long Point, now called Zabriskie, where he engaged in milling. He lived to the advanced age of ninety-three years, his death occurring in the spring of 1856. He was a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church the greater part of his life, was an exhorter in said church and was a very pious man. In politics he was an old-line Whig.
IL Public Land Purchase Records:
Roelofson, Lawrence Type: FD, Section: SESE, Sect. 18, Tnp: 05S, Range: 08E, Meridian: 3, Acres: 4000, Price: $125/acre, Total: $5000, Date: 12/26/1833, Reside: 097, Vol.: 110, pg. 30.
From Rebel for Rights: Abigail Scott Duniway, p. 17-18: in 1795, at age 30, the same year he was married, Lawrence Roelofson experienced an "awakening" as one of the earliest and most dedicated converts of a fiery Presbyterian preacher named James McGready ... well known in the Appalachian backcountry from Pennsylvania to North Carolina before moved on to the Cumberland Presbytery of southwestern Kentucky. Many conservative Presbyterians objected to the emotional 'arminianism' of McGready's style, but Lawrence Roelofson was one who broke their lock on the Red Banks church near Henderson in order to let him preach.
Grandfather Lawrence Roelofson was one of the first "licensed exhorters" in the Cumberland district. He immediately eschewed whiskey and tobacco forever, and his "active, zealous Christian course" became known through Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois. But the Presbyterian Synod, with it's "monumental dogmatic tradition, " commitment to a scholarly ministry, and firmly established hierarchy, objected to "watered-down" doctrine, open Communion, denial of absolute predestination, and hunter-farmer clerics. The Cumberlands were cast out as heretics and became a small but extremely active sect. They retained respect for learning but admired most the self-taught variety.
Lawrence Roelofson was one of the four organizers of the Illinois Presbytery and trained the next generation of preachers, including ... Neill Johnson. Another organizer was James Scott's nephew, the Rev. D. W. McLin, a possible first link between the two families. (end)

[Source: Wylie Wayne Roelofson. The Roelofson Family History: Lawrence Roelofson, Sr., and Descendants. Self-published, mimeographed manuscript, Salem, Oregon, 1966.]

The first congregation organized in the State [Illinois] seems to have been Hopewell, now Enfield, in White county, by Rev. D. W. McLin, June 8, 1819.
. . .
At its organization, the following were set apart to the office of Eldership: James Mays, Samuel Craig and James Miller. Soon after, Lawrence Rolofson, J. C. Goudy and Robert Goudy were added.
[Source: Logan, J. B. History of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Illinois, Containing Sketches of the First Ministers, Churches, Presbyteries and Synods; also a History of Missions, Publication and Education. Alton, Ill.: Perrin & Smith, 1878, pages 19 & 20]