Person:George Rouse (2)

[Lentz quotes Rev. D. Harbaugh, who, in his history of Hopeful Church, says, "On the 8th of October 1805, the following brethren and sisters left Madison, VA, viz - George Rouse, Elizabeth Rouse, John House, Milly House, Frederick Zimmerman, Rose Zimmerman, Ephraim Tanner, Susanna Tanner, John Rouse, Nancy Rouse, and Elizabeth Hoffman. They, with their families arrived in Boone Co. the 25th of November 1805."]

As soon as the brethren had erected their cabins, they resolved, though destitute of a good pastor, to hold religious meetings in private homes. The first meeting was held at George Rouse's, at the close of 1805, or at the beginning of 1806. The meetings were conducted in the following manner after a suitable hymn, one of the brethren offered prayer, after which Ephraim Tanner read a sermon, selected from Rev. Schubert's sermons. After the sermon, the exercises were conducted in the German language and kept up regularly, unless Providentially prevented, every Sabbath for nearly eight years, or until October 1813.

When Ephraim Tanner wrote father Carpenter for advice, he sent them a constitution and advised them to organize a church, when they did January 6, 1806. We (Lentz) have the old German constitution with its signatures of the fathers before us. Rev. H. in his discourse translates it entire and we give his excellent translation.

ROUSE, George - 56 acres 3rd rate land on Salt River in Bullitt C white male over 21, 1 white male 16-21

The Hopeful Lutheran Church, Florence, Ky. "The Oldest Church West of the Alleghenies" It all started in 1804, when Rev. William Carpenter, Pastor of Hebron Evangelical Lutheran Church in Madison County, Virginia, made a missionary trip to Kentucky. The impressions he brought back with him mist have been inspirational, because the next year a group from his congregation moved to Boone County, Kentucky. The first members of this group of pioneers to arrive here were: George & Elizabeth Rouse, John & Millie House, Frederick Zimmermann, Ephraim & Suzanna Tanner, John & Nancy Rouse, and Elizabeth Hoffman. At this time, most of Northern Kentucky was still a wilderness. The city of Florence was nonexistent, and Burlington, the county seat, had only a courthouse and jail made of logs and a few houses. Into this wilderness they came and built their own cabins, with the exception of George Rouse who pitched his tent at a site near where the present Hopeful Church building now stands.

The first religious meeting was held at the homestead of George Rouse. The worship services were conducted in German and read by Ephram Tanner. Mr. Tanner kept in touch with Rev. Carpenter who urged the group to form a congregation. They organized on January 6, 1806, Epiphany Day.

The first hopeful church was a log cabin built on land donated by George Rouse. In 1813, Rev. Carpenter moved to Florence to become Hopeful's first ordained minister.

On January 6, 1815 a new constitution was adopted. This new constitution was much longer than it's predecessor. It expressed a deep spirit of devotion, piety, and abiding loyalty to the Lutheran Church.

In 1823 Rev. Carpenter prompted the congregation to build a better church by saying, "All build good houses and let God live in a tent." The new church was a 25 foot square log cabin with an end gallery and high pulpit. This building lasted until 1837 when a brick church was built. The final treasurer's report listed the price at $1,587.

In 1854 Hebron Evangelical Lutheran Church was founded in Hebron, Kentucky. The two churches formed a joint parish and built a parsonage near Limaburg Road. From time to time Hopeful Church also included Ebenezer Lutheran Church. In 1892 the congregation was merged into Hopeful Church.

In 1917, the present church building was erected.

NOTES PER PAUL TANNER'S RESEARCH George Rouse was born in Culpepper County, VA in 1766. He was the next youngest of Matthias Rouse's children. An older sister, Maria, married Frederick Tanner. George married Betsy Zimmerman July 24, 1794. In 1805, a group of about a dozen German Lutheran families in Madison County VA decided to migrate to Boone County KY. They sold their lands, harvested their crops, disposed of what possessions could not be carried in their Conestoga wagons, and got under way October 8. They traveled down the Shenandoah Valley to the Holston River and then followed Daniel Boone's trail through Cumberland Gap to Lexington. Thence North to the vicinity of what is now Florence, arriving November 5 - 49 days in route. George Rouse, his wife and 5 children were in the party. Other ancestors of mine in the party were Ephraim Tanner (George's nephew), wife and 3 small children; and Ephraim's sister, Elizabeth, and her husband. Solomon Huffman and at least one child (Annie) were in the party also. The country was a wilderness. The town of Florence did not exist. George pitched his tent in the forest, not far from the current location of Hopeful Church on Hopeful Road, Florence, KY George's cabin was completed before the end of the year and the first church services were conducted in German there. Hymns were sung without musical accompaniment and a sermon was read by Ephraim Tanner out of a book. January 6, 1806, a church constitution written in German was adopted. Of the ten signees, George Rouse and his nephew, Ephraim Tanner, head the list. In many early church records, his name appears as George "Rausch". George donated an acre of land and a primitive log church was built in 1807. It had no provision for heat and the windows were openings cut in the logs. Roland was the first of George's children to be born in Kentucky (1807). By 1814, George's children had increased to ten. The first recorded communion in the church was in 1814-George and his wife were among them. A new and more detailed church constitution was adopted in 1815. Three of the signees were George Rouse; his brother-in-law Frederick Tanner; and his nephew, Ephraim Tanner. Three deacons to serve three-year terms were elected---George Rouse and Ephraim Tanner were two of them. In 1818, Ephraim Tanner was the only one re-elected. George Rouse prospered. By 1818, he had acquired over 400 acres in the area. In 1821, he acquired another hundred acres near the Burlington and Covington road. January 6, 1823, the congregation decided to build a new church. January 27, George Rouse, by his mark, formally deeded the one acre to the church. The deed was witnessed by the mark of Frederick Tanner. It contained the following language: (Deed Book E Page 483) "…to the German Lutheran Church….to build a new church or house of worship on the land lying and situated whereon the old church now stands, and has been laid off by the county surveyor into a square lot adjoining the lands of Jacob Rouse and old Mr. Shaver to the only use of the above named congregation to build a house of worship and to perform their public worship thereon, and to their posterity after them so long as it remains as a place of public worship for said congregation alone whether public worship is performed in the German or English Language, so English preaching can be had agreeable to the rules of our Pennsylvania Synod under whose spiritual jurisdiction we stand, in the subscription paper of the above named congregation; but should said congregation every decay or go to naught, so that the said acre of ground and the house that is built thereon would no more be used at all as a place of worship for said congregation or their posterity, then the said acre of ground with all the right and title thereof to fall back again to the said George Rouse or to his heirs forever, and the house of worship that is built thereon if anything of it left, be left standing till it goes to decay of itself. None of the said George Rouse and his heirs shall at all time hereafter permit said congregation to perform their public worship on said acre of ground unmolestedly whether they worship God there in the German or English language and shall never prohibit them or attempt to prohibit them in so doing as long as it remains in being as a congregation of our church and society….." In April, 1824, George Rouse began to liquidate his holdings by selling fifty acres each to Julius, Elisha, and Lowell-his three oldest sons---for $1 and "natural affection he bears his son." August 2, 1824, he similarly deeded 64-3/4 acres to Adam Utterback who had married his oldest daughter, Polly. February 11, 1828, he deeded fifty acres to his son Rolen, who had married December 20 previously. (Rolen Rouse was my great-great-grandfather). In the next three years, he deeded fifty acres to his son, Simeon; 41 acres to Ephraim Tanner, who had married his daughter, Nancy; and 60 acres to Isaac Tanner, who had married his daughter, Sally. On July 15, 1834, he sold 127-3/4 acres to Jacob Crigler, the new Lutheran minister, for $2550. Jacob Crigler had married George's niece, Nellie Tanner (daughter of Frederick Tanner). This acreage must have contained his residence. It joined the church lot. On the same day Lovell, who was going to Missouri, sold his fifty acres back to his father for $1,000. In the meantime, a church 25' x 25' had been built in the fall of 1823. It contained a pulpit and a gallery. Beginning in 1824, services were conducted in English and German alternately. A few years later, English was used exclusively. July 18, 1834, George and Elizabeth Rouse, by their marks, signed the following Power of Attorney: "I, George Rouse of Boone County, hereby nominate and constitute and appoint and by these presents, do nominate, constitute and appoint my four sons ---Elisha, Julius, Rolla, and Simeon---my true and lawful attorneys in fact for me and in my name to transact all business which I may leave unsettled in the County of Boone, to sell and the perishable property which I may leave unsold, take notes, grant receipts and collect all and every demand due me and more particularly my said attorneys are hereby fully authorized and empowered to sell a certain tract or parcel of land containing 50 acres which I purchased of Lovel Rouse and about 30-1/2 acres of land, conveying the title to same…" These were the four sons remaining in Kentucky at that time. Lovel was going to Missouri. A son, Allen(1804-52) is not mentioned anywhere. He could have already left home (supposed to have died in Missouri). George must have gone to Missouri shortly thereafter. He is listed as a resident of Ralls County, MO, in a deed to Rollen dated July 6, 1835. One wonders why he became restless and moved on to Missouri. He had been in Kentucky less than thirty years. He had acquired considerable property in that time. He had a large family and had been a leader in his church. He was about 68----hardly an age to begin a new adventure. They moved to Ralls County MO, just west of Hannibal---some 350 miles as the crow flies. One wonders how they went and how long it took---over land, or partly by water (down the Ohio River or up the Mississippi River). They were not alone---thousand of Kentuckians migrated to Missouri in the 1830's and 1840's. In addition to Lovel, at least four other of his children migrated to Missouri. George died there in 1845. He had sixty or more grandchildren---most of whom grew up outside Kentucky. One who did not, was my great-grandmother, Margaret, daughter of Rolen.