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THE SEVENTH GENERATION
Part  F (577 - 587)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Benjamin Rosenkrans (268)

BENJAMIN ROSENKRANS and Harriet Smith had four children.

577.  HEZEKIAH ROSENKRANS, son of Benjamin, was born in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, September 23, 1855, and raised near Edgewood, Iowa. He married December 25, 1873, Eliza A. Miller, of Iowa, and in 1893 moved to the state of Washington, where his wife’s people then lived. He returned to Edgewood, in the fall of 1895 and at the time of receiving a report March 1898, was keeping a hotel at Edgewood. He has had five children, two boys and two girls who died in infancy, and a son Benjamin Duane born March 21, 1889, still living.

Mrs. Philena R. (Rosenkrans) Woodridge

Tent on the Western Wild Prairie of Mr. And Mrs. H.M. Elliot

578.   PHILENA REBECCA ROSENKRANS, daughter of Benjamin (268), was born near Edgewood, Iowa, September 5, 1857. She was named for Philena Bevans (105) and her grandmother, Rebecca Rosenkrans (104). She was married December 19, 1878, to Hartley M. Elliot, a farmer, and in May, 1881, moved with her husband westward in Iowa, to Wright County, settling on the prairie, where they lived awhile in a tent, which blew over in a night storm, and subsequently in a shanty, where two of her children were born, where her husband died, and she like Naoma was left a widow with two children in a strange land.

AUTHOR’S ADDRESS TO THE READER.

"On This Rock I Will Build My Church." "The Lord Is In His Holy Temple." "I Was Glad When They Said Unto Me Let Us Go Into The House Of The Lord."

Before proceeding further in life’s journey, or reading the story of Philena Rebecca’s tent life on the prairie, once inhabited by buffaloes and wild Indians, let us pause beside the tent and in the light of Revelation take a glance at "the Heaven and the earth created in the beginning," and at mankind upon the earth. Let us consider human life, the conditions that govern us, the object of our coming here, our duties and responsibilities and privileges; whence we came and whither our footsteps are tending.

This planet called earth, though great to us and conscious, is but a mere speck in creation, smaller than the twinkling star in the milky way, less in comparison with "the whole creation" than a grain of sand upon the sea shore compared with the earth. The earth with her circling satellite revolves around the Sun, whose central sun is Alcyon of the Plaides, and whose infinite central Sun of "Light" and "Fire" and "Love" and Wisdom and Power, "upholding all things," "in whom we live and move and have our being," is God.

The discovery of the earth’s revolution was a great surprise to the world, and another surprise awaits the discovery of its opening at the north, called "the empty place," the birthplace of the Aurora Borealis, around which revolves the Magnetic Pole, and to which leads the "Path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture’s eye hath not seen."

But "cold cometh out of the north" and "who can stand before His cold?" Who will be able to reach the North Pole and make this discovery; God "set His compass on the face of the depth" but, revolving around the Pole, this compass, or Magnetic Pole, once believed to be at the North Pole, has now reached one of the Arctic Islands.

The opening near the Pole or "narrow way" to the earth’s center is not a volcano nor a passage way to a place of liquid fire, but of atmosphere and life and motion.

The "everlasting fire" is in the earth, but not at its center. These facts regarding the earth’s revolution and its opening at the north, are both referred to in one single passage of Scripture and elsewhere in the Bible.

The earth being the oldest planet "created in the beginning," before the "two great lights" and "the stars," before "the morning stars sang together," was first inhabited, but has been frequently submerged and reinhabited, the land covered with water "and darkness upon the face of the deep" causing death and desolation and decay, forming earth’s ancient deep deposits, and the several stratas above, burying the mysterious ruins in Central America, and elsewhere, and covering the homes of the Mound Builders.

The earth’s surface is a great revolving stage, presenting many and varied acts and scenes, with long drops of the curtain or intervals between. Here have been presented during the remote primeval periods of the past, the rise and fall of former human races, the dawning of new creations, their noon times and their nights of darkness and chaos and decay, and finally the dawning of the present dispensation, when God said let there be light, and there was when he "divided the waters, which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament" and "divided a water course for the overflowing of waters," which occasionally overflow in great torrents, and are here called cloud bursts.

On this stage of human life are seen coming and going the myriad members of the human race, coming up from a lower condition of life - "from beneath" - stopping here for a season to gain individuality, spiritual development and redemption from the fall, and then through the death of the body passing onward and upward to higher and happier conditions of spirit life in the "Father’s house of many mansions," prepared for the redeemed of the Lord, the Divine Saviour of the world.

But how numerous and how sad are the failures here, of those who refuse to heed the Savior's call to come unto Him for redemption and "eternal life," who, lured by the temptations and business and pleasures of the world continue in the broad road which leads to "everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power," "because straight is the gate and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be who find it, while wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many go in thereat." It is written that "many are called but few are chosen." Only the redeemed of the Lord are chosen at "the judgment seat of Christ."

On this stage of human existence have been enacted great and startling events, individual and National - the fall in Eden, the murder of Abel, the coming of the flood, the assassination of Caesar, of William the Silent, of Lincoln and of Garfield, the beheading of John the, Baptist, of John of Barneveldt, of Mary Queen of Scots, and of Lady Jane Gray. On this stage took place the translation of Enoch, of MeIchisedek, and of Elijah, the birth and baptism of Jesus, his transfiguration and crucifixion, his resurrection and ascension.

Here sailed the war ships of the early Carthagenians and Romans, the Spanish Armada and the British fleets, the providentially protected squadron of Dewey at Manila, and the equally favored Flying Squadron of Sampson at Santiago.

Here marched the armies of Xerxes, and Alexander and Julius Caesar, of Hannibal and Genghis Kahn, of Bajazet and Tamerlane, of the Saracens Crusaders, of Napoleon and Wellington, and Washington and Grant. On this stage have been fought many important battles among which have been the battles of Jericho, of the Mulberry Trees and of the Broken Pitchers, of Marat The Honorable and Syracuse and Hastings, of Waterloo and Saratoga and Santiago, and here have been presented also the peaceful social scenes of the Queen of Sheba on her way to visit King Solomon, Cleopatra in her barge going to meet Mark Antony, Rebecca on camels back journeying to meet her God given but unseen bridegroom and Philena Rebecca with her husband sitting in her tent.

Of the seventeen hundred million human beings on the earth, all come under three classes or conditions, temporarily, which, to a great extent govern their social standing here, and to some extent their spiritual condition hereafter. These are the rich, the poor and the middle class or condition, the latter in the light of Scripture being the best, while that of the wealthy the one most coveted, is the most dangerous to the soul. Riches bring additional cares and vexations and troubles, and also greater responsibilities. To whom much is given of him shall much be required." Riches also tend to a Pharisaical spirit of selfishness and self conceit and satisfaction, rendering it "hard for the rich man to enter into the kingdom of Heaven." Poverty is an impediment to the exercise of benevolence, to self culture and to spiritual progress. The Wise man well said "Give me neither poverty nor riches." But poverty unlike riches tends to meekness and humility and Heavenly trust which are good for the soul. These and the hardships which the poor suffer render their condition as a class, better spiritually than that of the rich.

The common effects of wealth and poverty on the future condition of men are represented in the parable of Dives and Lazarus, the Rich man and the Beggar, as given by the Saviour. The Rich man who "dressed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day," having been selfish and sinful, leaving the helpless and afflicted to lie uncared for at his gate, was "tormented" in the other world, while Lazarus, who suffered afflictions here and evidently trusted in the Lord, was cared for by the Angels, and "comforted" in spirit life. Another case presented of selfishness and sin and accountability as an unfaithful steward in the use of the riches which God had entrusted to his care, was that of the rich man whose barns were filled, and who was about to pull them down and build greater, in order that he might "there bestow all his fruits and his goods," and say to his soul "thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry." "But God said unto him thou fool, this night Thy soul shall be required of thee then whose shall those things be which thou has provided?" And it is added "so is he that layeth up treasures for himself and is not rich toward God."

Well might the Saviour say, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth" but "in Heaven." To become rich toward God and to lay up treasures in Heaven is to love and serve the Lord, to be a co-laborer with Christ in doing good and in extending His kingdom among men.

The journey of the Israelites in the Wilderness is a true representation of human life in general, as to Providential readings and troubles and afflictions. While prosperous and happy most of the time, they encountered dangers and difficulties and hardships on their way, suffering from hunger and thirst, opposed by enemies, and afflicted by fiery serpents in their path, with plagues and bitter waters, yet God was leading them all the while and was ever ready to aid them when they called upon His name. He gave them quail and manna from Heaven to relieve their hunger, water from the rock to quench their thirst, victory over their enemies, and relief from the serpents sting by a mere look at the cross, raised up for their benefit and for ours. All their weary wanderings and hardships and afflictions were brought upon them for their future good as Moses informed them before his death. He said unto them, The Lord thy God led thee forty years in the wilderness that he might humble and prove thee to do thee good at the latter end." And so our hardships and pains and sufferings of whatever kind are brought upon us for our future good. "Our light afflictions which are but for a moment work out for us a far exceeding and eternal weight of glory." Those "arrayed in white robes" about the Throne "are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." The poor are more benefited than the rich, because they suffer more. Let the poor then be comforted in the hopes of the hereafter, and be thankful that the salvation of Christ is offered "without money and without price." Let the rich and the prosperous business man learn wisdom from the lessons of Scripture and be "rich toward God" using a portion of the wealth and the means which God giveth them, for the benefit. of others as well as themselves, that they may prove to them a blessing and blessing and not a curse. Let us all love and serve the Lord for what He has Suffered and sacrificed for our salvation, bearing our afflictions with patience and Heavenly trust, seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness," realizing that according to promise all things needful will be added unto us.

As the tent was the primitive abode of man for the beginning of life here, so Christ’s "church" the House of the Lord, is the final home on earth of the redeemed of the Lord, into which the "Good Shepherd" gathers His flock preparatory to their departure from earth to Heaven. It is His "Holy Temple" where He meets His people to own and to bless them, giving unto them "Eternal life" and "The inheritance of the saints in light." The Christian Church or kingdom on earth is the beginning of tile "Kingdom of Heaven" above, into which Christ’s followers are translated at death. Like the devoted Psalmist we should be "glad" for an invitation to "go into the house of the Lord" and should thankfully accept it, for it is the "House of God and the gate of Heaven."

A serious error exists in the minds of many nominal Christians in these later times, of "departing from the faith," who believe that the conditions offered do not require them to become members of the Christian fold and to acknowledge Christ before the world. The Savior's teachings are explicit on this point, plainly showing the necessity of coming unto Him in order to be saved and confessing Him before men. He says, "If any man will come unto me let him take up his cross and follow Me." "He that taketh not up his cross and followeth Me is not worthy of Me." Whoever refuses therefore to confess Christ and to come into the Church fold, on account of pride or shame, has not taken up the cross required of him, however good or believing or prayerful in secret he may be. Christ says: "Whosoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of Him shall the Son of Man be ashamed when He shall come in His own glory and of the Father’s and of the Holy Angels’. It is truly written that "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Repentance, Faith and Confession are all essentials to salvation. It is said: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved," but faith or belief, to be effectual must be a living faith, which leads to repentance and baptism. "Faith without works is dead." When it was said to the Phillipian jailer, "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved," it implied baptism and confession, and he showed his faith and made confession by being "baptized he and all his, straight away." When on the day of Pentecost the people asked what they should do to be saved, Peter said unto them repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost," and three thousand were baptized. Becoming an open follower of Christ by repentance, and baptism was the only condition of salvation offered in the beginning of the Christian church, and it is the same today. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be condemned." Christ humbled himself to be baptized as an example to others, and requires that his followers shall be baptized in order to become members of the Christian fold. Jesus says: "Whosover shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father, which is in Heaven, but whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in Heaven."

Before His crucifixion the. Saviour instituted the Lord’s Supper, and commanded his followers to take of His broken body and shed blood in remembrance of Him till He should come. Do you, Dear Reader, do this as a follower of Christ; as a member of the Christian church; If so, it is well, but if you do not thus show your love and loyalty to Christ and confess Him before men, can you expect Him to confess you before His Father in the Day of Judgment; Be wise in time, for "What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" Let us seek the Saviour while he may be found, repent of our sins, and become members of the Christian church - sheep of the "Good Shepherd" who leadeth his flock "beside the still waters, who restoreth the soul," then "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our life, and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

* * * * * * * *

But let us return to the story of Philena Rebecca’s tent life on the prairie, as given by her mother and by herself, showing what the pioneers of our country in the early days and on the prairie have been willing to sacrifice and endure for the sake of securing homes for themselves and their families. Her mother in a letter of March, 1898, says , "Philena Rebecca Rosenkrans, daughter of Benjamin, lived with her parents until she was twenty-one. December 19, 1878, she married Hartley M. Elliot. May 17, 1881, they moved to Wright County, Iowa. They landed on the prairie and pitched a little tent, having a wagon cover for their bed. They had some very hard times, but were only driven in a neighbor’s house one night by a storm, which blew the tent over, but no damage was done. That summer they built a shanty and about the 4th of July moved in it. Then it was more like home.

Teresa R. Elliot. Born on Prairie, Iowa.

They had two children born to them in Wright County. Teresa Rebecca Elliot was born April 20, 1882, Clarence Hartley Elliot was born February 22, 1884. Hartley M. Elliot, the father, died April 3, 1884, and Philena had a sale and she and her children went back to her father’s in Clayton County." After making further inquiries regarding her life on the prairie, Mrs. Elliot, now Mrs. Woodridge, wrote as follows from Edgewood, Iowa, October 30, 1899: "Dear Relative: I will now try and answer your welcome letter and give you some history of myself. I have gone, through so much hardship in my life it is hard to tell it. * * * Elliot and I started for Wright County, 17th of May, 1881. We went with horse teams, and covered wagons and slept in our wagon, and drove on straight through. Took two pigs in a box, tied on the back of our wagon, and a box of chickens, and when night came we camped out, turned our pigs and chickens loose and let them have a run, and when dark came, caught them, milked our cows, fed the calves, then strained the rest of the milk in a big dish pan and in the morning we had all the cream we wanted. If we were near a house we gave it to the people, if not, threw what we could not use away. One night we camped where you could look as far as your eyes would let you and all could see was one little house, and two little straight maple trees, they had set for shade in time. In the morning we saw, as we supposed, a big cloud rising, and to our surprise it was a herd of cattle. We had an oil stove to cook on, on the road, and also used the oil stove all summer. We landed the last of May near Wall Lake, Wright County, at John McKinnis’ where we pitched our tent and with our wagon cover for our bed, we had our home. It looked like a lonesome home to me, and so it was. I would have died with loneliness had it not been for the kindness of Mrs. McKinnis.

Clarence H. Elliot. Born on Prairie, Iowa.

About the 4th of July we got a little shanty built 14x16 feet then it was better. It was ship lapped inside and out. It was quite cozy. We could shut the snakes and frogs out then. The grass there was so full of garter snakes and frogs, you could not go a rod from the house without running on them. Now I will tell you how I made butter: I had a tub by the well and tall cans, strained the milk in the cans, pumped water in the tub, covered the tub and put blankets over the cans for shades, raised the cream and churned it out doors, then put it in a dugout to keep it cool. I got the highest price for my butter. I must tell you the expression my father made when he heard of it: "She can make butter on a log." The wind always blew there, and we had some very hard storms. We never got injured ourselves, but had a horse killed by lightning. My husband did breaking for a living the first summer, but we never went hungry. We took about one hundred quarts of canned fruit with us. There wasn’t any fruit to speak of in Wright County, at that time."

Two years after Mrs. Elliot’s return to Edgewood she was married April 7, 1886, to Francis Irvin Woodridge, a farmer. Their children are: Benjamin Irvin, born January 24, 1888, Louie Arthur, born June 29, 1889, and Pearl Edna Woodridge, born February 20, 1892. Mr. Woodridge is a mason and carpenter as well as a farmer, and as reported by Mrs. Woodridge in the fall of 1898, was engaged in building themselves a new house on a small farm, which they own near Edgewood. Mr. and Mrs. Elliot were both members of the "United Brethren Community," or church, and were immersed at the same time. Mr. Woodridge, her present husband, is also a member of that church, though the church services of that denomination, it is said, have been discontinued in Edgewood since the establishment of the M.E. church there. The likenesses of the two children of Philena Rebecca, born on the prairie are herewith presented in sketch drawing from very small pictures.

579.  IRVING ROSENKRANS, son of Benjamin (268), was born near Edgewood, Iowa, July 29, 1860, and died in infancy.

580.  HARRIET LIVERA ROSENKRANS, daughter of Benjamin, (268) was born November 27, 1862, married November 30, 1880 Michael H. Bower, a laborer living at Arlington, Fayette County, Iowa. Their children are: Philena Luella Bower, born May 27, 1882, Elleanor Bower born March 4, 1887, and Harvey L. Bower, born February 4, 1890.

Layton Rosenkrans (273)

LAYTON ROSEKRANS and Ruth Ann Garrison had five children.

581.  REBECCA ROSENKRANS, daughter of Layton, was born January 25, 1868, and died March 24, 1872.

582.  GUSTIN ROSENKRANS, son of Layton, was born October 1, 1869 and married December 24, 1893 Ida Smith. No children.

583.  EVA ROSENKRANS, was born April 13, 1871, and married January 27, 1892, Harlon Jacoby. They have three children: George, born November 14, 1892, Ruth, born April 29, 1894, and Gertrude, born June 17, 1896.

584.  EMERSON ROSENKRANS, son of Layton was born March 1876, and married November 7, 1894, Dora Boesler. They have children: Maggie and Teresa.

585.  ELMER ROSENKRANS, son of Layton, was born December 17, 1881.

Levi Rosenkrans (274)

LEVI ROSENKRANS and Mary Meyrs had two children.

586.  GERTY ROSENKRANS, born 1870, now departed.

587.  OTTO ROSENKRANS, son of Levi, (274) was born in Lackawanna County, 1877, and married Elizabeth Parker. He has two children: Clarence Rosenkrans and Georgie Rosenkrans.

This page was last updated on February 26, 2007 .
Copyright ©1997 - 2000 by James P. Rosenkrans, IV.  All rights reserved.