Loucks - Wellington E. - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Rev. Wellington E. Loucks, pastor of the First Presbyterian  church of Crawfordsville, was born in Peoria, Illinois, October  12, 1854.  His father, Judge Wellington Loucks, was born in New York,  near Albany.

He attended Hanover College, Indiana, and Oxford College,  Ohio.  He emigrated from New York to Detroit, Michigan, and in 1835  settled in Peoria, where lhe was a very successful merchant for a  time, during which he read law. He began the practice of law and was elected judge of Peoria  County, which position he held eight years. He has ever since  been one of the leading lawyers of Peoria.  He is a member of the Presbyterian church, and an active  Sabbath-school worker.

Mr. Louck's mother, Rebecca A. Loucks, is a member of the  Presbyterian church, and early taught her children the rudiments  of education, and those moral and re­ligious principles that  have guided them in life.

At seven years of age the subject of this sketch entered the  intermediate department of the city schools of Peoria, and  graduated in the complete course in the class of 1873.

After graduating he began teaching school, and continued  reading medicine with Dr. J. C. Fry. In June, 1873, he was  converted and joined the First Presbyterian church of Peoria,  which changed his whole course of action. He immediately resolved  upon the ministry, which he had hitherto tried to avoid, and  began the study of theology under Jonathan Edwards, D.D., now  pro­fessor of theology in Danville Seminary, Kentucky, but  then pastor of the First Presbyterian church of Peoria. The  interest shown him by Dr. Edwards was of great value to him in  unfolding the princi­ples of a correct theology.

Mr. Loucks was married January 21, 1875, to Miss Emma R.  Johnson, of Peoria, and in March moved to Madison, Indiana, for  the purpose of graduating in Hanover College. He became connected  with the Y. C. A. S., and worked in the great revival of 1875 in  southern Indiana, going from city to city.  That fall he was taken very sick and came near losing his  life.

Upon re­covery, fearing that the demands of christian work  in that place would interfere with his college work, he removed  to Crawfordsville in November 1875, and entered Wabash College,  beginning with the lowest preparatory class in Greek, and  graduated in the regular classical course with the class of  1877.

In 1876, he took charge of the Darlington and Bethel  churches.

In April, 1877, he was licensed to preach, and ordained for  the Presbyterian ministry by the presbytery of Crawfordsville at  an adjourned meeting at Darlington October 11, 1877. He remained  pastor of the Darlington and Bethel churches until September 1,  1879, when he received a call from the Presbyterian church at  Bloomfield, Iowa, and from the First Presbyterian church of  Crawfordsville.

He took charge of the latter church, of which he is still  pastor. In 1879 he was elected stated clerk of the presbytery of  Crawfordsville.  Mr. Louck's ministry has been successful in the building up  and increasing the membership of each church where he has  labored.

He is a man of strong convictions, an ardent believer in the  good old doctrines of Calvinism, and preaches the truth as he  understands it.  He is held in high esteem by his brethren, and his standing  with the church and the world is in the highest degree favorable  to his reputation. He writes his sermons but delivers them  without manuscript or notes.  

So accurate and wonderful is his memory that nothing he reads  escapes him.  He has a passion for music, also the study of elocution.  He has a well selected library to which he is constantly  adding.  His sermons are characterized by beautiful language, apt  illusstration, accurate expression, breadth of thought, and a  correct delineation of the motives of human nature, the springs  of human action, and an application to the wants of human  life.

There have been born to him three children: Myra A., Edward  W., and Ruth. The last one died in infancy. Mr. Loucks has an  amiable and lovely wife, who assists and sympathizes with him in  his labors, makes many warm friends, and fills his home with the  sunshine of love.  -- typed by kbz