AALTJE SOELLE ELROD
Memoirs
(wife of Christopher Elrod Sr.)
 

 		The late widowed Sister Aaltje Elrod (Soelle) who died on September
		17, 1804, at Hope had the following taken down about her life:

		     "I was born October 20, 1724, in Germantown in Pennsylvania and since
		my parents belonged to the Mennonites, I was not baptized as a child.  My
		father moved later to the Canawaga where I faithfully attended the meetings.
		After I was grown I was baptized by the Lutheran pastor by the name of Can-
		zler and this made a deep impression on me.  Soon after this my father moved
		to Maryland to the region of Manaskosy where I married my late husband
		Christopher Elrod on March 26, 1743.  In 1751 we moved to North Carolina and
		settled on the Yadkin River.  Some years later some of the Brethern came into
		the region and some of them visited in the country and preached in the houses
		and thus we soon had the opportunity of hearing them preach.  The first in
		whose preaching I was awakened was the late Bro. Post.  From this time on I
		sought to obtain my salvation and found much comfort in the preaching of the
		Brethren Soelle, Ettwein and Utley.

		     "In the dangerous time of the Indian War we fled to Bethabara where we
		to our blessing had occasion to become better acquainted with the Brethren.
		When it again became safer in the country we moved back to our plantation but
		continued to attend the Sunday meetings in Bethabara until a little congregat-
		ion was organized on the Southfork in Friedberg, when we then attended the
		meetings of the brethren there, which were very greatly blessed to my heart,
		although they were held in the German language which I did not know very well.
		I will, however, never forget how I was encouraged and revived anew when from
		time to time the late Sister Marschall visited in Friedberg and I could talk
		with her in the English language very open-heartedly about the state of my
		heart and her conversation and advice was true balm for my poor heart.

		     "On April 4, 1773, in Friedberg, I had the grace of being received in
		the congregation and on January 22, 1774, I became a communicant in the body
		and blood of the Lord in the service of the Holy Communion.  Some of our
		children were also baptized and when the congregation was organized in the
		year 1780, we had the joy of being among the first members of this little
		congregation."

		     So far it was in her own information.
		~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

		     From this time she found her greatest comfort and encouragement in the
		close association with the Saviour and in the observance of his suffering and
		death.  In the olden times when the brethren frequently visited in the country
		and preached, they were always welcome in her house and could be refreshed
		there from their heavy labors.

		 The death of her dear husband in January, 1784 grieved her very much, and 
		it was hard for her to adjust to her new condition, and only the hope of follow-
		ing him soon into eternity often supported her for she had an unusual longing 
		to depart and be with Christ, her Redeemer, and finally became very impatient 
		that she had to wait so much longer than she had expected.  When one spoke 
		to her she usually expressed emphatically this longing to be with Christ and 
		if she was recommended to have patience, she said, "I belong to the Savior".  
		He knows his time best and when it pleases him I will go to him, but soon, 
		soon.!"  Manifestly she put her hope in God in her almost twenty years of Widow-
		hood and this hope was not destroyed when she lived by turns with her four sons 
		who all belonged to the congregation and who cared for and tended her with the 
		love of a child.  Her quiet way of life, withdrawn from this world and her attach-
		ment to and persistant association with the Saviour which shone forth from all 
		her activities, made her generally beloved.  Since for several years, because 
		of her age and weakness, she was unable to come to the meetings of the congreg-
		ation, so much the more she was comforted and refreshed by the association with 
		the Saviour at home and when her children sometimes brought her to communion or 
		otherwise at times to church festivals, it was for her always a day of blessing.

		     God had blessed her marriage with 12 children, of whom 9 are still living. 
		From these she had 63 grandchildren and 73 great-grandchildren of whom 57 
		grandchildren and 68 great-grandchildren are still living.  Two weeks ago, in 
		the house of her son, John Elrod, where she is now living, she became sick with 
		the prevailing fever and it was appointed for her to go home to her Saviour as 
		she had so many years longed to do.  While conscious and even in delirium she 
		called on the Saviour often and prayed English and German verses.  When her 
		children asked her whether she was now ready to go to the Saviour she gave 
		witness of that with joy that she was really separated from the world and had 
		a complete desire to be at home with her Saviour and this was evident in a
		lovely manner in her last illness.

		     On Sunday, the 16th of this month, in the presence of several of her 
		children and children's children and blessing of the Lord and the congregation 
		was administered to her for her homegoing and she departed in the afternoon of 
		September 17, 1804.  Her age was 79 years, one month, and 3 days.

		From Document found in Moravian Archives, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Charlotte Curlee Ramsey
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~cramsey/index.html