Peter Lauffer

  General Notes:

From the 1906 Lauffer History

Peter Lauffer, great grandson of Christian, the Pioneer, was a successful farmer, a prominent member of the Reformed church in which he held the offices of elder and deacon for many years. He was a man of commendable characteristics, being known among his neighbors as Honest Peter. In politics he was a staunch Republican, but never aspired to public office.

Early in life he purchased a farm in Penn township, Westmoreland County, Pa. The farm contained about 138 acres, and was in rather poor state of cultivation. He was frequently told by his neighbors and friends, that he could not make a living on such poor land. Peter, however, had the courage and went to work with a will and soon brought into evidence his ability as a business man and a farmer.

In the year 1873 he erected a large brick house on the farm and surrounded it with an evergreen fence, which, together with many other improvements, was still standing as a witness to his untiring efforts, though later being owned by Wm. Wagner.


For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord ; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord; whether we live or die therefore we are the Lords. For to this end Christ both died and rose and revived-lived again-that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. Romans 14 :7, 8, 9.

CHRISTIANS THE LORD'S POSSESSION.

Extracts from a sermon preached at the funeral of Peter Lauffer, who died August 4, 1886, interment in Emanuel Cemetery, August 6, 1886.

The tenderest and warmest recollection of our lives cluster around our childhood's home. We may have gone out from it, but we never, never can forget the old home, where we spent our childhood days. So the spirit too has a childhood's home, where it was born unto God, became God's property, and reared on the breast of its spiritual mother-the church. A power undefinable that binds the faithful Christian-bound our departed brother to the place, where he became God's property, and here he learned to know and love Christ. For some years he transferred his church membership to a neighboring congregation, but to this Zion of God-this childhood home of his soul and spirit, around which memories clustered, which will live forever, his eyes and his heart ever turned. The poet expresses the sentiments and feelings of our beloved brother for this house of God and all its surroundings in that beautiful hymn.

I love thy kingdom Lord, The house of thine abode. The church our blest Redeemer saved his own precious blood.

If e'er my heart forget, Her welfare or her woe, Let every joy this heart forsake And every grief o'erflow.

For her my tears shall fall, For her my prayers ascend, To her my cares and toils be given, Till toils and cares shall end.

With these sentiments animating and ruling his heart, he labored early and late, nobly and heroically to make this spiritual home, this church-God's acre, where peacefully his remains will sleep until the resurrection, now beautiful and lovely. The beauty, attractiveness and loveliness of this sacred spot is due to oar departed brother, and others, who like him, labored, toiled, prayed, and gave largely of their means, time and substance, to adore and beautify this hill of God, and make this temple- the place where God's name is recorded and where his honor dwelleth glorious. No one gave more towards the rebuilding of this temple. No one gave more willingly or cheerfully. And none were more faithful in their attendance on the regular preaching of the word, the ordinances of the church, and the congregational meetings, having for their object the advancement of God's Kingdom in our midst. Our departed brother began life with scarcely a dollar. Industrious, full of zeal and energy, God blessed and prospered him. He accumulated a comfortable home and a goodly inheritance of honest toil, hard labor, and the sweat of his brow. Whilst he was diligent in business he was at the same time fervent in spirit serving the Lord. He always gave liberally and cheerfully unto the Benevolent objects of the church. God loves the cheerful giver. In this regard, as well as a faithful member and deacon of this congregation, we will all miss him. As a good man and neighbor the community will miss him, but above all as a tender husband and a kind and loving father will be missed by the bereaved household and family. Better, however, ten thousand times better that we are missed, even sadly missed in the church, congregation community and family circle than otherwise. In this there is the evidence and the proof that we are filling, in some measure at least the sphere and place into which God put us. Speaking to me some time ago of the disease which was terminating his earthly life, he remarked that he was dying differently from what he thought he would. He said, be expected to die suddenly. His departure was in accordance with the teaching and truth of the text. We die according to the way, manner and circumstances, as God directs and wills. "We die unto the Lord."

But how did our departed friend and brother die? As he lived. "Unto the Lord.'' In the providence of God. I was permitted to be at his side, commend his soul into the hands of our kind heavenly Father, and close his eyes in death. He as perfectly conscious to the last moment, and departed as calmly and peacefully, as the child falling asleep on its mothers bosom. So gently did he fall asleep in Jesus, that it could scarcely be seen just when the earthly life terminated and the heavenly was ushered in.

"How blest the righteous when lie dies When sinks a weary soul to rest How mildly beam the closing eyes, How gently heaves the expiring breast." "Jesus can make a dying bed Peel soft as downy pillows are, Whilst on his breast I lean my head And breathe my life out sweetly there."

How comforting also are the words of the text to the bereaved household, family, relatives and friends. You are God's property, God's possession. He has bought you each one with a price not with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb, without blemish and without spot. We belong unto him in soul and body, in life and death.

He is your shepherd. He will provide for and take care of you, and you shall not want. The same God and Father, that led, preserved, defended and provided for his Israel of old will care for you. The same Savior that comforted a Mary and a Martha will comfort you. He says, "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid etc." "I will not leave you comfortless.'' Trust Christ. Bring your sorrows,, tears and broken hearts to him. "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest."

There are solemn lessons for us to be learned as a congregation and a community. Do we realize that we are Gods property, that he has bought us with the infinitely availing blood of his own dear son? In virtue of this precious purchase price we belong not unto the world nor the evil one, but unto Christ. If we realize that we are God's property we will have the mind and spirit of Him, who has fully satisfied for all our sins, and made us heirs of God and joint heirs with Himself. We will live unto God in a peculiar Christian sense. We will glorify God with our bodies and spirits which ate his. If we are not Christ's, and not living unto the Lord, whose fault is it? Can we come before God now, and in the great last day and tell him that He never bought us? Is there a soul here to-day, who is making null and void this efficacious purchase by neglecting and refusing to live unto him ?

"Lord, it belongs not to my care Whether I die or live: To love and serve Thee is my share, And this Thy grace must give."

"If life be long, I will be glad That I may long Obey, If short, yet why should I he sad To soar to endless day?"

Peter married Anna Margaret Stockum on 9 Oct 1851. (Anna Margaret Stockum was born on 8 Mar 1832 in Reinhorn, Hesse Daemstadt, Germany, died on 16 May 1874 and was buried in Hills Church Cemetery, Export, PA.)

Peter next married Sarah Stockum on 9 Oct 1851. (Sarah Stockum was born on 22 Jul 1842 in Franklin Twp, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania, died on 13 Jul 1922 and was buried in Hills Church Cemetery, Export, PA.)