Louisa Mariah (Layman) Woosley (1862 - 1952)

Born 24 Mar 1862 in Millwood, Grayson County, Kentucky, United States

Ancestors

Wife of Curtis G. Woosley — married 20 Feb 1879 (to 29 Sep 1930) in Kentucky, United States

Descendants

Died 30 Jun 1952 at age 90 in Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky, United States

Biography

Mrs. Woosley, Kentucky Rev. Mrs. Louisa M. Woosley will be remembered as one of the outstanding evangelists of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and a pioneer in her field of ministry. She was a member of a large family of early settlers--the Laymans--of old Grayson County, Kentucky. She was born March 24, 1862 and was married to Curtis G. Woosley in 1879. After the death of her husband, Sept. 29, 1930, she made her home with her daughter, Mrs. J. T. Slaton, 1421 Richmond Rd., Lexington, Ky.

Mrs. Woosley felt the call of her Lord and Master to ministerial service in the early years of her married life. She faced, with courage, the criticism and prejudice of a woman being in public life and especially in a pulpit. Her faith and ability won the battles and she was ordained to the full work of the gospel ministry in 1889 by the Nolin Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. For more than 45 years she was very active in evangelistic services, holding revivals by the hundreds over the central area of the United States, as far west as Oregon and Washington. Compiled records of the first 25 years of her ministry show one hundred thousand (100,000) souls have been saved under her ministry in twenty states.

Mrs. Woosley filled the pulpit with grace and dignity. She was a small attractive, modestly dressed woman. With her culture, charm and knowledge of the Bible and God's plans for saving souls she was an inspiration to all who heard her.

During the later years she became less active in the ministry of her church's evangelistic program and consecrated herself, her time and devotion as a teacher of the Ladies Bible Class, First Methodist Church, of Lexington. With love and loyalty, she was ever true to her own church.

In many homes of the nation will be found the little book published by Mrs. Woosley in 1891, "Shall Woman Preach?"

Among the bereaved are her daughter, Mrs. J. T. Slaton, Lexington, Ky., a son, Jasper L. Woosley, Carlisle, Arkansas; a brother, Hardin Layman, Aberdeen, Washington; three sisters, Mrs. Melissa Covert, Aberdeen, Washington; Mrs. Ida Daugherty and Mrs. Dora Likens, Caneyville, Kentucky; also nephews and nieces, six grandchildren and nine great grand-children. Her body was laid to rest beside her husband in the Lexington Cemetery, July 2.

louisa was the first women preacher in the cumberland presbyterian minister

Sources

• Wikidata: Item Q6688571, en:Wikipedia
• https://www.history.pcusa.org/blog/2018/03/louisa-woosley-and-sacred-desk
• [1]http://www.cumberland.org/hfcpc/minister/woosleyL.htm

• Find A Grave Memorial- https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/177602875/louisa-mariah-woosley

• Census Data

• "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXWQ-KFY : 19 March 2020), Anthoney Layman, 1870.

PHOTO AT FAG SITE: Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 24 July 2020), memorial page for Rev Louisa Mariah Layman Woosley (24 Mar 1862–30 Jun 1952), Find a Grave Memorial no. 177602875, citing Lexington Cemetery, Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky, USA ; Maintained by R. Dale Woosley (contributor 46784918) .[2]

"Kentucky Death Records, 1911-1965," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NSDY-5LJ : 9 January 2019), Anthony Layman in entry for Louisa Laymon Woosley, 30 Jun 1952; citing Death, Lexington, Fayette, Kentucky, United States, certificate , Office of Vital Statistics, Frankfort; FHL microfilm 2,241,998.