Amelila Lowrie

From: 200 Year Centennial Church Bulletin 1813-2013 Rev. McPherrin's daughter, Amelia, and Walter Lowry fell deeply in love, however Amelia's daddy (the good reverend John) was not at all approving of the company his lovely daughter had decided to keep. Sensing no way to change McPherrin's mind, Amelia and Walter decided to get married without his approval and rode off on horseback to Butler, where they eloped on January 14, 1808.

Rev. McPherrin, meanwhile, was determined not to overlook such a violation of the rules of good Christian conduct and sought the censure of the newlyweds by his presbytery – an action which brought an abrupt end to Walter Lowrie's hopes of becoming an ordained pastor.

It is recorded in the Minutes of the the resbytery of Erie on August 23-24, 1808 that "charges were made by a parishioner of the Rev. John McPherrin against Walter Lowrie for carrying off Amelia McPherrin from the farm to the town of Butler, where they were married." In the historical account penned by the Rev. Dr. S. Wilmer Beitler (Through Succeeding Years, 1813-1938) he writes: "Some time later reconciliation took place and the irate parent lived to see his son-in-law advance to high places in civil life."

Walter ran for the Pennsylvania state legislature on the Democratic ticket and won, serving from 1812 to 1819. In 1818, he was elected by the people to be U.S. Senator for Pennsylvania, a position he held until 1825. During Senate debates, Lowrie made anti-slavery speeches advocating dissolution of the union rather than permit extension of slavery into the newly settled western territories. He was also one of the organizers of the Congressional Prayer Caucus and Congressional Temperance Society.

Senator Lowrie served under presidents James Monroe, John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. It is reported that he never lost any election for which he ran. As a result of his considerable political acumen, Walter was invited to run for President of the United States in 1836. Since Andrew Jackson, a Democrat, was already in office, there was little doubt Lowrie would have won. But he declined the offer, choosing instead to accept election as Secretary of the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church.

Walter continued to serve for thirty-four years as head of the Missions Board until his death in 1868 at the age of 84. Three of the eight children of Walter Lowrie and Amelia McPherrin gave lives of distinguished ervice in the ministry (more about them will be written in a future BiCentennial Insert). Mr. Lowrie retained his interest and involvement in First Presbyterian Church, Butler, first serving as Trustee and then, during the Reverend Loyal Young's pastorate, as a Ruling Elder (ordained August 21, 1836).

Amelia died November 5, 1832 at Bedford PA, en route to Washington D.C. and lies beside her father, the Rev. John McPherrin, in North Cemetery, Butler.* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Aug 27 2019, 0:11:50 UTC