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Title
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Copley, Samuel
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8 . Copl ey
T his infurmation is being gatherc:d for h istorical purpose9
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Birth, da.te, place
If fa ther or mother wc:rl! pro minent g ive infurm a tion o n
~eparatoe ~ hret
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5-Sistcrs
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~a~~ ~~ J d places of re,idenc.:; · if livin~r.
will be avpreci:\Nd
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If childrt!D have atta ined prominonc.e , pleaKe g ive info rn:at ion a nd any o ther informnt ion of interest
8~ Education-schools
attended. Give names and locations
(a) Rural schools---·--····· ··-················-·-···········-· (b)
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High. schools ·---·-·-·-·········-----··-·--···--··---·--····-···--·····--··
College ·-·-····------·-··-·······--···--····-······--······(d) University ................. ·-·............. ·····--·-------···----··--- ···(e) Seminary' .... -................ --------------- ........ ---. ... .... ..... ..... -.. (f)
Degrees held····-··············-···--·-······-·-·················--------·(g) Correspondence courses
9- Christian exprrienr.e and training
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(c)
(d)
United with church, when, where
Offices held in local church__~~~~:;{;.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~·- -----------_-_-_-_·_·_·_-_._._._._._._-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_._._._._-_-_-_-_-_-_._._-_-_-.--
lQ-Ministry
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Vocation before entering the ministry··················-·-·······-····-·-····----················· ··--·-·-···········-···--· ···--····
(b)
Call to ministry, when, where experienrt'··-·········-·············-···········-········-·-····-····---·-··-· --·····--···--·---····
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Use add itiona l•heet of paver if nt!cess:uy
(c)
Recommended by Congn·gat ion
pastor
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Give d3tes
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11 - Pastorates held, when, where...............................................
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12-0ffices held in Conference
(a) P. E. or D. S., (dates)
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/_~__-:-__Aisii d·i~trlct;·seiveii ........ -------.------------------------------------------------------.---------~--·
t!t~ ___.... -----------------------------------·---------------------------:.·..~------------·--Oth('r offices held, name, date__~~-~~----":'.....Give·r~ii'IErs-------------------------------------------~-------------: ...........
Delegate to Gen. Con f., (datt>s
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(a)Pamphlets and other productions ----------- . . -- -- ----- ---- .... -. ---------....... .. .................. ------------------- , ________ ___ ------ . ............................... ..
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15-0ther information that will be apprt>ciated if available
(a)
Number of miles traveled -------------------------- ------.--------- (b)
(c)
Conversions ----------------(d) Baptisms____________ _____(e)
(g)
Members received into the church, ___ _____ ________________ ______ __ ..
Sermons preache_~------------------------------------------·
Weddings___________________(f)
Funerals
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16-Salary, highest amount received, ______ _______ ;·____________Year ___________________ lowest -----------__ ___________ _}'ear.__________________ __
17-Fraternal relations
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Note: We are desirous of securing for t he Histori cal fil es of the Michigan Conference complete and detailed
information concerning all minist ers who havo served and are now serving in the Conference. The above outline
is intended to assist in securing such information in more or less uniform out lines. We urge t he addition on a
separat e sheet, of such other important and interesting informat.ion as cannot be conveniently placed on this blank.
In t he case of men now living, the information can, of course, be only up to date. Photographs of living and
dec('ased ministers, diaries, letters and documents of historical int(:'rest are earnestly s'olicited. Your co-operation
in behalf of t he Conference Historical work will be greatly appreciated. Kindly return the blank to the Conference Historian, W. H. Watson, Kalamazoo, Michigan.
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Pr esidi ng Elder
Rev. Samuel Copley,
(17) years--187}:74-- 1875-1821
Samuel Copley was born April 2, 1842 in Wayne County, Ohio. He was licensed by the
Ohio Conference in 1862. In 1S65 he transferred to t he newly-fomed M.i.chigan Conference.
He was c rda~.nec! deacon i n 1868 find eld~ r in 1870.
As pastor he served the f ollowing f i elds,- Adrian Circuit; St. Joseph Circuit ; Fra'Ilont
Circuit; :.ionroe Circuit; Colon; St. -Jospeh Circuit (second time); onroe Mission;
Mar shall and Litchfield; and Jackson.
In 1873, as a young man of 31 years, he was el ected presiding elder in the Mi ch~~an
Confer ence . After serving one year on t he St. Joseph District he resigned his off ice
duo to ill health. He s er veti i.r. the pastorate for one year and was re-el ec:ted as
pres iding elder. He continued in the office for sixteen consecutive years, giving him
a total of seventeen year s as a presiding elder. During his fina l sixteen years he
s erve d,- St . Jospeh District; 1875-78; Three Rivers District, 1878-79; Monroe District,
1879-82 ; Flint District, 1882-84; Detroit District, 1884-86; Monroe District, 1886-90;
Reed City District, 1890-91. Only three men in the history of the Conference have held
the effie~ for a longer periort of time.
Not being el ected in 1891 he asked for his credentials. One wonder s whether there
may hav e been a bit of pigue because he f ailed of re-election. J ust a t hought. No
ce~tain evi dence.
At least he se~ms to have gone nowhere for he returned his credenti als to the Conference in 1892 . He serJSd two pastorat es in Michigan after the concl usion of his district work.
In 1897 he took his credentials again and wentxm west, apparent ly joining the Washi ngton Conference. In the west he served the follo vfLng pastorates,- Oregon City two
years, Sal em one year , Oakland\ Cal . one year and Tacoma, Washington one year. He
died May 12, 1914, slight~~~haa 72 years of age. He is buried in the Greenwood
Cemetery, Spokane, Washington.
Samuel Copl!JY was united in marriage with Cecelia .Light of Bedfor d Townshi p, onroe
Cotmt y, ltich.i.gan , Mar ch 22,1866. They were t he patients of six daughters . ~~our survived
t he father,. One daughter, Rev. I.J. Luce , was au ordained minister in the Congregational
Church in California.
Samuel Copley was one of the able men of the '.11chizan Confer ence • .In addition to his
district work he was a del egate to the General Conference fo~~ times 1 -l875, 1879, 1883
and 1887. He was a member of the historical committee, appointed i n 1896 to prepare
a Conference History. He apparently di d no writing.
I nformation regarding his characteristics as a man and as a minister are limited and
sketchy. That the Conference did, for 17 years, entrust him l'fith its top office speaks
el oquently for his abil i ty ae a minister and his trustwo7:"thiness as a man.
w.
H. V1atson,
Conference Historian.
Lansing , Mich . , April 2 , 1964
Rev . w. H. Watson ,
I da , Michigan
Dear Brother Watson :
This requires no ansHer and is intended to be
supplemental to your biographical history of the Rev . Samuel Copley .
When you say, 11 0ne daughter, the Rev. I.J . Luce was ordained minister
of the Congregational Church in California ." obviously Ure printer
omitted something but IT.J .Luce Has Irving Jacob Loose, my first wife 11 s
brother and brother of Elroy 1'1 . Loose, who 1o1as married to my oldest
sister. You had a part in Elr oy ' s funeral service at Monroe in 1958.
Clarence David loose and Alvin Franklim.Loose 1-1ere younger brothers of
Elroy and Irving .
Irving was exactly t en years older than I, having the same bir thday .
He attended Olivet College , graduating in the s ame class \nth Copl ey ' s
daughter Emma Belle ( E. Bel le as she al ways signed her name and as we
always knev-1 her ) • Tltey 1-~·er e married and 1-vent west to California Hher e
he became for a time,,L a Congr egational minister as you say. E. Belle
became enamored of a California Swede and divorced Irving to marr y the
Swede . They are both noH dead .
Irving was the only one of the Looses who ever spelled his name Luce .
Whether or not he had the name so l egall y changed I know not, but the
name in the German was spelled Loos and was pronounced vos . As a youngster I never heard other pronunciation. Evidentl y to make sur e the name
woul d be pronounced Loose Irving spelled it Luce .
The tie up bet"tveen the Albig and Loose famili es is almost funny . Elroy
had same birthday as his youngest sister, Hattie Lorena , who married me ,
the youngest Al big boy . Irving had same birthday with me and was ten
years older than I .
Clarence, the third boy, had same birthday as one
of my brothers .
Now add t he double marriage, 6ldest boy and oldest
sister , youngest boy and youngest sister and it is time to begin laughing.
Irving was a chum of Eugene Rau and Stephen Langdon , once county commissioner of school s in Monroe County . Your 1dfe may t emember them,
especially Steve Langdon , who , I think, grew up near Ida and attended
the Ida church sometimes.
Thanks for your time i n r eading this .
I had to set the record straight.
Sincerely yours ,
Copley, Samuel