From A Biographical History of Central Kansas, Vol. II, p. 1463
published by The Lewis Publishing Co, Chicago & New York, 1902

REV. ISAAC ROLLINS

   Rev. Isaac Rollins who for many years has devoted his life to the ministry of the United Brethern church took up his abode in Sterling in the spring of 1901.  He was born in Upshur county, West Virginia, July 24, 1830, being a son of Bernard J Rollins, who was a native of Maryland, and whose father was one of the early settlers of Virginia.  The family went west to Virginia at the time when the Indians still lived in that section of the country, and there amid the wild scenes of pioneer life Bernard J Rollins was reared to manhood.  He married Catherine Weatherholt of Virginia and they became the parents of eight children, seven of whom reached mature years.  When Mrs Rollins was a little maiden of four summers she was in the fort when the Indians made their last raid, killing William W White just inside the walls of the fort.  She lived to witness the wonderful development of the county in West Virginia about 1857, when she was seventy-seven years of age, her remains being interred in a cemetery in Upshur county.  Her husband survived her a few years, passing away in 1862, when about eighty-two years of age, and was laid to rest in Monroe county.

   Rev Isaac Rollins is now the only living member of their family.  He was reared to farm life and received only a limited common-school education.  In February, 1862, he volunteered as a defender of the Union, enlisting in Company H, of the Tenth West Virginia Infantry.  He served in the ranks for two months and was then made second lieutenant.  At the beginning of the war he went out as a scout and guide, and remained in the service until peace was declared, when, as the country no longer needed his services, he returned to his home.

   Mr Rollins had been married in April, 1851, to Rachel Wamsley, of Virginia, and they became the parents of three children, but their first born, a daughter, died in infancy.  Dora K, the second, is the wife of F L Thrasher, of Reno county, Kansas, by whom she has five living children.  Estella is the wife of Walter W Hanks.

   In November, 1869, Mr Rollins sold his village farm of twenty-five acres at Waynesville, Harrison county, Virginia, and in February, 1870, arrived in Rice county, Kansas, accompanied by his family.  In October, 1870, he made his way up the Arkansas valley and saw droves of buffaloes, shooting one of the animals.  He filed claim to a fractional quarter section of land, made the necessary improvements and secured his title, but in February, 1900, he sold his farm, which is located in Reno county.  However, he still owns a farm of eight acres in Finney county and in the spring of 1901 he took up his abode in Sterling.  He had engaged in shoe-making in Virginia, and after coming to Kansas he devoted much of his attention to agricultural pursuits, but for twenty-eight years he has been engaged in preaching the gospel, as a minister of the United Brethern church.  His last work in that connection was two years’ service as presiding elder.  His wife is fully six feet in height, and at one time would have measured six feet two inches.  Mr Rollins is also six feet in height.  They are a worthy couple, whose many excellencies of character have gained for them warm regard.  Mr Rollins has devoted much of his life to the uplifting of his fellow men, performing such service in a humble spirit, closely following in the footsteps of the lowly Nazarene.