Lanson was a son of Ruel Andrus and his first wife Betsy Lucilda Brown, both of whom were born in Vermont.

Biography:

Rev. L.L. Andrews [Andrus], an early settler of the township, was born in Vermont, October 22, 1822, and moved with his father to Tioga County, N.Y., where they resided until he was twelve years old. Removing then to Canada he remained there until about twenty years of age, when he returned to the State of New York and lived in St. Lawrence County, where he was married in 1844 to Miss White. In that year he returned to Canada and located near the Rideau River, where he resided ten years. He then removed to Dover, Norfolk County, Ontario, residing there six years, when he went to Round Plains, township of Windham. In 1864 he sold out and came to Michigan, stopping awhile in Bridgeport, Saginaw County, and in 1866 purchased his present farm on Section 7, which at that time was wild land, and he was obliged to camp until he could erect a house. Now he has a good home, the result of his industry and economy. About 1853 he was licensed to preach in the Freewill Baptist Church, and about a year thereafter was ordained a regular preacher at the Norfolk quarterly meeting. After his arrival in the wilds of Tuscola he continued to exercise his gifts as a preacher, and during the winter of 1869 a great religious revival was commenced and carried on in the township of Denmark chiefly through his instrumentality. Its effects were widespread, and there are many now living who date their religious experience to that time. A church of eight members was formed in 1867 and Mr. Andrews [Andrus] was chosen pastor, and at the close of the revival forty or fifty people were added to the society, including his three sons.

(History of Tuscola and Bay Counties, Michigan: with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of their Prominent Men and Pioneers, Chicago, Ill.: H.R. Page & Co., 1883, p. 109.)

Note: In the above source, Rev. Andrus is referred to as Rev. L.L. Andrews.