USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > A history of Catholicity in northern Ohio and in the diocese of Cleveland from 1749 to December 31, 1900, Volume II, pt2 > Part 13
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October 3, 1855, Mr. Frank H. Stallkamp was married by the late Father Bredeick, the first pastor of Delphos, to Miss Annie Josephine Hedrick, a native of Putnam county, Ohio. She was born near Ft. Jennings, June 1, 1837. Her father was a Lutheran Christian, but her mother was a devout and intelligent
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MR. FRANK H. STALLKAMP
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IN NORTHERN OHIO.
Catholic who took every care that her daughter was well instructed in the Catholic faith. Having been crowned with the honor of bearing ten children, Mrs. Stallkamp passed to her reward at her home in Delphos, November 14, 1880, beloved by her family and a large circle of friends and acquaintances, and fortified with the last rights of the Catholic Church.
Her's was a noble Christian life. She was a true helpmate to her husband. To her children she was everything a good mother is expected to be, religious, domestic, industrious, careful, and considerate of all their needs. She not only followed her natural instincts as a mother, but she exercised her judgment touching all things connected with her home. She knew how to set good example, and today her children, and those living who knew her, are mindful of her good qualities and are anxious to keep her memory green in their hearts.
In respect to enterprise, harmony and respectability it can be said that the Stallkamp family is one of the most notable in the city of Delphos. The members have interests in common; they are united to a degree to which the members of few families are united; and their example is not only beautiful but most potent for good. The five sons connected with their father in conducting their large grocery house-one of the largest and best appointed in northwestern Ohio-are: Theodore J., Sylvester A., Otto W .. Louis C., and George H. Edward L. is cashier of the Delphos National Bank, and Frank X. is in the insurance business. Miss Josephine M., the only daughter, has taken her mother's place as housekeeper for her father and her two unmarried brothers. John H. and Frederick H. have passed away. All the others, with the exceptions referred to, are married and reside in Delphos.
The elder Stallkamp has always been noted for indomitable perseverance, industrious habits, loyalty to friends and to whatever good cause he espoused. He is tender of heart, generous and charitable, but he never allows his impulses and emotions to exceed the bounds set by good practical common sense. A worthy cause, such as religion, charity or education, will at once get the assent of his judgment and the aid which he feels it his duty to lend. His characteristics are numerous, prominent and praiseworthy, and his record is honorable and worthy of emulation.
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A HISTORY OF CATHOLICITY
THE REV. ANTHONY B. STUBER.
The Rev. Anthony B. Stuber, pastor of Holy Trinity Church, East Avon, Ohio, was born in Cleveland, the See city of the diocese, February 24, 1872. He is the second oldest of a family of ten, born to John and Elizabeth (Specht) Stuber. He was baptized in St. Peter's Church, where, as a boy, he acted as acolyte while attending the parish school.
His parents are natives of Germany, whence they emigrated to the United States in 1867. They located in Cleveland, and, having become acquainted, were married there, in 1868, by the late Father Westerholt. As the practical head of the Standard Foundry & Manufacturing Co., and as superintendent of the Ohio Foundry, of Cleveland, Mr. Stuber has acquired a reputation as an expert foundryman that is more than local, which is saying a good deal in view of Cleveland's rank as an iron manufacturing city. His sons, however, saw something more attractive in the dry goods business, in expert accounting, in linguistic stenography, and, as is the case of the subject of this mention, in the priest- hood. Mrs. Stuber is the German style of mother, domestic, industrious, hospitable. Her entire family is noted for musical talent, intellect and business tact.
After completing his preparatory education in St. Peter's parish school, the boy Anthony was at once sent by his parents to Canisius College, Buffalo, New York, where he finished his humanities in June, 1891, and graduated with high honors. The following September he entered St. Mary's Theological Seminary, Cleveland, and was among the first to take the six years' course in philosophy and theology. Accordingly he was elevated to the priesthood by Bishop Horstmann, June 12, 1897.
Father Stuber's first appointment placed him in temporary charge of St. Peter's Church, Archbold, Ohio, with the churches at Wauseon, Stryker, and Bryan as missions. He labored there for three months during the absence of the regular pastor. The following September he was given pastoral charge of St. Mary's Church, at Edgerton, Williams county, with the Church of St. Joseph, at Florence, as a mission. He ministered to the Catholic
THE REV. ANTHONY B. STUBER
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people there during nine months, improved the churches, paid off all debts, and merited the reputation of being one of the most eloquent and energetic pastors that ever labored in that section of the diocese. Several non-Catholic ministers tried their abilities in controversial debate with the young priest, only to be taught the severe lessons of defeat.
In June, 1898, Bishop Horstmann appointed Father Stuber to his present charge, entrusting to him the task of building a new church to replace the old structure. Owing to the numerous factions existing in the congregation and the difference and tenacity of opinions among the members, his predecessors and parishioners furnished little encouragement on the subject of a new church. During three months Father Stuber studied his people and his situation. He formulated his plan, but left his people to guess whether he realized conditions or considered resigning. The result is not only a new stone church of magnifi- cent proportions and imposing architectural design, but an attrac- tive and equally substantial residence of modern elegance, both situated on a new site in the center of the parish, one mile from the old place on the main road of the section; and comprising sixteen acres of land, square in shape. It was a bold step, quickly planned and promptly made, but it was the making of the parish and its future. Any hesitation, misjudgment, or mismanagement would have been the undoing of both pastor and parish. The excellence of the site selected has proved Father Stuber's wisdom, and his judgment and taste have been applauded by the Authori- ties, the members of his congregation, and the knowing ones in general, and future generations will wonder how it could have been otherwise.
Father Stuber being robust and full of zeal, the great work he has undertaken has apparently not occasioned him any extra- ordinary effort. Although a task sufficient to test the ability of the most experienced, it seemingly has given him little trouble to compass it. His executive ability, energy, and knowledge of human nature evidently have been his stay, his people rallying to his side in the prosecution of the enterprise. He has thus been enabled to erect a monument to religion, to his admiring people, and to himself, in the great work thus far accomplished in Holy Trinity parish. The success already attained has impressed his
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people with the philosophy of united action, harmony, and faith- fulness in following correct business principles in the conduct of the temporal affairs of the congregation.
In the erection of his church and pastoral residence, he has furnished all the material himself, parcelling out the several departments of the work, such as the masonry, lathing, plastering, slating, carpentry, etc. to separate contractors, there- by making a great saving to his parishioners, and at the same time securing the best work. Unscrupulous contractors, or those who might think that any kind of work could be palmed off on the young pastor, could not have made a greater error than to attempt even an approach to unfairness or sharp practices in dealing with him. He knows the nature of contracts, is a good judge of properly executed work, and he is not slow in insisting on receiving in work or material that for which he bargains and promptly pays.
The spirit which actuates Father Stuber in laboring for the benefit of his people is also exhibited in his desire and his labor . for the general welfare of the community. Hence he is a power in advancing public improvements and in utilizing the means at hand for the best ends. A case in point is his successful efforts to make the local district schools serve the purpose of parochial schools. It is his determination not to cease until Holy Trinity Church, parish buildings, and grounds are among the finest in the Diocese of Cleveland.
The Rev. A. B. Stuber, although among the younger priests of the diocese, is nevertheless as well equipped as many of the older ones. His business foresight is remarkable, as is also his energy and directive ability. He possesses great capacity for labor, is tireless in his efforts, and at no time does he allow himself to be diverted from the work in hand. Careful and calculating, he avoids mistakes, making sure to be right before he takes one step forward. Once he has undertaken a work, there is no such thing for him as faltering.
In person he is of fine presence, is genial, humble, approach- able, agreeable, and obliging. It is not mere prophecy to say that the coming years will not find him wanting as one of the most useful priests of the Diocese of Cleveland.
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THE REV. ANDREW J. SUPLICKI.
In 1880, Joseph and Catherine (Ratajczak) Suplicki, with their family, emigrated from the Province of Posen, Poland, to the United States. They located in Cleveland, and their son, who is the subject of this sketch, having reached his eleventh year, was sent to St. Stanislas' parish school to acquire the rudiments of an education.
Some years later, having expressed his desire to become a priest, his early piety and talents indicating his vocation, he was sent to St. Mary's Institute, Dayton, Ohio, to prosecute his more advanced studies. He made satisfactory progress in that institu- tion, but left it to enter the Resurrectionist College, at Berlin, Province of Ontario, Canada. He graduated there in the classics, in 1888, and in September of that year entered St. Mary's Theo- logical Seminary, Cleveland. After a five and one-half years' course, he was ordained priest by Bishop Horstmann, December 21, 1893, when he was just twenty-four years and two months old.
After a vacation of two weeks, he received his commission as assistant to the pastor of St. Anthony's (Polish) Church, Toledo. He remained there from January, 1894, until the following July, when he was appointed to the important position of pastor of St. Adalbert's (Polish) Church, Berea, Ohio. Having a capacity for the management of temporalities, he soon succeeded in paying off much of the parish debt, and in building the splendid stone rectory, which is a credit to himself and his people.
April 28, 1901, when this work was about to be sent to press, Father Suplicki was created pastor of St. Anthony's Church, Toledo, to which he was first appointed, immediately after ordina- tion, in the capacity of curate. His previous acquaintance with both the people and the territory, and, to a degree, with the needs of the congregation, made it desirable that he be placed in charge of that important parish. It also met with the wishes of the people, for they welcomed his return to their midst, and, 'though previously disorganized, they have become, through his ministra -. tions and methods, a united and well disposed congregation. At once he gave attention to the temporal affairs of the parish, which, owing to previous improvements in the erection of a church and
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school, needed attention. He acquainted the people with the pressing financial demands, and he has succeeded in creditably meeting all emergencies. Both pastor and people have been much encouraged by results, and St. Anthony's may now be said to be in a better condition financially than it has been for some years past. In fact the prospects are bright for continued good results, and the herculean task of paying off all obligations may be confidently looked for in the not far-distant future.
But it is in the domain of the spiritual and the intellectual, the proper sphere of the priest, that Father Suplicki excels. He is an eloquent Polish orator, and even in the English his pro- ficiency is most marked. Having made his studies in this country, he has acquired a thorough knowledge of the English branches, and is American in all respects, barring the accident of birth. He possesses the missionary spirit, and is well adapted, both by nature and education, for the discharge of the duties of his sacred calling. That calling implies lofty-mindedness and the Spirit-given affection of the true shepherd for his flock. His self-possession is in advance of his years. His spiritual fatherhood and his great considerateness have softened the fervor of his youth. He is too good and too sensible to even ape the ecclesiastical autocrat. His priestly dignity and those qualities which constitute him a Christian gentleman commend him to all and command the respect of all who hear him, know him, or have dealings with him.
Of course, the pastor of St. Anthony's is aware of this, but, while he welcomes the recognition and appreciates the praise, he sensibly refers them to his calling, taking no credit to himself. What of success and usefulness are his he credits to talents intrusted to him for use, and for which he is responsible to a direct- ing Providence. His obligations to his people, the loyalty he owes to his bishop, and that which is needful to his own self-esteem incline him at all times to act well his part so as to merit the "well done" which is the just due of a profitable servant.
Having attained to such high standing in his thirty-first year, and his seventh as a priest, it is not unreasonable to infer that his career will be onward and upward in the interests of religion and humanity. The future biographer, therefore, may find it of interest to more minutely set forth his record and characteristics.
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THE RT. REV. MGR. THOMAS P. THORPE.
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IN NORTHERN OHIO.
THE RT. REV. MGR. THOMAS P. THORPE.
The great mass of facts which thrust themselves before the mind on even cursorily glancing over the record of Mgr. Thorpe as a priest of the Diocese of Cleveland, makes it difficult in attempting a short sketch of him to do more than set down a few of the principal ones, and this not so much for the information of the present generation, who know him so well and favorably, as for those of the future who ought to be told something of his career and characteristics.
Nearly thirty-nine years ago (1861) he began his priestly labors. All his previous life was spent in preparation therefor. He was ordained by Bishop Rappe, June 30, 1861, when he was twenty-three years and four months old, and his first appointment was as assistant priest in St. Francis de Sales' parish, Toledo, where he remained from July, 1861, until April, 1862. He was assistant pastor of the Cathedral from April, 1862, until 1864. From April, 1864, until March, 1868, he was pastor of St. Mary's Church, Norwalk. He had charge of South Thompson, with Jefferson as a mission, from March, 1868, until September, 1870. During those years he built the church at Jefferson. He was appointed pastor of the Immaculate Conception Church, Cleveland, in September, 1870, and during his ministry there, which continued until June, 1876, he began the erection of the present church. He was made pastor of St. John's Cathedral, Cleveland, in June, 1876, and remained as such until November, 1893, when he was transferred to his old charge as pastor of the Immaculate Concep- tion Church in Cleveland.
From the above dates and facts it can be seen that Mgr. Thorpe has spent nearly thirty-two years in Cleveland, where he was assistant and pastor at the Cathedral for over twenty years, and twice pastor of the Immaculate Conception Church, where he now is. For twenty-seven years he has been a member of the Bishop's Council, and for upwards of a quarter of a century he has held membership on the Infirm Priests' Board. He has held many other positions of honor and importance, for the discharge of the duties of which his splendid abilities have eminently qualified him, and not the least of these was that of theologian at the Provincial
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Council of Cincinnati, in 1879, and of the Plenary Council of Baltimore, in 1884. All the Bishops of Cleveland have recognized and honored his great ability and worth, as if to pave the way for his being signally favored by Pope Leo XIII, who, in January, 1891, created him Cameriero, with the title and rank of Monsig- nore; and again, in August, 1895, by conferring on him the dignity of Prelate of the Papal Household. It is needless to say that these distinctions are most becoming to, and have been well earned by, the subject of this mention. Today he is, as he has always been, the priest by excellence, and the fitting representative of those good men of his race who have left everything, even home and friends, to follow the Master.
Mgr. Thorpe was among those who inspired the founding of the Catholic Universe, which, for over three years, under his editorial management, was a journal of note and influence in the diocese and elsewhere. During his pastorate at the Cathedral he expended $30,000 in improving the building, and to erect and complete the Cathedral School he spent $52,000. This work he followed by a reduction of the old debt on the parish in the sum of $30,000. On his return to his old parish of the Immaculate Conception he soon paid off some previously contracted obligations of the congrega- tion that amounted to fully $32,000. Subsequently he invested $7,000 in needed improvements, including a high altar, which is one of the finest in the city, and also two beautiful side altars. In 1899 he made an outlay of more than $21,000 in completing the towers of the church, and placing in position eleven bells, which constitute one of the finest chimes in the State. He has collected and judiciously expended hundreds of thousands of dollars in church and school building, and has labored incessantly for the advancement of his flocks both spiritually and temporally. Never having faltered as a shepherd and leader of his people, they have learned to know his voice and to obey his call. His voice is a note of warning, and his call is to the performance of duty. Being a public-spirited man he is equally beloved and respected by the non-Catholic public as by his own admiring people. If all the sermons and discourses which he has delivered were collected, they would make many volumes of earnest appeal, of lucid explana- tion, and of argumentation as logical as they are eloquent.
Independent of the excellences referred to, and the numerous
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qualities which adorn his character, perhaps Mgr. Thorpe's ability as a pulpit orator has won for him his greatest distinction. From his youth he has cultivated graceful oratory. His nature and training have always impelled him in the line of eloquence, and every advance made by him in the art of painting thoughts in words and happily giving them expression have brought him pleasurable returns.
The harmonious, noble, and empassioned character of his pul- pit oratory has always stirred the emotions of his auditors, while the cogency of his reasoning, and the explicitness and vividness of his statements of well known truths satisfied the intellect at the same time that they strengthened faith, inspired hope, and made charity in the sense of the higher love an easy virtue to practice. The thought above hinted at regarding the collection of his 'sermons and discourses is impossible of realization, since he seldom wrote them out. We can now have the eloquence of this priest repeated only when those of us who have heard him have the reminiscent faculty active in sweetly bringing back the days and the occasions when the soul was ahunger for the manna of his words.
Mgr. Thorpe was born near Dublin, Ireland, February 26, 1838. His father was descended of English ancestors who had settled in Ireland, and for upwards of a hundred years had become quite as Irish as the original Celts of the country. His mother belonged to the distinguished family of the O'Byrens of Wicklow. After finishing his preparatory and classical studies, and having refused a post-graduate course in the Irish College at Paris, offered him by the Archbishop of Dublin, who afterwards became Cardinal Cullen, he decided to join the American Missions, and accordingly entered All Hallows College. Thence, in 1859, he came to the United States and entered the Cleveland diocesan seminary, from which, in less than two years. he emerged a priest. The details filling in between the main points in his history, as above outlined, tell of the character of the man. Zealous, capable, dignified, faithful, he takes a deep interest in all that concerns religion, his country and humanity, and stands forth a man of splendid bearing, scholarly attainments, the possessor of a great mind and of a heart that, even now in the evening of his life, ever beats to the music of freedom for both soul and body.
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A HISTORY OF CATHOLICITY
MR. AND MRS. CHARLES TOOLE.
As far back as 1832 the Toole family settled in Cleveland, Ohio. They were natives of the county of Wicklow, Ireland, where they had a farm near the town of Baltinglass, with Dublin as their market place. The elder Toole having died, his widow with her nine children emigrated to the United States. Her name was Elizabeth, and the names of her children were: Charles, John, Thomas, Lawrence, Bridget, Ann, Julia, Mary, and Margaret.
Mr. Charles Toole, the oldest of these, who was born April 13, 1808, and who died in Cleveland. July 19, 1867. was married in that city, in 1844, to Miss Ann McCormick. She was born, in 1819, at Abbeyshrule, county of Longford, Ireland. Father McLaugh- lin, who was one of the carly missionary priests in Cleveland, per- formed the ceremony and honored the young couple by attending the wedding festivities. They had four children: Eliza, Ann, Margaret and John. The two last mentioned, Mrs. Margaret Carroll, and Mr. John Toole, survive and are residents of Cleveland. Mrs. Ann Toole, whose portrait appears on the adjoining page, is in her eighty-third year. She is remarkable for more things than her great age. She is a typical Irish mother, whose simple life and manner and charming character endear her to a large circle of friends and neighbors. She is as keenly bright and just as prac- tical as at any period of her long life, her intellect if anything being as strong as it was twenty-five years ago. She has faithfully kept the temperance pledge which she took from Father Matthew when he visited in Cleveland in 1851, and she is about as beautiful a picture of old motherhood as might be woven from the warp and woof threads of an active life of eighty-three years.
"Blessed are those who die for God. And earn the martyr's crown of light; Yet she who lives for God may be A greater conqueror in His sight."
Mr. Charles Toole also in his day performed well his part as a pioneer Catholic of Cleveland. The first church in that city, old St. Mary's on the "Flats" had his support. He helped later to build St. John's Cathedral, and was for years one of the councilmen of the congregation. He was one of the committee that carried the
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MRS. ANN TOOLE
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IN NORTHERN OHIO.
bag of gold with which the first payment was made on the lots upon which St. John's Cathedral now stands. He remained active in parish work until his death, and was a charter member of the first St. Vincent de Paul Society organized in the Cathedral parish. He was a plain, sturdy man, of good character, who always tried to do his duty. All the early missionary priests, such as Fathers Dillon and Mclaughlin, were well known to him. Those also who succeeded them in the work of building up Catholicity in Cleveland down to as late as 1867 were all friends and admirers of plain, practical Charles Toole.
Conjointly Mr. and Mrs. Toole presented a beautiful example of Christian constancy, mutual love, and parental affection. Hav- ing been properly reared their first duty was ever toward God, after whom they preferred their children and their neighbors before themselves. It was charity and self-denial with them. Today Mrs. Toole more than ever exemplifies these virtues in her life. The memory of her husband is an incentive to her in these respects, and while she is impelled by higher motives, yet it . comes most natural to her to do what was her custom when her
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