USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > The old Trappe Church, 1743-1893 : a memorial of the sesqui-centennial services of Augustus Evangelical Lutheran Church, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania > Part 15
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The Old Trappe Church.
REV. FREDERICK WILLIAM GEISSENHAINER, SR., D. D.
The older brother of Henry A. was born at Mühlheim, on June 26, 1771. After his early school training at Mühlheim, where his grandfather was rector by whom owing to the early death of his father he was raised, and where he learned as a boy to use the Latin language fluently, as it was largely the language of intercourse at the school, he was admitted to the University of Giessen at the age of thirteen, and after a three years course, spent two additional years at the University of Göttingen. He then became privat-docent (lecturer), was engaged in teaching two years, and afterwards served about a year and a half as vicar in two village congregations. In 1792, as Germany was at that time distracted by war and rumors of war, and as his grandfather was now dead, and the report of the death of his mother whom he was unable to visit in her sickness on account of the war had also reached him, he decided to leave the fatherland and with his younger brother Henry emigrate to America. On his way, at Rotter- dam, he received a call to become pastor at that place which he, how- ever, declined. Upon his arrival at Philadelphia, early in 1793, he was directed by Dr. Helmuth to the New Goshenhoppen congregation, where he was elected pastor, and also at Trumbaur's and Schützen. On May 27, 1794, he was married at New Goshenhoppen to Anna Maria, daughter of Michael and Eve Reiter. The heritage of this marriage was six children. In June, 1794, his congregations applied for his reception into the Ministerium at Reading, where he was accordingly licensed as candidate. He does not, however, appear in the regular list of ordained ministers until 1798. In 1796 New Hanover was added to the charge and in 1799 he moved to that place. In 1800-2 he occasionally ministered at Saucon, where for two years after the death of Van Buskerk there was no regular pastor. In 1807 he was elected pastor also at Pottstown. In the Spring of this year a Jew, who came from his native place, informed him that his mother was still living and enjoying good health, and that it was his aunt who had died and not his mother as had been reported. He immediately made arrangements to have her come to this country, and in the succeeding Autumn, after a separation of fifteen years, greeted her at Philadelphia as one risen from the dead. She died nine years later in 1816 at the age of sixty-four years. Early in 1808, in accord- ance with Dr. Kunze's recommendation to his congregation at New York before his death, Dr. Geissenhainer became his successor. With enthusiastic spirit he entered upon his pastoral duties there, and labored for six years with marked success. In 1814, being much depressed by the death of his son Augustus and his daughter
I4I
Frederick William Geissenhainer, Jr., D. D.
Sophia and being disheartened too by the disturbance in the congregation created by the introduction of English services, he resigned and leaving his children in the care of his older sister, wife of Rev. Jacob Miller at New Hanover, moved with his wife to Karthaus, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, where his interests in a land and coal company were tem- porarily involved. During his stay here he frequently preached to the German Lutherans in the vicinity. In April, 1818, he moved to Chester County, where his son Fred. William, Jr. had charge of Zion's and St. Peter's, and became associate pastor. After his brother Henry re- signed the Trappe charge in 1821, he was called to succeed him, moved to Pottstown and served as pastor at Trappe, Limerick and Pottstown until 1823, when in April upon the recommendation of his successor at New York, Dr. F. D. Schaeffer, he was called back to his old field to take charge of the German portion of the congregation, and continued in service there until his death, May 27, 1838. In 1826 he was honored with the doctorate of divinity by the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to his pastoral duties he directed the theological studies of his brother Henry Anastasius, his son Fred. William, and his nephew Augustus Theodosius. Other students, whom he also prepared for the ministry were John George Roeller, Jacob Miller, Fred. Waage, J. C. G. Schweitzerbarth, J. W. Starman, Ernst Ludwig Brauns, Wm. J. Eyer, Mark Harpel, C. F. Welden, Fred. Miller and Lewis Schmidt.
" Dr. Geissenhainer was rather small in statue. His countenance was uncommonly expressive, his eye remarkably clear, and when lit up in con- versation, beamed with intelligence. He impressed you at once with the idea that he had a vigorous, discriminating and well furnished mind."107 He was a man of fine literary attainments, an excellent Latin, Greek and Hebrew scholar, a learned theologian, and distinguished also for his profound knowledge of mathematics, chemistry, mineralogy and botany.
REV. FREDERICK WILLIAM GEISSENHAINER, JR., D. D.
He was the son of Dr. Frederick William and Maria Geissenhainer, and was born at New Hanover, Pennsylvania, June 28, 1797. He re- ceived his academic education from his father and other instructors, was prepared for the ministry by his father, and licensed in 1817 to serve as pastor of Zion's and St. Peter's congregations in Chester County. From 1818 to April 1821, his father was associated with him in his pastoral charge, and when the father was recalled to New York, December 26,
(107) Sprague's Annals, Vol. IX, p. 105.
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The Old Trappe Church.
1822, he sent his son to his new field, who served the congregation for some months until the father was able to take charge. Frederick William, Jr., now became pastor at Trappe, in connection with his two Ches- ter County congregations. One Sunday, during an exceedingly cold Winter, on his way from Trappe to his Chester County congregations on horseback, accompanied by Hon. Horace Royer a prominent member of the Trappe congregation, he came to the Schuylkill at Royersford, when his companion suggested that they cross over on the ice, as the river was frozen to a depth of several feet and perfectly safe. But he met the latter's assurances that it was strong enough to bear a four-horse team, with the significant rejoinder, "Es hat ya kein Balken." Nothing would induce him to venture across, so that they were obliged to go by a very circuitous route of ten miles or more by way of the Pottstown bridge to the place of appointment in Chester County.
In March, 1827, he accepted a call as assistant to his father to con- duct English services "as long as St. Matthew's could be maintained without detriment to the German services." After he had served there about fourteen years, the congregation of Christ's church came into pos- session of St. Matthew's, and assumed the name. Dr. Geissenhainer then retired from St. Matthew's and founded St. Paul's congregation of which he remained pastor until his death. The church was built in 1842, but was superseded by another statelier edifice, consecrated in 1861. This new organization began with eleven poor families, but during his successful pastorate grew to fifteen hundred members, with a Sunday- School of six hundred scholars. The city of New York was the chief field of his life's labors and the place of his death. About three years before his end his strength began to fail, so that it became necessary to engage an assistant. In his last year he began the instruction of a catechetical class, but about four months before his death was obliged to resign it as well as all the services at the church into the hands of his assistant, Rev. Christian Hennecke. Though his mind occasionally wandered during his final prostration, he otherwise retained the full vigor of his faculties to the last. He did not suffer from any particular disease, but was simply "stricken in years" and died " in the fullness of time." On Whit-Monday even- ing, June 2, 1879, he gently and peacefully passed away, surrounded by the members of his family. The funeral services were held on Fri- day, June 6th. Eulogistic addresses on his life and character, were made in English by Dr. C. W. Schaeffer, then President of the Ministe- rium of Pennsylvania, and Dr. G. F. Krotel, and in German by Dr. Mol- denke and Rev. Henniger. At the time of his death he was the oldest minister in the Pennsylvania ministerium, his name standing first on the roll, and the oldest Lutheran minister in the country. Seven years before
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Jacob Wampole.
his death he buried his wife who died Oct. 22, 1872, in her seventieth year. Two sons, Frederick William, counsellor-at-law, of New York, and Hon. Jacob A., congressman of New Jersey, and one daughter, Mrs. Jacob Hunter still survive him. His older sister, the widow of Dr. Jacob Miller, also survived him two years and died at Reading, July 2, 1881.
Dr. Geissenhainer, who received his doctorate of divinity from the university of New York, enjoyed the distinction of being the first Presi- dent of the Board of Directors of the Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia. He was eminently successful as a pastor, and loved by his people, who deeply mourned his death. "He was of medium height, sparse- ly made but active. His face was decidedly of a German cast. His features were small and regular, and his eyes very small but very bright. In man- ner he was vivacious and cheerful, and was a very attractive and social companion. As a preacher he was original and practical, not glittering or imaginative, but terse, vigorous, and powerful, seeking to instruct rather than to please his hearers. He spoke clearly and with emphasis, with full command of the English and German languages. He was a man of tenacious and accurate memory and clear perceptions. His con- victions in regard to Lutheran doctrine were as fixed and settled as the foundation of the house in which he lived and died."108
REV. JACOB WAMPOLE.
In the township in which he afterwards served as pastor, Towamencin, Montgomery County, Rev. Jacob Wampole, son of Jacob and Elizabeth Wampole, was born on December 26, 1802. He began his theological studies under Rev. Mr. Weiand at North Wales, but soon moved to Philadelphia to secure the instruction of the distinguished Drs. C. R. Demme and P. F. Mayer. Having been regularly examined after completing his theological training, he was licensed on May 23, 1826. His first regular charge was Zion's and St. Peter's, in Chester County, Trappe and Limerick, where he began his pastoral duties in July 1827, as successor to Rev. F. W. Geissenhainer, Jr., D. D. The following year he was married to Susanna Clementina Fisher, a member of Zion's Church, Philadelphia, who bore him two sons and one daughter ; one of his sons, Rev. Jacob Wampole is now pastor of the Shamokin charge, Northumberland County, Pa. After his death his wife who survived him, married a Mr. Hallman, and died March 12, 1890. Her remains were buried beneath the large marble slab erected over the grave of her first
(108) Dr. G. F. Krotel, in The New York Times, June 3, 1879.
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The Old Trappe Church.
husband in the Trappe Lutheran cemetery. From the very beginning Rev. Wampole worked with marked aggressiveness for the extension of Christ's kingdom. In 1833 Christ's church, Towamencin township, and St. Matthew's, in Warwick township, about five miles from St. Peter's were organized and added to the charge. This enlargement of the charge necessitated a division and Rev. Wampole accordingly resigned Trappe, Limerick and Towamencin in January 1839, and confined himself to the Chester County congregations. After his successor at Trappe, Dr. Richards, removed to Germantown, he was re-elected to his former charge March 22, 1836, now including, besides Trappe, Limerick and Towamencin, the New Jerusalem (Keely's) one mile from Schwenksville, which was organized by Dr. Richards immediately before his departure, and the English Lutheran church at Pottstown, to which he was called May the 14th. He continued as pastor of the charge until his death, January 3, 1838. In the Lutheran Observer, January 19, 1838, one of his most in- timate friends, who writes that their mutual love surpassed the love of brothers, testified to his irreproachable and examplary conduct and added that " as husband, father, friend, neighbor, and pastor, he was much be- loved and respected by all good men who knew him well, doing much and lasting good in all those relations of life."
REV. JOHN WILLIAM RICHARDS, D. D.
J. W. Richards, a grandson of Patriarch Muhlenberg, was born in Reading, Pa., on April 18, 1803. He was the son of Mr. Matthias Richards, Associate Judge of the Courts of Berks County, and Mary Salome, youngest daughter of Muhlenberg, who were married in 1782. After finishing his preparatory education at the Reading Academy under the noted scholar and educator, Rev. John Grier, D. D., he was prepared for the ministery by his cousin, who had also confirmed him, Rev. Dr. Henry A. Muhlenberg, grandson of Henry Melchior, twenty-eight years the pastor of Trinity Church, Reading, and afterwards Representative in Congress, United States Minister to Austria and democratic candidate for governor in 1835. At the meeting of the Ministerium of Pennsylvania in 1824, he was examined by the committee appointed for the purpose, Drs. J. F. Ernst and J. Miller, and licensed as candidate. He began his ministry in the Earltown (now New Holland) charge as assistant to Rev. Charles Ruetze, then in a poor state of health, and upon the latter's death in October 1825, became his successor as pastor in the five con- gregations of the charge, at Earltown, Muddy (Mode) Creek, Bergstrass
SESQUI-CENTENNIAL MEMORIAL OF THE OLD TRAPPE CHURCH.
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John William Richards, D. D.
and two other adjacent stations. In April, 1834, he resigned, and on May IIth, began his ministry in the Trappe charge (Trappe, Limerick and To- wamencin). On May 18th the newly organized English Lutheran church at Pottstown, came under his charge. He closed his pastorate at. Trappe in March, 1836, having accepted a call to St. Michael's church, Germantown, where he continued in charge until 1845. In November, 1845, he followed a call to St. John's church, Easton, and after a suc- cessful pastorate of six years, having restored harmony to the congregation whose progress had been seriously in Deded by conflict and disunion, he was called to become pastor of the congregation of which he was a son, Trinity church, Reading. Here he aced the same conditions that had prevailed in his former charge, but by his meek and gentle spirit and admirable pastoral tact, succeeded in disarming prejudice, harmonizing the discordant elements and winning the attachment of his people. Here he labored until his death, which resulted from heart disease on January 24, 1854. On the morning of his death, being apparently as well as usual, he conducted the funeral of one of his members. During the service he was suddenly seized with pain at the heart, and having concluded the burial service with difficulty, immediately returned home and in fifteen minutes, before the physician who had been hastily summoned could arrive, he was a corpse. He was buried in the city of his birth and death, in Charles Evans' cemetery. At the funeral, Dr. C. R. Demme preached in Ger- man, and Dr. J. C. Baker delivered an address in English. Dr. Richards was a diligent and accurate scholar, an eminent theologian, held in highest esteem by his brethren in the ministry, and deeply loved by all the congregations which he had served with unusual success. For a num- ber of years and at the time of his death he was president of the Ministerium. His " Fruitful Retrospect," a sermon preached at the one hundredth anniversary of the Trappe church-an excellent and now rare pamphlet-a sermon published at the close of his pastorate at Easton in 1851, the translation of Dr. Muhlenberg's journal of his voyage to Ebenezer in various numbers of the Gettysburg Evangelical Review, 1850-52, show that he wielded a ready pen. He had also commenced the translation of the Hallische Nachrichten, a work which in 1851 re- ceived the hearty endorsement of the Ministerium, and in which at the time of his death he had made considerable progress. During his resi- dence at Easton he was professor of the German language and literature in Lafayette College. In 1852 the honorary title of Doctor of Divinity was conferred upon him by Jefferson College.
On May 21, 1835, he was married to Andora Garber of Trappe, a member of the Augustus congregation, who survived her husband many years. Two of his sons, Rev. Matthias H. Richards, D. D., professor in
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The Old Trappe Church.
Muhlenberg College and H. Muhlenberg Richards of Reading, and two daughters, Mrs. J. V. Craig and Mrs. John McKnight, both of Reading, still survive him.
" Dr. Richards was rather below the ordinary height in stature. The expression of his countenance was exceedingly pleasant, indicative of a meek and benignant spirit. His manner of address was deliberate, not impulsive ; his voice was clear and distinct, his gait always staid and regular, never hurried. He was conscientious, sincere, methodical, of sound judgment, and though naturally diffident, was fearless in the dis- charge of his duty."109
REV. HENRY SEIPEL MILLER.
He was born in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, on October 30, 1801. When two years old his father, Peter Miller, removed to Easton and pursued the trade of blacksmith and tinsmith. Here young Henry began his education in the parochial school under the discipline of school- master Mattes. He was prepared for the ministry by his pastor, Rev. John P. Hecht, but at the meeting of Synod in 1823, when his pastor pro- posed his examination, he was so ill that he feared he would be obliged to abandon the pastoral calling. Having, however, regained his health he was examined by Rev. Conrad Yeager, one of the committee appointed by Synod, and duly licensed. He began his ministry in the charge in Bucks County, consisting of Springfield, Nockamixon, Bedminster (Kel- lers,) and Tinicum, to which congregations he was recommended by his predecessor, Rev. Nicholas Mensch. Four years later Durham, which Rev. Mensch had retained, also came under his pastoral care. In addition to this wide range he served Appel's congregation which was organized during his pastorate. In January, 1838, he was called to the Trappe charge, (Trappe, Limerick, Pottstown English, Keely's and Towamencin,) and entered upon his pastoral duties in April. After Rev. F. Ruthrauff's withdrawal from Zion's, Chester County, in 1840, he supplied that congregation also until 1842. In the Summer of 1848 he resigned at Pottstown, closed his ministry in the Trappe charge in May, 1852, and on June Ist moved to Norristown. On December 1, 1854, he took charge of Salem's congregation, Lebanon, and that in Annsville, but served only a short time. In January, 1864, he became pastor of the Geigertown, Forrest and Heidelberg (Eck) con- gregations and in July of the same year followed a call to Zion's and the
(109) Sprague's Annals, Vol. IX, p. 165.
I47
George A. Wenzel, D. D.
new St. Peter's, Chester county. This year at Phoenixville, where he resided, he re-organized St. John's German congregation which had been scattered during the war, and used the Mennonite meeting house for services. On September 29, 1872, he relinquished Zion's, two years later in November also St. Peter's, and confined himself to Phoenixville. This congregation built a church in 1872-3 on a lot purchased with money advanced by Mrs. Miller; the corner-stone was laid in July, 1872, and the new building consecrated July 20, 1873, by Drs. Greenwald and Spaeth and Rev. J. Neff. In 1872, Rev. Miller organized the Spring City Lutheran Church, to which the present pastor, Rev. Jacob Neff, was called. Rev. Miller resigned the congregation at Phoenixville in Janu- ary, 1875. On March 20, 1823, he was married to Camilla Clemens. They had two sons, William H. Miller, M. D., of Williamsport and Rev. John Clemens Miller, who died January 5, 1859, after a short ministry of ten years, and two daughters, the wives of Revs. Nathan Yeager, who died January 2, 1864, and J. F. Fahs. Mrs. Miller died at Norristown, October 11, 1852. Rev. Miller was again married two years later, in January, to Eliza Davis, of Easton, who bore him no children. She died in August, 1887, and two weeks later, August 29th, at his home in Phoe- nixville, her husband, then the oldest member of the ministerium, was also called to rest at the advanced age of 85 years, 10 months and 29 days. In fulfillment of his last request, Prof. Dr. C. W. Schaeffer preached the funeral sermon, and Drs. Krotel and Schmucker delivered short addresses. Revs. O. P. Smith, Gerhart and Laitzle conducted ser- vices at the church and at the grave. He was buried in the family lot in the Norristown Cemetery, September 1, 1887.
REV. GEORGE A. WENZEL, D. D.
George A., son of Daniel and Anna Maria Wenzel, was born in Ger- many on January 11, 1816. After his early preparatory studies he pur- sued his collegiate course at Jefferson College, and graduated in 1840. He was a student for one year in the theological seminary at Gettysburg, and completed his studies under Dr. C. R. Demme of Philadelphia. In 1843 he was licensed in old St. Michael's, Philadelphia, and the follow- ing year was regularly ordained in Pottstown by the officers of synod. Hecktown, Northampton County, was the field of his opening ministry. Here he organized a congregation and labored for seven years. In 1850 he was called to Mt. Bethel, and after a pastorate of two and a half years, became pastor of the Trappe charge, in August, 1852. Two years later, in September, he became Rev. G. A. Reichert's successor as Dr. Charles
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The Old Trappe Church.
Rudolph Demme's associate of St. Michael's, Philadelphia, and succeeded the latter upon his resignation in 1859, serving the congregation as pas- tor until 1864. This year he accepted a call to Pittsburg, where he built a new church and filled the longest pastorate of his ministry of fourteen years. He served also at Warren, Pennsylvania, two and a half years. In 1878 he became pastor at Washington, and resigned, after a pastorate of thirteen years, in 1891. Rev. Wenzel was married to Rachel B. Mc- Afee, who bore him no children. In June, 1887, the Doctorate of Di- vinity was conferred upon Rev. Wenzel by Thiel College.
Besides achieving permanent results in his various pastorates by his devoted labors, Dr. Wenzel has left an impress also upon the literature of the Church. He has attained merited distinction as a translator, and has happily reproduced in English, among other works, the lives of Philip Jacob Spener and Paul Gerhart, and the Diet of Augsburg. He has also written and translated numerous articles for church papers and reviews. But his best and most enduring work, though probably not the most con- spicuous, was the service he rendered as a member of the Hymn-book Committee. Since 189.1 he has been without a regular charge and now resides in Washington, Pennsylvania.
REV. ADAM SCHINDLER LINK.
Adam Schindler, son of John and Catherine Link, was born near Stanton, Augusta County, Virginia, in 1815. At a very early age he ex- pressed an ardent desire to preach the Gospel. This inspired the wish on the part of his grandfather, Adam Schindler, to have wholly accorded to him the privilege of preparing his namesake for the ministry. But the protracted illness of his mother for a number of years prevented him from taking a regular course at any one institution of learning. His theologi- cal studies were pursued partly at Gettysburg Seminary and partly at Wittenberg College. He was a member of the first class of the latter in- stitution under the presidency of the Rev. Dr. Ezra Heller. He entered the ministry in 1837. The previous year, on April 14th, he was married to Elizabeth, daughter of Rev. G. Reimensnyder. The fruit of this marriage was ten children, five sons and five daughters, eight of whom, together with his widow, still survive him. Two brothers-in-law, one of whom is now deceased, two nephews and one son, John Henry, of Lin- coln, Nebraska, are numbered among the Lutheran clergymen. Rev. Link's first pastoral charge was at Tippecanoe City, Ohio, in connection with which he served other stations in Miami and Clark Counties, for
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