Irrfahrten

und

Heimfahrten
(Wanderings and Homecomings)

The Autobiography of
Carl Johann Otto Hanser
(1832 - 1909)

Translated into English 1958

 Table of Contents

CHAPTER TITLE PAGE

Preface - Translation of Father’s Book 3

1 The Hanser Family 5

2 My Parents, Franz Hanser and Euphronsyna Renger 10

3 My Childhood and Youth 15

4 My First Odyssey - From my Father’s House to the Life of a Soldier 21

5 My Second Confused Odyssey - Going to Sea 29

6 My Third Odyssey - As Mechanic with Brother Hugo 37

7 Life in St. Louis 47

8 Return to Student Life 52

9 My Fourth Odyssey - Into Business in St. Louis 57

10 My Fifth Odyssey - Voyage to South America 59

11 My Sixth Odyssey - From South America to Akyab in the East Indies 65

12 My Seventh Odyssey - From Akyab to Singapore 69

13 Return from Singapore to New York 74

14 My Eighth Voyage - Commercial Position in New York 82

15 My Return to the Seminary in St. Louis 85

16 Entrance into the Holy Ministry - Pastorate in Carondelet, MO 88

17 Pastorate in Boston, Massachusetts 95

18 Headmaster in Concordia College in Fort Wayne, 1872 - 1879 105

19 Trinity, St. Louis, Missouri 112

20 Thirty Years Activity in St. Louis, Missouri 118

The Last Home Coming 128

TRANSLATION OF FATHER’S BOOK

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 Preface of Foreword

Psalm 34: “I will bless the Lord at all times;

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
Let the afflicted hear and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together!” RSV

The words of this Psalm have gone through my mind again and again, since I have
decided at the continued behest of my beloved family to write a short autobiography of
my life. And the more I thought of this promise, the more God’s love and graciousness
overwhelmed me, bringing to mind the Psalmist words of praise and thanks for all that
He had done for me. Then there came to me another comforting thought, namely this, if
God had been so good to me in long life, why should I not try to awaken in my children
the same love and devotion to the Lord, that like a golden thread had run its course
through my whole life? Therefore, at their most urgent request, I have written these few
chapters, especially as I, of my own accord, would not have thought of doing so; also this
life history of mine would perhaps be of great benefit to others on account of its unusual
experiences which do not always occur in the regular run of life of the general public.
The memories of the Grace of God which have guided loving children towards the
spiritual life are precious to those who would read and discuss these words to the Glory
of God.

But what rejoicing there will be in eternity when all this is discussed, as no doubt it will
be, by all those that have preceded us to their heavenly home and have left their sin-laden
lives behind them, to be in the Holy Presence of their beloved Savior. And they and we
can say with the Apostle Paul in I Thessalonians 4:17, “Then we who are alive, who are
left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and
so we shall always be with the Lord.” What a reunion that would be at the throne of
glory of our Savior, where there would be no sin, and life would be perfect. What a
telling and rejoicing for the mercy of God to his beloved children, excluding all pride and
selfishness; which perfection cannot be obtained here on earth. What a gathering also of
Pastor and his followers, the missionaries with the converted souls, Christian parents and
children to join the heavenly choir in praise and glory to our God. Eternity would not
seem long enough for all to get together in joyful reunion; therefore only Heaven could
be the place for such spiritual outpouring.

But it is not wrong to relate all these experiences here on earth, for Christ himself told the
man of the Gerasenes; Luke 8:39, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has
done for you. And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much
Jesus had done for him.”

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These thoughts gave me courage to decide to write down my life’s history and I had no
other motive in doing this but to show the love of God for the poor sinful creature that I
am, also for this to be guide and example to my children to cause them to cling to their
Savior, who had strengthened and kept their father safe in the true faith to eternal life. So
with such hope and conviction I can stand in the presence of God and with joy announce
to Him that I have brought to Him all the children He had given me. God grant this to
me in His mercy.

CHAPTER 1

The Hanser Family

According to the Bible, we should be certain, if possible, to find out where our family
came from, even though God is not a respecter of persons, as “He exalts the humble and
lowers the proud”. A poor shepherd boy becomes king and the mighty Nebukadneser he
reduces to a beast. But those are God’s ways. After all, His main objectives would be

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the family and over the family rests the Heavenly blessing, “because those who love me
and keep my commandments I will bless unto the third and fourth generations”. And
how sincere God is with these blessings shows in the history of Israel. For 1600 years
the Israelites lived under the blessing of God and under the leadership and guidance of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in spite of their living in the heathen lands. And again and
again the Scriptures were fulfilled because of their great faith. Even the Virgin Mary
experienced this great faith. I suggest that it was because of this faith Mary was chosen
to be the Mother of the world’s Savior, as she was the descendent of the great King
David, who was called by the Holy Spirit, a man of God, and did she not follow in his
footsteps? Was it not the fulfillment of the prophecy, “I will bless you unto many
generations”? Therefore children who have had Christian ancestors would be doubly
blessed. Our Hanser family have to thank God for such a blessing. They cannot boast of
any great scholars or wealthy business men, but they seemed to have belonged to the
humble and quiet people of the land. We can only trace our ancestors back about 285
years. It was in the year 1633 that a fugitive went to the city of Urach in Wortenberg.
He was a young unmarried man and came to this city in search of peace and quiet. What
wrong had he done that he must flee his town? Nothing that was deserving of death or
imprisonment. On the contrary, he was a child of God and a true member of the
Lutheran Church in Salzburg, who knew his Savior and lived a Christian life; therefore,
through the persecution of the Catholics, he was forced to flee. But the Lutheran
Christians in Urach were glad to receive him in their midst and took him to their hearts
and homes.

And because he remained faithful to his Savior, until his death, God kept this promise
and blessed him in his family so that he lived to see his children for many generations.
Even today after 275 years, the church records of that city show that his descendants are
still faithful members of the Lutheran Church.

Another branch of this family, at the time of the political upheaval of Napoleon, settled in
Bavaria, and became a large family through three Pastors, father and two sons. And
these sons were led by God to America, which was considered at that time to be the
Canaan of the New Testament. And even here God kept them in the true faith in
witnessing for the Savior, so that five more members of the family became Pastors in the
Lutheran Church. So isn’t that an overwhelming blessing? Therefore should not all
American Lutherans especially paradise God and say, “We are not worthy of all the
benefits and trust which you have done unto us”?

But now let us go back to our story - Salzburg, the fruitful land of East Germany, was
one of the first to open its doors to the Lutheran church reformation. The Archbishop,
Matthaus Lang, son of a citizen of Augsburg, a humanitarian, did not frown on Luther’s
efforts. In 1513 he had openly expressed his opinion that the reformation of the Mass
was necessary, that the many fast days were unnatural, and the many man-made laws
against the Christians were not right and just. So he permitted the use of Luther’s
writings unhindered in his diocese.

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Luther himself, in 1519, had such a high opinion of this man that, with Archbishop
Mittitz, he chose him as one of the judges to decide his, Luther’s claims. This
Archbishop M. Lang, had called as the chaplain of his diocese Johann von Staupitz, an
intimate friend of Luther’s, and then allowed Paul Speratus and Urbanus Rhegius, also
personal friends of Luther who had been banished from Bavaria, to preach the Gospel
with all freedom in his diocese.

No wonder then that Luther’s blessed works became known and gladly received by
thousands of thankful and believing followers. But very soon the vacillation and
insincerity of this bishop made itself felt, and already in 1520 Speratus had to flee from
his wrath, and many believing and Christian Lutherans became martyrs for the faith. But
even with this, the blood of these martyrs became the seed of the church.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, over half of this densely populated region became
followers of this creed. They preferred to leave their beloved country, willing to leave
behind all their possessions and even their children, who were forcefully taken away
from them by the Roman Church, to travel to a distant land in order to live by their
religious convictions. With these followers of the true faith of Jesus Christ was our
ancestor, Johann Georg Hanser, who had found a new home in Urach in 1633. We know
nothing more of him except that he had been a forester in Salzburg, and because of his
faith had been exiled. For the first time, his name appeared in the church records in
Urach at the time of the marriage of his son. The record showed at this time the
following words: “On January 1, 1687, Paulus Hanser, a dyer, son of Johann Georg
Hanser, an ex-forester of Salzburg, and Anna Katherina, daughter of Michael Hagdorus,
a builder, were united in holy matrimony.” From then on, the descendants of this pair
were regularly and numerously entered into the church records of the city. Paulus Hanser
left two sons, one Johann Michael, a builder and stone-cutter, and Christian Friedrich.
Christian Friedrich died in 1741, and is our direct ancestor. Of Christian’s four sons, one
Georg David, born in July 1727, was studying in the college at Maulbronn at the time of
his father’s death. In 1745, he entered the University of Tübingen. This Georg David
was my great-grandfather. He finished after five years of study in the University with the
honor title of Master of Arts, and was for ten years tutor and educator in Stuttgart, and in
the year of 1760 became Pastor in Bollheim. Here he married Miss Christine Beata
Klein. They had three children; the eldest born in 1761 was given the name of his father,
Georg David, and is my grandfather. The elder daughter, born in 1765, was named
Regina Beata, and was married in 1787 to Pastor Christian Eberhard Schott in Asch. He
was the eldest son of the Professor of Theology, D. Christoph Schott, Tübingen. The
younger daughter, Johanna Friederika, was born in 1769, and was married at the age of
17 to Pastor Moser in Wippengen.

In the year 1771, our great-grandfather Georg David Hanser was called to
Hohenmemingen, where he was greatly blessed in the church until 1791. He died on the
18th of May, 1791, and the church records carried these additional remarks, -- “For
almost twenty years, this consecrated servant of God served these two congregations,
Hohenmemingen and Sachsenhausen; his death was caused by appendicitis at the age of

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64 years, 5 months and 5 days. He was a minister of the Gospel for 31 years, and God
blessed these years of service. Peace be to his remains.” His wife, Christina Beata, died
at the age of 41, in 1775, of typhoid fever. The remarks in the church record of her death
are still recorded. She was a beloved, true help-mate to her husband. She had chosen her
own funeral text, which we find in Luke 10, verse 20: “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in
this that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in Heaven.”
Her life reflected her deeds as her name, Beata, showed, meaning Blessed.

Their only son, Georg David, at the age of 18 entered the University of Tübingen to
study theology. Like his father, in 1783 he graduated with the honor title of Master of
Arts. He then took a post-graduate course in Stuttgart, and after these many years of
study became the Pastor in the town of Baechingen on the Brenz. At this time he married
Miss Christine Karoline Hiller, the daughter of the Pastor Dettlingen. They had 12
children, 5 of which preceded their parents to heaven. And this couple was my
grandparents. The first twenty years of their otherwise happy marriage were filled with
many heartaches and tribulations. These were the dreadful war years after the French
Revolution of 1789, and under Napoleon’s reign, which had devastated all of Europe,
especially in Germany, where most of the fighting had been. In 1792, hordes of French
soldiers burnt and destroyed Baden and Württemberg.

In one of the undestroyed church records of my grandfather’s congregation, he reports

the following: “On the 7th and 8th of August, 1796, all my belongings and money were
taken from me and I was left with only the clothes on my back and a few cents. I had no
clothes, no scarf, not even a handkerchief, and my damages amounted to 100 gulden.”
Most of the inhabitants had fled to the swamps. My family and I were befriended in the
home of a neighbor across from the parsonage. On the 20th of July, 1800, at 4 a.m., the
village was overrun with French cavalry, and during the four days of their stay we could
have neither church services nor allow the bells to ring. Through plunder and oppression,
the damage to the village amounted to about 4,000 gulden; then the village also had to
pay a war tax of 1,025 guldens. Still the soldiers left the orchards.

The parsonage was broken into four times, and my personal losses were 300 guldens. On
the 19th and 20th of June, 1806, the village was again overrun by Bavarian and Austrian
soldiers. What a calamity! For a period of ten years to be kept in terror and fear of death
by these murderous bands of robbers! But the worst calamity that came to my poor
grandparents, with their large family, was the lack of food from the fall of 1817 to the
following spring of 1818. At the time, wheat cost 105 guldens a bushel, rye and barley
were 75 guldens a bushel. As I visited Germany in the year 1885, and also visited my
grandfather’s former parish, the present Pastor told me of one of his 90 year old farmers,
who was quite spry, mentally, that he still remembered old Reverend Georg David
Hanser very well; he was a man of medium height, full of life and vigor, who stayed with
his congregation through all their trials and persecutions, never at any time fleeing from
the French, and wherever he could, he helped and befriended his people as preacher and
spiritual leader, and was greatly beloved by all.

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Grandfather was not only a well-educated man, but also a dedicated disciple of the Lord.
With what love and devotion he had entered the ministry is shown in the words that he
wrote in the baptismal book of the church records: “My whole life praises Thee, God of
my spirit.” Even at the loss of a three year old son, Franziskus, with love and sorrow he
spoke these words: “O blessed reunion! O unspeakable ecstasy!”

In the year of 1819, which was his 2nd year of study, my father received a very earnest
and whole-hearted letter from his father, entreating him to continue his religious studies
at the University, and remain firm in his faith to his Savior. Our grandfather was also the
teacher of his children, and must have had an exceptional talent in this line. He had
instructed his two sons, Franz and Wilhelm, in the classics up to the time they entered the
University, and they both had brilliant records in their examinations. At the age of 16,
Franz, my father, wrote a Latin ode on the birthday of his father. His oldest sister,
Louise, at the age of 12, spoke such fluent French that she became an interpreter during
the war years of Napoleon.

In the year of 1818, my grandfather was called to the parish of Bubenheim in

Altsmuehltahl. After 6 years of blessed work in this parish, he suffered a stroke at the
age of 56, on September 23, 1826, and was called to his heavenly home. His beloved
widow, my blessed grandmother, spent the remaining years of her life in my father’s
home. She died May 19, 1842, at the age of 72. I will never forget how faithful and
diligently she would turn to her Bible and prayer book, which was always on hand, when
she would be tired of knitting; so that at last, her only desire was this, and how lovingly
she guided us children to love our Savior. She had also been a faithful and loving wife to
her pastor-husband, helping him in their Christian up-bringing of their children, and
through much tribulation stood with him through all. To quote the words of the wise
Solomon about good and faithful wives, - “Her husband’s heart can depend on her. She
opens her mouth with wisdom and her tongue speaks the truth.”

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 CHAPTER 2

My Parents, Franz Hanser and Euphronsyna Renger

In this blessed parsonage, eight sisters and brothers grew up together in the love and
admonition of the Lord. But here I would like to digress for some brief references to my
father’s family.

My grandfather, David Hanser, an only child, produced a family of twelve children, of

which four died in infancy. The oldest son, Carl, became a druggist, and later an
economist. He died of a stroke in 1868, in the town of Schopflohe. A grandchild of his,
Carl Morhardt, the son of Carl’s daughter, Louisa, of Pomeroy, Ohio, became a pastor of
the Missouri Synod in Cleveland, Ohio. The first daughter, Louisa, became the wife of
Pastor Johann Egloff, and died early. He was a devout Christian, and was my god father.
The second sister, Johanna, married a merchant of Heilbronn by the name of Loecklin.
The third sister, Fredericka, was the wife of a gifted portrait painter of Nürnberg. I still
possess a very good oil painting of my grandfather, and also a very lovely water-color of
myself at the age of one year. A daughter of Fredericka was the wife of Pastor
Klinkenberg in America, and a grandson of Fredericka’s is Pastor Ernst Kolbe, Glencoe,
Minnesota. The fourth sister, Karolina, married a piano manufacturer in Schoerndorf by
the name of E. Bloss, who died very early of tuberculosis. The fifth sister, Gottleibe,
died unmarried. The eighth and youngest child, named Wilhelm, born in 1813, became
Pastor in Eisoeldin, Bavaria, and died in 1885. As a youth, he was very sickly and often

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spent many months of his time in my father’s home, much beloved by all of us children,.
He was survived by two sons; the oldest, Emil, died as a student-teacher at the age of 30,
and the younger and last of the Hansers in Bavaria, lived as an electrician in München.

My father, the fourth child, was born on August 23, 1800. He stayed at home until the
fall of 1818, and was instructed by his father in preparation for the University. After
thorough examinations, he was admitted to the University of Tübingen. At that time, the
village in which he had been born became the possession of Bavaria. His inclination had
been to study medicine, but his father would never consent to it. No doubt the influence
of nationalism had had a good deal to do with this idea. So strongly had the influence of
nationalism pervaded the Universities and Churches at that time that even the Lutheran
Christians were adherents of it. Even my father, in spite of his stringent Christian
upbringing, was never free of these convictions. He never preached it from his pulpit,
but always adhered to the faith and teachings of the pure doctrine of the Lutheran
Church. We always had morning and evening devotions and prayers at the table. And
when the curfew bells sounded, everyone in the home folded their hands and prayed the
Lord’s Prayer in unison. In this way the love of God was planted in the hearts of all. But
in his later years, he overcame his tendency toward rationalism, through the reasoning of
the blessed Dr. Siehler of Fort Wayne, who had gone to visit him at the wish of us
children. He expressed his thanks to us on a visit to America in 1868, by saying, “You
have sent me many good books to read, but the best one was the book of Dr. Siehler’s. I
do not write any more sermons without referring to this revealing book. It has been of
great profit and unspeakable satisfaction to me.” So the blessings of his devout
forefathers descended on him with grace.

My father was not only a very gifted man, but also a very studious one. The thirst for
knowledge possessed him always. His father continually warned him against using up all
his strength with his studies, because he was undertaking too many subjects at one time.
Besides his studies in theology, he took up pedagogy, medicine and the natural sciences.
He spoke Latin and French very fluently, even in his old age, and often embarrassed my
brother Hugo and myself when he visited us by speaking in both languages to us.
Fortunately, we were well versed in our Latin, because at the Seminary we had to study
our dogmatic and exegeses in Latin, under the tutelage of our beloved Dr. Walther, and
every Wednesday we students had to hold discussions at the St. Louis Pastoral
Conference. But in spite of his 68 years, we had to acknowledge he was our master when
it came to speaking in Latin. As a preacher he was also exceptional. He was a born
orator. He had a beautiful voice, and he knew how to use it on his listeners. He was very
often called upon for all manner of speeches ad always seemed to know and use the right
expressions whether it was for family parties, politics, funerals, etc. He could also
become quite poetical to suit all occasions, and even in his youth, at sixteen years, he
wrote his Father a Latin poem for his birthday, and his Mother a lovely German poem.

As a schoolteacher, he was far beyond his time, no doubt having been instructed in this
by his grandfather, who had been an outstanding teacher of his time, and did not believe
in corporal punishment for children at all, which at that time was very prevalent. Father

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believed that love and forbearance overcame more, and only used a stick in the most
extreme cases. But he did insist on absolute obedience from the youngsters, and his
strongest punishment was always for lying, dishonesty and bad habits. He differentiated
between youthful folly and haste and the more serious sins of low maliciousness and
hate. He constantly tried to impress on our minds the difference between these two sins.
His example of the modest and chaste Joseph was always held up to us when he said,
“How can I do this terrible evil and sin against God?” To this day I thank and praise God
for those words of my father’s, for they kept me from many sinful acts at the time when I
was still young and inexperienced, far away from this Christian home, and , alas, still not
having any inner personal conviction of Christ’s love as the Lord of my life. I was alone
in this Godless world among soldiers, sailors, and mechanics who had not the slightest
fear of God in their hearts. Another basic rule of my father’s in the upbringing of his
children was this: “Mens sana in corpore sans.” A healthy mind can only be in a healthy
body. He insisted that first the body must be made strong before the mind is developed.
The young bodies are usually weakened in the schoolroom.

It must therefore be hardened, the will power strengthened; they must learn, if possible,
to have less demands, and so be ready for the battles of life in which ever part they are
put. He also believed in much exercise, like swimming, gym exercises, long walks in the
forests, and above all the heaviest work in the garden and house. Father was also a great
nature lover. He was well grounded in zoology, botany, geology, and astronomy. He
raised bees and chickens, and even wrote about them. But above all, he loved flowers.
We had a very large garden, half of which was for flowers, and excelled in all he planted.
He specialized in hybridizing roses, and developed a new species of dark red roses. He
gave each of us five older children a small flower bed to care for, and we would try to
compete with each other in caring for it. No matter how busy and occupied he might be
with all his work and experiments, he always had time to answer our many questions, and
listen to all our little troubles. We could always approach him, so from our childhood on,
the great love of flowers and all nature was planted in our hearts. I guess to this day my
love for flowers, especially roses, are still my greatest pleasure, and , if I were a rich
man, I would always have flowers at my table.

Another characteristic of my beloved father I cannot overlook, and that was that he was a
German, through and through. His German fatherland, his German nation, with its great
advantages, its virtues and rich gifts which God had bestowed on it above all nations,
were his pride and joy. His sensitive nature grieved at the scorn and disregard that other
nations looked at the shame of Germany with its many conflicts between the different
cities and provinces. That was the grief of his life. And his happiest dream from his
youth on was to see a United Germany like at the time of Charlemaigne. If he could only
see at this day how his dream had materialized under one Emperor, with all the might and
power of its industries, its armies and navies, and its great wealth, his heart would have
been satisfied. But he lived to see the beginning of it, when in 1870, Napoleon was
defeated by the English and German powers, and it looked as though at last there would
be a final peace. This was shortly before his death. On August 23, 1879, he celebrated

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his 70th birthday, and on September 23, the same day of the death of his beloved father,
he passed on to his heavenly home.

Now also a few words about my dearly beloved Mother, Euphronsyna, nee Renger. Only
too early in our lives she was taken from us. I was only 10 years old at the time of her
death, and so do not remember too much about her. She also came from a very good and
Christian family, which even in the 18th century had produced ministers in the Lutheran
Church. Her only brother was also a Lutheran minister, but died with tuberculosis very
early in his life. Mother’s birthplace was the beautiful town of Rothenburg on the river
Tauber, a town often compared with old Jerusalem because of its beautiful hills and
fruitful valleys. I only visited there once in my lifetime, but I could never forget its
beauty. The father of my beloved Mother had been Mayor of the town, and his family
belonged to the aristocracy of that time. Both her parents had evidently died young,
because she often regretted the fact that they had never seen her happiness in her
marriage. Besides her only brother, Mother had two unmarried sisters, Sabine and Doris,
and one married sister, Julie Bezzel, whose husband had been lawyer in Nürnberg, and he
also died quite young. Her only son, Theodore, who also studied to be a lawyer, died
before his 30th year.

As to the character and personality of my Mother, I can only say she was a very well
educated woman, brought up to city life rather than the country. She was also very
beautiful, and most people wondered that she should have chosen the poor minister as her
husband and fortunate he was to have her. As I remember here, she was so very lovable,
a very quiet person, but her children all strove to carry out her slightest wish and tried to
spare her all trouble. I still think of the time I unintentionally hurt her, thinking I was
doing her a favor. My brother Hugo and a smaller sister were romping around the room
making too much noise, and our dear Mother had twice asked him to stop, without
success. I jumped up and hit my brother in the face, and also struck my sister, thus
making more noise than before. But all three of us became very sorry, and begged her to
forgive us, which she gladly did. If only she had stayed with us a little longer perhaps we
eight sisters and brothers might not have had to wander all over the world the way we
did. But our dear Mother died in childbirth, and the little son Rudolf lived only one more
year and then joined her in the heavenly home.

After all these years, her death is still before by eyes. On the morning of her death, my
father went to get a doctor, and she told him good-bye, and said, “Franz, you will never
see me again alive.” He comforted her, and said she seemed much better, but he still
wanted to get a doctor for her. But she must have sensed that it was her end, because her
word turned out to be the truth. Before Father returned with the doctor, her spirit had
departed.

How it happened that we children were all at her bed, I don’t remember, but we were,
and also a dear maid and one of the women of the church. I just remember that this
woman prayed the Lord’s Prayer, and my Mother folded her hands and died with the

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words of this good woman as she said, “At the last, when my hour has come, grant me a
blessed end, and with peace take me out of this agony into the Heavenly home.”

We poor children cried, and were so unhappy, but how could we realize the terrible loss
that had come to us? This we did not understand at the time, but we found it out in later
years.

Father never married again, mostly on account of his children. He did not want us to
have a stepmother. Was his fatherly love right in so deciding? Not every second mother
is a stepmother. Also, as God said, “It is not good that man is alone.” Time can tell, if
the influence of a good Christian Mother on the bringing up and characters of children is
not better than the father’s, and that one mother can keep together and care for seven
children, where a father could only bring up two. Also the saying is true, that sometimes
if a stepmother comes unto a happy and peace-loving home, the peace is gone and so are
the children. The children were very happy with our loving father, but I often wondered
if it would not have been better if we had had a stepmother. Who knows?

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 CHAPTER 3

My Childhood and Youth

My birthplace was at Schopflohe, a very small village on the main road between
Rothenburg and Nördlingen. This was my father’s first parish. It had about 135
families, 75 of which were Catholic, and 40 Lutheran. Judging by the richness of the
Church property, it must have been at one time a very prosperous village. At that time,
every congregation in a village had its own Church, school, parsonage and teacher’s
dwellings, and also its cemetery. Yes, our parsonage was a very lovely, large prosperous
looking house, with many barns and rich acreage, but these were always rented out, that
is, the outhouses and grounds were rented out. There were also large fruit and vegetable
gardens, and it was surrounded by a six foot high stone wall. A regular paradise for
growing children to have fun in. And what fun we had playing under the trees and
chasing each other! Of this, my dear children, you can have no idea, having been
brought up in a city home, God had given us an even bigger place to play. Our village
stood on an 800 foot plateau called Urlas. In the midst of this were rich fields, shaded on
both sides by beautiful woods of beech, oak and fir trees. These woods were many miles
long, and I will never forget two extremely large trees, one a beech and one a fir, both of
which were exactly alike in growth, and the branches so alike as though they had been
trimmed by an artist gardener. Still further in this woods, shaded by mighty oaks, was a
beautiful stream of lovely fresh water. This was our hermitage. We had put up benches
and all things needful for picnics, and all our walks ended at this place. How often our
dear father would come with us and we would play together and also have many serious
talks. How we loved it, and at every vacation, this was the first place our feet would take
us to. The beautiful woods belonged to the Baron von Oettingen, who was a great
hunter, and always saw to it that his woods were well stocked with game. We would
often see herds of deer and hart playing and running though this woods. In the fall and
winter our Father was often invited to take part in the hunting, and always came home
laden with part of these animals.

This was more or less a leftover of old feudal days, because when these hunts occurred,
all the farmers in the neighborhood were commanded to report to the main forester, and
led by him, they would have to encircle the entire woods and chase the animals towards
the hunters. And this they had to do without any pay for their services. But after the

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revolution of 1848, this all stopped. The Baron made a large deer park out of his woods,
about two hours walk from our home, and all were allowed to hunt freely.

Unfortunately, the next year Father was transferred to another parish, Frickenhausen, at
Memmingen, and we had to leave our lovely woods in which we had spent most of our
childhood.

So, at Schopflohe, the beautiful ideal little village, was where I spent my childhood under
the guidance of the most beloved of parents. We were eight children, Karolina, Louisa,
Frieda, Hugo, Otto, Emma, Maria and Robert. Except for myself and brother Robert,
they have all gone to the heavenly home, where we all hope to meet again some day.
While father gave the naming of the girls to the Mother and aunts, he decided he had the
right to name the boys. As brother Hugo and I were only one year and one month apart,
we were brought up like twins, and started school together, and even to high school
years, stayed in the same class. Our brother Robert, being the youngest, became the most
beloved of our Father because at the age of 17 and 18, we both left home, to earn our
own living because of the dire necessity of food. We were so terribly poor. Now to
return to our names, - Father chose old German names for both of us. But my name of
Otto had another peculiar reason. At the year of my birth, 1832, there was the bitter war
of the Greeks against the Turks, and the other European countries. The idea was to try
and establish the old freedom of Greece, with the beautiful city of Athens as again the
main seat of learning and freedom. It is well known with what enthusiasm the great
English poet, Byron, tried to help. Also in Germany, especially among the students,
there was great enthusiasm for this new classical kingdom. And of course, my father was
among them. He had no particular reason for it , except that one could not let the poor
Greeks stay under the yoke of the Turks. But the idea of establishing the old Greek
philosophy of beauty, etc., was not to be thought of. But the inspiration was there, and
could not be denied. So, because the youngest son of the Bavarian king was made king
of the Greeks, and his name was Otto, my father decided to name his second son Otto
also. Well, I am satisfied with the name, since it coincided with that wonderful date of
1832, but I do not love the name any more than my other two, since Karl is the name of
my Father’s oldest brother and my godfather, and Johann, is the name of my other
godfather, Pastor Egloff, a dear friend whose heartfelt prayers for the good of my soul
must certainly have been heard above.

We eight children were a happy and contented group, living by ourselves in this happy
village, as long as our dear Mother lived. With love and great wisdom, we were led in
Christian learning. We were taught immediate obedience and love to our parents, respect
to older people, and courtesy to strangers. While my grandfather’s pedagogy started his
children in at the very early age of 5, in the school room, my father started first to build
the characters of his children and did not start his schooling until the child was seven, and
then he included nature studies also. He taught us about botany and geology, about the
birds and animals and in the evening, about the stars. Above all, he tried to make his
instructions interesting so that we would always remember. And sometimes his walking
tours would take as long as five or six days, especially when going with his boys. I have

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so many memories of these walking tours that Father took with us boys, and two
especially stand out in my mind very clearly. We boys were 10 and 11 years old. In the
distance near our home was the beautiful mountain, Ips of Boplingen, and in front of this,
many lesser hills led to this towering mountain in the distance. One of these hills was
called the higher Baldern, and this was our goal for our first walking tour of three days.
The distance was about six hours of direct and strenuous walking, but we made detours.
First of all, we went to the wonderful city of Nordlingen, which held many wonders for
the two boys of our age. There was so much to see and we stayed overnight with good
friends. The next day we continued on our way to Felsenburg Wallenstein (which means
castle on a rock) towards higher Baldern (name of mountain) which took us about three
hours. For four hours we had the pleasure of wandering over this old castle, its
wonderful architecture, the thickness of its massive walls, the terrible depths of its big
walls, and then we looked in the awful dungeons dug out of the solid rocks and then we
walked up to the battlement and viewed the grand scenery showing on all sides. The
castle’s ruins were still in good condition, the place altogether romantic, the scenery so
beautiful that it was quite a show place to all the neighboring towns. Also there was
quite a lovely inn very near where we could get a good meal and overnight lodgings. We
were happy to return to our home on the fourth day.

Our last and longest tour that we took with Father occurred when we were 12 and 13
years old. This took us three weeks, and we went to Father’s birthplace, Bachingen, then
to Deidenheim to our dear relatives and lastly to Ulm, with its beautiful cathedral. With
all these wonderful and beautiful places to see, we also received Father’s wealth of
knowledge in describing all this that he had learned since his youth, so that we surely
were trained and forearmed in trying to face any realities we would encounter in going
out into the world.

But even though we boys had all these advantages, our sisters were not neglected. In the
year 1847, one sister wrote me that our father had taken them on a five day tour to many
places, which she described to me. They had gone to Oettingen, Harburg, Donauworth
and Augsburg. And how thankful she had been to have gone to these places, and had
seen so many relatives and dear friends, so that she could not thank our father enough.
But over this happy and lovely childhood and youth, the shadow of death fell like a pall.
Our good Mother died and with her died all the love and tender care this happy family
had received. Not knowing what to do, our Father asked his youngest sister to come and
keep house for us, but she was without the love and understanding these poor children
had been accustomed to. Instead of loving admonition, we heard the unfriendly works of
“hurry up and get out of my way”. We were like a band of little chickens chased by a
mean hen, and were most unhappy. As time passed, my Father, with great sorrow, began
to see this, and tried his best to overcome it but it was impossible. When he could not
change his sister, he recalled my oldest sister, Karolina, who had been sent out in service,
as was done at that time, to help us. She was only 18 years old at the time, but a most
understanding and lovely daughter and sister, and under her quiet guidance, this desolate
parsonage soon became again a most happy home. She helped our Father in his
upbringing of the younger children. But time does not stand still. Again, it was time for

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us boys to leave our beautiful woods and go to the city of Oettingen to learn our Latin
and higher studies. It was only two hours journey from Schopflohe, but the separation
was particularly hard on my Father. My uncle Carl told me later that for two weeks my
Father wandered around missing his two boys and their companionship and his studies he
had with them. But for us, it was an entirely new life. We had noticed in our intercourse
with boys of our own age from the parsonage of our neighbors in Stiehlin in Weilsingen,
that we were far behind them in some studies, especially in Latin. In the city of
Oettingen was a very good pro-classic Latin school in preparation for the upper
Gymnasium and because it was so close and was not too costly, Father decided we
should go there. Our Father decided we should be entered in the third year class, but we
had a hard time keeping up with the other pupils. Finally with good work on our part and
the patience of the teacher, we were soon able to keep up with the best. The Director,
Rudolf Schreiber, knew how to awaken his scholars to the love of study, and inspired us
with the old German heroes and songs like the Nibelungen, etc. He was himself a poet,
and had published a very lovely book of poems. We all loved him, and great sorrow was
felt when he was transferred to the Gymnasium at Ausbach the following year. But God
gave us a very good substitute in Rector Buhler, the son of a minister in Ries. This man
had a very wonderful influence on the development of my mind. With much love and
understanding for his scholars and a consecrated love for his teaching, he won all our
hearts. Nothing that he gave us to study was too much or too hard, and how gladly we
did it. What great patience he displayed in helping all to study and memorize the Latin
and Greek grammar, so that even the weakest of us did not fail. He told us many
interesting histories of Greece and Rome, trying to awaken in our youthful hearts the
wonder of their deeds, and wisdom and knowledge of these two countries. In short, this
teacher inspired in me such a thirst for knowledge that colored my whole life. Even in
the darkest hours of my storm-tossed life and in the depths of my poverty and
helplessness, I never lost the longing of my heart to learn what I could. “And I will with
God’s help finish my studies to become what was my life-long vocation.” For two more
years, we were privileged to be under the guidance of this gifted teacher. Two more
teachers helped to mold and influence us in our work, and we were very thankful to
them. One was G. Leibig, who later became the husband of my sister Karolina, and the
other, Senior Karrer, our instructor in religion, and he had an extra influence over me
because in this last year at Oettingen, I was confirmed. But I cannot say that at this time
I had really embraced Jesus in my heart as my Savior, but at least I had received plenty of
knowledge of the Bible and a determination to live a Godly life. After 63 years, I still
have my Confirmation Certificate with the Bible verse of Hebrews 13:9, “For it is a good
thing that the heart be established with grace.” I cannot thank my God and my Savior
enough to all eternity that in America in the Missouri Synod that love of Jesus has been
kept pure through this grace and that my heart to this house has been blessed. “Praise the
Lord, oh my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who crowns Thee with grace and
mercy.”

All too soon the time at Oettingen came to an end, and we had to transfer to the
Gymnasium St. Anna in Augsburg. But what a sad change! From the loving arms of our
good teachers to entirely strange professors, mostly men who had absolutely no interest

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whatever in their scholars, no joy in their work, no understanding of the importance of
their art for country and church, who looked at their day’s work as a constant tread mill.
We appeared to ourselves a people who had been transplanted from a beautiful
springtime to a raw wintertime with nothing to please the eye or heart. It took us a long
time to get used to this atmosphere, and my brother Hugo could not stand it at all. He
suffered so much during this year and was treated so abominably by these teachers that
he firmly intended to stay at home. When we returned home at vacation time, father’s
finances were so bad that he sadly told us he could only be able to send one back to
school, at which Hugo was delighted and said he didn’t want to go back any more,
anyway, as he had no desire to study any more, and he should just send Otto, he could
make it. And so it stood. With a heavy heart, I turned my steps back to Augsburg. It
was our first separation. In the next year of 1849, with Father’s consent, Hugo went to
America to our Aunt Bloss, who had gone two years previous with her son Carl to
Cincinnati, Ohio. I completed my second year at St. Anna’s Gymnasium and was happy
to see that in my third year I was having Rector Metzger as a teacher, who had been the
instructor of my former beloved Rector Bugler’s. Through the efforts of this wise and
learned teacher, St. Anna’s became known as the best Gymnasium in the whole of
Bavaria. I was so happy that I would have another teacher like Rector Buhler, because it
was from Rector Metzger that Buhler had learned all his teaching methods. I could
hardly wait until I could come back from my vacation to start. And I made up my mind I
would study very hard under this man because already the magic of the University
beckoned to me. Until now, I had not decided what branch or vocation I wished to go
into. At first, I thought of Philology, especially as the Greek language and history had
been close to my heart. But my main purpose was always to learn as much as I possibly
could of everything. I even studied during my vacation time to be ready for the new
class. This was my first vacation in the town of Frickenhausen, two hours from
Memmingen and Schopflohe and to which my Father had been transferred in the year
1850. This was also a large and spacious parsonage, a transformed old castle, with a
most beautiful view. But how we missed our lovely garden and the magnificent woods
of our former home and childhood haunts. I was a stranger here, but it suited me as here
I could study as much as I wanted undisturbed. The only neighbor that I became
acquainted with was the son of a pastor nearby. His name was William Hanemann and
we became fast friends. He was already in the last year at the University, a man I greatly
admired and whose personality impressed me very much. With him and several other
students, my good Father permitted me to make a short journey on foot to Kempten and
Lindau on the Boden Sea. Here we took a steamboat to Roschach in Switzerland, and
then continued along the edge of the Sea to Konstans, then to the Rhenfall by
Schaffhausen and through Baden and Württemberg and then back home. I could only
say this was like walking through paradise, with its majestic and lovely beauty and filled
my heart and soul with joy. On a later visit to Germany in 1885, to Bad Reichenhall in
the Tyrol, I again had the pleasure of going through Salzburg, Berchtesgaden and the
Koenigsee. Is there anything to compare with the Alps? Their majestic beauty are
overwhelming. In 1860, when Dr. Walther visited in Switzerland, he made the following
remark, “The rising of the sun on the Rigi Mountains in its fullest beauty can give man a
slight idea of what a glimpse in the lost paradise would be like.”

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This was my last, but the nicest vacation at home together with my Father and sisters,
Louisa, Emma, Marie and brother Robert, and at the same time a sad good-bye to my
childhood and youth, but this was also the end of all my ideals and hopes for a wonderful
future in my studies. This was the beginning of my ten years wandering in the world.
From 1850 to 1860, I was in the depths of despair, not knowing where God intended to
lead me. I am thankful to God to say that all this wandering was not caused by any
youthful foolishness on my part, or any indecent or vicious living that caused all these
changes. No, God’s grace and love kept me unstained in the Sodom of this world and my
own lusts of youth. This dear blessed shepherd. In this dark vale He followed me
wherever I went and often I felt as though he had deserted me entirely. But my motto at
this time could only be the wonderful Psalm 73:24, “Thou dost guide me with Thy
counsel, and afterwards Thou wilt receive me to glory.” Therefore, with the true
guidance of my good shepherd, I came out of this dark valley and all my troubles and
disappointments were just so many experiences to teach me to lean on God’s love and
grace to eternal salvation. With our Father, Jacob, I could say in deepest humility, “I am
not worth all the compassion and trust that you have done to your servant.”

CHAPTER 4

My First Odyssey - From my Father’s House to the Life of a Soldier

It was just before the end of my summer vacation in the year 1850. My father, sister
Louisa, and myself were having a family conference concerning my future and my return
to Augsburg and incidentally our finances which were quite shaky at this time. And as

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we sat there, the mailman brought a letter from Augsburg with the disturbing news that
because my tuition had not been paid for the past year, my name had been dropped from
the new year entrants. This college in Augsburg was associated internationally with the
St. Anna’s Gymnasium, and therefore many poor scholars had received cheaper lodging
and food, besides many other advantages for their studies, and I had also benefited by
this. So it was like a bolt from the sky that my life was so suddenly changed from the
ideals of making my mark in the professional world and carrying on my many studies
that I loved. A revision of my father’s finances showed that his income barely sufficed to
pay for the studies in Augsburg or the University and then leave enough for the education
of the three younger children or even the care of the household. Therefore, I had to ask
myself what right did I have to expect everything to be given to me, and to sacrifice my
younger sisters and brother for my selfish ends. I could never do this. I would have to
make the sacrifice and give up my beloved studies. But then, what to do? In those days
and times, it would have been a disgrace to the family and also the church for a pastor’s
son to take up any trade or hand craft to earn a living. The most he could do was perhaps
be a druggist. But that also meant five or six years of study at the University, with much
tuition. So here there was no solution. So the only outlook was for me to give up my
studies and go out in the world like my brother Hugo and many others, to find a living
somewhere also. But where? America seemed the logical place, the refuge of the poor.
But where would we get the money to pay for this long journey? I could not see America
at this time, but thought of Hamburg, which at the present time, with the political outlook
of Germany, seemed the logical answer. At present, Schleswig-Holstein was fighting for
its freedom from Denmark, and the whole of the German states were helping Schleswig-
Holstein with great enthusiasm. Many volunteers were joining this freedom war, even in
Bavaria, and this state would pay for the volunteer services. How would it be if I would
join up also with this fight of freedom, and thus the cost of my trip would be paid. I did
not have an honorable discharge from my studies, but at least, I would be doing
something worthwhile. But what after the end of the war, what would I do? I had an
answer to that already. I would go to sea. A sailor’s life appealed to me. Why, I did not
know. But somehow this seemed to be the answer to my thoughts and the life as a
soldier was just a cheaper and easier way for me to get there. But now I think it was the
fact that hard work would keep me so busy I wouldn’t have time to mourn over the loss
that was weighing me down, namely, that lovely paradise I was giving up, my studies.

This was finally the end of our family council after many possibilities were discussed
trying to find other solutions to this problem. But to me it seemed to be clearer than ever
that this was what I must do. But my Father would not give his consent at once. The
loss of a second son was almost more than he could take. “We will wait until tomorrow”,
was his verdict, although what the morrow would bring we could not see, and by the next
day I was ready to leave. I announced myself at the nearest recruiting station and
received a passport and money for the trip. So with a furlough pass to the outside for a
year and with a knapsack for wash and clothes on my back, I left my beloved home on
the 9th of September, 1850. It wasn’t the happy leaving home to return to school with
the hope of a happy return and reunion. No, it was the son’s leaving his Father’s house
with the thought of perhaps never returning to it anymore. There were many tears shed

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by all. But I had not become soft-hearted. Mine was a sacrifice of love done willingly,
no matter what the future would bring. So quickly saying good-bye to all, I journeyed
along, pausing only a few moments in Augsburg to see Rector Metzger and tell him
good-bye. He immediately surprised me by asking why I had given up my ideas about
continuing my studies. I could only tell him the truth that my Father did not have the
means for me to continue. He grasped my hand and said very sadly, “I am so very sorry
to hear that, Hanser, and may God be with you.” A second farewell was in Oettingen to
my dear teacher, Buhler, also my eldest and dearest sister, Karolina, and her husband.
From there on, I took the train through Germany to Hamburg. But I saw little that was
pleasant on this trip. My heart was too sore. I was still only a very young boy of 18,
never having been away from family and home and then suddenly to be plunged all
alone, without any help, into the temptations and, as I thought, the arms of the bad
outside world.

In Hamburg, I looked up Mr. Hans von Raumer, and old friend of Father’s who had
visited us many times in Schopflohe, and who was always happy to visit us “country
people”, as he called us. Through his influence, the request I had made to join the
“Hunters Battalion” was fulfilled, and then on the same day the whole troop was sent by
train to the border of Rendsburg and were quartered in the barrack there, thus began my
new life as a soldier. If I were now 56 years old instead of 76, this brief episode of my
life with this peculiar assemblage of soldiers would have been of considerable humor to
the outside world. But my present temperament is not in attune with all the stories and
jests that I heard and would almost sound unbelievable and would give the impression
that I was not telling the truth and that would be too bad. Because a truthful picture of
my unsettled life, and of a romance, is what I want my dear family to read. As it was,
my life as a soldier lasted only 4 months, but it was long enough to give me an idea of
what my new life would be. Here was a conglomeration of people from all the different
parts of the country. Some came from patriotism, some because of love of liberty and
many through the publicity given by recruiting officers, to which the Germans were
always ready to give a willing ear. The best element of the army were the Holsteiners,
consisting of all the men and youths who were supposed to serve in the regular army for
a certain length of time. These men were very manly, compact, and strongly built, more
or less of one size, very handsome and proper outwardly, although very quiet and
deficient of words. It was very hard to become acquainted with them. I watched them
with great interest although I could not understand a word that was spoken, as this was
the first time I had heard the low German dialect. They were the main part of the Army.
The rest consisted of the former ones I have described, all kinds of men and boys, good
and bad. There were also a large number of men and youths of the best families of
Germany, also many students of medicine, druggists, merchants and also the nobility,
who believed in a free world and were willing to lay down their lives and did just that, in
the bloody war at Idstedt in 1849. There was also another element in this mass of people,
so-called the unlucky ones, consisting of students that had failed in College or
Universities, musicians, merchants, all failures, who thought they could find a new start
in being a soldier, and there also was included many soldiers who had been transferred,
with many doubtful characters who were later separated by the police and sent back to

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jail. So, with all kinds of men I had to mingle and become acquainted. How did I feel
about it? Naturally, those of a kind found each other, and I soon attached myself to the
scholarly type, and we often had some interesting discussions and took walks together
which were pleasant, but it was still living in a barracks. And it was still eating and
sleeping in the barrack dormitories. What my poor ears had to listen to after the modest
and simple living at our college. Here I really found out what it meant to be in the
outside world, and become acquainted with all that is base and unfitting for decent
people, of which I had not the slightest idea. Here again, I could only thank God for His
grace in leading and caring for me, in having such a wonderful home and upbringing. I
was not Pharisaical in this, but devoutly thankful to God that I had grown up in such
lovely surroundings and prayed that He keep my heart free from all this sinfulness which
I shuddered to behold.

Then came the time for exercising, which was a blessing to us all. At 7 A.M. we were
called out to the parade grounds with all our equipment on our backs. Then we were
taught all manipulation of our heavy guns and equipment, and a continuous rehearsal of
all maneuvers necessary. Then came foot exercise, right, left, right, left, always faster
and faster, with much swearing and cursing of the commander for the dumbness of all
recruits, without any rest, until we felt as though we had no more feet to lift. This
continued until 1 P.M., when we returned to our barracks more dead than alive and all
fell on their cots without moving, until the cook called for dinner, which brought them to
life. Again I was so thankful to my father for this strenuous training on my body by hard
work and walking trips. So that I was able to overcome the hard training in the camp,
only I was always hungry. The time from 7 A.M. breakfast, to 2 P.M. dinner was just
too long and because of this I had a most embarrassing adventure. One day between 11
and 12 O’clock, we were having inspection by the general on the parade ground, and we
all stood in line with our guns presented. Very slowly the general rode back and forth in
front of us and as he was almost in front of me, my knees seemed to bend and my hands
sank a little, but not too noticeable. But the general’s eagle eyes saw it and with his
stirrup he pulled up my gun with plenty of proper language. What he said and what
language he used I did not know, I only knew it meant me, and I immediately
straightened out and became like a frozen image. That saved me. But my poor stomach
had betrayed me as I had gotten weak from hunger. As the general passed and we were
given a ten minute rest, a murmur went down the line, “Who was it this time”, and
someone laughingly said, “It was the little Bayer”. This was my nickname, not because I
was so small, as I was the regular size at that time, but because I had such a young face,
almost like a boy. This name stuck to me. After our dinner, all our equipment had to be
cleaned, and in place and then we had a little time to go out. From 7 to 9 in the evening
we were instructed. There was much to learn about the knapsack of an officer and the
divisions and organization of the Army, of the duties and personnel, those on guard, the
duties in the field, patrol, etc. And it was hard work, too, because every two weeks we
were sharply examined by an officer.

After five weeks of this strenuous training, we were taken out to the army outpost to have
a sort of sham battle with the enemy. All this in readiness for battle, and it was a

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continuous going back and forth in marches, and all necessary preparation. This was not
exactly heavy work, the winter was not too bad, and we were well taken care of with
money and food, but the grumbling came from the fact that we had not been out in any
actual battle with the enemy. We had all volunteered in the name of liberty, not to play
the soldier. So naturally all sorts of deviltry took place to while away the tedious
waiting. I will relate one of these adventures. One of our worst outposts was the village
of Breckendorf. The land around it was surrounded with much brush and hedges, also
embankments so that we could not see in the distance. About 2 miles away was a small
mountain or hill which overlooked the entire territory. This was used by the Danes as an
observation place and was an eye sore to the Germans. Every day a cavalry trooper
would be placed up there and our men called him the “eternal Jew”. Many were the
shots and stones cast up at him but to no avail, and he stood there like a statue of stone.
Then five of us grass-green recruits, four common soldiers and one corporal, who was
perhaps even greener than we were, decided to do something about this dragon. We
would slip up the hill under cover of the dark night and come up behind this monster and
try either to overcome him, or at least chase him down the hill into our lines. But how
foolish we were to think that this post would be put there alone, unless covered by the
Danish infantry. Today when I think of it, I am amazed to think that the commanding
officer gave his permission to this crazy act. Not only that but gave orders that a dragoon
patrol would follow us at a distance. We had gone about a mile when it was already
starting to get light and we were behind the big hedge when the corporal asked me to
creep on beside the hedge a short ways and see if everything was O.K. I, very fearless
and sure of myself, crept to the next embankment and there about 500 feet ahead of me
stood a Dane, and 50 feet behind him stood another, both with guns in their arms. For a
second we stared at each other, and then at the same time, both our guns went off. I
don’t think I got my man, because immediately the excitement was too great, but I do
know that the shot from his gun passed by my left ear so closely that I heard the wind it
caused in passing, and I was so scared I felt as though I was turned to ice. I felt sure that
this was death. (Only once more did I experience this feeling of death so close to me,
and that was one time when I fell overboard on a ship and was only rescued by a
miracle.) But it only took me a second to recover myself, and with one jump I was back
behind the hedge again. I just heard the corporal call, “Come back, Hanser”, and saw
him and the other three on the run. A whole row of Danish soldiers had gone ahead of
the picket and now they let loose their guns at us. But their shots did not travel far
enough and they were much farther back than the one with whom I had exchanged shots.
Also our escort came up at the same time and soon we were under their protection. But it
caused great excitement in the whole camp and the officers not knowing if perhaps the
entire Danish force might be coming down, decided to form their battalions in order and
advance, in case this might be a real skirmish. But the Danes, after a few shots here and
there, withdrew their forces and all was quiet, with the “eternal Jew” sentry watching
from above. But we five were the heroes of the day, not that we had done anything
heroic, but at least it helped give them all some excitement and a change from their
dreary everyday living. Then it became known that through diplomatic transactions
peace was finally declared without any more fanfare among the troops. So on January 5,
1851, a proclamation was sent out to the army that the soldiers should disband and every

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man should return to his home of town where he had come from, and would receive his
railroad fare and ten dollars for expenses. That was the tragic end of the freedom loving
Germans, for their freedom-loving neighbors at Schleswig-Holstein. Holstein became
free but Schleswig became a Danish province.

But most of the soldiers that had joined in the cause of freedom were glad to hurry home
and many went to America. But for me it was not a return home. It was for me to find
ways and means to further earn a living and see what I could do. It was through the
interest of our dear friend, Mr. Raumers, who knew a ship owner in Hamburg, that I
found the way. On the 26th of January, 1851, I came to Altona, where I had left my
civilian clothes with good friends, also my ten dollars promised me by the army. With
twenty dollars in my pocket, it was like a fortune to a poor thrifty young man as I was.
Eating and lodging would not be too much, and I would soon find a berth on a ship of
some kind; and I still had not learned to take to card-playing, drinking, etc. These were
my hopes and in time I reached them under many tribulations. The first blow came when
in going for my ten dollars from the army, I and several others found that one of the
officers of our troop had collected most of the ten dollars, giving the impression that they
would be given to us and he absconded with all the money. Even though he was
eventually found and punished, it did not help us any as we did not get any other money.
The rich people in high positions are hard to meet and interview, and so I found out in
trying to see Mr. Godefroy. Five times I went to his office, to be told each time to come
back, and finally he received me. After reading my credentials from his friend, he was
very friendly and he was also very sorry, but at present he had no ships in the harbor, and
again my age was against me and I would have a hard time trying to get a job. But he
would give me a letter to a friend of his, a Mr. A. Milberg, the head of the Hamburg-New
York Association, who might be able to give me a job on an emigrant ship. But if I had a
hard time getting in to see Mr. Godefroy for an interview, it took me even more times, in
particular, thirteen times, before I got into Mr. Milberg’s office. But I persevered and
finally was allowed in the presence of the great man. As he read the letters from my
friend and from Mr. Godefroy, he said, “Yes, you can get a job on the emigrant ship,
“The Deutschland”, as cabin-boy, if you can wait that long. But it doesn’t leave until the
16th of March for New York.” Of course, I was delighted and thanked him profusely. I
should present myself on the 5th or 8th of March at his office. With wings on my feet, I
hurried to give this good news to my good boarding-house people. But even on the way,
I started to think of how I was going to live until that time was up. I only had eight
dollars left of my little bankroll, as I had to buy a small chest to carry my belongings.
Also, the police kept a sharp outlook on all the men who stayed behind after the way, and
if they were not employed, were often shipped off to their homes. My good people were
happy with me, and assured me they were sure something would turn up for me to do
during this time and they would not put the ‘little Bayer’ out in the street as long as he
behaved himself. I offered them all my money, but they refused even though they were
only charging me half their regular price. And something did turn up for me in a few
days. A new guest appeared at the boarding house by the name of Bodenstedt. He said
he was a merchant and inn-keeper from Peina, Hanover. He soon heard the story of the
‘little Bayer’ who sat in a corner of the room with a book in his hand and struck up an

WMH January, 97
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acquaintance with him. Another volunteer was also in our company, Otto von Welden, a
Bavarian from Ausbach. Bodenstedt mentioned that he was leaving the next day for
home and invited me as his guest at his inn, without cost, until time for my leaving. As
Peina was on the same line, he thought Welden could easily spend a few days with him
also. He had special sympathy for the Holstein volunteers. We accepted with joy. On
the evening of February 5th, we left Altona for Harburg, where we passed the night at an
inn called Juer Krone, and the next morning went to the police station and asked as
volunteers, for a free ticket to Braunschweig, which we received without question. As
we were sitting in the coach before starting, all at once Bodenstedt said, “I have left my
briefcase and purse at the hotel. If I am too late for this train, I will take a later one and
see you in Peina.” Without thinking we two rode on until we reached Peina, but when we
wanted to get off, the conductor said our tickets were stamped to Braunschweig and he
could not give us our papers back until we got there. We could do nothing. The
instructions concerning volunteers was very strict, and everyone had to go to his home or
else. We had nothing to lose and so leisurely walked back to Peina, which took about
two hours, with lovely scenery along the way. Bodenstedt’s inn was very near the
railroad station. With no premonition or doubt of our friend’s honesty, we entered the
inn. But when the owner and his wife greeted us, we were surprised as they were both
elderly people, but very lovely folks. Then we decided that perhaps there were two inns
of the same name and we had come to the wrong one. So we stayed, and after a light
supper we went to our bedroom, and after discussing the incident together, we decided to
sleep on it and look around the next morning. After breakfast, we asked the waiter if
there was another inn there by the name of Bodenstedt. He told us there was a cleaning
and drying establishment in the town by that name, but that the owner was bankrupt, and
had disappeared three weeks before without a trace. We walked to town and in the
market place found a fine looking house with his name on it. We rang the bell and a little
old lady came to the door and I asked her if Mr. Bodenstedt had come home the night
before and if I could speak to him. She became very much upset and said her son had
left the town and she had no idea when he would return, and what did we want with him.
I felt sorry for her and assured her I wished her son no harm, just to greet him. And with
that we left. In silence we returned to the inn. But our questions and our going to town
had caused much upset at the inn. Our host, with many apologies, asked us if we knew
anything about Mr. Bodenstedt, because he had caused much trouble and through bad
speculations had stolen investor’s money, and absconded with it. It was thought that he
had gone to England. We related how we had met him and that he had invited us to be
his guests at the inn, and that no doubt he had bought his ticket to England at that time.
Our host was very much perturbed, saying Mr. Bodenstedt was his nephew, and that
undoubtedly if he would be seen here, he would be caught and put in prison. So we
found ourselves in very hot water. It did not matter so much with Mr. Welden, as he had
the means to go to his home and had lost nothing in getting off at Peina, but it was very
different for me. In the middle of Germany without money, and so poor. My entire
means consisted of about ten cents. If this became known to the police, I would
immediately have been given the “bum’s rush”, as they say in America, and be
transported back to Bavaria, that is, by walking with a police officer as escort from
station to station until reaching home. There was nothing left for me to do but beg Mr.

WMH January, 97
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Welden for loan of three dollars, so that I could get back to Hamburg. I had an aunt by
the name of Julie Bezzee living in the same town where Mr. Welden lived. She was a
sister of my beloved Mother, and I gave Welden a letter along to ask her to pay this debt
for me.

Again God’s mercy and kindness to me was shown by giving me such a kind friend.
Thankfully I went to the railroad station with him and then returned to the inn as I still
had a few hours to wait for my train. I did not have money enough for my ticket and also
to pay for a meal, so I did not sit at a table, but took a chair near the window and looked
out. In a short time, Madame Bodenstedt came along with a delicious lunch of
sandwiches and a glass of beer, and put it on a small table near me. I didn’t know what
to do but finally told her I wasn’t hungry, and had not ordered anything. But she laughed
and told me to eat it all and enjoy it, that anyway their dinner would not be for two more
hours. What could I do but eat and as I sat there, Mr. Bodenstedt came and we talked
together of many things and they asked me what I intended to do. Take the next train
back to Hamburg and try to find a job until I leave on my ship, I told them. And what
was their answer? With the kindest words they begged me to stay there with them until it
was time for me to leave. “It was through the fault of our unhappy nephew that you are
in this trouble, and we would like to make up for his shortcomings, and we would like to
have you stay.” You will be very welcome, and we will enjoy having you here. It
seemed impossible for me to grasp this kindness, it was too big, too unbelievable, and no
matter what I said against it, as an imposition, etc., I was talked out of it in the kindest
way, and finally with tears in my eyes I grasped the hands of those two good people to
thank them. For five weeks I enjoyed this marvelous hospitality, and was treated like a
son of the family, so that when I did leave, it was like going from a second home. How I
thanked my dear Savior for looking after one of his little lambs, and had brought him out
of the darkness again to some new happiness. God grant that he repaid these good people
overwhelmingly for all their kindness.

On March 4th, I left this hospitable home and its kind inmates with great thankfulness,
that to this day my heart overflows at the thoughts of them. This episode is one of the
high spots of my life, and is without doubt an example of exceptional love and goodness
shown to a poor lonely boy, without any certificate of his honesty, except the honest look
of his face, seemed almost like a fairytale. In those five weeks with these good people, I
had written and received many letters from home and relatives with plenty of money to
pay for all their trouble and care of me, and while they were happy with me for my good
fortune, they refused to take a cent in payment. They knew only too well how I would
need all I had to help equip myself for the life I would have at sea. Was this not a happy
ending for my first chapter of my wanderings, and how different from the sad separation
from my other beloved home?

WMH January, 97
26
 CHAPTER 5

My Second Confused Odyssey - Going to Sea

According to my present thoughts and desires of my heart, this choosing of seamanship

as a life-work seemed to be the final attainment of my life. My natural inclination had
been to go to sea, and for this purpose I had left my home. With this thought I became
convinced that I could not have chosen better. While I had been staying in Peina with the
good couple who had taken me in, I had read a sort of history of one of my relatives who
had made a fortune as a sailor. So why couldn’t I do the same and make a short cut to
great wealth? After two years I could become a full sailor and in another year a boatman,
and during these three years I could save enough to be able to go to a navigation school
in Hamburg and could thank my college education to be able to take my examination in a
half year for pilot. And how little time it would take to become a captain! After a few
years I could become a captain of one of the large ships and then the world’s goods
would be open to me. What wonderful chances for riches were before me at these
thoughts! I was only 19 years old now and at 30 I could become anything. Such were
the air castles that floated before my eyes. But with all these thoughts, I say with all
humility, that in the back of my mind, my high ideal was of still going to the university to
finish what I had started, and I would let nothing stop me in this purpose. But how
different was the realization than the dream!

On March 6th I presented myself to Mr. Milburg in Hamburg. He greeted me very

friendly and then asked one of his men to give me my sailor outfit and all that was
needed for my work. Then he took me on the “Deutchland”, which would be my home
for a few years to come. I was fortunate in meeting the Captain, who happened to be on
board that day, as he lived in the town and usually came on board every other day. Mr.
Milberg introduced me to him and he was very cordial and shook hands, but I noticed
that his eyes watched me keenly. All high-German applicants for jobs in Hamburg were
not very welcome, as they did not have a very good name among those low-German

WMH January, 97
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speaking people and were regarded very suspiciously. And most high-German applicants
were usually young men of doubtful character. But this Captain was a fine man with a
good heart and I soon won his confidence, and to this day have fond memories of him.
Then Mr. Milberg took me to meet his head pilot. He was a hard-bitten, sour-faced little
man, very short-spoken, who had at least served 40 years at sea. He regarded me with
hateful eyes, because I was a high German, and therefore no good. It did not need a
prophet to foretell that I would very likely have a hard time with him. Even Mr. Milberg
said as we left him, “I am afraid he will make your life on board very hard.” I could only
answer him with confidence, “Herr Milberg, don’t worry, I will try my best to let it all
pass over my head. I do not want to repay your goodness with any shame, thanklessness,
or annoyance on my part.”
For the first time I found myself standing on a large ship, a three-masted one, and looked
at its insides. How astounded I was at the size and depths of this big ship! I wondered
how it would be possible that between these decks 300 people would be able to eat and
live many weeks together. This ship held only 300 tons but according to the
measurements of today was quite a small ship. But it was one of the fastest sailing
emigrant ships of Hamburg, and for that reason was always full of emigrants to the last
bed or cabin. Even in the worst weather it would make the trip to New York in 30 days.
The Captain had given me permission to begin my work immediately on the boat, and I
was happy about that. After 2 days everything was ready for me and the man from Mr.
Milberg brought my outfit, including my little sailor chest, on board and to the sailor
quarters or “loggis” as they were called. There he showed me all the different clothes I
would have to use, the underwear, cap, southwester, oil-skins, etc., and at last he helped
me put on my sailor suit. Then he brought me to the head pilot and said I was ready for
work. No word of greeting from him except to ask my name. When I said it was Otto,
he didn’t seem to like it and asked if I had any other. So I said Johann. “All right,” he
said, “on this boat you will be called John.” Then he turned grimly to my instructor and
told him to take me to the boatman on the lower deck, who was busy with other sailors
getting the cabins ready for the emigrants. He was a very heavy man but very pleasant
and never gave me an unpleasant word and I gladly worked for him.

So, on March 6, 1851, I was the youngest cabin boy on the great three masted. And what
was my position and work here? My position was this, that from the Captain down to the
lowest sailor, they had the right to hit me on the head with tow ropes, give me a good
kick if they wanted to without any remonstrance or remarks on my part. There was one
other cabin boy on board who had already made one journey between New York and
Hamburg and felt himself way above me and so of course he treated me like dirt and as if
I did not exist at all. I am not overdoing this, but of course I am writing about the sailors
of 57 years ago. No doubt they are very different today. The cabin boy was the butt of
all the sailors, and officers, and their ill-humor and brutal treatment, especially if they
aroused their anger through laziness and bad behavior. In the “loggis” the sailors sat on
benches at the tables to eat. Behind them sat the ordinary sailors and the cabin boys on
their own chests with their plates on their laps. The youngest ones had to go to the
kitchen and get the food and after all the others had helped themselves, then finally the

WMH January, 97
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cabin boys had their chance at food. But I must say on this boat there was always plenty
for all and the food was good.

As with the position of a deck boy, so also was the work, which of course was the
dirtiest, especially on an emigrant ship. My work was the special care of the quarter-
decks. This was especially hard at the beginning when there was much sea-sickness.
There was also a dog, belonging to one of the passengers, who always looked for the
cleanest places on the decks to do his worst duties. So on all sides when this happened
would come the call of, “John, John, the dog”. And with much laughter and jests at my
expense they would watch me clean up the mess. But I didn’t let if faze me. As quickly
as possible, with a frozen face, the former college student did his duty. So it didn’t take
long before I wasn’t made fun of any more, and I was thankful to see that they would call
me more quietly.

But the work which was the nicest, was the work on the boat itself, especially in the
masts, and the more a deck boy showed his willingness and interest and aptness in this
work, the oftener he would be asked to help and this brought him in closer contact with
the rest of the crew. Therefore it became my aim to gain the good will of the crew. So at
the very beginning I made it my business to study and memorize the names of all the
different parts of the ship; the names of the masts, the main yards, the sails, and
especially the many riggings with which the many poles and sails could be hoisted or
folded. Another deck boy and one ordinary sailor, who understood some high-German,
took pity on me and would answer some of my questions, and this helped me to learn
more quickly. How often I was given orders and did not understand them, so it was one
of my first efforts to learn this language, and after 14 days I could at least understand and
say the simplest things. My sailor teacher used to make fun at me and say, “John, you
speak like a little kid”, but I didn’t care as long as I could understand. But the fear of
saying the wrong thing was stronger in me than being make fun of, because every time I
would say a high-German work, I would be cursed or cuffed, but a childish low-German
word would only be laughed at. Yes, every beginning is hard, but this was the hardest.
This seems easy to write about, and sounds as though I had overcome this in a short time,
but actually it lay heavy on my heart and took the entire voyage from Hamburg to New
York to accomplish. So outside of enjoying the beautiful harbor of New York, all I had
entered in my diary of the whole journey were these few words, - “After a short but
highly unhappy journey, we finally arrived in America, without anything unusual
happening to us. I was in constant fear and bewilderment that I would forget to do the
right work or the neglect something for which I would be punished or rebuked. But I
must confess that after the first two weeks were passed, I really never received any licks
or kicks from any of the sailors and their conduct towards me was very nice. Even my
barbarous head-pilot, on whose watch I always happened to be, became reconciled to his
“hoch-Deutchen” because of my willingness to learn and my quick carrying out of
orders.

On the return voyage from New York I was allowed to do part-work of an ordinary sailor
(the beginners), and in good weather help with the steering on the day watch. What a

WMH January, 97
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happy return journey that was for me! The ice was broken and the heavy beginning lay
behind me, and like a beautiful spring morning, my life as a seamen lay before me. Also,
Mr. Milberg was very pleased to see me return so happy and contented, and he had heard
from the Captain that he had been very satisfied with my work. So, again on the 15th of
July, our swift “Deutchland” started out to sea with even a greater number of emigrants
than the first time. First and second class cabins were all full and 300 emigrants were put
in the steerage alone. What a pushing and shoving of this mixture of people that came on
the last day! Men and women with chests and baskets, and mothers with children on
their arms and clinging to their hands, people with happy faces, some very earnest and
many with tears at the thought of saying good-bye. A most unexpected pleasure was
mine when I discovered among the second class passengers an old friend of mine from
my college days at Oettingen. After finishing his third year as a student of
merchandising he decided to stop and go to America and try his luck there. (He did have
the worldly good luck to become a rich man and died a few years ago, after many years
of comfort and well-being. But the “pearl of great price” found by the merchant in the
Bible he did not find. This I saw as I met him again many years later and I felt very sorry
for him that he had never found his Savior.)

Our trip from Hamburg was made easier on this trip as a steam-tug escorted us as far as
Bluecksstadt, and we did not have to use any sails. This time I had the opportunity to see
the beautiful “Elbafer” with its grand homes, lovely parks, etc., in which the merchants
of Hamburg had their summer homes. The gardens came down to the edges of the river
Elba, with big bath houses on the shores, and in the river many yachts and pleasure boats
in which they could travel all the way to the North Sea. All these lovely views I had not
seen on my first voyage.

We anchored at Glucksstadt until the next day and then went out with the tide, tacking
back and forth on account of heavy winds, until we got to Cuxhaven, which was the end
of the Elba River in the North Sea. The river is so wide here that we could hardly see the
east coast. We lay here for two days to give the crew a little rest, because sailing out at
the end of a river is very heavy work for the entire crew. Very often the entire mass of
sails must be pulled from side to side in one hour, while on the ocean this work is often
only done twice a day. So this rest at Cuxhaven was very welcome. Early at 4 A.M. on
Friday the 18th of July, we pulled up anchor and sailed with a goodly wind into the North
Sea. At 7 A.M. the tug left us and the Captain took over. He at once ordered more sails
up so as to make use of this good wind. It was his pride to make as short a voyage as
possible, but this time he lost out. While we had made our first voyage in 28 days, this
second one took us 42 days. Our passengers had heard that we were to go into the North
Sea early that morning, so everyone possible came on deck to get their first glimpse of
the ocean. This is a beautiful sight at early day, especially to see a sunrise for the first
time on the ocean. I had put this description in my diary and also the following terrible
trouble we had with all the sea-sick passengers, so I can describe it here. “Having taken
up our anchor at 4 A.M. in order to go out to sea with the tide, by the time we arrived at
the mouth of the Elba, the sun had risen also, and this was a most magnificent and
overwhelming sight. The sun shone through a lovely red haze of fog and to our right the

WMH January, 97
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beautiful island of Helgoland rose like a jewel of gold out of the ocean.” At that time,
Helgoland had been taken by England, having first belonged to Germany and then later
was retaken by Germany at the time of the Emperor William. Behind us the lights of the
shore were slowly fading in the fog, and this was as though a farewell to Germany for us.
The passengers, so absorbed in this beautiful view and their first glimpse of the ocean,
did not notice that they had left the quiet waters of the Elba, and gone into the turbulent
waters of the North Sea. But all at once they noticed the increased plunging of the ship
as though they had no floor to stand on and had to grab on to something so they would
not fall. They immediately lost all interest in this majestic panorama of the sea and their
cheer and happiness subsided. There were so many on the deck they had to hold on to
each other; the men recovered their balance but the women and children had to hold onto
the railings, and so they tried to regain their cheerfulness by laughing at each other in
their awkward positions. Many others that had come up from the steerage and weren’t
prepared for the motion, soon were lying on the deck, thrown by the motions of the boat.
At one time, after an especially heavy plunging of the ship, the door of the second cabin
flew open and a man making many crazy gesticulations flew out and landed in the
rigging and got himself all tangled up, but held fast to the wall. Many funny mishaps
took place, because the people could not get their sea-legs, as one might say, and every
plunge of the ship would send them flying from one place to another until almost
exhausted. Many passengers who had been fortunate enough to find seats or sitting
places came to the conclusion that life on this voyage wasn’t going to be quite so happy
and amusing. They didn’t realize how quickly this could change, but were soon to find
out. Because all at once, all this fun and silliness stopped. Everything became quiet and
it was as though a nightmare had descended on everyone. A few still walked up and
down, but no one had anything to say. A different passenger had encamped with all of
them, mainly sea-sickness had started on its rounds. In a matter of minutes all these
happy-go-lucky individuals that had been making fun of each other and joking about their
antics turned into dumb, scared people, who thought they were looking death in the face
and thought only of themselves and what they would do to overcome this horror. Their
faces became white, their eyes bulged out, they held their hands on their stomachs and sat
there with deep sighs, trying to overcome the urge to capitulate. But in vain. It needed
only a little lurch of the ship to help. The man who had cascaded so suddenly from the
door into the deck held on for dear life to the wall of the ship and just stood there. He
was a fine-looking man and had not taken part in all the hilarity of the others but kept
looking steadfastly out to sea. All at once, he rushed over to the railing and was the first
one to give in to the sickness. That was the signal and was all that was needed to
stampede all the rest. They stood man on man in rows and ran to the rail and hung head
by head over it and everyone gave up all their breakfasts with much retching and
grieving. But those were only the first and the fewest that were able to reach the railing.
Eventually all the others lost all their will power to fight this sickness and gave up
wherever they stood or sat. All thoughts of others and decency were forgotten, and each
one thought only of themselves and how they could get rid of this devil that was
hounding them. Men and women, young folks and children soon made the deck a
shambles of uncleanness. It was impossible to step anywhere, and the few deck boys
could not control the cleaning up of the people and the other sailors were commanded to

WMH January, 97
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help with this. Also in the steerage, from which foul odors were pouring out. Many of
the emigrants, hoping they would feel better by going to bed, never got that far, and when
they did, they felt worse and came hurrying on deck again for fresh air. Many brought
pillows and woolen comforters, and some even mattresses, hoping they could lie on deck
and the fresh air would help get relief. But the upper deck had the appearance of a
hospital. On the mattresses, pillows, etc., were rows of sick people, mothers with
children, old people with sons or daughters, friend by friend, all retching, sighing and
vomiting, as if it was the end of them all. Still it had a phase of humor. One couldn’t
help feeling sorry for these poor souls in their misery, but there were many funny
happenings and situations that one had to laugh at. That was especially true of those who
still had not succumbed to the monster and made fun of the others. Among the
passengers was a young, slight man, a musician, who walked around among the people
and started telling all kinds of crazy stories and sad jokes. Finally, he went down to the
steerage and came back with a “Waldhorn”, (French Horn), which he played beautifully,
and later entertained us many times with his playing. “Just wait, I’ll soon have you all on
your feet”, he said, and started to play some lively waltzes, much to their disgust. Then
he started playing some folk songs and some of the passengers who were not sick joined
in and accompanied him. But the song did not even come to the end when he turned very
white and blew a strong false note and then stopped, while the people sang to the end of
the song. But our lively musician had dropped on a rafter and lay with his right hand
clutching his horn and the left one his stomach. He had succumbed to his sea-sickness
and could only sigh and retch. He received a double portion of the razing from the sick
ones for having been so unsympathetic before to everyone else. So it continued for three
or four days, and what made it so much worse was because there were so very many
emigrants on this voyage with so little room to accommodate them all.

As it had happened on our first voyage, so it also happened this time. On account of
contrary winds, we could not go through the English channel but had to continue north
and go around Scotland. The sailors did not like the idea of going so far north because it
would bring them in a colder climate. But the Captain chose to make the longer trip than
the crossing of the English channel. Adverse and contrary winds could sometimes delay
a sail ship for three or four weeks, while with favorable winds it could be made in two
days. But this time things did not go so pleasantly and quickly as the first time. Then we
had no storms. But at this voyage I really found out what a real storm could be like.
First the storm came from the southwest, which, as usual, lasted three days and hindered
our sailing the right way very much. What immense waves came over, as high as
mountains, and as fierce. But we plowed through this all right, and then just a few days
before the end of our voyage, a northeaster hit us, and while it did not last so long, it was
much heavier and I really got to realize the force of the storm and the strength of the
ocean’s waves. First the waves would lay the ship completely on its side so that the tip
of the mast would touch the water and as there was still a part of a sail on one part, and
we hardly had time to gather in this sail when a new wave hit us from the back and we
were again straightened out. The crew was used to these storms and were not afraid, but
our poor passengers were simply scared to death. They were not allowed on deck, of
course, but this constant hitting back and forth of the waves tore all chests and belongings

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loose, and caused much chaos in the steerage, so that the sailors had to go down and help
straighten it out. At the height of the storm I went to see my friend in the second cabin
and see how he was getting along, and to try to help all of the people in the second cabin
to overcome their fears. And how fearful they were! They sat there almost paralyzed
and afraid to move. Especially so was one man who had no faith in anything and had
ridiculed and mocked all religion most vigorously, and was quite beside himself with
fear. I greeted this little company with the words, “What’s the matter with all of you?
Why are you so scared? There isn’t any danger and the storm is almost over. By the
time the sun sets, we will again have nice weather.” What a happy greeting that was, and
from all sides came the questions, “Are you sure, is it true, is it really true?” I replied,
“Of course, it’s true, and do you think I could speak so convincingly to you if I had been
afraid that in a short time I would be at the bottom of the ocean? No, tonight your supper
will taste fine again, after having starved yourselves through fear. Auf wiedersehn.”
And so it happened.

After two or three days we arrived in the harbor of New York. How beautiful it all
looked! To the right the shores rose from the water with the fields and lovely gardens of
the homes of the New York millionaires and to the left of us the lovely Staten Island,
with its buildings for Quarantine of any ship that had any contagious sickness on board.
Unfortunately, we had acquired some cases of smallpox, but only light ones, so we only
had to spend two days in Quarantine. Three passengers had to be taken to the hospital
and that was all. On the 27th of August, we lay at our dock in New York, and as we
landed I received a very surprising message. When a ship arrives in port, it is always met
by all kinds of people who come on board to meet friends or relatives, or just to look
everyone over. Some are looking for people to sell railroad tickets to, or want
boardinghouse guests. Most of these folks are home-like people, but many are also
scoundrels who fleece these poor bewildered emigrants of all they have. This was one of
the reasons that our churches in America got together and started an Immigration House
to help all these good people to find a home and get started on their way. Our Synod was
the first one to erect a “Pilgerhaus”, as they called it, and installed a missionary there by
the name of Pastor St. Keyl. This good man stayed in New York at this home for 40
years until his death in 1906, and anyone wishing to know more about his work can ask
at the Concordia Publishing House for the story of his life by Pastor Roesener.

Among these people was a strange man who asked for a sailor by the name of Otto
Hanser. As I was called, I was asked if I had a brother in New York. I said, “Not in
New York, but I have a brother by the name of Hugo Hanser who is in America, but I
believe he is in Cincinnati.” “Well,” he said, “he happens to be staying in my hotel, and
he asked me to inquire when I went to the ship “Deutchland” if his brother Otto still
worked on the boat. He will come to see you here tonight after he is through with his
work.” With these words he left and I could hardly speak with the joy and astonishment
I was feeling. The first time I had come to New York, I had written a long letter to Hugo
in Cincinnati, hoping that he could meet me while I was in New York. At that time I had
not the slightest idea of the great distances in America, and did not even know that the
railroad did not even go as far as Pittsburgh. Therefore, it was a great disappointment to

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me that I had to go back without seeing him and not even a word from him. I had not
had a word from him for over a year and had no idea what had become of him.
Therefore, at this second trip, I had not even thought of him again. And now after a few
hours, I was going to see him and embrace him again! What a joy that thought was!
Yes, that was a great joy that evening when we saw each other again, and told each other
all our news, - I about the dear family at home and he about all his wanderings and
adventures. How fast the time flew, that first evening. And after he left me, how my
mind kept thinking of all we had said. I couldn’t sleep. This question was always before
me: Should we part again and each go his own way, or should we stay together? That
would mean I would have to give up my seamanship and stay in America. What a bitter
pill that thought was!

I had already passed the worst part of my apprenticeship, and I could only think of what
possibilities there were in this future. And should I give this all up for a new, uncertain
future, just so we two brothers could be together again? But my love for him triumphed,
and secretly I left the ship - a fact I was heartily ashamed of for a long time. And in
going I gave up all prospects and hopes for this life and in dire tribulation I bade it all
farewell and went to the hotel (by name, “Zum Freischitz”) where my brother Hugo was,
and where we would make further plans for our future together.

Hugo had become a blacksmith, a wagon and buggy maker, and I should learn to make
the wooden wheels and spokes, and together we would save and plan to finally erect a
large factory to manufacture all these things. Such were our hopes and thoughts, but
were they God’s thoughts for us? Our good shepherd Jesus had kept in touch with his
erring sheep, and in the troubled world where we were wandering, he finally brought us
back into the fold of his church.

CHAPTER 6

My Third Odyssey - As Mechanic with Brother Hugo

Since my brother Hugo was my intimate companion on this Odyssey, I shall now speak
in the plural, we and us. I shall introduce this account with a brief recital of Hugo’s
career up to date in America.

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Hugo arrived in America in the spring of 1849. He went first to our aunt Karolina Bloss,
the widowed sister of our father. She lived with her son Karl in Cincinnati, Ohio. A
druggist b the name of Hiller, one of our relatives from Wittenberg, had advised her to
come to America and had been very helpful to her since her arrival. With this in mind,
Hugo first went to Cincinnati. Aunt Bloss was and remained a faithful counselor to both
of us.

But the year 1849 was a disastrous one for America. In that year the cholera raged in all
the larger cities, especially in St. Louis and Cincinnati. Between 200 and 300 people
died every day. Business and normal activities came to a standstill, and since Aunt Bloss
was poor it was necessary for Hugo to provide for himself. With only a little money in
his pocket he left Cincinnati, where death lay in wait for its victims in every nook and
corner, and struck out into the country, hoping for the best. He walked more or less
aimlessly for several days without finding any kind of work. Toward evening one day he
came to a little village where a large crowd was gathered about two men who were trying
to settle some disagreement with their fists. Naturally, Hugo was curious and joined the
crowd and saw of course, how the weaker man was being beaten up, blood streaming
down his face. That frightened Hugo. He thought that if might was still right in this
country, it would be wise for him to choose a trade which would develop his muscles and
harden his body. “I am going to become a blacksmith”, was the decision which this
spectacle forced on him. He remained in the little town that night but the very next
morning he looked up the blacksmith and asked him for work. He could still hardly
express himself in English. Somehow this American took a fancy to the vigorous young
German. He handed him a hammer and gave him all sorts of work to do and Hugo
showed such willingness and aptitude that the old man seemed very well satisfied with
him. He took Hugo to his home for dinner and introduced him to his wife, who was also
well impressed with Hugo. He was engaged and could remain, for which he was very
grateful. He learned the blacksmith’s trade, shoeing horses, etc., and especially he
learned to speak English, not only elementary conversational speech but grammar also.
The blacksmith had two daughters who both attended school The one was 11 and the
other 13 years old. In the evening Hugo studied their lessons with them and in return
helped them with their arithmetic.

He remained in this employment for two years. However, then he began again to long
for Cincinnati and returned to Aunt Bloss. He found her and her son well and happy. He
was fortunate, also, in soon finding employment in a carriage factory. Hugo had great
technical skill and enjoyed doing artistic work, and as a result of this industry, he soon
became a highly skilled carriage maker.

Hugo had an adventurous spirit and was very fond of hunting. Back in Germany he had
read many stories about Indians and Indian scouts. In Cincinnati he made the
acquaintance of a German American of his own age and after his own heart. He was a
handyman in the factory with Hugo and had nothing to lose. He persuaded Hugo to leave
with him to live the carefree romantic life of trappers. The packed up their few

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belongings and took passage on a boat to St. Louis. There they bought guns,
ammunition, and provisions and started out into the primeval forests of Missouri. But a
few weeks of this vagrant and aimless life of wandering about day and night in the
wilderness, hot and cold, hungry and thirsty, without proper food and shelter soon
sobered him up. Both of them were happy therefore, when they reached the little city of
Boonville, Missouri, about 200 miles from St. Louis. Here Hugo found employment as a
smith, and his friend as an overseer of slaves.

Here Hugo received my first letter which Aunt Bloss had forwarded to him from
Cincinnati. In the hope of reaching me before I left New York again, he started out
immediately on the long and expensive trip of 1000 miles to New York. Canalboats,
carriages and trains were alternately his means of conveyance. About four weeks before
my second arrival in New York he came to the city and immediately found work. And so
it happened, when we were again reunited, that we both decided to open a carriage
factory. Hugo was enthusiastic. I was apprehensive.

But our plan seemed to meet with divine approval, although at that time we were still
heathen and had not asked God’s guidance and blessing. A factory owner in Hillsboro,
27 miles from New York, in the State of New Jersey, appeared one evening in the
boarding house where we were staying, looking for men to work in his buggy factory.
He was glad to find a man like Hugo who could take care of the first fire and they both
soon agreed as to wages and conditions of labor. One of Hugo’s conditions was that the
man employ me as apprentice in his factory without wages but for my room and board.
he also found a polisher and a painter and in a few days we all started out for his factory.

That was in the beginning of October, 1851. We were glad to leave the large city and get
out into the country. Hugo was already planning to return to the West the very next year
where, he said, opportunities for employment and better remuneration were much greater.
Of course, to do this we had to be very saving. Hugo’s wages had to produce the means
for the trip for both of us and that required a great deal of money. For that reason we
welcomed this life in the country. Saving money was easy in this new settlement. There
was not even a chance to spend money here. But we did allow ourselves one little
luxury. We rented a little house for $2 per month. The owner of the factory provided us
with beds, a table and chairs. For our meals we went to his house. But the rest of our
leisure we could spend together, reading and studying, away from our fellow employees.
However, we also took with us the painter, an elderly genial man from Vienna. He was
well educated, well read and experienced. This close association with him was valuable
to us in many ways.

We were very happy to be by ourselves and were glad that we did not have to live in the
house with the owner. They were very coarse, common people, not only the owner and
his family, but also the other employees among whom were domestic servants and maids.
The owner of the factory also worked a large farm. Wild scenes were often enacted. The
owner and the employees in his factory frequently quarreled about wages. On one
occasion after supper there was a fight. I do not recall what it was about. Hugo had not

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been there for that meal. I had lingered a moment and could not get out of the house any
more after it had started, and therefore had to witness the fight. Two of the employees in
the factory attacked the owner. He was unable to defend himself against both of them
and so I jumped in to rescue him. The usual reward of the peacemaker fell to my lot. I
succeeded in liberating the owner from the two men, after which they promptly attacked
me. However, the owner did not help me but left me at their mercy. Finally, the
woodcarver, whose apprentice I was, came to my assistance but not until I had gotten the
worst beating of my life.

I want to mention one other incident with the owner. When I had finished my first four
wheels, which was the test for promotion to Journeyman, and my instructor had approved
my work and the complete buggy was ready I called the owner and asked him whether he
would not give me some compensation from now on for my work. He asked me
sarcastically, why should he pay me; saying that I did not know anything and could not
turn out a decent job. I pointed to the finished buggy and said: “I made these wheels.”
His answer was, “And they look like it.” I said, “Aren’t you selling this buggy as first
class?” “So especially the wheels must be good.” But he just laughed and walked away.

The winter of this year was long and severe, with much snow and ice. This also delayed
our departure for the west. Hugo wanted to leave in February but it was inadvisable to
undertake the long western journey during such severe weather. But at the end of March
the day of our deliverance came. How happy we were to leave that dismal place. For his
wages, the owner gave Hugo a demand note on his father-in-law in New York. This was
paid promptly and we started on our journey. We took the boat to Philadelphia and from
there the train to Pittsburgh. Here we took a boat down the Ohio to Cincinnati. The
latter was the cheapest and quickest part of the trip. It took one week to reach our
destination. This was a popular route of the immigrants traveling west in those days.
The other route was over Buffalo. “Cheap and lousy” was the principle of the railroads
for the transportation of European immigrants, especially on the northern route. The so-
called “Northern Immigration trains” of those days will ever remain an eternal disgrace
on the name of America with all those who were compelled to use them. Never perhaps,
was the damnableness of avarice and greed as a root of all evil displayed more glaringly
than on these trains. They were little better than cattle cars. Only the oldest and almost
worthless cars were used for this purpose. They were never cleaned. The coaches were
scandalously overcrowded. Without regard to sex or age or culture, men, women and
children, large and small, regardless of either the heat or cold, abundance or poverty, all
were jostled together promiscuously and treated like swine, exploited and cheated.
Frequently the trains were stalled for six and eight hours, by day or night, sometimes in
the woods and sometimes in open country, on some siding where there was neither house
nor water, nor the least refreshments of any kind. Mothers and little children were often
tortured with hunger and thirst. All complaints and remonstrances against such inhuman
treatment and exploitation of these immigrants from Germany and the Scandinavian
countries, from England and Ireland, which this country needed so desperately at that
time, fell on deaf ears, until finally the Congress of the United States passed the

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necessary legislation which put an end to this robbery and barbarity of the Railroad
Company.

On our trip from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh we rode on one of these immigrant trains. It
was a long train, packed full of immigrants - most of them Irish of the commonest sort, in
whose homes pigs lived like domestic animals as dogs and cats do here. Almost every
man had a bottle of whiskey in his pocket. There were only two German families. You
can imagine how rough and boisterous it was on the train. We Germans soon found each
other and remained together but what could we few Germans do against those hundreds
of drunken Irishmen? As long as the train was moving we were not molested. But
around midnight our train was shunted on a siding and remained standing still. The
entire train crew disappeared. Now our position became serious. Fortunately, it was a
mild night and beside the tracks there were sheds and a row of benches. That made it
possible to withdraw from the indescribable stench in the coaches. We Germans all got
out of the train and sat down on the benches in a corner close to the door. There were
two grown girls among the Germans and the Irishmen were continuously trying to coax
and sometimes to pull them away from us. Brother Hugo, who was the only German
who could speak English, grabbed one of the Irishmen and warned him to leave us
Germans alone or he would feel a heavy German fist. I and the other two German men
came to his side, prepared for the fight. A well-dressed Irishman stepped forward and
said to his fellow-countrymen, whom Hugo had seized: “You stop that now”. This
warning frightened the half-drunken Irishman for a moment. They got into a huddle and
held a council of war. Then one of them came to the Irishman who had interfered in our
behalf and whispered into his ear that he should leave our bench and vicinity. However,
he refused indignantly and warned them that he would settle up with them later. After
that they left us alone. Undoubtedly the interference of this man had saved us from
serious trouble. We were happy indeed when finally the day broke. At ten o’clock in the
morning a locomotive appeared and our train got into motion. We had anticipated the
trip through the Allegheny mountains with much pleasure, but we were disappointed
when our train arrived at the foothills, it was already ten o’clock in the evening and it
was still dark in the morning when we arrived in Pittsburgh. The first thing we did was
to look for a restaurant. We were starved because on this whole trip, no one was able to
buy anything to eat. There was a general scramble for provisions in bakeries and butcher
shops. When we had satisfied our hunger, we went to the river and were fortunate in
finding a steamboat which was leaving that very afternoon for Cincinnati. We paid for
the passage, took a walk to see the sights of Pittsburgh - which at that time was an
unimportant little town - and spent our last fifty cents for provisions for the trip to
Cincinnati which took two and a half days. Fortunately, it was already toward the end of
March and the nights were milder. Of course, we had no cabin or bed and had to sleep
on the open deck. We laid down on some sacks and barrels on the side of the ship where
we had a little protection against the wind and the cold. While these accommodations
were very primitive, we did not mind it at all because we were both hardened and could
sleep on a bare floor with a stone for a pillow. But what we did mind on this trip, what
made us suffer intensely, was hunger. On the very first day we ate most of our
provisions and on the second day we had a very meager breakfast. for the rest of that day

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and until the next morning at ten o’clock, we had nothing to eat. But then we arrived
happily at our good Aunt Bloss, who regaled us with a tremendous breakfast.

Cincinnati was our first station on the trip West. Hugo had been very hopeful that we
would both find remunerative work here. However, we were sadly disappointed. Neither
he nor I found work at our trade and nothing was left to do but travel on. The next large
city on the Ohio river was Madison and still a little further, Louisville, Kentucky and, at
the end, St. Louis - which at that time was the last important city on the West. It was
obvious that we would not see our aunt again for many years if we were to go as far west
as St. Louis. About half a year before, a cousin of ours, Karolina Böttinger, who lived n
the parsonage with us from her eleventh to her fifteenth year, and who was as dear to us
as a sister, had married a pastor in the Missouri Synod by the name of Rudolph
Klinkenberg. We wanted to visit her and our Aunt wished us to do so. The Klinkenbergs
lived on the White Creek in Indiana, about 40 miles inland from Madison. To travel that
distance on foot was nothing for us. Besides, we had plenty of time - but we had no
money. Our good Aunt was poor also and her son earned very little as apprentice in the
drug-store of Mr. Hiller. We held another council of war and Aunt Bloss and her son
loaned us ten dollars with which we risked to make the journey. It was only a short
distance to Madison and the fare was cheap. There also we first tried to find work, but
found none and therefore started out cheerfully into the dark primeval forest. We had
made inquiries regarding the general direction in which Jonesville lay. We had no
adventures on the trip. We saw no deer of elk, neither did we meet up with grizzly bears
or panthers or lynx. These interesting hunting specimens had long disappeared from this
neighborhood. We saw rabbits but they were poor miniatures compared with the stately
German rabbits. However, we saw large flocks of partridge, wild turkeys and quail that
stirred our hunting blood. For us, who had been as much in the forests at home, this walk
through the American wilderness was of great interest. There were great forests of
walnut and hickory trees which are known to grow only in the richest soil. Although it
was early in the spring, we could not help but recognize how much more profuse the
vegetation was here than in Germany. All the way through these forests we came upon
industrious German farmers who had already cleared portions of their land and were
raising large crops of wheat and corn on this fertile, virgin soil. But of course, they did
not then have the markets for their products. On this long journey, we were so fortunate
as not to suffer hunger. Our fellow-Germans were very hospitable and fed us well with
what they had and kept us over night without charge. They were happy once again to see
fellow-countrymen with whom they could speak about their beautiful fatherland in the
German language.

Finally we arrived in Jonesville and were glad to learn that the Lutheran Pastor was
located only six miles beyond the town. After an hour and a half, we recognized a large
blockhouse with a tower and a bell. The outline was dim from the woods in which we
were walking. As we came closer, we recognized another small block-house, a short
distance from the other. This smaller building we assumed to be the parsonage. We had
arrived at our goal. But before we emerged out of the forest, we had a serious conference
which I still remember distinctly with a deep sense of humiliation and shame but also

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with gratitude to my heavenly Father: “What is man that Thou art mindful of him and the
son of man that Thou visiteth him?” We were both aware of the fact that we were about
to enter the home of a Pastor who belonged to the “pious”. How shall we behave
ourselves? We considered ourselves Christians, in fact, good Christians, although we did
not even know at that time what made a man a Christian. We had been brought up in a
rationalistic atmosphere and had been taught that to live according to the Word of God
and to deny world and the flesh was fanaticism, pietism - in fact that it was hypocrisy.
Now, if an attempt should be made in this parsonage to convert us, what should we do?
That was the subject of our deliberation and the result was, we would not let ourselves be
converted. On this determination we shook hands. We did not want to be hypocrites.
What self-deception of the natural man!

In this little blockhouse, in the American wilderness, our dear Savior led us to see the
light and made us sheep of his pasture. After two weeks in this delightful “patmos” we
left, and when we came again to the place where we had conferred at the edge of the
woods and thought of the wicked resolution we had made, we thanked God for our
gracious enlightenment and started out on our journey in the spirit of the Psalmist, who
said: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He leadeth me in the path of
righteousness for His name sake.”

But let me continue with my story. With some misgivings we finally rapped on the door
of the log cabin and our cousin Lina came to the door. Although we had not seen each
other for some years, she recognized us immediately and greeted us affectionately, like a
sister. In a short time her husband came home from school and he also welcomed us
heartily. We soon felt very comfortable and at home in the parsonage which we had
feared so much to enter. We had expected to stay only a few days but they became two
weeks, which passed quickly, like a pleasant dream. Pastor Klinkenberg was an excellent
psychologist and a splendid Pastor. He saw through us, understood our attitude and knew
how to deal with us. Moreover, he was a very gifted man. He had been born in Stargard,
attended good schools, had traveled and read a great deal, and was a man of broad
experience. In Nürnberg, he drifted into the circles of Pastor Löhe and Inspector Bauer
who persuaded him to enroll in their seminary which was preparing Pastors for the
Lutheran Church in the United States. He completed his theological training in our
practical seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana and entered the ministry in 1852. In
Nürnberg, he had met our cousin. She and her widowed mother, Friederika Böttinger,
nee Hanser, were members of this faithful group of Pastor Löhe. He had become
engaged to her after he had been in America a short time. Klinkenberg had a special
aptitude in dealing with young people who, while they were still unconverted, were not
inimical to Christianity. He had a jovial disposition, was a good entertainer, and argued
well. In a masterly fashion he was able to disprove our silly objections and foolish
prejudices against the Bible and Christianity. He knew how to present the power and the
glory of the Christian faith, and adduce illustrations from history, of which he had very
thorough knowledge. He remained perfectly quiet and friendly, was never insulting or
humiliating, and spoke objectively, so that we never noticed his very definite design to
win us for the Savior. We were as unaware of his purpose to bring us to conversion that

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we ourselves, innocently, declared our disbelief and asked him about various
contradictions in the Bible. After he had answered our questions he never pursued the
subject further unless we led him to do so. In this way our foolish hesitancy was soon
overcome and we realized that we had here found a new type of Christianity which we
had never met before and which therefore made a deeper impression on us because it was
presented to us with such sincerity and persuasiveness. Klinkenberg always conducted
morning and evening devotions. After reading a portion of Scripture, he and his wife
knelt down and he offered an ex corde prayer. That made a deep impression on us. We
followed the prayer attentively but never knelt down. We stood there stiff as pokers. I
am not sure whether this was pride or a false sense of shame, or both, that made us
assume that posture. But the influence on our hearts was mighty. Not only these
devotions but the whole simple Christian atmosphere and life in this parsonage made a
deep impression on us. We became very unsure of our own position. We asked
ourselves: “What is better, our intellectualism or this simple, child-like, certain faith
which we witness in this parsonage?”

The last evening brought the happy decision. Now Klinkenberg went direct toward his
goal and behold God’s hour had come. What Klinkenberg had said in his earnest but
friendly manner, the Holy Spirit now impressed upon our hearts and consciences. As the
scales had fallen from our eyes, we realized how unworthy and hypocritical our alleged
virtues were before God. I was ashamed of myself and a great fear of the wrath of God
and his punishment filled my heart. On that last evening we knelt down with Pastor
Klinkenberg for prayer and were very happy when he included us in his earnest petition
to God.

On that same evening, Klinkenberg told us about St. Louis and urged us to go there. He
told us that we would find large Lutheran congregations of immigrants from Saxony; that
we would find Christian association and spiritual support. He also mentioned especially
that there was a Lutheran seminary there under Dr. Walther which had been founded by
the congregations of the city. He thought it would be possible with our previous
education to take up the study of theology because there was great need in the American
church for ministers and candidates. He mentioned that he too had drifted into Rev.
Löhe’s institution in Nürnberg through Christian friends who then brought him to the
practical seminary in Fort Wayne and into the ministry.

These words fell like tinder into my heart and caused the burning desire and hope that I
might again take up my studies. Now I wanted to go to St. Louis above everything else.
I felt that now after I had come to this new discovery of the Christian faith, I could take
up my studies again, with the prospect of better understanding and success.

But of course I could not expect to realize that wish at the moment. Our means
precluded it. They reached only to bring us to Louisville. Here Hugo found employment
at his trade for which we were very thankful to God. I found no work but when Hugo
received his week’s wages he was able to pay board and lodging for both of us and could
spare five dollars toward my trip to St. Louis. He promised that he would follow me as

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soon as possible. So I started out for St. Louis, hopeful that God would soon fulfill the
dearest wish of my heart and open the way for me to resume my studies.

On Easter Monday, April 12, 1852, I arrived at St. Louis and after a modest breakfast, I
looked for the Lutheran Church on Lombard and Third Street. A young man with a good
voice and very acceptable delivery preached, and made a deep impression on me. While
I still today distinctly remember the impression this sermon made on me, I do not recall
in the slightest the subject of the sermon. The cause of this was perhaps my lack of
Christian knowledge. I was confirmed in this impression later. I observed that the
American students in the theological seminary who had been thoroughly instructed in the
orthodox catechism had much less difficulty than we immigrant Germans, who had no
such instruction. The worst result of my inadequate and perverted Christian instruction
was that the only thing that impressed me in the sermons I heard was the law with its
threats and its promises while the sweet gospel of grace in Christ remained a sealed book
to me. On the same afternoon I looked for work and was fortunate enough to find
employment in the first place of inquiry. The firm was a partnership. One of the men
was a blacksmith and the other a wheelwright. That is the way my brother and I had
planned it for our future. The wheelwright questioned me regarding my past experiences
and said, “Well, we shall see whether I can make a decent wheelwright out of you. To
begin with I shall pay you no wages. You will have room and board where two other
employees live and I’ll pay for you.” That was satisfactory to me and with the rest of my
money I brought my little trunk into the lodgings and on the following day I
accompanied the other two employees to the shop. I made out very well here. The
bosses and my fellow-workers treated my well. However, they kidded me when they saw
that I did not go to the saloon with them to drink beer and play cards but went to my
room and read and attended services twice every Sunday. Otherwise, however, they left
me alone to do as I pleased. I always treated them in a friendly manner and was glad to
do anything I could for them and they realized that it was not pride and conceit that made
me keep to myself.

I must add a little incident with the smith. He was a giant in stature and strength, good
hearted but frivolous. He evidently wanted to put me to a real test. He came to my
bench and said, “Otto, next Sunday is Pentecost, is it not? Well, then you can go to
church in the morning but in the afternoon you must come with us. Our employers and
all employees are having a picnic and dance in a beer garden and you must come with us.
No one must be absent.” I answered, “John, two months ago I would have said, ‘Good,
I’ll be with you, wherever there is decent fun’, but now I must confess I can do that no
longer. A wise and Godly man has shown me that it is much better for me to be pious
than wicked, that it is much better to go to church than to a dance; that if I go to the one
place I cannot also go to the other, that I could not go to church in the morning and to the
saloon in the afternoon. That would be hypocrisy. Now, I believe that that man is right
and therefore I followed his counsel since I have been here and am very happy and
contented. There is no better place on Sunday than in church. I wish, John, that you
would go with me. You would soon find that it is better for you also.” He laughed and
went away saying, “For the present I do not believe that yet.”

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But what happened? They all went to the picnic and during the dance a fight started in
which John and his group won. John was one of the last to leave at three o’clock in the
morning. A number of the men who had been beaten up lay in wait for him and gave
him an unmerciful beating, leaving him lay there half-dead. When he was found the next
morning, he was brought to the hospital and for several days lingered between life and
death. In the second week I visited him at the hospital, which pleased him very much. I
expressed my sympathy with him and gave him a New Testament, saying, “John, you’ll
be all right. You see, God saved you while they tried to kill you, that is certain. Now
read this book and learn to rejoice in your Savior as I am doing. You will be forever
grateful to me.” He accepted the gift. It was eight weeks before he returned to work and
was still very pale. He greeted me very friendly and said, “Otto, you are right, the church
is a better place than the saloon. Now I believe it too.” I do not know what became of
him later on. However, he could see in my experience and example the wisdom of that
choice. A short time thereafter the Good Shepherd brought me out of that shop and led
me into the spiritual workshop of Concordia College as a theological student. My
fellow-employees rejoiced with me for this happy change, saying, “That’s where you
belong, Otto.”

It was a veritable paradise into which my Savior brought me and a happy harbor of my
third odyssey. It seemed to me that I had now entered that harbor for which I yearned -
where I could not merely pursue my beloved studies but where I could live as the new
man I had become, with new energy and higher hopes for a nobler goal in life. “Per
varies casus, per tot discrimina rerum tendimus in protum”. . . . was this to be finally the
last word in the record of my odyssey? Had I now finally reached the last port? I
confidently hoped so.

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 CHAPTER 7

Life in St. Louis

In my description of my first stay in St. Louis I purposely said little about my spiritual
experiences but gave only a short account of my outward circumstances, of my work in
the factory and its unexpectedly happy end. But to the praise, glory and honor of God I
must and will now complete the story for this fortunate issue was nothing less than the
blessed fruit of the virile Christianity which was found here in St. Louis. Indeed, I could
not speak of, nor could anyone understand the happy change in my circumstances and
occupation, if I did not first describe the rich spiritual life and the singular ecclesiastical
conditions into which the grace of God introduced to me.

The place of my employment was located in the northern section of the city in which the
second Lutheran Church, named Immanuel, was located, the corner of 11th street and
Franklin Street. The pastor was J.F. Buenger, a beloved man of God. Naturally, I
attended services in this church. The very first Sunday, long before the door was opened,
I stood in front of the church. I longed for a hymnal. The Bible which I received for my
confirmation was the only devotional book I had. On Easter Monday I had already
noticed the wealth of additional material in the hymnal, the Augsburg Confession, the
Passion story, an account of the destruction of Jerusalem, etc. When the sexton finally
arrived and unlocked the doors I asked him if I might wait inside the church and read
because I could not do so in my lodgings and besides had no books. He looked at me
somewhat surprised, asked me a few questions and seemed satisfied. “Certainly you can
stay in the church”, he said. “This afternoon at 2 o’clock we have another service. Read
the hymnal to your hearts content.” That was the good old “Hoelzel”, a Saxon
immigrant, a true Israelite in whom there was no guile. Outwardly somewhat rough, he
possessed fine Christian discernment, good judgment in spiritual matters, and was a
consecrated Christian. Later on he told me about the peculiar family circumstances
which had made departure from the old fatherland particularly painful. His faith however
gave him the victory over sorrows which might have been beyond mere human
endurance.

Following his kind invitation I entered the church which became my paradise during the
next few lonely months. Impatiently I longed for the Sunday which brought me out of
my unhappy association with the children of unbelief in my place of employment and in
my lodgings, to the church where I could sit among the children of God, sing and pray

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with them and hear the work of life from such saintly men as Dr. Walther, Pastor
Buenger, Pastor Schaller and President Wyneken. None could portray the merciful
Savior of sinners more appealingly and winsomely as these men. In the fervor of their
first love, they preached with true apostolic fervor, otherwise they could never have
opened the hearts of newly awakened sinners to the comfort and peace of the abundant
grace of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Was it possible for any person, aware of his
sins, to sit under such a ministry and to listen to such moving appeals without accepting
Christ and finding peace? Yes, it was possible. I was an example of such an unhappy
person. My experience was like that of the disciples to whom Jesus prophetically
disclosed the imminence of his death and subsequent resurrection but of whom it was
said, in Luke 18:34, “They understood none of these things; and this saying was hid from
them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.” In the eloquent Word, the figure
of Christ was portrayed, bleeding and dying on the cross for me and all sinners whom He
loved, even unto death - yet it was true of me, “I understood none of these things”. Like
the experience of the disciples on their way to Emmaus, “my heart burned within me but
mine eyes were holden that I should not know Him” to be my Savior. Two whole
months passed and still I lingered under conviction of sin and the condemnation of the
law.

Besides I was very lonesome. Except for the good sexton, who always had a friendly
word for me, no one had as yet greeted or spoken to me. Besides I was shy and always
foolishly hurried away after the services. As a result I was desperately lonesome and
experienced in the fullest measure of the meaning of Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastics 4,
verse 10, “Woe to him who is alone. If he falls there is none to lift him up.”

One Sunday morning Pastor Wyneken devoted the first part of his sermon to the natural
depravity of the human heart, to the lost condition of an unregenerated man and to the
divine wrath which none could escape except through the grace of God in Jesus Christ.
The latter words of comfort, of course, I did not hear; the first part had described me so
vividly. The same thing happened that occurred on the evening in Pastor Klinkenberg’s
study. I did not hear the reassuring call of the good Shepherd in the gospel, but only the
thunder and threat of the law, “Thou art the man.”

Sad and despairing I left the church. All my earnest efforts and agonies: praying, Bible
reading, and church going were in vain. My attempts at reformation were less than
useless. Of course, it was all futile and could be nothing more. It was nothing more than
the improvement of a proud sinner, nothing better than self-righteousness which
presumes to make itself worthy of the grace of God. What unhappy self-deception.
Despondent, as one forsaken and rejected of God and man, I came to the afternoon
service. Pastor Buenger, this gentle soul, preached. I do not recall the contents of his
sermon, but somehow I was less agitated. A voice within me seemed to say, “Go to this
servant of Christ and ask his counsel.” After the service I went timidly into the sacristy.
The greeting of Pastor Buenger was so gracious and reassuring that I made bold to ask
him whether he had any further immediate pastoral work, that I would like to speak with
him. I told him that I would like to know whether and how I could be saved. He looked

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at me very earnestly then said kindly, “I am free now and have time. Come home with
me.”
On the way to the parsonage he asked me where I had come from, what brought me to
America, what my occupation was and the like. When we reached his study he
immediately took up my question and I told him how I had come to turn my back on the
world. I told him frankly that I had previously been satisfied with my own righteousness
but that Pastor Klinkenberg had brought me to a realization of its hopeless insufficiency.
I told him that I had led a new life after this discovery and that, since my arrival in St.
Louis I had also attended the services regularly, and read my Bible, but had found no joy
or peace. I told him how desperately I had tried to reform and make myself worthy of the
grace of God but that I had found it all futile. The sermon in the morning, I told him, had
again confirmed all my fears that we are born sinners who could not be saved but were
doomed. This desperate conviction I told him had led me to seek his counsel.

The saintly man looked at me kindly and said, “But my friend, have you never heard of
Jesus, who invites all penitent sinners to come to him, receives them all with joy and
forgives them all their sins?” I shall never forget the impression this question made on
me. At that moment, the eyes of my soul were opened and I saw Jesus on the cross
before me and heard him say to me, “Behold, for that very reason I died on this cross so
that I could save you from your sin. Fear not, be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven.”

This was for me like a second divine revelation. In Pastor Klinkenberg’s study I
discovered the law to my condemnation, here through the gospel I found liberty and
salvation from sin and punishment through the gospel. Now I believed that Jesus was my
Savior. I felt as though I had in a moment been transported from hell to heaven.
Heavenly joy and a deep serenity filled my heart.

There abides in my memory of those sacred hours the impression which the mere
mention of the name ‘Jesus’ made on me. Like an angel from heaven the sainted Pastor
Buenger sat in front of me and with that one word he threw the door of heaven open
before me and turned my sorrow into joy. I am sure he saw the deep emotion of my soul
when I impulsively grasped his hand and thanked him. At the same time I thought, “If I
could only bring to others such joy of salvation as I had then experienced. Today I
realize how abundantly, beyond all expectation and understanding, this unuttered prayer
has been answered.

I then said good-bye and was about to leave but Pastor Buenger invited my to stay for
supper and then disclosed to me yet more fully the way of salvation and how foolishly I
had remained in distress, thinking that improvement on my own part was required to
make me worthy of the grace of God. Oh, for the joy that filled my heart on that day.
How happy I was as I went home. My emotions are best expressed in the verse: “My
heart leaps for joy and cannot be sorry any more.”

My whole association and all the outward circumstances of my life now soon changed in
conformity with my new spiritual experience. The following Sunday four members of

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the Young Men’s Society spoke to me: Samuel Tirmenstein, Henry Kuhlenbeck, F.
Frederking and Schoene and took me with them. After a walk, Kuhlenbeck invited us to
his home for supper. His mother was a widow and Henry, her eldest son, was her
anchorage. Christian young people found lodging and meals with her and for me too a
bed and place at her table were found. The very next day I left my crude lodging and
moved into this Christian home where we had morning and evening devotion and lived
together so happily as children of God.

Through these young men I was also introduced into the Young Men’s Society where I
found the meetings and activity most interesting. This was the first society of its kind in
this country and was organized by Pastor Buenger in the year 1849. Its purpose was the
support of indigent students of theology in Concordia Seminary. The first student they
supported was Pastor M. Stephen and the first College student was Pastor Karl Gross.
Later, in 1853, they also provided the means for myself and my brother Hugo.

Through the sexton, Mr. Hoelzel, I also met the druggists, Fr. Schuricht and F. A. Uhlich.
Their drugstores, called the Saxon Drugstores (Sachsen-apotheke) was located opposite
the church. Owing to their excellent Christian knowledge, wide experience and their
broad activity in all Christian work, these two men occupied a prominent place and were
held in great esteem among all the Saxon immigrants. As a result the room in back of
their drugstore was a favorite gathering place in the evening for many members of the
congregation. It became my paradise. There I heard and learned a great deal. Stories
were told there dating back to the time of the great revival and the subsequent
persecution under the Pastors Stephan in Dresden and Keyl, Loeber, Buenger and others
in Saxony; of the great immigration and the confusion and suffering following Stephan’s
exposure. The memory of these events were all still vivid in their minds and they spoke
of them of often and so intimately that I seemed to live through their experiences myself.

I was amazed to learn what these poor immigrants had accomplished for the kingdom of
God and what great sacrifices they had made for the Lutheran Church, in the short period
of 12 years. Most of them were very poor and unfamiliar with the English language.
They had already built two churches, established parochial schools, published a Lutheran
hymnal and provided their Pastor with the means to publish a Christian church paper,
called “Lutheraner”. They also helped to build Concordia College and paid the salary of
Rector Goenner. When these men met in the Saxon Drugstore the subject of their
conversation was always the Word of God or the sermons or matters relating to the
interests and activities of the church. Their whole conduct and conversation was
characterized by Christian restraint and simple unaffected sincerity, without either a
legalistic or pietistic flavor. Their Christian happiness and gratitude to God for His
material and spiritual gifts characterized their meetings. And wholesome humor was not
lacking. I began to understand why the Lord had called His church “heaven on earth”
and His believers the “holy people” to declare the virtue of Him who had called them out
of darkness into his marvelous light. I, a poor worldling, had now also become a part of
this heaven on earth and a member of His “holy people”, saved from darkness. I also
discovered the difference between the church and the world, between the Kingdom of

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God and that of the devil. How great things the Lord had done for me. Into this heaven
of happiness the Good Shepherd had brought his sheep. But soon that did not complete
God’s gracious providence and plan for me.

But I was about to experience yet more the riches of His grace. The secret yearning of
my heart to return to my studies, especially to the study of theology were to be fulfilled
beyond my fondest hopes. How unfathomable is the grace and mercy of God. My two
friends, Schuricht and Uhlich, were God’s instruments to that end. At that time there was
a great need for pastors and naturally for students for the seminary as well as for the
college. The prayer to send laborers into His vineyard was at the same time a mission
call for normal as well as for theological students. Whenever a gifted and pious boy was
confirmed whose parents were poor, the pastors and congregations offered to pay for his
education, either school or ministry. Among the numerous immigrants who came to this
country during those years, suitable material was also found, and the members were
always on the lookout for such. Many excellent young men were recruited from among
them for the seminary in St. Louis as well as for the practical seminary which had been
founded in Newendettelsau in Bavaria by pastor Loene for our Synod in Ft. Wayne. It
was therefore quite natural that my friends thought I might also be persuaded to take up
the study of theology when they learned that I had graduated from the “Gymnasium” in
Germany. When I told them, in answer to their inquiry, that I had no greater wish or
ambition in life than that and when I had shown them my scholastic records, the matter
came to a decision before I realized it. Mr. Uhlich took my reports to Dr. Walther. He
said they would be happy to enroll me if somehow the cost of meals and lodging could be
provided. My two faithful friends also took care of that. Both of them and the baker
Bertram and Rudloff and Hoelzel, my very first St. Louis friend, agreed to pay for my
board and lodging. Fuerchtegott Schuricht, the miller, promised to provide my clothing
and Henry Ruehl my shoes. Mrs. Uhlich invited me to have all my Sunday dinners in her
home and to take care of my laundry. When all these arrangements had been completed
Mr. Uhlich invited Dr. Walther for dinner on a Sunday when he preached in Immanuel
Lutheran Church. I was also invited. There I was presented to Dr. Walther who asked
me a great many questions. Then I was told that I could enter the seminary the latter part
of August. I could hardly express my deep emotion. I seemed to be dreaming and tears
began to roll down my cheeks and I was hardly able to express my thanks to these men.
My heart repeated the words of the Psalmist: “How can I repay the Lord for all His
goodness to me.”

CHAPTER 8

Return to Student Life

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The thirtieth day of August was the happy day when I exchanged the secular for the
spiritual workshop in Concordia College and Seminary.

Before I report further on my life there I want to add a few historical records relative to
the institutions and the conditions of that period. How primitive, even wretched it was
then, compared with the present. Only the southern wing of the Seminary had been built.
It was only two and a half stories high. The St. Louis congregations had donated the
property and paid for half of the construction costs. In this small building five
theological and 20 college students were herded together, besides four families, Dr.
Walther with four children, Prof. Biewend with five children, Rector Goenner with one
child and the Stewarts with two children. The five theological students who passed their
examinations in April of the following year were C. Eissfeldt, G. Volck, C. Metz, M.
Guenther, who later became professor at the Seminary and Stephen. In the so called
“Prina” were C. Gross, F. Ahner, C. Loeber, A. Muegli, Hugo and Otto Hanser who
entered the Seminary in April. With the exception of myself, all passed their
examination “pro candidatura” in May 1856.

The first room in which we lived, studied, slept and were instructed in Latin by Rector
Goenner was located in the southern end of the attic. My roommates were Volch, C.
Gross, M. Tirmenstein and three other students. At 6 o’clock we had morning devotions
which was led by Dr. Walther. Then we had breakfast of bread and butter and coffee.
Then followed the study period which, according to Dr. Walther’s instructions, always
began with the reading of the Bible. Between 8:45 and 9 o’clock the ordinary chores
were done. One of the roommates made the beds, another one straightened out the room
and during the remaining few minutes we all went outdoors for a little fresh air.

At 9 o’clock regular class work began. In the college Rector Goenner instructed in Latin,
Greek and Hebrew and Professor Biewend in English, German and algebra. Dr. Walther
instructed the students in the college daily in the catechism. The students of the
Seminary also attended these classes. He dictated questions and we had to add the
answers in the course of the instruction. Every Monday afternoon one hour was devoted
to the correction of our answers. In this way we would finally have had a complete
catechism from Dr. Walther if a change had not been made in the schedule and
curriculum. I enjoyed these classes very much. Dr. Walther was a master of catechetics
as well as of homiletics. Even in the latter years of my ministry the notes I took in these
classes were very useful to me.

Of special interest for me was also the informal religious hour on Saturday mornings.
During the first part of the hour a variety of important subjects were taken up. Instead of
the catechism we used the periscopes for the following Sunday. These we studied by
heart and recited in German, Latin or Greek, and sometimes even in Hebrew, according
to the preference of the student. Every student was required to recite the brief gospel for
New Year’s Day in all four above mentioned languages. The second part of the hour was
devoted to the translation of poetical transcription of Christian proverbs written in Latin
or of some theological axiom which Dr. Walther dictated. On the basis of the latter, we

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had to read a statement which we prepared during the intervening week. Many of these
subjects were very difficult and we often failed entirely to understand them. On such
occasions particularly the wisdom and deep spiritual understanding of Dr. Walther
became a parent when he explained what to us was so mysterious and unfathomable.
Truly waters of life issued from his lips and to this day I can still remember those happy
hours. Indeed, I am at a loss to express my happiness during those days. All the wishes
of my heart were fulfilled. I was back with my books and studies, like a new man, and
among teachers who were like fathers to us as well as walked before us in word and deed
as examples in the service of God our Savior to an assured eternal salvation. I lived and
rejoiced every moment in my God.

But one shadow darkened the joy of my new life - my concern for brother Hugo. When
we parted in Louisville we agreed that Hugo would come to St. Louis as soon as he could
save enough money for the trip and we hoped that that parting in Louisville would be our
last. However, it took longer than the anticipated half year. Hugo suffered a relapse of
his adventurous spirit. A friend persuaded him to go along to Nashville, the capital of
Tennessee, where a magnificent capitol was being built and where there were excellent
prospects for remunerative employment. Hugo found immediate employment at the
capitol and earned four dollars a day in gold for sharpening and hardening the chisels and
other instruments of the stone cutters. With this large income in the frivolous south,
without any Christian association and restraints, he drifted back again entirely into the
world of pleasure. He wrote to me rarely and avoided every reference to spiritual
matters. He refused to come to St. Louis and when I wrote to him in August that God had
heard my prayers and opened the way for me to resume my studies in Concordia College
he was so displeased that he did not write to me at all any more. But I continued to pray
for him, that his faith might not cease and to write to him affectionately. I described my
own happiness, the rich blessings I enjoyed in Dr. Walther’s classes, the delightful
association on Sundays in the families of the members of the church and how happy he
too could be if he would return out of the world into the community of the children of
God. I reminded him of his own experience of peace in Klinkenberg’s parsonage. Thank
God, my prayers and letters finally bore fruit in his heart. Unexpectedly, at the end of
October, he appeared in St. Louis and we rejoiced in our reunion. But he still could not
reconcile himself to the idea that I had resumed my studies. I said to him, “Hugo, don’t
you see how happy I am? I tell you that you too will experience this happiness if you
join me in my preparation for the Holy ministry, just as God has heard my prayer and
brought you here he will also hear me in this that he will incline your heart to return to
your studies.” But his emphatic answer was this, “Never again will I take up my
studies.” But the good faithful Shepherd soon gathered his lost sheep to his bosom and
set his feet in the way of peace and righteousness.

Hugo had come to St. Louis with his pockets full of money, in fine fettle, exuberant and
ambitious. He soon found pleasant and remunerative employment in a large carriage
factory. I secured lodging and meals for him with my friend H. Kuhlenbeck. It was not
quite “ritzy” enough for him but he did enjoy the lovely Christian household, the
common morning and evening devotion and the Christian behavior of the boarders. He

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went to church with them. I had also introduced him in the Saxon drugstore where he
soon felt as much at home as I did. Like myself he had really never enjoyed drinking and
card playing in the saloons. He soon became a real part of these Christian groups and
often confessed how much nicer he found life among these people than in the saloons.

But God took him under special discipline. He became seriously ill with a persistent
fever which depleted his purse. Then he lost his employment and owing to his weakened
physical condition remained for a considerable time without work and income. During
this period he spent most of his time with Misters Schuricht and Uhlich in the Saxon
Drugstore. The latter had opened a China Shop next to the drugstore and Hugo served as
a sort of overseer and assistant salesman until he had recovered his strength sufficiently
to take complete and competent charge, especially during Christmas. The daily contact
and influence of these two men could not help but make a deep impression on Hugo.
Besides, he also learned to know many other mature Christian men of the congregation.
He was with them also on Saturday afternoons and on Sundays, he participated in the
Christmas celebrations and services and heard the stirring sermons. It was not surprising
therefore, when, shortly thereafter he asked me, “Otto, what would you think if I would
also return to my studies again?” This question was just another gracious gift and answer
to my prayers. Hugo had already spoken with Mr. Schuricht and Mr. Uhlich who
naturally encouraged him just as I did.

Before long we both went to Dr. Walther. Hugo had also brought his reports with him
from home and they were all excellent. Dr. Walther was pleased when he examined
them and told Hugo that there would be no difficulty in admitting him. He offered to
provide his Sunday dinners in Teacher Erch’s home and for the present the means for his
other indispensable physical needs from the fund for indigent students. He told us that
the student whom the Young Men’s Society was supporting would graduate in April,
releasing that stipend and that he would be happy to sign and support Hugo’s application
for the same. He urged Hugo to enter just as soon as possible and to brush up on his
Latin and Greek before his entrance in the Seminary.

With hearts overflowing with joy and gratitude toward God and man we took our leave
from this man of God who had taken such a paternal interest in us. On February 8, 1853,
Hugo entered the College. This important and happy event received for us its seal of
Divine providence in the arrival on that very day of a letter from our father in which he
expressed his great joy and his sincere gratitude to our benefactors who enabled us to
resume in America the studies we had interrupted for no other reason than poverty.

A fruitful and beautiful period of our lives now began. There could have been no happier
and more contented students in all the world than we were. All our hopes for this life and
for the one to come were fulfilled. We were reunited again, and this time in a more
sublime sense. We had both become Christians, we were now not merely brothers
according tot he flesh but according to the spirit, born of God, one heart and soul. We
were embued with the love of God, with the sure hope of eternal life in Him, filled with
the one desire to consume our entire lives in His service in the Holy ministry to the world

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of men. Our fellow students were moved with the same sublime resolve. Many of them
were, like us, advanced to maturer years and had graduated from the higher schools in
Germany while others had received their preliminary instructions from their pastors. All
were converted and had no other ambition or purpose than to serve their Lord in the Holy
ministry. Our teachers were our spiritual fathers and shining examples in the fulfillment
of their respective duties. What a splendid “School for Prophets” our dear Concordia
was.

On the tenth of April, after the candidates for the ministry had passed their examinations
we seven upper classmen of the College passed our examinations in Latin, Greek and
Hebrew for entrance into the Seminary. Present were President Fr. Wyneken and the
local ministers. Two days later we received our reports and Carl Gross and I were
fortunate enough to receive the highest marks. However, all seven of us passed and were
admitted to the Seminary. Dr. Walther delivered a moving address to us. He pointed out
the epochal period of our lives which began with our entrance into the Seminary and that
now we must exert all our efforts of body and soul. He warned us against all worldly and
particularly against all sinful distractions in order that, when we had attained our goal and
exchanged the Seminary after three years as “Gottesgelehrte” for the practical ministry
we would do so to the honor of God and for the rich blessing of the immortal souls
redeemed through the blood of Christ. Not first then but now already during our student
years we should walk worthy of the gospel and should give a good example to our
younger brethren in the college who were following in the footsteps of the youthful
Jesus, increasing daily in wisdom, knowledge and favor with God and man. Since we
were all students of maturer years, established in the faith, who had voluntarily come to
the decision to prepare for the ministry, these encouraging words re-echoed in all our
hearts. Every one of us without exception, renewed his consecration determined again to
crucify the flesh, deny the world and live entirely for his studies. Conscious of our own
weaknesses each one of us breathed a sincere prayer for the assistance of the Holy Spirit.
But even in a good cause one can go to extremes. The old heathen proverb, Mens sama
in corpore sano” is confirmed by the words of the apostle, in Romans 13, verse 14, “But
put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”
None escapes who neglects this warning. Luther confessed with deep regret that he had
sinned against this caution when he tells how, as a monk, he had tortured his body with
fastings and chastisements. Not that I was tempted to mortify the body after the manner
of monks but I pursued my studies with such intensity that I denied myself the needed
recreation and rest and sleep. Walking, resting, conversing with my fellow students
seemed to me a waste of time. When I did not work at my desk I slipped into the library
after lectures and spent time arranging the books which lay about largely in disorder, read
and studied until supper time. After supper I worked at my desk again until evening
devotion at 9 o’clock. If, after that, I had only gone to bed with the college students. I
was surely tired and sleepy enough and my whole body craved rest and sleep. To this
very day it remains peculiar to my nature to go to bed early and rise early and start to
work. One of my older sisters told me on my visit to Germany in 1885 that I was called
“The Birdie” in my earliest years. Whenever anyone came to my crib in the early
morning hours they found me wide awake and happy, stamping with my feet and playing.

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Studying after nine o’clock in the evening was futile. All students resumed their studies
after evening prayers and I should go to bed? That would make me appear lazy. But it
was no use; I accomplished nothing. In half an hour my head would gradually drop
down on the book. Then I would run outdoors and stick my feet and my head alternately
into cold water to overcome my sleepiness. My brother Hugo warned me repeatedly to
go to bed, saying that I could get up earlier. Of course, I could have done that and should
have. Since all this good counsel bore no fruit and all warnings of common sense were
futile and I was finally made to suffer the bitter consequences of my foolishness.
Periodically the blood rushed to my head. I suffered with constipation and a continuous
sever headache. I had to interrupt my studies sometimes for weeks, sometimes for
months and seek rest with neighboring pastors in the country, most of the time with
Pastor G. Link in New Bielefold, now called Black Jack. No sooner had I improved
when I resumed my work with new vigor, or rather in the same old foolish way to make
up for lost time and to catch up with my fellow students. However, in a short time the
old trouble always returned. I was brokenhearted. Now in the seminary at the feet of our
Dr. Walther, instead of the dry philology, now theological lectures. It was a new world
of spiritual truth and power which was opened to me. Who could overdo that? The day
time was too short for work, the night too long for rest. And sad to say I was compelled
time after time, and the more frequently, to leave these precious teachers and studies and
sit around, inactive, with my headache. I sinned grievously against my Lord by bringing
this suffering foolishly on myself and then murmuring against God in my impatience,
disgust, and complaint about my cross. My diary of those days accuses me when I open
it and read the emotions which I recorded there. “O God, do not enter into judgment with
Thy servant; before Thee no living being is justified.” “Yes, in His messengers he finds
foolishness”, so I must confess with Job in his book, chapter 4 verse 18.
CHAPTER 9

My Fourth Odyssey - Into Business in St. Louis

Foolish and ungrateful, I had myself destroyed the great happiness which the grace and
mercy of God had bestowed on my by my return to academic life. By the end of my
first year in the Seminary my headaches had become so continuous that one more effort
was to be made to find a cure. Professor Biewend proposed that I be sent to the
sanitarium in Boston. A man by the name of Priesnitz had there established a method of
treatment which used cold water exclusively. My benefactors were willing to provide the
means for this costly venture. The dear old coppersmith, Tirmenstein, whose youngest
son Martin, was also preparing for the ministry, went about among friends and collected
what at that time was regarded as a great sum of money, mainly $85, for my
transportation to Boston. Hopefully, I went to Boston on May the 13, 1854, but after
four months I returned, unimproved and discouraged to St. Louis. Reconciled now to the
necessity of abandoning my studies again I took employment in the dry goods store of
Mr. Traugott Schuricht and earned my daily bread. How did all this happen? Everything
possible had been done to cure my headache but without success. My two months water
treatment in the Sanitarium in Boston were useless. Futile too was my trip to New York
to take sea salt water baths which were recommended by an old German physician. At

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the request of Dr. Walther, Pastor Theodore Brohm welcomed me as his guest during my
stay in New York. He himself was ailing and also wanted to try the sea baths. We went
bathing together daily. While they completely cured Pastor Brohm within four weeks,
they weakened me seriously without lessening my headaches. So I became convinced
that ocean bathing was useless also, and that I had to abandon the thought of returning to
my studies. So a new series of new odysseys began.

Since my headaches did not prevent my doing physical work I followed the advise of
Pastor Brohm and Dr. Walther and accepted a position Mr. Schuricht offered me in his
dry goods store. Mr. Schuricht was also willing to take me into his drug store but both
Dr. Walther and Pastor Brohm counseled against it. Their advise was, “Away from all
books for at least one year. Take up some work which involves less mental and more
physical exercise.” This was undoubtedly the best decision but the results were no better.
On October 4th, 1854, I began working in the dry goods store but as early as June 1,
1855 I had to give up this otherwise pleasant position and start out on a new journey. My
headaches had not only not improved but had rather become worse. Now the nerves of
my eyes were also affected. My eyesight became impaired and black space constantly
flitted in front of my eyes, especially in a bright light. I was afraid that my headaches
might finally result in blindness. A good oculist whom I consulted assured me that there
was no danger of blindness. He told me however, that my whole nervous system was in
bad condition, especially the nerves in my head, and that a complete change from the
confinement of house and of the city into the clean air of the country was indicated. This
counsel brought me to a quick and important decision. In that case, would it not be best
to return to sea. The best country air cannot compare with the grand, cool clean air
atmosphere of the sea. I had been to sea before and had lived it and had only reluctantly
given it up. “I will go back to sea”, was the decision with which I returned home from
the consultation.

In the evening I discussed that matter with Mr. and Mrs. Schuricht. They were such
splendid, friendly people. He had instructed me so patiently in all the intricacies of the
new business with its large variety of merchandise and Mrs. Schuricht had taken me into
her home with such maternal affection and treated me like an older son among her four
children. I had found a second home here and the association with her brothers Samuel,
Gustav and Martin Tirmenstein and with Paul Estel, Theodore Barthel and with Hugo
and other students had make the eight months of my stay delightful. I had almost
become reconciled to my new calling in life. My departure from this family was painful
indeed for me and until this day I still retain a deep feeling of gratitude for her kindest.
While Mr. Schuricht has passed away long ago, his wife, that humble and faithful
handmaid of Jesus, entered into the joy of her Lord and received her reward of grace only
last year (1908) in the 82nd year of her life. Ten of her children, the oldest son, Dr.
Gustav Schuricht and Mrs. Dr. Concordia Preuss were later faithful members of my
congregation, following humbly in the footsteps of their God-fearing parents. The good
Schurichts too regretted my departure but recognized the wisdom of my decision.

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Brother Hugo made my departure more difficult. He did not want to see me leave,
especially because it involved such a complete separation. He told me later that he never
expected to see me again in this life.

My preparations were quickly made. On June 7th, Hugo and student Huegli
accompanied me to the boat on which I traveled to Cincinnati where I paid a farewell
visit to Aunt Bloss, and on White Creek, the Klinkenbergs. My good friends, Paul Estel
and Theodore Barthel, went with me on the boat to Cape Girardeau. There we visited
Gustav Tirmenstein who had opened a watch repair shop. Both returned on the same
boat while I remained there that night and boarded the boat for Cincinnati the next
evening.

My aunt and her son received me with a mixture of joy and apprehension regarding my
uncertain future and entertained me most affectionately. In the meantime, a very happy
event had occurred. My sister Emma had arrived safely from Germany. My father had
only reluctantly acceded to her wish to emigrate to America but our letters and her
wishes to see her brothers finally won him over. God sent his angels and protected her
on the long and dangerous voyage so that she arrived hale and hearty and happy without
any mishap. After a brief stay with my loved ones I set out for the goal of my journey -
New York.
CHAPTER 10

My Fifth Odyssey - Voyage to South America

My paternal friend, Pastor Brohm, received me into his home. Through his son-in-law
Mr. Henry Birkner, who was confidential clerk in a large importing concern I found a
position as a sailor (Leichtmatrose) on a three masted ship named “Herculean” which was
to sail for Buenos Aires, La Plata and from these to Singapore. I was grateful to God that
I had so soon found a ship on so long a voyage. On July 20th, 1855, I arrived in New
York and on Sunday, August 19th in the evening we weighed anchor and a tug boat
brought us out into the lower harbor and into the ocean. Early the next morning we had
lost sight of land and saw nothing but water, water everywhere. I was now embarking on
my second and longest voyage. But oh, under what entirely different circumstances. The
first time, four years previously, I set out, not only by choice and very happy but with the
purpose of making a career of the sea. This time it was bitter necessity and humiliation.
It was all the result of my own foolishness. I took this step much as one goes to a
hospital, as a last resort, if possible to regain my health. At the same time I prayed
fervently for God’s gracious help to wage a victorious battle against the devil, the world
and the flesh. I knew by experience the kind of association into which I would be thrown
aboard ship. However, the knowledge I gained on my first two voyages came in good
stead. I was treated well by the captain, a native of Bramen and a splendid man and also
by the first mate who was a good natured Irishman. The second mate and the boatswain
were two typical Irish seamen, rough, wild, coarse, bitter against God and man and
treated the crew abominably whenever the captain and the first mate were out of sight.
Against both of them, numerous complaints were made and the captain warned them

WMH January, 97
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earnestly. Personally I was exceedingly careful and had no trouble with them. On this
voyage I experienced the single grace of God in various ways and incidents so that I had
to exclaim again and again, “Dear Heavenly Father, I am not worthy.”

In my decision to return to sea I had entirely overlooked one important consideration,

namely that I had become unaccustomed to hard physical work. At the Seminary we had
no gymnasium or equipment and the work of a sailor is hard. I became painfully aware
of this fact on the very day of our departure from New York. Lifting the anchor is very
heavy work. Deck hands and sailors had to engage the anchor chains with heavy iron
hoods, pull them away and spread them out on the deck while the rest of the crew
operated the windlass. As soon as that was finished, while we were still completely
exhausted we had to climb the masts and spread the sails. It required a tremendous
exertion to spread the 14 sails of a great three master of a thousand tons, draw them tight
and set the yardarms to the breeze. It took us three hours to do this.

On this occasion, I discovered what a blessing of God a good swig of whiskey can be at
the right time. Three times the captain had the steward serve us this refreshment and
each time I, who hated the whiskey to such an extent that the very smell of it gave me
gooseskin, drank my portion and enjoyed it. I felt no intoxicating effects, and was in fact
able to work on with renewed strength. I do not know how I would have managed
without this stimulant. At 3 o’clock we had weighed anchor, and at 6 o’clock we were
finished and the ship plowed proudly through the water. Then the bell summoned the
crew to supper and even the oldest sailors sat down, more to rest than to eat. My hands
and feet trembled from weakness and I was too tired to eat. I thanked God that I did not
have the first watch and could go to my bunk for a rest of 6 hours, from six to twelve. It
was like being awakened from the sleep of death, when, at twelve o’clock, I was called
on watch till four. It took quite a time until I realized where I was, especially since the
sudden awakening from a deep slumber always made my headache intolerably severe.

I was happy to discover as early as Monday the difference between German and
American regulations. On German ships the watch changes every two hours, morning
and afternoon, whereas on American ships the watch changes every four hours. In spite
of the fact that this arrangement made the work lighter I realized that my illness had so
impaired my strength that I could hardly carry on and prayed earnestly to God to help
me. The answer to my prayer came in a most unexpected and obviously providential
way. I had become quite familiar with our steward. He came from a good family, was
well educated, vivacious but careless and lazy which probably accounted for his present
position. We soon became good friends and I often helped him when I was free. One
night the cook took sick and could not get up in the morning. The steward reported the
fact to the first mate and was told to choose one of the sailors to help him. Naturally he
chose me. It was four o’clock in the morning when the cook and the steward had to get
up to make coffee for the helmsman and the watch. I was happy and grateful to answer
this summons. The cook was sick for five days. It was difficult for him even to give me
instructions but I applied myself assiduously to the job and soon learned what had to be
done. Grateful to the steward for giving me this opportunity I did some of his work in

WMH January, 97
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addition. When I returned to my own work after six days I felt rested and refreshed. My
food had naturally been better and above all I was able to sleep from eight o’clock in the
evening till four in the morning without interruption. To this circumstance I attribute the
fact that my headaches had become less severe. My employment in the kitchen also gave
me an opportunity to render the first mate a special service. It was one of the duties of
the steward to make the bed of the first mate and keep his room in order. But the steward
hated this work and did it very superficially and unsatisfactorily. I was happy to do this
easier work instead of the heavy duties of the ordinary seaman and therefore did it
thoroughly. Besides, this gave me an opportunity to learn to do the work not only of the
cook, but also of the steward and to win the favor both of the captain and of the first
mate. Naturally, when the cook took sick again I was immediately called to substitute.

After three days in Buenos Aires the cook again took sick with diarrhea and had to be
taken to the hospital. Then the first mate put me in complete charge of the kitchen. For
the next three weeks I took the place of the cook. Miraculously the Savior watched over
me and took care of me like a mother. As this first port of call on our long journey the
captain, on the advise of the first mate, appointed me steward and the poor steward
became a sailor in my place. I regretted this very much because I certainly did not want
to displace him. He had been very kind to me and I owed him much. However, he
himself welcomed the change and proved very apt in his new work. Wherever and
whenever I could, of course, I slipped him some special morsels.

But I must report a few incidents which occurred on our trip from New York to Buenos
Aires.

The trip was not as monotonous as might have been expected. True, we had no severe
storm. Still, on the morning of September 14th, a violent squall tore away the upper part
of our foremast with the topsail which caused no little excitement and work. But the two
days thereafter the new foremast was finished and before evening the entire damage was
repaired and our sails fluttered merrily in the wind. The incident, however, disclosed to
the captain that our canvass was not in the best condition for the voyage to India and he
improved our stay in Buenos Aires to lay in a good new stock.

On September 17th a brig sent us an S O S message. It lowered a boat with a large water
tank. We knew then what their trouble was. Their first mate, an Englishman, came on
board and reported that his ship had come from the West Indies with freight for Madeira,
that they were out 50 days and in serious need of water. Their request for water was, of
course, granted with pleasure.

On September 27th a large English three master signaled us for help. The captain
himself came aboard our vessel and asked for tar, one of the indispensable accessories of
a ship. His request also was readily granted by our captain.

On September 22nd we came upon a most unexpected view, namely the green
promontory of Africa, St. Antonio. We passed so close to shore that we could clearly

WMH January, 97
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distinguish the grass and cover of moss in the middle and lower strata. The upper portion
of the ridge was bare, grotesque rock. In order to avail ourselves of the strong southeast
current from the Island of Teneriffa for a quick passage to South America the course is
set from New York in a south easterly direction, almost to the Azores and then
southwest. The wind however, had driven us farther east than we had reckoned so the
green coast of Africa came into view, which of course, delighted us all. On a long
voyage nothing is so welcome as such incidents, especially the unexpected sight of land.
Otherwise nothing else of importance happened. But the glory of the southern skies with
its ‘cross’ attracted my attention each night. The flying fish now also made their
appearance. The first two which flew to our deck were caught by our cook with
remarkable dexterity. The one was 15 inches and the other 11 inches long. The cook
prepared himself a delicious meal of them.

But I must still report to you about our passage over the equator. That is an event which
is observed with appropriate ceremonies by every ship, and only he is recognized as a full
fledged sailor who has crossed this line. Through the first mate the captain announced to
the crew, “This noon, October 7th, 1855, we pass the equator.” This note was in my
diary on that Sunday. It reads: “Immediately the old sailors got together to prepare for
the celebration of this event and to make real sailors of all the novices aboard ship. One
of the sailors was fitted out to represent Neptune; his feet bare up to his knees, in
knickerbockers, a tight fitting jacket, a long flowing cloak, the lower part of his face
hidden under a prodigious beard, a wig of long tousled hair, a pot of tar hanging from his
left shoulder, a large wooden sword dangling on his right side, the handle of which he
held with his tar dripping hand. In this masquerade the sailors led Neptune to the captain
who welcomes him. Then Neptune asked, whence we came, wither we were sailing and
if there were any on board who had never crossed the line before. The captain answered
all these questions readily and promised to present the novices before him and invited
him to go to the forward deck and take up his position beside the water tank. The captain
proposed also to be a witness to make sure that he performed his function properly. Then
everybody followed Neptune forward and surrounded the water tank. More than half of
the crew had never crossed the equator and one after the other was presented to Neptune
by the sailors. Neptune then dashed his hand into the pot of tar, rubbed it into the face
and on the neck of the novitiate, grabbed his sword and passed it, with assumed fury,
over the head and neck and back of the victim. In the meantime the sailors standing by
poured one bucket of water after the other over the head of the victim. Finally the latter
was seized by the neck and completely ducked under the water in the tank. This
completed the equatorial baptism and rendered the required tribute to the God of the
ocean.

The whole ceremony proceeded without brutality and everyone enjoyed it. The captain,
first mate and the one passenger with his wife sat on chairs on the foredeck, enjoying the
proceedings with the rest. When it was all over the Captain motioned to the steward who
produced a bottle of whiskey and served each member of the crew a drink. That was the
climax of the rite. There is nothing a sailor appreciated or enjoys more than his drink of
whiskey. The captain could have not have ended the ceremony more appropriately.

WMH January, 97
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Favorable winds brought us quickly to our first part of call. On October 26th we sighted
the high northern shore of the La Plata river, the mouth of which extends 150 miles into
the ocean. For a long time we could not see the southern shore. That same evening a
pilot came aboard which proved very fortunate. During the night a severe storm broke so
that we had to take in our sails hurriedly and cast out the anchor. But as the storm grew
more severe and the waves ran higher we had to cast out the second anchor so that we
could not be cast on the strand. It was a fearful night, that first night on the La Plata.
The whole crew had to remain on deck and work hard until after breakfast. Then we
were allowed to go to our bunks for a two hour rest. Toward evening we passed
Montevideo on the right side of the river, situated high and protected by a strong fort. It
was an imposing sight. After three days of hard work, on the 30th of October, we finally
cast anchor opposite Buenos Aires. These three days were probably the hardest of the
whole trip a as result of the storm and the wind.

With reference to the city of Buenos Aires I can say little, because we lay seven miles out
and I only spent a few hours in the city. But it was a large wealthy industrial town.
Today, after fifty two years, it has a million inhabitants. At that time there were no docks
and ships had to lie at anchor five to seven miles from shore. The captains therefore
always lived in hotels in the city and a boat was sent daily from the ship to the shore to
report to the captain and receive his instructions. I had now become convinced that I
could not continue my work as a sailor owing to my poor physical condition and
therefore I wrote to the good captain and begged him to release me. I submitted my sad
physical condition to him and told him that nothing else than the occasional relief to
which I had been assigned in the kitchen enabled me to carry on till we reached Buenos
Aires. I told him that he would surely have a great deal of trouble with me if I continued
with the ship, whereas I thought I might easily find opportunity in Buenos Aires to return
to New York. I made a very moving appeal to him and God gave persuasiveness to my
request.

After two days I received a few lines from the captain in which he granted my request
and told me that he had already secured for me an easy position in the hotel as
‘Margueur’. But he told me to remain on board until the ship was ready to proceed. He
agreed that I would probably find an early opportunity to return to New York. You can
imagine how grateful and happy I was. It seemed to me that the door of my confinement
had been opened to me and that I could soon leave the prison on ship and return to the
children of God at home.

However, it turned out otherwise. God evidently had other plans for me. When the first
mate heard about the action of the captain he immediately went ashore to make a
different, and what he thought, better proposition to the captain. He suggested that I be
made a steward and that the steward take my place among the sailors. He thought that I
would do more satisfactory work than the steward did in the kitchen whereas he could
not expect the present steward to improve his way. Rather he expected continued
dissatisfaction and annoyance over his work. The captain approved this plan and

WMH January, 97
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instructed the first mate to return to the boat and carry out the plan. When the first mate
came to us and told us what the captain had decided, namely that the steward and I
should change places, I was more than startled and looked at the steward in dismay but
be laughed out loud and said, “that’s what I have been wishing for a long time”. Well,
since that was his attitude everybody was pleased, chiefly I. How thankful I was to God
for this happy turn of events. But, of course, I surmised that this new arrangement might
possibly prevent my release from the ship. However, for the moment, I was not troubled
since this change was already a gracious providence of God, and, if I were finally to
remain aboard ship - my headaches had improved very little - it might be better for me to
remain longer at sea.

And that is what happened. I performed my duties with joy and always as well as I could
and served particularly my good first mate to the very best of my ability. I was also able
to help him occasionally with his clerical work and when he received a communication
from the captain, which was usually scribbled hurriedly and illegibly, he would come to
me to decipher the hieroglyphics. This was usually not very difficult and always very
interesting. That is the way I discovered, too, that our next port of call would be in the
East Indies. Of course, I had already packed my trunk for the great moment when I
should leave the ship. However, I had my hands so full that for the moment I had no
time to think of anything else. On December 14th, at ten o’clock in the morning, the
captain came on board with the pilot. His boat was full of supplies for the kitchen.
“Steward, receive these things and store them well away”, was the brief instructions with
which he greeted me and assigned my duties. I had already prepared a good dinner -
roast chicken. I wanted to make a hit with my captain and I was eminently successful.
The meal on the table promptly at twelve o’clock and I was gratified to observe that the
three men, the captain, the pilot and the first mate enjoyed it. When the captain sat
comfortably over his coffee after the meal and appeared in good spirits I risked the
modest question, “Captain, I presume I shall return to land with the pilot?” He laughed,
and said, “No, steward, you’re not going back, you’re going with us to the East Indies.
The first mate is right. You are a better steward. I am well satisfied with your work and
you stay aboard. You will get well.”

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 CHAPTER 11

My Sixth Odyssey - From South America to Akyab in the East Indies

Well, I submitted, having previously prayed to God for such grace. Besides I had to
concede that the captain was probably correct and that my remaining at sea under these
circumstances might be the best for me. Later on I thanked God that I had done so,
although for the moment I was disappointed. We pray so glibly, “Thy will be done”, but
in practical experience often it is very painful to say ‘yes’ and to submit willingly to His
providence.

Our voyage proceeded favorably. True it was unusually raw and cold; however, the wind
was favorable and strong and within fourteen days we had crossed the Atlantic Ocean
and found ourselves under the Cape of Good Hope, but too far south to get a view of the
Cape itself. It was obvious, though, that we were in those waters because the sea was
rough and the waves unusually high, although there was no storm. When we entered the
Indian Ocean we signaled a Swedish bark ‘Elisa’ which had also come from Buenos
Aires but had already been under way for seventy days. We realized more and more that
our boat was a splendid sailor because we caught up and passed every ship that came in
sight. Our voyage took us only three weeks, (twenty-one days), against the seventy days
of the other ship. What a difference! But, of course, the ‘Elisa’ might have run into
particularly bad weather especially around the Cape. The Indian Ocean is not known for
heavy storms but rather for its light breezes and complete calms. We found that out too.
After the remarkably rapid voyage from Buenos Aires into the Indian Ocean our progress
was now correspondingly slow - complete calm or about two to four miles an hour.

At such time one sees ships all around and can make very interesting observations.
Along came a great three master, very close to us and we waited to see which ship would
out sail the other. Under the light breezes, they gain. When the breeze grew stiffer we
always caught up with them again. Such incidents furnished material for conversation
and lead to many witty remarks. This race continued for five days. On the following
morning the three master had disappeared. Very likely it had changed its course and
sailed in a northerly direction while we were sailing in a north-easterly direction toward
Calcutta.

It is very entertaining to carry on conversation with nearby ships through flag signals.
The captain enjoyed this very much and so did I. Every ship has a signal book and the
necessary number of small flags. When these flags are raised according to the instruction
in the book the following sequence of questions is put, name of ship, captain, how long
on the way, where from, where to, what cargo, etc. On one of these occasions we met a
ship from Bremen whose captain was a friend of our captain and to whom our captain
had addressed a letter. Unfortunately, it was too late and the captain signaled that he
would have the letter called for in the morning. Since the good weather and the favorable

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light breeze had continued through the night, we found the ships close together the next
morning and my captain invited the other captain formally to have breakfast with him. In
half hour he appeared on board, a fine handsome man. I served a splendid breakfast and
the two men spent a few pleasant hours together. It was Captain Danemann and the
name of his ship was ‘Louis Henry’. The captains parted with a hearty handshake.

This interruption of our monotonous voyage seemed to please the captain immensely and
when, after a few days, we again met up with a ship from Bremen with whose captain our
captain had made his first voyage at sea and who was an intimate friend of our captain’s
parents, we signaled that our captain would like to visit on the other ship. That was
Captain Elberfeld and the name of his ship was ‘Odaheida’. He signaled back
‘Welcome’. A boat was lowered immediately and the second mate with four sailors
rowed the captain over to the other boat. He remained aboard until 5 o’clock that
evening. The next day, the weather and wind still being favorable, our captain was
rowed over at 8 o’clock in the morning and spent the entire day on the other ship. That
occurred for three successive days with the exception that on the third day the other
captain came aboard our ship and brought a substantial load of potatoes with him which
delighted the steward and the cook. Our supply was almost all gone and potatoes are
about as indispensable as meat on shipboard. This third visiting day fell on a Sunday and
the captains had permitted their crews to visit with each other. That was a most
delightful incident in this slow and otherwise uninteresting part of our voyage.

On February 26th, we again crossed the equator but this time there was no ceremony
since there were no more recruits of the sea aboard. The intense heat however, was
ample evidence that we were sweating under the equator. It was impossible to walk
barefoot on the deck. In the morning and again in the afternoon water had to be poured
over the deck. Every evening before retiring the captain took a cool salt bath in a large
tub, which was always filled just before he was ready for his bath. That seemed very
cool and refreshing. I concluded those hot days in the same manner.

Finally, after the long voyage, we landed in the Bay of Bengal, in Akyab about 100 miles
south of Calcutta. It was a splendid harbor, surrounded by fertile rice fields, but there
were only about 4 to 6 crude brick houses reserved for business transactions with ships.
Otherwise it was an abominable native village consisting of the most primitive huts. But
numerous large ships were lying at anchor to load rice and laborers were scarce. Every
captain wanted to get away from there just as quickly as possible. For diversion the
captains used to invite each other aboard to dinner and every steward did his best to win
honors for preparing the best meal. To this high honor I could of course not attain. I did
however win the modest distinction of having baked the best rye bread. We quickly
unloaded our ballast of dirt and sand and received our cargo for Singapore in lighters,
namely, two qualities of rice, the better grade in sacks and the other loose. Our cargo
space had not only been swept clean but mats woven of bast covered the floor and sacks
of rice were laid along the sides. In that way the cargo was well protected and preserved
and the rice was delivered in excellent condition to Singapore.

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Although Akyab and the surrounding country offered little of interest, the captain
nevertheless gave me an entire Sunday off and I decided to reconnoiter the inland. A
good broad street led out into the country and invited me to follow it in pursuit of my
objective. I loafed along a few miles, admired the luxuriant vegetation on both sides, the
mighty trees covered with flowers of bright colors, banana trees with their broad leaves
and sweet fruit growing wild and other sights of interest. In the distance I saw a large
stone building with a round tower toward which I walked. I surmised that it was a
mosque. A very good looking intelligent appearing Arab boy of about twelve years
confirmed my supposition. I was surprised to find that he understood and spoke English.
When I pointed to the building and asked ‘What is it?’, he folded his hands reverently
and turning his eyes toward heaven said, “Allah”. I asked him to go with me and he
appeared to do so gladly and we spent five hours together while he guided me about and
explained a great deal to me. He first took me into the mosque itself which was an
entirely bare building. Beside it, however, was a large square basin of water surrounded
by beautifully nursed shade trees under the cool shade of which the Mussulmen held their
siesta. The water basin was intended for the prescribed ablutions of the Musselmen.
From here my young guide led me to a hill about 1 1/2 miles distant where an English
company had built a long shed. On the way we came through a small valley over which
a large number of vultures were floating and from which a disgusting stench of
decomposition rose. A large number of dogs were also in that valley and I realized that
we had come upon a cemetery. A large number of corpses lay around unburied, half
decomposed, half eaten by the dogs. Empty eye sockets and hacked up breasts betrayed
the work of the vultures on the bodies. There were also quite a number of orderly graves,
covered with mats and well cared for. My guide instructed me that the bones and
skeletons and bodies lying about unburied were only contemptible Hindus, Pariahs. The
graves, he told me, belonged to the Musselmen. While he said this, he laid his hand on
his chest, “I, Musselman, Wonderful!”. Would a twelve year old Christian boy make
such a proud and happy confession to an unbeliever, “I am a Christian. I believe in Jesus
and the Bible.”

So far as I could learn this part of the country was inhabited by three different tribes. The
numerically smallest but the most intelligent were the Arabs who ruled the natives, and
the natives were the Malayans, called Muncy. They were light brown in color but well
built, slim, and powerful bodies with noble, intelligent faces and proud bearing. One
would naturally look back with admiration when passing one of them. Their dress was
very simple, often merely a broad piece of cloth about their waist. Some wore, in
addition, a piece of white cloth or sheet thrown over their shoulders. Children of five to
seven years went about naked. One did not see women. They remained in their bamboo
huts, and were busy weaving and coloring cloth. The third class were the Hindus or
Pariahs, whom the other classes hardly consider as human beings.

Now to proceed further in our exploration. Soon we had reached the top of the hill with
its large barracks and what did I see? Three giant elephants which were fed and trained
to be sold by an English company to the owners of zoos. At the first moment I was quite
frightened by the sight. Two of these mighty animals were tied only by a rope around the

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foot but the largest, and as it seemed the wildest, wore a chain. But my little guide, when
he saw me frightened, ran up to the elephant and said, “Good, good”, and struck his knee
because he could not reach higher. Just then the overseer, also an Arab, of splendid
physique and intelligent fact and proud bearing came forward. He also spoke a little
English and I asked him many questions regarding the capture, the native habitat of the
elephants, and where they were to be sent. They were to be sent to Calcutta. I remained
here a long time and noticed with admiration how one of these giants used a large leafy
branch as a fan to cool himself. The other one was engaged in a battle of annihilation
against flies, also using a branch which I could hardly have lifted, but which he
manipulated with the finger of his trunk as though it were a light fan, brushing it along
his broad sides so that the flies fell dead to the ground in bunches. When I left I gave the
overseer a rupee, about thirty five cents, which pleased him immensely and other little
nick-nacks which made him happy as a child. With a feeling that this trip had been very
much worthwhile I returned.

On Sunday, April 6th, we had our cargo aboard, seven hundred and fifty tons of rice and
immediately prepared the vessel for its departure. We weighed anchor and proceeded
toward the entrance of the harbor where we again cast anchor in order to begin our
voyage toward Singapore at flood tide. That gave me the opportunity to admire the
romantic entrance into the harbor of Akyab once more, and this time bathed in the many
brilliant colors of the sinking sun. To the right the shore is high and covered with jungle
and forest from which here and there mighty rocks project. A high and majestic
promontory which jutted far into the ocean carried a mighty light house whose beam
warned the ships away from the rocky and dangerous shore, toward which a strong tide
ran. The shore line on the left was more level but also covered by jungle and swamps
and because of its sandy banks was very dangerous for ships. Swarms of a variety of
small and large birds hovered noisily over the water and the jungle, and what wild beasts,
tigers, poisonous snakes and the like, must have infested this primeval jungle.

CHAPTER 12

My Seventh Odyssey - From Akyab to Singapore

Singapore is the only large city of the Far East in which I spent a longer time and with
which I, therefore, became more intimately acquainted. It is the largest and most
important commercial city between the East Indies and China. However, the chief reason
why I remember it so well is because here God fulfilled my longing to release me from

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shipboard and bring me back home. So I want to report a little more in detail about this
important period of my career at sea.

Singapore is located 20 degrees south of Akyab, almost under the equator. It is really on
an island and is separated from the Malayan peninsula by a narrow strip of water. This
has a most unpleasant result for the island and its inhabitants. The hinterland of the
Malayan peninsula was an almost impenetrable wilderness. No European ever ventured
into it, so that tigers and venomous snakes and other savage beasts held undisputed sway.
However, the tigers could swim the narrow water between the island and the mainland,
and so the island was never entirely safe from this peril. No one dared to go into the
woods alone; always from three to five persons went together and always well armed
because they were in danger of being attacked by a tiger at any moment. All the villas
and estates surrounding Singapore and the plantations on the boundary of the island were
surrounded by tiger pits and maintained a large kennel of powerful dogs for their
protection. During my stay a tiger of exceptional size was found in the pit near the
mission station. He was not killed immediately but was exhibited in a large iron cage. I
looked at this monster and wondered what our dogs could have done against this mighty
beast of the jungle in his wild state. A wealthy Englishman at Singapore conducted
systematic tiger hunts on the island, not for the high premium which the government paid
for every dead tiger, but simply for the sport. He always went out on his hunts alone
with only a servant who carried his baggage and provisions. His only weapons were his
never failing rifle and a heavy ax, for the contingency that the bullet might not
immediately kill the tiger - for he never missed - and the tiger should spring at him. His
accurate aim with the ax would then finish the beast. Missionary Kiesberg told me that
this Englishman had been killing tigers around the city for a number of years and was
regarded by the inhabitants as a sort of benefactor who had delivered them from hundreds
of these dangerous beasts of prey. It had only happened twice that he had to use his ax to
kill a tiger.

Singapore, now a city of a million inhabitants, was at the time of my stay there, that is 52
years ago, a city of 144,000 inhabitants, about 4,000 Europeans, 40,000 Chinese and
100,000 Malayans. The palatial residence of the Governor of the Malayan Peninsula is
located on the top of a high hill in the city and commands a wonderful view both of the
city and of its beautiful harbor. The beautiful villas of the European merchant princes
stretched around the outskirts of Singapore like a garland. The grounds around the villas
were beautifully landscaped with pineapple, banana, clove, cinnamon and nutmeg trees.
The last named tree is the largest spice tree in India. It resembles a pear tree in size,
branches and leaves. The nutmeg grows in a thick, green shell, like our walnut, only a
little smaller. Under the outer shell which opens as soon as the nut is ripe, there is the so-
called blossom which grows over the black shell like a deep red net. Then comes the thin
black delicate layer within which our spicy nutmeg nut is found. The red color of the
blossom is so intensive that, at a distance of 15 feet, it appears like a spot of fire before
one can discern the green nut itself, or the wide opening in the green outer covering.
Spices of all sorts, camphor and sage, are the chief articles of commerce which is almost

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exclusively controlled by Europeans, Englishmen and Germans. Isolated Chinese occupy
important positions in the city.

The voyage from Akyab to Singapore was interesting, because we passed many groups of
islands and through the straights of Malakka at the end of which Singapore is situated.
On the right side of the Straits of Malakka is the Malayan Peninsula and on the left side
the large Island of Sumatra. We sailed closer to the shores of the Malayan Peninsula and
saw Sumatra only in the distance. At sea it is always interesting to sight land, especially
when one comes close enough to the shore to distinguish the vegetation, the huts and
settlements of the natives which was the case in this instance. Our progress was slow.
With favorable winds we might have reached Singapore in 8 days. But calms prevailed
in this vicinity. At the time when the moon changed severe rains and storms are
encountered which are troublesome and also delay navigation. We experienced both, so
from six to eight days the sailors had to work very hard. Often when the sails were set
for a light breeze, suddenly a storm arose with crashing thunderbolts and lightning. One
could sometimes distinguish six separate bolts at the same time and the whole heaven
seemed aflame from one end to the other. Then, of course, the command came: “All
hands on deck”, and tremendous effort was made to take in the sails in the shortest
possible time. In half an hour it would be all over. The sky would clear again and a
fresh breeze blow and with a deep sigh we again would spread our sails certain that we
would have to take them in again within an hour or two. We left Akyab on April 6th and
entered the harbor of Singapore on May 4th. Our arrival, which happened to be on a
Sunday, was unusually interesting and I shall therefore quote verbatim from by diary:

“At nine thirty in the morning we cast anchor in the harbor, about 3,000 feet from
shore. It was a Sunday and we could therefore enjoy our arrival in this cosmopolitan
harbor and city to the fullest extent. Early in the morning, while our ship was still
moving, we were surrounded by a multitude of large and small boats of native Malayans
and immigrated Chinese, and as soon as we had cast anchor a swarm of natives
scrambled aboard our decks with wares of every kind which they spread out at random
on our decks, noisily offering them for sale. Our ship was suddenly transformed into a
veritable county fair and not without clowns and acrobats. I saw a Chinaman swallow a
dull sword about three fourths of an inch broad. He did not choke although the
onlookers began to wretch merely watching him. These merchants had a large variety of
the products of that wealthy land. We particularly admired the rich articles of silkware,
shawls, handkerchiefs, scarves, all in the brightest and loudest colors which they spread
out before us and offered at really low prices. We also were impressed with the variety
and beauty of the fruit, especially the large golden, heavily scented pineapples and the
big yellow bananas which we had never seen before. I bought a pineapple for two cents.
I had never eaten a pineapple with such rich sweet juice. After my return to this country
for years I ate neither pineapples nor bananas. They seemed so flat and dry after I had
eaten them in their native country where they had ripened on the trees. These brown
merchants also offered oddly formed shell, beautifully colored and delicately fashioned.
I had never seen any like them before. Besides that they had all sorts of carvings, small
boats, Chinese junks and all sorts of lovely silvery designs made out of Mother of Pearl,

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such as jewelry cases and small baskets. They also brought with them a variety of
monkeys and large and small parrots. Teeming life of all sorts took possession of our
ship on that Sunday and I do not recall a more interesting day than this Sunday during
our entire stay in Singapore.

While we were entering the harbor a small English church paper found its way into my
hand. In this publication an English missionary by the name of Kiesberg, who called
himself a Lutheran, announced that he wanted a teacher for his mission among the
Malayan natives of the city. He offered twelve pounds sterling, or sixty dollars a month
and board and room at the station. As I read this notice and invitation I envisioned
myself in this position. Now I would insist that the captain release me. This position as
teacher in a Christian home would bring me together with the children of God again. As
soon as possible I asked for shore leave. On a large square I found a cab and when I said
that I wanted to visit missionary Kiesberg, the driver knew at once where I wanted to go.
The mission compound was three miles away. He offered to drive me there for one
rupee. I jumped into the cab. The driver did not climb to his seat but took the horse by
the bridle and trotted merrily away at his side. Now and then when he became tired he
would sit for five minutes on the shaft and then take up the race again.

We soon reached the compound and I found the missionary at home. He received me
cordially and listened to me patiently when I referred to his advertisement and asked
whether he would give me a trial in his school. At the same time I handed him my report
from Dr. Walther so that he might not mistake me for some adventurer, for that sort also
infested the Far East. Since this document was written in German, he asked whether he
might retain it for a short time until some German friend could translate it. During my
conversation with the missionary I became painfully aware that I had greatly neglected
the study of the English language over my theological studies. My enunciation was
faulty, my vocabulary limited, my grammar wretched. How could I possibly teach in that
language. Since I was also bashful and embarrassed while I spoke with Mr. Kiesberg,
my bad English must have appeared still worse and he told me frankly that there was not
even any use in giving me a trial. When he saw how disappointed I was, he promised to
help me get a release from my ship. He knew the principal of the firm to which our
cargo had been assigned. He invited me to be a guest in his family until I found
opportunity for a return voyage to America. This invitation comforted me and he
certainly kept his word faithfully. It was through his instrumentality under God that I
secured my release from the captain. The captain very reluctantly acceded to my
request.” Our ship was destined to remain for two years.

I must mention one more important event which occurred before I could leave the ship.
By the grace of God I was able to save a life from drowning. It happened on June 5,
1856 when the two deckhands John and Jack were standing on the yard arm painting
outside of the deck. I had just walked from the cabin to the kitchen and had watched the
two boys a moment. I noticed at the same time that the tide had turned and was running
out very rapidly. I called to them, “Boys, be careful! Whoever makes a misstep on his
board is hopelessly lost.” After about a quarter of an hour I stepped out of the kitchen

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again on to the deck and at the same time Jack jumped down to the deck and cried panic
stricken, “John is overboard.” Now it was fortunate indeed that I had just before
observed the tide running out so rapidly because I knew that it would carry John quickly
toward the aft of the ship. Without a second thought I hurried aft and looked down. Sure
enough there he was drifting by, flaying his hands about and ready to disappear under the
water because the poor chap couldn’t swim. Quickly my shoes and cap came off and I
dove down thirty feet into the water. We had learned to do this in swimming school and
had a great deal of practice at it. Owning to the height from which I jumped, I went
down deep into the water and began to worry whether I would come up in time to save
him. I struggled against this as much as possible with hands and feet and flew up like a
cork out of a bottle and fortunately at the right place and at the right time. Poor John was
ready to sink and was fast losing consciousness. I grabbed hold of him quickly with my
left hand under his right arm to hold him away from me and swam with the right hand
toward the boat which had been lowered in the meantime and was coming to our rescue.
We were soon both back safely on the boat but John was so panic stricken and exhausted
from his experience that he spent the rest of the day in bed.

The fifth day after this incident was the day of my deliverance from the ship. In the
meantime, immediately after this incident, by a strange providence of God, I again
became seriously ill. I suffered a severe attack of cholera morbus and became so weak
that I was hardly able to raise my head in bed. I asked the captain to please call a doctor
but he wanted to try one more remedy from his own medicine chest and gave me
powerful doses of paregoric which was one of the favorite and most highly prized
medications of ship’s captains. I believe I slept for eighteen hours after that and woke up
well, although still very weak. I improved this situation to ask him to release me now
that he was discovering all the time that I was only causing him trouble. I told him that
missionary Kiesberg had said that he would receive me at any time in his home. He
granted my request and had my trunk taken to shore and one hour thereafter I was a free
man in the mission compound.

How thankful I was to God for this gracious deliverance and return to the company of the
children of God. I felt very much at home in this pious family. Missionary Kiesberg
called himself a Lutheran, not so much to state his doctrinal position but rather and
especially to declare his independence from the mission societies and to show that his
mission was entirely his own work. He had originally been sent out about thirty years
previously by the London Mission Board with another missionary to preach the Gospel to
the Malayan natives. Their work together had been signally blest. However, when after
twelve years, China was opened to the missionaries from Europe, the mission society
ordered him to give up his work and take over a mission in China. He objected
strenuously to the abandonment of the work in Singapore and proposed that at least one
of them carry on while the other went to China. But the mission board persisted in its
instructions and his associate left for China. So Kiesberg determined to resign from his
position with the mission board, surrendered all claim on their support and continued his
work in Singapore trusting that God would provide the means. And God honored the
faith of his servant. Before his conversion and commission as missionary, Kiesberg had

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been a type setter and printer. With the help of some of his friends he fitted out a small
English printing shop in order, for the moment, to support his family. In the evening and
on Sundays he carried on his mission work. And the blessing of God was with him in
everything that he did. His little printing shop grew into a large business. The profits
provided all the needs of his family and of the mission itself. He enjoyed the respect and
confidence of all Europeans in the city and their counsel and generous financial support
was always at his service. The English governor was his personal friend and the
protector of his mission. He was soon able again to devote all of his time and energy to
his mission work. His large beautiful church had a capacity of three hundred and was
crowded every day and Sundays during the daytime and in the evening. One thousand
native Christian souls belonged to his church. Most of his members, he told me with
much regret, were women and girls. Only comparatively few men had become
Christians. I could understand nothing of his sermons since they were all delivered in the
Malayan language. But the deep and sincere earnestness of his delivery and the rapt
attention of his large brown audience whose eyes hung on his lips made a deep
impression on me. Yes, here was the house of God and the door of heaven, I exclaimed
in the words of Jacob. He told me stories of strange and miraculous providences and
experiences during his long and successful missionary activity.

CHAPTER 13

Return from Singapore to New York

I spent three happy weeks with this dear family. Then I finally succeeded in securing a
position as an ordinary seaman on a nine hundred ton three master, the ‘Lima’ sailing for
London. The name of the captain was Cordtes and the cargo was rice.

With this voyage I started the second part of my diary and I want to begin by quoting
from it because it so aptly expresses the emotions and hopes and wishes with which I
started my voyage home.

“Monday, July 7, 1856. So, now by the grace and help of God I am on my way
home. I have already been working for one week at the strenuous and monotonous work
of a seaman. But oh, how many, too many weeks, yes even months, must pass into
oblivion before the sight of my native shores will delight my heart and the association of
my friends and fellow believers will compensate me for the years of companionship with
unbelievers. But be of good cheer, my merciful God and Savior who has been by
comfort and hope and help in these trying times, will bring me safely to the end of my
journey. How great things the Lord hath done for me! Has He not richly fulfilled the
purpose of my odyssey. He gave me back my health. My eyesight has not only been
saved but is wonderfully strengthened; my poor head is light and bright and free from the
terrible pain and thick numbness which prevented any clear thoughts and often drove me

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to despair. With a clear free mind and spirit I could now take up anew my dearly beloved
studies, and what joy will fill my heart when I can sit again at the feet of my beloved
spiritual father and teacher, Professor Walther, and hear from his lips words of eternal
life, and - finally, when I can myself enter the blessed ministry and preach divine
reconciliation. But, in another respect, too, I may praise the wonderful grace of God. I
have become physically so fit that I can with ease perform and endure all the work and
fatigue of a sailor’s life. Besides, now, the entire crew does not regard me any more as a
poor deck hand but as a man and treats me with a certain respect. The captain and the
first mate regard me more as a passenger than as an employee. I was even privileged to
instruct the captain, afternoons, in English. Oh, how gracious and merciful God has been
to me. I say again, I am not worthy of all His mercy and faithfulness. If He had brought
me down into hell, as all of us well deserve, He is bringing me out now. Bless the Lord,
O my soul.”

My diary continued:

“On Tuesday, July 1, 1856, at seven in the morning we left Singapore under
favorable winds” - an interesting but exceedingly arduous voyage was in prospect. We
went through the Archipelago of the Sunda Islands. There was land to the right and left.
The shores were often very near and interesting but it was dangerous for ships.
Sometimes, there was complete calm, at others a storm and also powerful ocean currents.
Now we had to take in the sails, then throw out the anchor, then spread the sails to catch
a favorable breeze, in order to get out of this harbor of shipwrecks as soon as possible
into the open Indian Ocean. Thank God, we came through safely, passed between Java
and Sumatra and on a rapid course without any special incidents toward the end of
August, we approached the Cape of Good Hope. But here it is not summer but winter.
The closer we came to the Cape, the colder it became and I was very sensitive to cold,
since I had passed almost two years constantly in a hot, tropical climate. But we were
destined to experience much worse in this winter at the Cape. It is notorious among all
season for its terrific storms. We too, had to pass through such a storm raging for three
days. It was the worst by far that I had seen and we finally found our heavily laden ship
almost without mast or sails. Our experience was the same as that recorded by Luke in
the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 27, verse 15, “And when the ship was caught and could
not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven.”

I shall never forget the magnificent but terrible spectacle of the wide ocean from the top
of the mast, how it spread out like a jagged mountain range, one mountain beside the
other, each higher than the other, like one wave after another, one higher than the other,
then successively tumbling down into the trough. Meanwhile the ship plunged down into
one depth after another so that we were scarcely able to hold ourselves at the wheel and
when the ship came out of the trough and climbed up the steep side of the next wave
again we were scarcely able with all our might to hold fast in order not to fall backwards.
This magnificent spectacle of these mountainous waves was further enhanced on the
second day which brought a large brig in sight. For a moment, we saw it precariously
balanced on the top of a giant wave, poised for a moment, then suddenly disappear

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perpendicularly into the abyss. Every ten or fifteen minutes we saw this performance
repeated, for a moment high on a crest of a wave, the next, as suddenly vanished in the
depths. Undoubtedly our ship performed as well from their point of view.

Here I must not neglect to mention a miraculous providence of my heavenly Father. On

the second day of the storm, the top-gallant sail came loose on the main mast and I was
sent up with another ordinary seaman to fasten it. We climbed up quickly and holding
fast with one hand and working with the other we tried to carry out our orders. But, as
often as we hauled in the sail and tried to fasten the rope, the storm tore the sail out of
our hands and we had to begin all over again. In the meantime rain and hail was driving
into our faces and we were already stiff from the cold and awkward at our work. We
therefore, agreed both to lean over the spar in order to be able to use both hands in
fastening the ropes. And in this way we succeeded in finishing our work. However, at
that very moment when we had the sail fastened, but had no rope in our hand on which to
hold ourselves, a giant wave struck the ship and both of us bounced from the spar like
balls destined to all appearances to plunge to certain death in the turbulent waves. The
end of the spar on which we stood projected over the side of the ship and was directly
above the water. But the gracious hand of God intervened to save us both miraculously.
When my feet lost their hold on the rope and I began falling backwards my hands flew
together as though in prayer while I cried, “God, help me!”, and encircled a rope by
which I held myself in midair. My companion, too, lost his hold and fell but his arm was
caught in the rope on which he had stood and he too hung in mid air above the waves
which the wind was lashing to great fury. It is equally miraculous to me even today how
both of us were able to regain our places on the spar where we had done our work. When
we came down the first mate asked us, “Why boys, you look pale as ghosts, what’s the
matter?” We looked at each other and saw that we both looked deathly pale. Then the
mate added, “Yes, you had a narrow escape.” How many angels may have reached out
their hands by God’s providence to save us. How earnestly I thanked my God and still
praise Him today for His deliverance while I write these words.

Our ship had suffered severely in the storm. It was old and had already been condemned
but since there was much freight stored for transportation in Singapore and since high
rates were paid, the old tub was hurriedly reconditioned and loaded. Of course, no one
had reckoned with a serious storm at the Cape of good Hope. It was a particularly
gracious providence of God that this terrible storm abated gradually, thus smoothing out
and calming the turbulent ocean. If the storm had ceased suddenly and calm had set in
immediately as it does occasionally, our ship certainly would have fallen a victim to the
heavy seas and would have foundered.

When the storm had ceased and the sails set in order, the pumps were examined and
already five feet of water was found in the hold. Seven feet of water was the extreme
danger point. Now we had to pump day and night for weeks until the ships carpenter
with his tar and pitch and we seamen with paint and putty on the outside, could seal the
leaks. God granted us favorable weather on the Atlantic Ocean. We encountered no
storms but mostly light breezes and once a total calm which lasted twenty-eight days. In

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the Bay of Biscay we had a short but very severe storm when we shipped so much water
that we were scarcely able to hold it down with uninterrupted pumping and we all
realized the danger we were in. If we had encountered a severe storm, such as the three
day storms from the southwest which frequently occur at that time of the year in that part
of the Atlantic Ocean, we would hardly have reached our destination. But again, our
merciful God and Savior fulfilled His promise, as found in Isaiah 43, verse 2, “When you
pass through the waters I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not
overwhelm you.”

But I want to add one thing more in regard to this voyage which was my longest one. It
took fully five months, or one hundred and fifty days before we could again set foot on
firm land. On July 1st, 1856, under favorable winds we left Singapore and reached the
Cape of Good Hope, which was half the journey home, within two months and without
any special incidents. We reached the Cape September 1st. We would have reached
London sooner if the favorable winds had continued, but the course in the Atlantic Ocean
along the coast of Africa, while usually free from severe storms, presented the
disadvantage of much calm weather without a breath of wind. We experienced this for
twenty eight days during which the ocean seemed like a smooth steel plate blinding our
eyes. During this time through the natural movement of the water we were rocked
backwards six miles. With such a light breeze and such slow progress there is, of course,
very little work and much time is spent in the sport of fishing. A large shark followed us
for days. We hung out a line with a tempting piece of meat, but for a long time the shark
regarded it with suspicion and contempt. Finally he snapped at it and was caught. He
was nine feet long and with a loud hurrah he was pulled up on the deck. With a sharp
broad ax, the ships carpenter severed his dangerous head from his body. I requisitioned
the head for study while the sailors took the skin and tanned it. The captain claimed the
spine from which he expected to have a walking stick made. I was amazed when I saw
the tremendous throat, out of all proportion in size to the head. I realized how easy it was
for such a throat to swallow a skinny man. I had expected to see large fangs but was
disappointed. The shark had no fangs but above and below three rows of teeth, each one
about a half inch long and movable so that they rest flat but rise up for attack. Besides
they are not hard, as teeth or bone, but rather soft and cartilage like. His method of
attack is suitable to these features. When attacking he turns on his back, approaches and
snaps, then quickly turns on his belly and half tears and half chews. Whatever remains in
his throat he swallows immediately and then quickly snaps again at what remains. I cut
out the three rows of teeth of the shark we caught, cleaned them and saved them for
years. But somehow, finally, to my great regret, they disappeared. Shortly thereafter
another shark appeared considerably larger, but in spite of every attempt to catch him we
failed. On the other hand, during this time, we frequently caught a number of dolphin
from three to six feet in length. They present a beautiful play of colors in the water. At
first they look pale green, in their next movement, the color is transformed to brilliant
silver white, them again to soft blue and another time to a wonderful lilac. Even lying on
the deck the color changed a number of times. We weighed a few of the fish. One was
twenty eight pounds, another thirty two and another forty pounds. The dolphin is edible
and we enjoyed this deviation from the monotonous ships diet.

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Our voyage proceeded slowly. It was not until the beginning of October that we entered
the so-called “Malpassat” which is feared by all sailors. In this area, as the name hints,
the wind is incalculable. It changes frequently and sometimes dies down entirely and the
ship stands still. Since this is in the neighborhood of the equator, the heat is intolerable
during the calm and we had to pour water over the deck frequently. During such
monotonous periods of slow progress on a long voyage, the crew exhibits a peculiar
mood of disgust and ill humor, resulting in frequent fights. A harmless word, even
among friends, brings about an ugly quarrel. On such an occasion it happened that the
captain and first class Danish sailor, John, started a violent fight. The captain struck the
sailor in the face and kicked him with his feet. In his fury the sailor attacked the captain
with a knife. But this dangerous conflict ended in reconciliation, the captain confessing
that he had accused John unjustly and had been too hasty. The first mate, a most
disagreeable and unpopular fellow, got into one fight after the other, most of which he
himself provoked, and in which he also usually came off second best. When he
attempted, on one occasion, to let out his ill humor on me, I told him that he had no
business ordering me and, at the same time, the captain rebuked him angrily, and with
this he withdrew into his cabin.

I must mention another blessing of God. By His grace I found favor with the entire crew.
Not only the captain and the officers - with the exception of the one just mentioned - but
also the sailors treated me not like one of themselves, but with a certain respect. I did my
work unassumingly and willingly, and without complaint like the others, and confessed
my Christian faith. I admonished them in a friendly way when they cursed and used
loose language or I would simply leave the cabin. I sometimes said to them, “You were
all baptized and confirmed, just as I was, and should be saved. You call yourselves
Christians and thereby confess that Jesus is your Lord and Savior. Would it not be better
if you said, ‘Thank God, or God help me’ instead of ‘God damn’. None of you want to
go to hell when you die instead of to heaven. Why don’t you live accordingly? By
nature, I am no better than you are. In fact before God, I am as great a sinner as you are.
But, therefore, I believe in my Savior and because I owe Him so much I try to prove my
gratitude by leading a Godly life and avoiding sin. Can’t you do the same?”

Toward the end of the voyage one of the ordinary seamen became seriously ill. I nursed
him as much as time permitted and ministered particularly to his poor soul. He was very
receptive to the Word of God and by His grace became truly converted. When I read to
him from my New Testament, the others listened attentively and when I prayed with him
they all folded their hands. They were moved by the power of the divine Word, which
was so unexpectedly brought to their attention as it had never been before and I
experienced the unspeakable joy of being so thought of that it rarely occurred that any of
the sailors cursed or told unsavory stories in my presence. When I entered the cabin I
often heard someone say under his breath, “He’s coming”, and when I entered everything
was quiet. Occasionally the conscience of one of them would trouble him and he would
come to me secretly for counsel and comfort. Yes, on the last two Sundays, they even
asked me to conduct a little service for them which I was delighted to do. I read the

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Gospel to them and expounded it simply and applied it to them. It seemed as though an
entirely new spirit prevailed among them. Immediately upon our arrival in London a
German colporteur came aboard and offered German Bibles for sale. Seven of the sailors
bought Bibles and three of them told me that they would return home and give up the sea.
I assured them that a sailor could also live as a pious Christian if he would read his Bible
consciously, but of course, it was preferable to live in a Christian congregation and go to
church to hear the Word of God and take communion. When I bade them farewell in
London, I did so in the happy conviction that they had been deeply moved in their hearts
by the Word of God and sincerely purposed to begin to lead a Christian life.

But I must take up my diary again. It reads,

“On July 1st, we left Singapore came quickly and safely through the Sunda
Archipelago into the Indian Ocean, to the Cape of Good Hope and on September 17th,
we sighted St. Helena, the place of the exile of the great Napoleon. We hoped that the
Captain would make for the island to take on a fresh supply of water but unfortunately he
did not do so. He had reason to regret this seriously later on. After we had passed the
island and on September 25th, also after we had passed Ascension Island, we came into a
calm which lasted twenty eight days and our supply of water dwindled away. every
morning a limited ration of water was issued to the cook for the kitchen and then the
cask was locked. Not one of the crew received a glass or even a swallow of water. All
we had to quench our thirst in the terrible heat was the little remains of cold tea or coffee
that was left in our canteen. Imagine our joy when finally in the west heavy clouds
appeared and came in the direction of our ship and them emptied out over it until within
five minutes we stood up to our waists in rain water. Our intolerable thirst made this
warm water taste to us like the sweetest and coolest spring water. When we saw the
storm clouds approaching the entire deck was quickly cleaned and all outlets plugged up
so that not one drop of the precious liquid might be lost. So abundant was this gift of
God that we filled all of our water tanks and could proceed without fear to the end of our
journey. In sincere gratitude I thanked God for His beneficence and even the rough
sailors were not unmoved. The burning thirst and the imminent danger of dying of thirst
had been very real.”

Even to this day I have the feeling that one should be sparing with water even under
happier circumstances and should not throw it away so casually and carelessly as it is
done in our cities where we have such magnificent water supply systems. Water is a
costly and indispensable gift of God. One appreciates this only when it is withdrawn.

After this protracted calm, our voyage proceeded more rapidly again. In the Bay of
Biscay, we once more had a severe but, thank God, only a brief storm, which however,
made us realize again on what sort of an unseaworthy vessel we were. Our boat shipped
so much water that we could hardly pump it out in sufficient quantities, although we were
at the pumps continuously. We were happy and grateful indeed, when on November
10th, not only Cape Lizard, but also the entrance to the English Channel was sighted,
entered and passed by rapidly under favorable winds. Then on November 22nd, we

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passed Dover and came so near the shore that we recognized distinctly the mighty fort for
defense against France. The houses in the city became clearly visible. The city lies
romantically between three hills. Here the pilot came on board and brought us to anchor
at nine o’clock. Early in the morning at 4 o’clock we set out again since both the wind
and tide were favorable. However, this lasted only until 10 o’clock. Then the wind and
tide turned against us and we were compelled to anchor again. A steamer came along
and offered to tow us in to London for forty pounds sterling ($200). That seemed too
much to the captain and he declined. Later he regretted it very much because the weather
became very unfavorable and a heavy storm, which broke loose, created all sorts of
difficulties. Instead of arriving in London November 24th, we arrived on December 1st.

I shall not attempt to describe the interesting passage up the Thames to London,
surrounded by a confusion of thousands of vessels, some beautiful large steamboats and
sailing vessels, down to the smallest boats - a wonderful spectacle. I shall also omit a
description of the great metropolis of London. What could I report that others had not
already told and described much better. I felt that I was too poor to visit even the most
outstanding sights and that I did not know enough English to get along with a guide. For
that reason, too, I did not even make an entry in my diary. Only one thing remains vivid
in my soul and concerning that I want to add a few words, namely the overpowering
magnificence of this world metropolis with its population of millions. One must see it to
get any fairly adequate conception and even then one’s appreciation must fall far short of
the reality. But this I must say with reference to the city fifty two years ago - that is,
more than half a century ago, the city was beyond all conception magnificent. There
were the mighty docks extending deep into the commercial sections surrounded by
warehouses, eight and ten stories high, with great steam engines and hoists which could
unload the largest ships in one to two days. Steamers were at that time rare. Now, after
fifty years, they have almost entirely displaced sailing vessels. At that time on both
shores of the Thames, a whole forest of high masts of proud clippers were visible, a sight
which delighted the eye. Now one sees in the place of masts and spars, black smoke
stacks and clouds of smoke and soot. Much poetry, beauty and romance disappeared
with the sailing vessel.

Leaving the closed and well guarded docks and coming out into the streets of the city
especially where the commerce and warehouses of London were located was quite a
sight. For miles one saw large business houses, one close to the other, filled to the roof
with merchandise from the ends of the earth, and in front of the houses on both sides
there were mountains of piled up stores ready for delivery. A mass of humanity, jostling
and weaving in confusion, the streets crowded with every variety of vehicles - carriages,
omnibuses, heavy trucks and light spring wagons, all in confusion, everyone in a hurry,
calling and screaming and noise - it was bedlam. It was impossible for the eye to take it
all in or for the ear to make distinction. Neither could mind and spirit comprehend it and
penetrate the chaos of this magnificent, confused spectacle of human activity, power and
skill. I do not believe that any other city, not even Rome at the height of her glory and
power over the whole known world under Caesar Augustus, could be compared with
London, not even with the London of fifty years ago, much less today, when its

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population is approaching seven million. How its grandeur must have increased in the
intervening half century during which civilization and culture made such unparalleled,
marvelous and unexpected progress. What changes and improvements have been made
upon the city through some of the new discoveries, especially the use of electricity in the
London of today. Berlin has barely reached a population of a million in fifty years - what
progress must have been made in this city of seven million inhabitants. Here, though, all
comparisons must cease.

But let me conclude the report of my voyage. I had enough money left from Singapore
to purchase transportation from Liverpool to New York. So I hastily turned my back on
London, the great metropolis, to return home. I longed for my friends and brethren in the
faith in New York. On the splendid clipper, “Aurora”, we left Liverpool on December
15, 1856 with about 350 Irish immigrants. It was as weird a crowd, rough, course,
thievish, lascivious and quarrelsome as one could find anywhere, which accompanied me
from my last port of call to America, my home. Besides, the voyage was long - 44 days -
stormy and cold and the fare inadequate, both in quality and quantity. I rarely felt
satisfied and most of the time I was actually hungry. What joy filled my heart when, at
last on January 27, 1857, Sandy Rook, the American shore, was sighted and what happy
deliverance when on the very next day we arrived at the dock and I set my feet on my
American homeland.

CHAPTER 14

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 My Eighth Voyage - Commercial Position in New York

My first visit, when I stepped ashore, was to my good friends, Joachim and Henry
Birkner, two merchants from Nürnberg. The former had unfortunately already left the
office, but Henry greeted me very sincerely and took me home to his wife, a daughter of
my paternal friend, Pastor Brohm. After supper the three of us went over to his cousin,
Joachim, who lived in the neighborhood and who also extended to me a very hearty
welcome. I spent a delightful evening with these dear children of God who were my
friends. They joined me heartily in praising and thanking God, who had carried and
protected me from many thousands of dangers and had not only kept me safe, but had
restored my health and even my physical strength, literally renewing my youth. They
could not have been more sincere if I had been a member of the family. Pastor Brohm,
my dear paternal friend threw his arms around me and kissed me when I stepped into his
home as though I had returned from the dead. His wife, too, received me with gentle
maternal affection, as though a prodigal son of hers had unexpectedly returned. I
regarded it as a token of God’s special favor that I could experience the comfort of their
affection, because we had learned to know each other only a short time before my
departure and there was no other relation between us except our common faith in and
love for Lord Jesus. Of course, this faith in and love for Christ are the two great divine
gifts of grace on earth. Wherever they dwell in the human heart, there also will exist as a
natural concomitant, a pure and holy love of the neighbor, converting this poor veil of
tears on earth into a veritable paradise. These graces surrounded and glorified my
adventurous life.

Since Mr. Joachim Birkner had a larger family and therefore a larger house than his
cousin Henry, who had no children, I accepted his invitation to live with him until I could
find suitable employment which I hoped would be soon. I want to record here with
grateful acknowledgment that this hospitable house became a true home to me in which I
experienced many kindness and repeated entertainment throughout subsequent years. On
February 9th, I entered as clerk in the Engros - Tobacco Company of Mr. J. H.
Bergmann with a salary of $6.00 a week. For those days this was a very substantial
salary for a beginner.

So I had now entered my eighth odyssey. I had now for the second time entered
commercial life. The first time I worked in the small retail store, now it was in a
wholesale business and this time in the largest city of the United States, New York. For
$6.00, I secured room and board and lodging with Mr. Birkner’s partner, Mr. Wieland. I
had a nice bedroom with breakfast and supper and lunch which I took along to work. My
host was the reformed German minister, Neander, in Williamsburg. His wife, was an
American and a very sweet and sincere Christian. In association with Wieland, the two
Birkners and Bergmanns and all the members of the congregation of my dear Pastor
Brohm in New York, we all went to services every Sunday morning. I applied myself
industriously to my duties in the business, made particular efforts to improve my
atrocious handwriting, learned to do arithmetic rapidly and correctly in connection with
the difficult import and export duty schedules, which was my chief duty, in order to

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satisfy my impatient and faultfinding superior. He carried on a wholesale business in
Florida tobacco wrappers, which ended with the liberation of the slaves. This tobacco he
sent to Bremen. In return he received large stocks of good “Bremen” cigars from
Holland; also clay pipes. His capital was about $100,000 of which a silent partner in
Germany owned two thirds. I spent my evenings in the company of Wieland at our dear
Birkners. Frequently and with great pleasure I accepted invitations from Pastor Brohm
with whom I spent most of my Sundays. I could discuss theology and church affairs with
him. Although I was contented with my lot in business, all my interests and the longing
of my heart were undiminished to complete my studies. Pastor, my faithful counselor,
did not discourage me, but rather encouraged me but with the wise counsel, “Wait
modestly and patiently on the Lord your Savior. He alone knows the right time and hour,
the right way and means.”

Belatedly I must here mention the deaths of which I heard on my return from the East
Indies. On March 29, 1856, our dear oldest sister Caroline, the third wife of our former
teacher, the cantor, George Leibig in Oettingen had died. This death affected me very
deeply. In spite of her youth, this dear sister was like a mother to us. She was very
affectionate and possessed great pedagogical wisdom. Under her guidance we spent very
happy years in our youth. Her early death was a great loss to her husband and the three
children she left behind. The other tragic death was that of my Uncle Karl Hanser, the
oldest brother of our dear father. Cousin Catherine Morhardt in Pomeroy, Ohio is his
daughter. He died suddenly of a stroke in the midst of his activity but he was not
unprepared. Earlier in life he had an uncontrollable temper and was anything but pious.
However, in later years, he sincerely repented and found comfort in the forgiveness and
grace of his Savior so that we feel assured that he died in the Lord. He was my godfather
and I was named Karl after him.

I must mention a third very painful death which affected me deeply and which
occasioned an irreparable loss to our Synod. It was dear Professor Adolf Biewend. He
died on April 10th, 1858 in the prime of his life of a brain tumor, after an illness of only
five days. He was a very gifted scholar and had an exceptionally pleasing personality.
He was as much loved as he was respected for his learning by all who knew him. The
mourning at his premature death was deep and general.

I remained in my position with Bergmann from February, 1857 to August 1858. I must
confess that I was often discouraged and impatient. I had to keep reminding myself of
the words of scripture, “Mine hour is not yet come” when impatient longing threatened to
become discontent. I am ashamed, now, when I read in my diary my unseemly and
violent complaint; “How long, O Lord? Thou hast graciously forgiven my sins, that I
know my Savior, I bless and praise Thy mercy and wisdom that Thou hast kept me so
long under the discipline of this delay”. I had fondly hoped that the call for me would
come with the beginning of the new semester in September to return to St. Louis, that the
Lord had need of me. But no! He had no need of me for a long time yet. He could get
along without me for another whole year. He would wait right well until I had become
much humbler and smaller in my own estimation. The Lord could wait until I had even

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become entirely quiet and satisfied and could say not only, “Lord Jesus, when ever it is
Thy will”, but could even say, “if you want me at all in Thy service”. And God let me
wait through the entire year of 1857 and again until August of the year 1858. My heart
had already begun to fear and to say: “His hour will never come for me”. But then it
came unexpectedly and I felt deeply humbled.

CHAPTER 15

My Return to the Seminary in St. Louis

In a letter from Theodore Barthel, the treasurer of the Young Men’s Society in St. Louis,
I learned that the student they had supported had passed his examination as a candidate
for the ministry and the group was prepared to support another student. He told me that
many members remembered me and instructed him to inquire whether I would not care to
return and complete my theological studies in Concordia Seminary under Dr. Walther.
The society offered to pay all expenses, incident to my remaining two years of
preparation for the ministry. I fell on my knees and exclaimed with deep emotion, “My

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God and Savior, I am not worthy of all Thy mercy and grace. What compensation can I
ever offer for the mercy Thou dost bestow on me?” That very same evening I hurried
with this precious letter to Pastor Brohm. Both he and his wife were delighted to hear the
news. So were all my other friends in New York. They all knew that I longed to return
to St. Louis to complete my preparation for the ministry and bade me farewell with
sincerest wishes for God’s blessing. On my way to St. Louis I planned to visit my
brother Hugo in Rainheim, Canada and my sister Emma in Indianapolis, Indiana.

I spent delightful days with my brother Hugo; he had a good congregation. The members
loved him. He taught school four days a week and was very happy in his domestic life.
His wife had served in the home of Professor A. Biewend where he had met her. Her
name was Karolina Meier. She was the daughter of a widow in Immanuel congregation
and was an earnest, serious-minded and very gifted young woman. She was more a
friend than a servant in the home of Professor Biewend, whose widow maintained the
friendship with her throughout her life. A little daughter, one and one half years old,
bright and lovely, completed their domestic happiness. In 1860, brother Hugo accepted a
call to the congregation in St. Johannesburg, in New York, not far from Niagara Falls.
This congregation was one of the first which left the synod of Graubau and joined our
synod. Although this congregation presented many difficulties, his ministry was richly
blessed by God. After a few years he received a call from St. Paul’s congregation in
Baltimore. Until that time we had only one congregation in Baltimore which was served
by Pastor Ernst Keyl. The membership of this congregation had so increased and
become so scattered over the whole city that three congregations were organized from the
nucleus of this one, namely St. Paul’s, Mattini, and Immanuel. The pastor of the latter
church was my brother-in- law, Frincke. -- It is now more than twenty years ago since
God called brother Hugo to his eternal home.

His oldest son, Otto, is pastor in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the third, Oscar, is pastor
in Herrigan, Wisconsin. Two of his daughters married ministers; Martha married Pastor
Harry Eckhardt, in Jersey City, New Jersey, Frieda married Pastor H. Sauer in Cleveland,
Ohio.
After too short a time I had to bid brother Hugo farewell in order to spend a few days in
Indianapolis with my sister Emma. I had had opportunity to greet her only a few
moments on her arrival in America. She too, enjoyed a happy domestic life. Her
husband, Carl Frincke from Braunschweig, was a gifted Pastor, who developed a fine
congregation in the capital of the state and served with single blessing both in the church
and school. He had been a widower with two children when Emma married him. The
oldest of these children, Carl, is now Pastor in grand Rapids, Michigan. The younger
child, a girl by the name of Christiana, later married Pastor Both of Mobile, Alabama.
The latter died in the terrible yellow fever epidemic in the year 1879. Later she married
teacher Hiller in Liverpool, Ohio. She, too, has gone to her rest now long ago. Her son,
Arthur Both, is Pastor in Crown Point, Indiana. Pastor of Martini in Baltimore. There he
served to a ripe old age and died June 5th, 1905. His other son, Henry, is doing excellent
work in the ministry in Monroe, Michigan. One daughter, Emma, married Pastor
Rudolph in Larose, Illinois.

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I spent a few delightful days in Indianapolis. My brother-in-law Frincke even took me
along to a conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana, which was very interesting. That was the
first conference of Lutheran Synods in the United States. The purpose was to discuss
amalgamation on the basis of the Book of Concord of 1580. Subsequent similar
conferences resulted, in the course of years, in the “Synodical Conference”. At that time
our practical seminary under Professor A. Craemer was still in fort Wayne, Indiana.
Three years later it was transferred to St. Louis, Missouri, and subsequently to
Springfield, Illinois.

From Indianapolis, I went to White Creek to visit my spiritual father, Pastor R.

Klinkenberg and his wife. They were both delighted that I could resume my theological
studies. From here I went to Cincinnati where I spent a few happy days with Aunt Bloss
and her son, Carl. The latter owned a prosperous drug store in Newport, Kentucky,
across the river from Cincinnati. By this time, however, I became impatient to reach St.
Louis and enter upon the paradise of my studies at the feet of our dear Dr. Walther. Oh!
The abundant grace of God, my Savior, through which all the longing of my soul now
found its greatest fulfillment. On June 12th, 1855, I left St. Louis, sick and hopeless,
now August 23rd, 1858, after three years, God brought me back into the happiest
conceivable circumstances, not only restored to health but as a student in Concordia
Seminary. How can I ever sufficiently show my gratitude to God for His inconceivable
and unmerited faithfulness and mercy. I will forever praise the Lord and will never more
forget all his mercies. Not only did His providence bring me back to my studies in this
wonderful institution, but also so richly blessed my studies.

During my absence the Lord had also blessed this synodical institution richly, not only by
the addition of teachers but also of students. In the year 1856, the synod had called
Rector Schick, who was pastor in Chicago, as Professor of Classical languages in the
college. Professor Schick not only possessed a thorough philological education but also a
very special gift for imparting this knowledge to others. In the year 1858, Pastor
Rudolph Lange of St. Charles and Pastor Theodore Brohm of New York came to St.
Louis. The latter became Pastor of Holy Cross congregation, the former Professor of
English in the college and seminary. Professor Brohm who was an excellent Hebrew
scholar, took over the Hebrew course, which Rector Goerner had previously
unsatisfactorily taught. Professor Lange, besides teaching English, also had classes in
logic and philosophy. He devoted special time to English homiletics, although only a
few students were sufficiently familiar with English to preach in that language. Among
the latter was especially Jacob Buehler of Baltimore. His mother was an American, his
father a German and a prominent member of the congregation of old Pastor Keyl.
Buehler was sent to San Francisco after he had passed his examination as a candidate.
He deserves the title applied to him, that of ‘Founder of the Lutheran Church in
California’. He was a very talented man and was able to deliver a stirring sermon in
either language.

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As a result of these enlargements of the faculty much more thorough and comprehensive
instruction could be offered. The second class in the seminary which I entered had
twelve students which was the largest number reached up to that time. My former class
had passed its examination in the spring of 1856. There were only six students in that
class, one of whom was my brother Hugo. During the intervening years only isolated
students had graduated, among them, 1859, Muchel, Mennicke and W. Achenbach. I
knew almost all of the students in my class from former years. Besides myself only
Pastors M. Turmenstein and Fruechtenicht are still living and are in retirement. I had two
years more of study, a long and delightful time which passed only too quickly. In fact,
mine was abbreviated by half a year. A very tragic circumstance was the cause of this.
In the winter of 1859 to 1860 our dear Dr. Walther was taken ill with a serious throat
ailment and the doctors unanimously agreed that if he was to regain his health
unimpaired, he would have to withdraw from all work for a long time. They
recommended a long stay in Germany and in Switzerland. This medical judgment was
communicated to President Wyneden in Fort Wayne. With Professor Craemer he
immediately came to St. Louis and became readily convinced that the counsel of the
medical man was sound. Together with the ministers, the board of trustees, and the
pastors in St. Louis, he decided that the Senior class should be graduated at once owing
to the pressing need for ministers and should be assigned immediately to the vacancies.
The rest of the lectures in the seminary as well as the instruction in the college were
regulated for the period of Dr. Walther’s absence. On February 6th, Dr. Walther,
accompanied by his son, Constantine, and his nephew Stephanus Keyl, left for Germany,
followed by the sincere prayers of the entire synod for his happy return. Through the
bountiful grace of God this dear servant of the Lord returned again on August 20th, 1860
fully restored to health. The entire synod was delighted and united in praise and gratitude
to God for having heard our prayers.

CHAPTER 16

Entrance into the Holy Ministry - Pastorate in Carondelet, Mo.

In the beginning of the year 1860, before the illness of Dr. Walther had become so
serious, a great and unexpected change came into my life. Our class had taken over the
services in the mission congregation in Carondelet, which had been organized by that
great missionary, Pastor Fr. Buenger. We preached on Sunday mornings and Dr. Walther
had told the deacons of the church that they could choose one of the students to be their
pastor. Our examination was to held at Easter after which the church was to receive their
pastor. But again God’s thoughts and ways in this important congregational matter were
different from and higher than our thoughts and ways. Early in the new year, two
conscientious Lutheran members of the church came to Professor Walther and told him
that a number of the members of the church favored the evangelical church; that they
were unwilling to wait until Easter and were planning to call a pastor from the
evangelical synod. They told him furthermore that many parents had had their children
christened by evangelical ministers in St. Louis and that there was great danger that these
evangelically minded members would outvote the Lutherans. The faithful Lutheran

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membership was convinced that their only hope was that some student be given his
examination at once and be assigned to them as pastor and asked Dr. Walther to consent
to this plan.

Professor Walther promised the delegation that he would discuss their plan with
Professor Brohm and that they were to return in two days for the decision. Both Dr.
Walther and Pastor Brohm recognized the great danger and agreed to propose my name
to the church if I were willing to forego the half year to complete my studies. Then they
called me and explained the whole situation to me. They assured me that they had the
utmost confidence that I could handle the difficult situation because I was the oldest in
the class and had more maturity owing to my unusual experiences. Naturally, I hesitated,
but my conscience soon prevailed. My two highly respected fathers and counselors
removed all my misgivings and encouraged me and I therefore, gave my consent. The
two delegates of the congregation were delighted to receive this favorable reply and
asked if I might preach once more in their church on the next Sunday. They thought that
my choice would thereby be assured and expedited. That also was agreed upon and so I
surrendered to the inevitable. My friends, Kayl, Bartling, List, Tucker and Boese went
with me and I preached on the second Sunday after Epiphany on January 15th on the
miracle of the wedding at Cana. My theme was the revelation of the glory of Jesus, his
omnipotence, the love of the Savior. It was a beautiful bright, mild Sunday and the
church was packed with an attentive congregation and God richly blessed the delivery.
Immediately after the service the congregation met to call a minister. We students
returned to the seminary. On the way home friend Stephanus said to me, “Otto, God
gave grace to your sermon and to your delivery. I have no doubt that you will be called
unanimously.” This prophecy was fulfilled. On Monday afternoon the two delegates of
the congregation came to Dr. Walther and handed him the following communication:

“His Excellency, Professor Walther:

Today, Mr. Otto Hanser was called by the German Evangelical Lutheran
congregation at Carondelet through a proper and unanimous vote to be their
minister and teacher. In making this announcement to your Excellency we
petition at the same time to carry out the necessary procedure so that our
congregation may install its minister at the earliest possible moment.

Carondelet, January 15, 1860. the board of deacons respectfully signs:

Gustav Stange, President, W. Trampe, H. Landmana, W. Lange, and Wm.
Stuendel.”

The delegation again urged Dr. Walther to arrange for my ordination on the following
Sunday, to which Dr. Walther gave his consent. He set the following Wednesday
afternoon, January 18th, as the day for my examination before the conference of city
pastors. On the following Sunday I was ordained by the pastors Theodore Brohm and
Friedrich Buenger. Pastor Brohm conducted the examination for Dr. Walther. The
subject was, “De officie Jesu Christi.” My Hebrew assignment was Deuteronomy 18:15-

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19, my Greek assignment was Hebrews 7:13-21. I had to read and explain both. He
examined me for two hours in Latin. By the grace of God I passed my examinations
creditably. The good man gave me grade 1; summa cum laude (with highest honors).
After him Pastor Schaller examined me in practical subjects; pastoral theology,
homiletics and German for half an hour. That completed the examination. The first one
who hurried to me and with a hearty handshake wished me God’s grace and blessing was
dear Pastor Wyneden, our highly respected president who had come from Fort Wayne
with Professor Craemer the day before to persuade Dr. Walther to make the voyage to
Germany. Besides the above mentioned, the following pastors attended my examination:
G. Link, J. Noll, Lehmann, Buenger, Schliepsick, Wolf, the Professors Larson, Lange,
Schick, and Saxer, the students of the seminary and the seniors of the college.

The day of my ordination was a beautiful bright winter day. The congregation had sent a
carriage to call for Pastors Brohm and Buenger and myself, their candidate. The
congregation already had its own church building. In the rear of the basement were two
rooms and a kitchen, which served as living quarters for the pastor. The front part of the
basement, covering two thirds of the area of the building, was a school room, which was
divided from the pastor’s quarters by a door and a wooden partition. Services were held
on the second floor. Today after fifty years, the church is used as a residence for the
sexton. A long time ago now, the congregation had built a large new church and a new
school with three classrooms. A second parsonage has already been built. The church is
without debt and numbers 160 voting members, men over twenty one years, who
compose the governing body of the church. The congregation now flourishes for the last
twelve years under the pastorate of President J. J. Bernthol. From the beginning until
now perfect unanimity and undisturbed peace has prevailed in the church. What a
blessing during these fifty years.

Let me say a word about the human material which composed this congregation. Most of
the members were truck gardeners, who settled within three to four miles in a circle
around Carondelet. Most of them had rented six to twelve acres of land. A portion of
this land belonged to a wealthy German shyster in Carondelet, who managed to
appropriate a great deal of acreage under the pretense of having the proper title and so
defrauded many innocent owners. Other portions of the acreage belonged to wealthy
Frenchmen, most of whom lived in St. Louis. Carondelet was settled preponderantly by
Frenchmen and was formerly nicknamed ‘Wiebusch’ which means empty pockets. On
these small garden plots, the gardeners reaped three harvests a year from their manure
beds. For their vegetables they found a ready market in St. Louis throughout the year
and earned a relatively large income. Most of the gardeners were low German and came
from Hanover and Bielefeld. They were a good natured but careless people. They had
preserved only so much of their Christian tradition that they had their children baptized
and confirmed. Otherwise they cared little about the church or holy communion. On
Sunday mornings they worked and prepared their market wagons for Monday morning,
on which day they left as early as three o’clock in the morning to take their produce to
the market in St. Louis. On Sunday afternoons they gathered together in groups around
one or two kegs of beer. Many a bloody fight resulted from these gatherings with a

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sequence in the court in Carondelet and heavy fines. These Germans did not enjoy a very
good reputation in the church circles in St. Louis. When Pastor Buenger started the
mission in Carondelet, the common judgment was that he was ‘casting pearls before the
swine’, but God did not let him suffer disgrace. Even after a congregation had been
organized and a church had been built and I had been ordained as Pastor, few people
believed that any permanent success would be achieved and some of my friends warned
me earnestly, “Otto, buy only the indispensable things, you will not stay there long. In
two months at most they will run you out”. But, no, a splendid work of God had begun
here. I can truthfully assert to the honor of God that these people were much better than
their reputation. Nowhere in or around St. Louis did we have a more successful and
rapidly growing mission than here. Within one year these people organized themselves
into a regular Lutheran congregation with 35 voting members. With willing sacrifice,
they built a church which combined with it also a school room and residence for the
Pastor and called their pastor with a salary of $300 a year. This hopeful beginning was
followed by the grace of God with uninterrupted progress. In the year 1909, the
congregation passed a resolution to celebrated its 50th anniversary in order to return
thanks and praise to God for His abundant blessing.

I still delight to remember this time of my first pastorate and praise and thank God for it.
I was indeed apprehensive when I began my ministry there and once more counseled
with my dear spiritual father and teacher, Dr. Walther. I wanted his special advice with
reference to the necessary practical method of preaching and ministration in the
congregation. We had yet had one single lecture on homiletics and pastoral theology.
However, the versatile Dr. Walther, in the course of his various lectures, gave us many
important hints bearing upon these subjects. I want to repeat here in a general way the
principles which he expressed and explained. They contain so much divine truth and
wisdom that even today, after 49 years, I can say that I have conducted my office
conscientiously according to those principles and look back, as a result, upon an
extraordinarily blessed and successful career in the holy ministry. Long sermons, he
said, hinder growth in knowledge and discourage church attendance. Legalistic sermons
never improve people. At best they create hypocrites. Even if serious indifference with
respect to practical Christian living should manifest itself in a congregation, yes, even if
gross sin and offenses should occur, it would nevertheless be all wrong to expect
improvement through continuous legalistic sermons. Only the Gospel brings about
improvement, but of course, only when sin has first been rebuked through the law. That
is the art of a blessed and successful ministry that we study our sermons with prayer and
industry and picture to our audiences in the most persuasive way the boundless love of
God for the sinner manifested in the sending of His dear son and the equally boundless
love of the incarnate Son of God, who sacrificed himself on the cross for the whole
world; to assure our audience of the completeness of our salvation from all sin and guilt
and punishment so that we need not do even the least bit to earn our own salvation; that
we neither can nor need to do anything else than to accept the grace, salvation and
redemption which the Gospel offers us and rejoice in our hearts, comfort ourselves and
praise God; and that means nothing else than simple believing. The better and the more
convincingly a pastor preaches this Gospel the more earnestly he will then also preach

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the law; the great guilt and the utter inability of natural man for any good works; God’s
consuming wrath over sin which spared not even His only begotten Son, who became our
substitute; above all he will preach the inexcusableness of unbelief that neglects and
despises the love of God and the blood of the Savior, the great sacrifice of divine love
and reconciliation for sin. In this way the law of God is made the very delight of the
Christian showing him how to please God out of love and gratitude and honor Him
before the whole world by refraining from sin and obeying His Law. He warned me
earnestly against frequent polenetics on the pulpit, especially against mentioning certain
people and groups. He maintained that it does no good and only offends sincere
Christians. This type of polenetics should be used sparingly and only on special
occasions. Of course, for instance on the festival of Reformation, one must mention the
Pope and the Catholic Church; in a sermon on Maundy Thursday on the subject of Holy
Communion, after expounding the correct doctrine, one could very well continue: “It is
obvious that the reformed church departs from the Word of God and teaches false
doctrine when it says that the body and blood of Christ are not present in the bread and
wine.”
With reference to pastoral care Dr. Walther maintained the principle that the pastor
should visit every family in his church at least once a year. Faithful visitation creates a
very intimate and blessed bond between the pastor and his members. Next to a good
sermon from the pulpit the most important means of the growth and development
especially of newly organized congregations composed largely of previously unchurched
Christians is faithful visitation of the members. Intimacy and mutual respect and trust are
thereby created between the pastor and his members. Such visitation convinces the
members that the pastor is interested in every family and concerned about the well being
of old as well as young. When he enters a home he must greet all present with a hearty
handshake, even take kindly notice of the infant on its mother’s arm and the maid in the
corner. No one must be justified in feeling slighted. God has committed the spiritual
well being of each one of them to his care. Of course, if these visitations are to serve
their spiritual purpose they must be carried on wisely and with prayer. But the pastor in
entering a home must not appear sanctimonious, stiff and over dignified as though he
were going through a ritual in his clerical robe nor must his mouth gush forth sentimental
spirituality. By no means! He is to enter with a hearty naturalness like a good friend
who knows that he is welcome and who enjoys to make the visit. That prepared at once
for a pleasant natural conversation and when he leaves he will know and sense that he is
leaving a blessing behind in the family.

But I must mention one more circumstance, namely my home. Since a parsonage was
provided I naturally had to establish myself and to that end had to borrow money. All
that I could claim as my own were my intimate personal belongings, clothes, bed, desk,
chair and a small row of books on my desk. Money I had none, but I had an honest name
and many good friends. So I went first to my old intimate friend Julius Schubarth and
bought the necessary furniture; then to my friend Samuel Tirmenstein where I bought a
stove and kitchen utensils; finally to my friend Paul Estel from whom I bought dishes,
knives and forks. They let me have everything willingly and cheaply but I paid for them
all within one year. But no, I did not pay the debt to my good Paul, who at that time was

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single. He insisted that everything was paid and tore up the bill before my eyes. I am
sure God richly compensated him. He too, as all the other friends mentioned here, has
long gone to his eternal home.

Here I was completely equipped, although as yet there was no wife, and as the saying
goes, here was an A-1 equipped bachelor. If anyone was equipped to manage so
complete a layout it was I, a jack of all trades. During the last ten years of my life, from
1850 to 1860, I had been engaged in eight different trades and for one whole year, with
much luck and aptitude, I played the part of a steward. The main meals in bachelors hall
are breakfast and supper. That was nothing for me. I would not have been afraid to
prepare a fine dinner but I did not have the time to do it. From nine o’clock in the
morning until twelve and in the afternoon from two to four I taught school. The situation
in the rural community was fortunate since it provided me with many eatables. Although
I was located in the city, my congregation was rural. Besides a few farmers and trades
people, most of my members were truck-gardeners. Naturally I bought my eggs, butter,
milk and bread from them at very low prices and received many presents in kind. My
larder was therefore always amply provided. This fortunate circumstances brought about
a very interesting result. My parsonage was located only two miles from the seminary.
Including the college, there were about thirty students. Since I was acquainted with the
upper as well as the lower classmen and since our relation was very pleasant and the
intervening two miles made a pleasant walk, groups of students, both from the seminary
and the college, often paid me a visit and regaled themselves in my larder. Bread, butter,
milk and countless eggs, soft boiled, were consumed amid pleasant conversation. It
made little difference whether I was home or not. The door was never locked and they
knew where the victuals were. They made themselves at home, prepared their meal and
enjoyed it, and when I returned home I always found a message to this affect: “We
enjoyed it; thank you”.

I had my dinner with the family of W. Pechmann which had moved into this district from
Trinity congregation. They had a ‘country store’. This was an excellent Christian
family. I shall never forget their kindness to me.

By this time age was beginning to creep upon me. I was 28 years old already. It seemed
to me about time to regard the word of the scripture, “it is not good that man should be
alone”. So I considered changing over bachelors hall into a pleasant happy family home
where a busy housewife should hold her sway. But I was not yet in love. During the
busy period at the seminary I had no time to think about getting married but now the time
was at hand to consider this serious step. Then I discovered, in a lingering memory
which almost surprised me, the picture of the daughter of a minister. It was the third
oldest daughter, Augusta, of Pastor Stahlin who lived in Weiltingen in Bavaria not far
from our old home. Our families had been friends. We lived only one hour’s walk apart.
Both families were large. We boys were together at the gymnasium, in the university and
during vacations we naturally spent a great deal of time together. The youngest son,
Leonard, was my classmate in the gymnasium at Augsburg. The oldest son, Adolf, at
that time already a candidate, finally became president of the Oberkenaistorium in

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Munich with the title ‘von’ Stahlin. The father, old Pastor Stahlin, had died a number of
years before. The widowed mother lived with her daughter Ida in Gursoning. Ida’s
husband was professor of the second class in the gymnasium in Augsburg. The daughter
Augusta was a governess for a number of years in Genf and at that time had a position as
teacher of French in an excellent girls school also in Augsburg. She had herself been a
student there while I was at St. Anna gymnasium with her brother Leonard. We had
occasionally met there on Sundays on our way to the services of Pastor Bomhardt in St.
Jacobi church. As soon as I had made up my mind that she was the girl I would want to
enthrone in my heart and home, I wrote my proposal. I confessed to her that I realized
the great sacrifice implied in her acceptance; that she had to leave her home, her mother
and sisters and brothers and so much that was dear to her heart and emigrate into a
strange land to marry a now almost strange man. At that time it was almost eleven years
since we had seen each other.

I sent this letter to my dear father with the request that if my choice met with his approval
he would send the letter to its proper address and also write a letter to mother Stahlin in
my behalf. Father was delighted with my choice and attended to everything promptly.
On the 15th of August I received the acceptance of Augusta and so became a happy
bridegroom. But it took still a year before we were married. Our married life was very,
very happy, and earthly paradise, but only too short. After ten years her untimely death
converted my joy into deepest sorrow and gloom. She died in childbirth with what is
called ‘child bed fever’, which at that time raged in the city like an epidemic. Thirteen
young mothers alone in my congregation died of this infection. She left a daughter three
days old. I gave her in baptism the name Augusta. Mrs. W. Meyer, the wife of the
druggist, took care of the child in her home with the tenderest care for four months.
After that, a niece, Christiane Frincke, took over the household and another niece, Mrs.
Christine Reichenbach, of Boston, took care of the child for a number of years.

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 CHAPTER 17

Pastorate in Boston, Massachusetts

In September of 1863, a bombshell in the shape of a call fell into our happy and ideal
pastorate. The call came from Boston, Massachusetts through Pastor Fohlinger in New
York. A personal friend of his in Boston who was favorably disposed to the Lutheran
Church invited him to counsel Zion’s church in the matter of a change of pastorate. This
friend in Boston favored calling a Lutheran pastor, preferably one from the Missouri
Synod. The pastor who had just left belonged to the New York ministerium. Pastor
Fohlinger went to Boston and conducted a service and then a meeting of the congregation
and God blessed his counsel. Pastor Fohlinger’s wonderful sermon of which they told
me later that they had never heard one like it before, together with his friendly and
cordial manner had given them confidence in him. As a result they approved all of his
suggestions. They were delighted when he promised to supply them with a pastor in the
shortest possible time and that in the meantime he would conduct services for them every
three weeks.

It was of great importance for the Lutheran Church to establish itself in Boston,
especially through the Missouri Synod. Boston is the largest city in New England in
which large industries were established in which many Germans had already found
employment. Until that time we had no congregation north of the city of New York.

I was startled when this call reached me and anticipated a sad leave-taking. Naturally I
went at once to Dr. Walther who knew about the call. In fact he had suggested my name
to Pastor Fohlinger. His counsel to me was, “My dear Pastor Hanser, you will have to
accept this call. It is too important for our church. God is opening a great door for us
there. God will incline the hearts of your people to grant you a peaceful dismissal.” Yes,
God did and God blessed them for it in giving them a truly evangelical shepherd, Pastor
Morits Hamann, who shepherded them well. Nevertheless the parting proved mutually
very painful. The bonds of affection which had entwined themselves around the pastors
family and the congregation in the short scarcely three years of my stay were severed
only with bitter tears.

At the end of October 1863, we arrived in Boston, my wife and I, and our small son,
Adolph who was born June 13, 1862. We were received in the kindest manner in the
home of Mr. K. Roth. Pastor Fohlinger who had come up from New York to install me
also stayed in this family. I was installed on the Sunday before the festival of

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Reformation. On the following Sunday, November 1st, I preached my introductory
sermon in the morning and a Reformation sermon in the afternoon. After I had read my
text on the pulpit, I closed the Bible and laid it aside just as Dr. Walther was in the habit
of doing and which method he also recommended to us. This created obvious
consternation and displeasure. My predecessor always kept his manuscript in front of
him and used it liberally. Fohlinger had left the Bible open in front of him although he
did not keep his manuscript before him but spoke freely. However, the audience did not
know this and thought that his manuscript was open before him on the Bible, which they
considered the proper thing. Now here comes one who keeps neither Bible nor
manuscript before him. So they foolishly surmised that I had not prepared a sermon and
was speaking to them extemporaneously. Naturally, I soon reassured them and was able
to adhere to the good old Walther method which I still practice today.

In those days, there was not yet the danger as prevalent today of pastors reading their
sermons from the pulpit. That was frowned upon by both pastors and congregations.
However, Dr. Walther did advise the pastors to take their manuscript along on the pulpit
and keep it in their Bible just as he did but never to read from it, but just in case the
pastor might lose the trend of his thought. In that case he could resort to his manuscript.
May God preserve our Synod from the misuse of the manuscript on the pulpit - I mean
from the reading of the sermon on the pulpit.

A much larger and more important field opened up to me in this congregation. Until then
I had to preach only one sermon a Sunday; now I had to preach twice a Sunday, in the
morning at ten thirty and in the afternoon at three o’clock, and again on Wednesday
evenings at eight o’clock. Catechetical instruction in a service and a parochial school did
not exist at that time. However, the congregation readily consented to their introduction,
especially to the establishment of a parochial school. Until that time naturally they had
only a Sunday School. Since the church had a basement, they divided this space and
made two rooms in which they started a school with forty pupils. This favorable
beginning encouraged the congregation to such as extent that they called a regular teacher
and were fortunate in securing the services of John N. Ungemach, a very young but
exceptionally gifted graduate of our normal school. Under his leadership the school grew
so rapidly that a second class had to be provided consisting of the lower grades. Miss
Rosa Walz, a sincere Christian young woman who had just passed her examination as
public school teacher with high honors was engaged to teach these lower grades.
Nevertheless we continued and developed our Sunday School which provided mission
material in the children of the unbelievers. If we had not won those children for our
Sunday School, the other denominations would have done so. After bringing them into
our Sunday School most of the parents also consented to have them baptized. We made a
special effort to teach them German so that they could study the small catechism by
heart. This was excellent preparation for confirmation instruction. A large number of the
children of the unchurched were sent to our parochial school during the period of their
instruction for confirmation.

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Employed as a field and means for mission work the Sunday School has never proved a
detriment to the parochial school. On the contrary, it is an excellent means of bringing
the children into the parochial school.

There were approximately 6,000 Germans in Boston at that time. Besides our Lutheran
Church, there were also a small German Reformed and small German Methodist
congregation. The majority of Germans in Boston were outspoken unbelievers and
enemies of God and His church. Their leader and spokesman was the notorious ‘forty-
eighter’, the atheist and anarchist, Heinsen, around whom the atheistic Germans in
Boston rallied.

My congregation owned a lovely church in a good residential section in which many

wealthy citizens lived. Only a few blocks from our church a German Roman Catholic
church was located. For many years, a heavy debt of $20,000 burdened our congregation
and it still seems to me like a miracle that the congregation did not disrupt as a result,
especially since most of her pastors had been incompetent and rationalistic, being more
concerned about their own subsistence than about their pastoral work. The first faithful
well meaning and conscientious pastor which they had had was my immediate
predecessor. He preached Jesus to the best of his own understanding. He always made
sure too, that the interest was paid at the proper time and reduced the capital debt also
somewhat. In this way he had brought some measure of proper business administration
into the church and increased the membership with good sermons and pleasant
association with the members. However, he received and accepted a call to Rochester,
New York, without giving his congregation an opportunity to counsel with him with
respect to his acceptance or declination. That was a very unfortunate experience for the
congregation. He had been the first good pastor since many years back. Under his
faithful ministry the congregation had again revived, the Sunday School enrollment had
increased and everybody was happy and sincerely devoted to him. But he did not enter
into any discussion with his congregation and did not yield to the earnest requests of his
personal friends; rather in the fashion of the American churchly - rather unchurchly
fashion delivered his valedictory sermon and left the city without bothering in the least or
counseling his congregation with reference to a successor - I have already stated how I
came to be called.

For almost ten years it pleased the Lord to permit me to serve in this important vineyard
and He blessed my poor work with remarkable success. Dr. Walther’s prophetic vision
and prophecy was fulfilled. God here opened a wide door for the Lutheran Church. The
new England states together with the eastern part of the state of New York formed a
district of the Missouri Synod under the name of ‘The Atlantic District’ with 86 pastors,
107 congregations and 38 mission stations. Boston proved to be the beginning and origin
of this development. This growth followed the pattern of the kingdom of God on earth,
inconspicuous, small as a mustard seed. My congregation consisted of 40 members but
the perpetuation of the kingdom of God was the deep concern of their hearts, of the old
and young men and the women and girls. All of them had participated in my election,
but only two of them with confidence and pleasure. To their honor I want to here record

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their names, Carl Rothe and Fredrick Schlotterbeck. They were certain that they were
doing a wise thing in voting for a Missouri Synod Lutheran. The other 38, however,
were exceedingly apprehensive about the wisdom of their action. They had heard much
about Missourians and had received many warnings and no encouragements and were
therefore full of fear. But they were honest and well meaning souls whose confidence
and affection I soon won. At that time there occurred a sort of ‘revival in the German
Christian circles of the city’. Church attendance grew rapidly, so much so indeed that
after two years we were compelled to provide more seats by installing balconies on both
sides of the auditorium. Very violent and open enmity on the part of the two existing
German congregations, the Methodist and the Reformed congregations against us
developed. Quite a number of members of these two churches who had left our
congregation as a result of the faithless pastors began to return to the mother church. In
some cases this divided families, one part joining our church while others remained in the
Methodist church - fewer in the little Reformed church. However, even the Methodist
church lost members so rapidly that they became bitter against the Lutheran Church
especially against the pastor whom they slandered, declaring especially that he was
making the church Catholic and that he taught that if a person were only confirmed and
outwardly belonged to the Lutheran church then he would be saved regardless of the kind
of life he led. But why should I go into so much detail with reference to these ridiculous
and crude misrepresentations. But this just happened to be the time during 1850 and
1860 when the Methodist Church became provocatively presumptuous and tried by every
fair and foul means to proselyte in our German Lutheran and evangelical congregations
and there to disturb the peace. The Methodist church did succeed in creating a good deal
of disturbance and damage but by the grace of God the damage was repaired. The
Lutheran church enjoyed a constant growth and became more and more influential. Even
the evangelical church has developed into a large community. What, in the meantime,
has become of the German Methodist church which was presuming to conquer the whole
Christian world? Like a straw fire it blazed for a brief moment and died out and there
one can find a small German congregation that ekes out a miserable existence. Since
quite a number of the families in my congregation had members also in the Methodist
church I always had a great many strangers in my services especially at confirmation and
on festival days. When, therefore, in the second year when the day of confirmation
came, I chose the text, Jeremiah 31:18, “Convert Thou me and I shall be converted.” For
a theme I announced, “The day of your confirmation will be a day of real blessing to you
only if you are really converted. What does it mean to be converted? Yes, to be a
believer. Only then will your confirmation vow be made in faith and please God and be
blessed of Him.” As a result of this sermon which made a deep impression and was
thoroughly discussed by all the contending parties, all the slanders and
misrepresentations of the poor Lutherans ceased and the Methodists observed a discreet
silence.
Naturally, here I also pursued the well approved Lutheran policy of personal visitation,
which I was able to combine mission work that yielded rich results. The German
Lutheran Church enjoyed a certain prominence and her pastor was called upon for
ministerial services by many strangers, baptism, weddings and funerals, which were
preceded by pastoral visits, presented opportunities for mission work which God richly

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blessed. Besides the constantly increasing attendance at services one of the first fruits of
my work was the increasing number of adult confirmations. My visitation disclosed a
remarkable number of young people who had not been confirmed, partly because their
parents had been indifferent, partly because the young people could not read German and
the pastors were unwilling to permit the introduction of the English catechism or to teach
it. But they came to church and at that time, they still all understood and spoke German.
When I asked them whether they would not still like to be confirmed most of them
answered, “We would be delighted.” For a number of years, therefore, I conducted
evening classes for the adults preparatory to confirmation. Among them were also many
married men and women. I confirmed the adults in the evening service. After a brief
examination, address and consecration, they also went to communion on that occasion for
the first time. It was my privilege during these seasons of instruction of adults to witness
many instances of, and evidences of the power of the Word of God. They were indeed
blessed hours.

So rich was God’s blessing upon the work that we soon began to consider a division of
the congregation. The ninety voting members who lived in Roxbury declared in 1869
that they believed they were able to maintain an independent congregation. They wanted
particularly to have a parochial school for their children in their own vicinity. They had
an opportunity to purchase a conveniently located church building, two miles from Zion
Church and petitioned the congregation for its consent to their plan, which was willingly
granted.

The most delicate question was, which congregation should keep the pastor, but this
question was also settled in a peaceful Christian manner. I pointed out that it seemed
best to me if Roxbury would call the new pastor for the following reasons: the territory of
the new congregation covered only about two miles and most of the members lived
within this area where as the membership of Zion distributed itself all over Boston, Old,
South and East Boston and extended even to the suburbs, Chelseas, Charleston and
Cambridge. I was acquainted in this whole territory and could continue the work without
halt or interruption, whereas it would take the new man a long time before he could
orient himself in this large territory. As a result it was unanimously resolved that I
should remain in Zion and that the congregation which was to be organized in Roxbury
and which chose the name, Trinity, should call the new pastor. The congregation was
fortunate too, in that the very first pastor whom it called accepted, Pastor Adolf Biewend
of Belleville, Illinois, who still today, after forty years continuous service has a richly
blessed ministry. He is the eldest son of the late Professor Adolf Biewend of untimely
death but blessed memory who taught at our Seminary in St. Louis.

During certain periods in previous years I had conducted a third service on Sundays
between five and six o’clock in the above mentioned suburbs but the German populations
were not able to maintain their own congregations and therefore the people had to make
the trip of between two and four miles to the old Zion in Boston. Street car services,
however, soon made this trip to church more convenient. Only in East Boston a separate
congregation was organized.

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In the 12th verse of the 53rd chapter of the Prophet Isaiah, it was prophesied of Jesus,
that “He shall divide the spoil with the strong”. The ‘strong’ includes the mighty in this
world, kings and princes, the rich and wise and indeed all who enjoy respect and
influence above others. To me God gave one of the ‘strong’ in earthly possessions, a rich
man, whose name I want to mention particularly here to the honor and praise of God, G.
F. Burkhardt. He owned a brewery and lived in Roxbury. Both he and his wife had
come from Bavaria. They were sincere Christians but had not as yet affiliated with any
congregation. The pastors in the three Lutheran Churches up to that time had not
satisfied their spiritual needs. However, after Mr. Burkhardt had heard Pastor Fuehlinger
he rejoiced, “That is the bread of life for which our souls hunger.” With happy
anticipation he then waited for the new pastor of Zion. When he came home after my fist
service he exclaimed to his wife, “Mamma, now we have found what we have sought so
vainly for years.”

And indeed he proved himself to be ‘great’ in the kingdom of God and a blessing in the
congregation which he soon joined. For the establishment and equipment of the
parochial school he handed the treasurer, $100 and for the thorough cleaning and painting
of the church $50, which at that time would go a long way. After a short time, he also
called on me and expressed his joy and gratitude to God that he was overjoyed now to
come to church Sundays and offered to provide means at any time if I should find
something urgently needed in the church or if I found very poor and needy families on
my pastoral and missionary visits. He told me that he enjoyed to help here and there in a
quiet way. He had made a vow to his Savior, that if he would bless him in a material
way he would never forget the poor but would help them generously. Since he knew that
greater demands of that nature were made on pastors than their slender incomes allowed
he thought I might bring opportunities to his attention which otherwise he would not
know about.

I thanked him for his gracious concern and assured him that I would be happy to avail
myself of his generous offer. He redeemed his word to me faithfully. I never asked him
for help in vain and in fact he always did and gave more than I asked. He complained
sometimes that I did not call on him often enough. At his death I said with conviction,
“The poor of Roxbury have lost their father and benefactor.” A particularly tragic
situation in the congregation was the occasion and the inspiration for him and his faithful
wife to reveal the genuine sympathy of their hearts in a very special way.

One early morning, I was called to a family which I found to be in the most poverty
stricken and tragic conditions. Husband and wife were both desperately ill in bed. There
were three children, the youngest only one year old, and oldest, a girl of ten years, took
care of her sick parents and the other two children. They had no doctor. There was
nothing to eat except a few pieces of dry bread. I took my good friend Burkhardt to this
home and showed him this domestic tragedy and he rose to the situation in his usual and
generous way. I was told at once to provide a nurse and a doctor and have provisions,
wood and coal sent immediately to the home. The poor sick parents, dying pronounced

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God’s benediction on him and committed their little children to his care. Yes, they died.
Both had pneumonia and were already beyond human help, as the doctor stated after his
examination. They both died within three days. The family had no relatives at all and no
means. I conducted the funeral services. Mr. Burkhardt paid all the costs. Then he
traveled to New York with me to place the children in the orphanage of Pastor Holls.
This orphanage had been founded two years previously by D. Passavent of Pittsburgh and
was located in Mt. Vernon, Westchester County, New York. It was called ‘Warthurg
Orphan Farm School’. Since that time an old folks home is combined with the orphanage
and 26 old people have already made their homes there. This is a beautiful property
comprising 60 acres with splendid buildings, orchards and vegetable gardens. This
institution is a model both in respect to its equipment and management and in the spirit
and atmosphere which pervades it. During the forty years of its existence it has had only
two superintendents, Pastor W. Holls and Dr. Berkemeier who is there today. The visit
to this orphanage, the simple, but still lovely and practical arrangement and equipment,
the healthy, happy appearance and behavior of the children made a deep impression on
Mr. Burkhardt. With great enthusiasm he told his wife about this orphanage and I soon
noticed that he was considering a similar establishment for Boston. Before a year had
passed the first steps were taken, his good wife concurring with enthusiasm.

Mr. Burkhardt owned a large farm in West Roxbury. Opposite this property, the Brook
Farm was located. Originally, this was owned by a group of wealthy Communists,
which, however, had disbanded a long time ago. Brook Farm comprised 160 acres with a
number of large buildings. This farm was for sale and Mr. Burkhardt thought it was
exceptionally suitable for an orphanage. The buildings, he thought, would serve all
purposes for a number of years while the farm could provide the household and six acres
of woodland, situated on higher ground, might provide space for a cemetery for
Lutherans. He offered to buy the property and donate it for the purposes mentioned. He
took me out to inspect the property which was located 12 miles from Boston and asked
my judgment and counsel. Well, that was simple. The place and plan were ideal. But,
the money? The price of the property was $30,000. “Well,”, Mr. Burkhardt said, “I
cannot pay it all at the moment, but most of it - $18,000, but I must often borrow large
sums of money for my business so why cannot I incur a debt for my Savior?” And so it
was done. Burkhardt bought the property, the orphanage was founded under the name of
Martin Luther Orphanage and so an institution came into existence which has brought a
great blessing to a large number of orphans during the last forty years. Here they found a
true home both for their bodies and their souls. At the end of four years, Mr. Burkhardt
had paid off the remaining debt and all interest charges and when he paid the last note he
came to me with the happy announcement: “Our orphanage is now out of debt”. May
God’s blessing upon this man descend also on his children and grandchildren and
children’s children and preserve them all in true faith and Godly lives.

In another respect Mr. Burkhardt became a blessed instrument of blessings in the

kingdom of God. I mentioned to him on one occasion that I thought many Germans
might be found in the many industrial centers distributed throughout New England and
that among them, there must be many Lutherans. It seemed to me a pity that no one

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bothered about and made no effort to organize missions among them. Mr. Burkhardt’s
reply was: “Well, why could we not undertake the founding of missions among them?”
Then he wanted to know about what salary would have to be paid to an assistant and I
told him about $300, that is, if he could live in the parsonage without any cost to him. I
told him that I would be happy to make that arrangement. “Well”, he said, “I on my part
am willing to pay the salary.” So the question of this important mission work was settled
between us. I reported this matter to the congregation which readily consented to extend
a call for an assistant. Our first assistant was candidate Christian Koerner, a very bright
young man. After graduating from the seminary he spent one year in studies in Liepzig,
Germany. He was a real help to me. I did the pioneer work in the mission field and after
I had a good start in some city, he carried the work on. Within about two and a half years
we had established self supporting congregations in Providence, Rhode Island, in
Meriden, Rockville and in Norwich, Connecticut. All of them still flourish today, except
the one in Norwich, where there was not sufficient material to maintain a congregation.
Since then, other congregations have been organized, their total number now being 18
churches in the state of Connecticut alone.

But I must not neglect to mention Mr. Burkhardt’s generosity to me and to my family.
He always thought of new ways to be helpful. Early in my ministry one Monday
morning after a sermon on the day before regarding the ‘blessing of the wealth’ he made
a short call at the parsonage and when he shook hands with me before leaving he pressed
a roll of money into my hand, saying, “I want to thank you for your sermon yesterday. I
was much edified by it and you too should receive some small blessing for it.” Then he
quickly left and I found $100, as a thank-offering in my hand.

During the following year I preached a sermon on “The Perils of Wealth” on the basis of
the same gospel for the first Sunday after Trinity. On Monday morning my good Mr.
Burkhardt appeared again. “I suppose you want to speak to me about yesterday’s
sermon. Was it too severe?”, I asked. He answered, “Yes, the sermon does bring me
here. But it was not too severe. On that subject one cannot preach too severely. You
yourself cannot fully realize how great the danger and temptation of wealth is.” Again,
he left a roll of money in my hand as he hastily left and said, “May God bless you the
more the longer you remain”. Again I found $100 in my hand.

When Mr. Burkhardt made his purchases for his large household he did it on a grand
scale, buying enough provisions to last for months. Once or twice each year, the grocery
wagon stopped at the parsonage also, and delivered a wealth of provisions for the kitchen
and pantry. Mr. Burkhardt was the godfather to our third son, Otto, and provided him
each year with all the clothes he needed and when Otto went to Fort Wayne to college he
sent him $100 every year. The notice of Otto’s death grieved him deeply. In his reply he
sent another $100. When the congregation bought a parsonage he said that he would
provide the furniture and furnishings. In spite of all protests on my part, he insisted upon
buying the most expensive furniture at a total cost of $900. To the present day, after
forty three years, we are still using the parlor and bedroom furniture and are so still
reminded of the exceptional loyalty and liberality of Mr. Burkhardt.

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I should like to mention one other personal matter respecting Mr. Burkhardt. He suffered
from some affliction of the liver, although he rarely drank alcoholic liquors. As a result,
he often went to health resorts, sometimes to Carlsbad in Germany, sometimes to Hot
Springs, Arkansas. At first, he always took Walther’s Gospel Postil along in which he
read frequently although he went to church also every Sunday morning. Later, he also
took along the New Testament of the “Altenburger Bibelwerk”. He never brought either
of these books back with him. He always found some poor spiritually needy soul to
whom he gave the books.

Before concluding the report on my pastorate in Boston, I want to mention a very serious
division or doctrinal controversy which threatened to divide the congregation. I
mentioned in the beginning of this chapter that my congregation was Lutheran only in
name. Most of the members came out of the Reformed Church in Alsace, Lorraine.
Only one of these men, Voelpel, a butcher, came from Germany proper and was a
Lutheran by conviction. During the interim between the departure of my predecessor and
my acceptance of the call he had smuggled a crucifix on the alter. He had camouflaged it
with a heavy wreath of some sort, so that the crucifix was not conspicuous. Some of the
older folks however, noticed it and frowned and expressed their disapproval but because
this member was elderly and very generous in his contributions and otherwise too
enjoyed a good reputation as a sincere Christian, the crucifix was left on the alter.
Otherwise the church was bare after the fashion of Reformed Churches, no real alter, no
candles or lights for communion, no pictures and no sacristy. Greater difficulty even was
presented by the question of bread at communion. The wafer of the Lutheran Church had
not yet been introduced; they used bread. In preparation for communion the pastor had
had to cut proper pieces of bread in the parsonage and place them on a large platter on
the alter. I was startled when I learned this. I immediately asked Dr. Walther and Pastor
Brohm whether I could celebrate communion with bread and they told me, “Certainly,
without any question. But you must not break the bread. The bread itself is not
objectionable, but the breaking of the bread is an act by which the Reformed Church
declares its doctrine and not breaking the bread is a confession on the part of the
Lutheran Church of its doctrine and faith.”

I waited for two years before initiating a discussion on the introduction of the wafer.
Finally an overwhelming majority voted to introduce the wafer. Nevertheless, the
congregation was deeply agitated and twelve members left the church. By the grace of
God, however, I succeeded with patient instruction to win back all but one. But the
whole controversy and the continued discussions became a blessing to the whole
congregation as well for the deeper Christian knowledge it gave them as for the spiritual
unity it created among the members.

Besides the single blessing of God on my work in the congregation and in the mission
field, I must also acknowledge His grace in my happy domestic life. During those ten
years, eight children were born in our home of whom our heavenly Father has already
called three in their infancy to His eternal paradise. Five healthy, happy children

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accompanied us to my new field of labor in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Adolf, Rudolf, Otto,
Selma and Helena.

CHAPTER 18

Headmaster in Concordia College in Fort Wayne, 1872 - 1879

Headmastership at our colleges is beyond doubt one of the most important positions
which our Synod must fill and a mistake in the choice of an unsuitable and incompetent
man has repeatedly done serious damage. The duties and position of a ‘Director’ in one
of our colleges differs very materially from those of a ‘Director’ in a German
‘Gymnasium’. The first point of difference is the fact that our colleges are boarding
schools, the students living in the institution. The enrollments vary from 150 to 250 and
more students. One of the professors must take over responsibility from the morning
devotion to the evening devotion. One must listen with paternal patience to the worries
and requests and affairs of the students, some of whom are ‘tenderfeet’ who have for the
first time left their childhood paradise behind and here confront a strange world, others,
the upper classmen are filled with the sense of their own importance and make
corresponding demands. What, under the circumstances, would become of such a group
of boys, most of them in the most irresponsible age of their lives, if they did not have
such kindly, patient and understanding supervision? And this is just the office and duty
to which our so-called ‘Directors’ are chosen and commissioned. The students in our
colleges are by no means a wild undisciplined mob without the fear of God. They have
been trained to habitual filial obedience. The boys who are sent to our colleges are
selected not only for their gifts and aptitudes but also because they are the best and most
Godly boys found among the catechumens throughout the Synod. They are sent to our
institutions with the sincere prayers of their pastors and their God-fearing parents and

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with the accepted purpose of preparing them for the service of Christ and His church.
Yes, we can truthfully say that they are the ‘elite’ of our catechumens who are committed
to our ‘Directors’. Boys and young men whose examples are the boy Jesus, the chaste
Joseph, and the pious Samuel. In this guidance and supervision God has committed to
our headmasters a serious but glorious task to develop the Christian character of the
future clergy and therefore also all instruction in the Bible and the catechism in all the
classes is made their responsibility. With reference to the office of ‘Director’ of Fort
Wayne, which was our only college in 1872, “Our ‘Director’ must be the spiritual leader,
father and pastor of the students, he must understand and love them as a father so that
they will come to him with their cares and requests and problems as they would to their
own fathers, certain that he will give them patient and sympathetic hearing and counsel
and help.” The influence of the ‘Director’ over these future pastors during their six years
at college in our church is incalculable and far reaching and one of the most powerful
means of character building is his instruction of them in the Word of God. Here he can
establish their faith for their whole lives and by his faithfulness and industry, patience
and understanding in the performance of his duties he can give them an example which
they will seek to emulate throughout their own lives and careers. No professorship in our
colleges is comparable in importance to the duties of a ‘Director’. Exceptional wisdom is
needed for this office. The Director must administer his office in the spirit of the Gospel.
He must be young and jovial with the youth which are committed to him, even though his
hair may be turning gray. He must be just and impartial. He must remember them in his
prayers. He must be able to distinguish between sins natural to impulsive youth and sins
of malice. He must know when to close his eye and fail to notice an impropriety and he
must know when to put down his feet and adhere to his decision. Only if he possesses
this divine wisdom will the students, both the elder ones and the younger ones, love and
trust and respect him. In later years in the ministry, especially in their own pastoral work
in their congregations as pastors, will these students remember and imitate the
evangelical example of the Director. Many a student will remember till they are quite
old, and thank his Director and spiritual father for establishing his faith in the Word of
God so firmly during the impressionable years of his youth and has given him such an
impressive example of a model Christian life. If, on the contrary, the ‘Director’ is
legalistic, temperamental, moody or a critically disposed person, nagging and
unreasonably severe, it was regarded as a ‘curse’ for the institution. The damage he does
can hardly ever be repaired. Here I am reminded of the statement of Dr. Luther: “It does
incalculable damage to forbid youth to be happy.” Who does or can do that more
effectively than a Director whose chief, if not only, means of maintaining discipline is the
rod. With such legalistic approach and method, a Director will not develop, but ruin
youth. Instead of developing kindness and a sweet disposition in them he will cultivate
in them an irritable, revengeful, mature disposition. The products of such discipline are
not Christians but hypocrites. May God in his mercy preserve our institutions from such
‘mis-Directors’.

Very tragic conditions prevailed in our Fort Wayne college at the time of our jubilee
synod in 1872. The Director who showed great concern and affection for the students
when they were sick wielded the rod of discipline with great severity when they were

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well. This type of discipline created among the students, especially the upper classmen, a
spirit of unbelief and opposition and frivolity. Serious charges were brought and proved
to the synodical meeting. A thorough investigation was ordered which had in view a
complete reorganization of the college. Five numbers were elected to this committee,
three pastors and two laymen. This committee discharged its difficult assignment with
great wisdom and God laid a rich blessing on their labors of love. A new and glorious
development now began in the college. The confidence of the pastors in the institution
which had suffered so severely that only a few students were being sent to college, was
gradually reestablished. Within a few years the enrollment rose to three hundred. Two
of the old professors returned to the ministry and the former Director became professor of
Greek. A new Director and two younger pastors for Latin and English and for natural
history were elected. Besides the former Director, whom I succeeded, only the so-called
‘Rector’ who instructed in prima and secunda, an excellent philologist with exceptional
gifts to impart his knowledge to others and who is still teaching after his fiftieth
anniversary, remained.
I took up my duties as Director in October of 1872. Only with the deepest regret did I
take leave of my beloved congregation in Boston and the ministry to enter upon a new
and entirely unfamiliar position. Only one thing was clear to me, that I was to be
spiritual father and pastor of the students and to instruct them in the Word of God. That
purpose comforted my soul and God, my Savior did not let me fail. On the contrary he
laid his richest blessing on my work. The former Director received me very kindly and
offered to introduce and instruct me in the various duties of my new and difficult office.
For this I was very grateful to him and we always got along well together. I was grateful
for his assistance and he was happy that he could remain to some extent at least in his old
position. Our friendship was in no way interrupted by the circumstance that his
principles concerning the boys and young men were diametrically opposed to mine - he
was all law - I was all Gospel. Let me illustrate that with an incident. In the very first
days, two alleged offenders from Tertia were accused before the old Director. He
brought them to me. They were presented to me like criminals. Their defiant faces
hinted that they were guilty but not penitent. I told them to sit down and asked them in a
friendly way, “Well, what did you do?”. Their answer was, “We went into a saloon and
drank a glass of beer”. I asked, “Didn’t you realize that that is forbidden?” “No, we had
taken a long walk and were hot and thirsty and only thought of getting something to
drink”, they replied. Again, I asked, “Do you go into saloons otherwise?” And their
answer was no to this question. And then I said, “All right so we will forgive you. But
now, keep your word not only because you are forbidden to go to saloons, but because
you are baptized Christians for whom it is unseemly to patronize saloons. Even among
the children of the world it is regarded as unbecoming and dangerous for young people to
visit saloons. As Christian boys and college students, you should not jeopardize either
your own reputation or that of the college.” They promised not to do it again and left
with an entirely different expression on their faces. My predecessor had been present in
the room and had been a silent witness. He shook his head saying; “My dear Hanser, you
will never get by that way. You must regard every student as a bad boy whose only
purpose is to deceive and annoy you. I am sure these two boys went away with contempt
in their heart for you.” I answered, “I would consider it a sin against the eighth

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commandment to consider my students bad boys and treat them accordingly. How could
I justify that since I have no proof? On the contrary, to me they are all baptized
Christians and children of God until they prove the contrary to me by persistent
wickedness. So I approached each one of them with paternal affection and patience and
tried to win their hearts and love and their confidence. That is the way of the Gospel,
which alone can make them pious. If I were to begin with the law and legalistic
judgments, they would learn to hate me and become the more wicked.” He was silent
and I believe that these few words disclosed to him the reason for his failure and that he
had to confess to himself, yes, that was the unhappy harvest that resulted from my
legalistic husbandry.

Well, in the spirit which Dr. Walther urged: “Our Director must be the spiritual father
and pastor of our students”, I tried to conduct my office during my seven years stay in
Fort Wayne and I look back upon this time to the relation between myself and the
students as the loveliest and most blessed and successful of my career. Even today, thirty
years after my Directorate I am often greeted at conferences and synodical sessions by
my old students whom I may not have seen for years with affectionate sincerity and with
the words, “There is our old unforgettable Director. We are so happy to see you once
again”. This attitude on the part of the students, I was happy to observe in various
situations and occasions during my Directorate.

Serious and turbulent scenes between students and in fact whole classes and individual
professors often occurred through the latter’s ineptitude. Of course, the Director was
always called to conciliate and adjudicate. But as soon as I stepped into the midst of
these situations there was silence. No class or individual student was ever disrespectful
or obstinate to me on such occasions and the difficulty was always quickly adjusted and
the agitation disappeared. On some such occasions I had to tell my colleague that he was
wrong but of course, I never did that in the presence of the students but in private and
never as Director but as a fellow Christian and colleague. On one occasion a serious
fight occurred between two students, who faced each other with knives. One of the
students came running with great excitement to call me. Another warned me that I was
putting myself in danger and wanted to prevent me from going to the scene, but as soon
as I faced the boys who were fighting they stopped. Very quietly, I said to them, “Put
those knives away. If you don’t want to act as Christians, at least act as human beings
and not like animals that are controlled only by their passions and impulses and destroy
each other. Now, what’s it all about?” The trouble was easily composed and they were
ashamed at their own behavior and settled their unimportant differences quietly and
peacefully.

My subjects were, besides the Bible in all classes, geography in quinta and serta and
history in quarta and tertia. I enjoyed both subjects. I was able to teach geography
vividly through stories of my own experiences since I had myself traveled half way
around the globe. History had always been my hobby. In religion I confined myself to
the Lutheran catechism. We had our ‘dietrich’ which sufficed for prima. The classes
were combined, serta and quinta, quarta and tertia, secunda and prima. In the lower

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classes my instruction consisted substantially in thorough confirmation lessons. In the
second class, I went more deeply into the content of ‘dietrich’. In order to sustain
interest in Luther’s small catechism also in the upper class, I took up ‘dietrich’s
institutions’ and dictated at the same time complete catechetical lessons. I had in mind to
prepare the students for the seminary and their early years in the ministry. Students were
sometimes sent out of the seminary and their early years in the ministry. Students were
sometimes sent out of the seminary as vicars and had to teach school and assist in
confirmation instructions. In those years, homiletics and catechetics were not taught, or
only superficially so at the end of the last or third year, because there were not enough
professors to cover all the branches. Under these conditions my instruction and
catechetical dictations were to be helpful. Many of my students assured me later in their
ministries how helpful my instruction had been to them. They learned to appreciate what
they had been taught when they were first called to teach school and to act as vicars in
their early years at the seminary. But also members of the faculty at St. Louis repeatedly
assured me of the practical value of my work in introducing the student as thoroughly
into the catechism.

While my work at the college was happy and successful, it pleased God to bring me into
deep valleys in my domestic life. We had not been in Fort Wayne three months when
our ninth child was born on a Sunday evening, December 13th, 1872. The child lived,
but the mother died. ‘Child bed fever’ raged at that time in the city and thirteen young
mothers in our Lutheran congregations became its victims. My dear Augusta died after
confessing her faith “to die is to gain”. On the eighteenth of December we committed
her body to the ground with bitter tears. Never before had I felt so poor and so forsaken
as now with my six children, the oldest of whom was nine years. I had to part with them
all and committed all to strangers because it was not only very difficult but actually
impossible to take care of them here. My brother Hugo in Baltimore took the three oldest
boys along to Baltimore. Professor Diedrich and his wife took the two girls, Selma and
Helena. Our good Christine Reichenbach took the sixth and youngest. She was called in
baptism after her mother, Augusta and died a lovely and sweet girl of 18 years on
September 22, 1890 of diphtheria. Her last words spoken to her oldest sister Selma was
the beautiful verse,

“Dort wird kein Schmerz mehr sein,

kein’ Erdennot, kein’ Pein,
dort in des Himmels Höhen,
wenn wir uns wiedersehen!”

(There will be no more ache,

no wants, no anguish,
there into the heavenly heights,
when we see each other again!)

The first to follow Mother in death was our third oldest son, Otto. He is buried beside his
mother in Fort Wayne waiting with her for the joyous resurrection of the dead. He was a

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very pious and exceptionally gifted and studious boy, always among the first in his class
and in secunda in his sixteenth year. With all he had a very pleasant disposition, was
easily satisfied and made no demands whatsoever. Within seven days of illness, typhoid
fever brought this young and hopeful life, according to the flesh to a sad and premature
end on November 17th, 1881. In the spirit and faith I repeat over their caskets the words
Luther spoke of the daughter, Magdalene, “I have sent two living saints to heaven”.
Through the kind instrumentality of my dear friend, Pastor H. Wunder, of Chicago, I
married for a second time fifteen months after the death of my first wife. My second
wife was Meta Schroeder, the sister of Pastor O. Schroeder in Philadelphia, who at that
time had already passed away. She was thirty three years old, very modest and
unassuming and a simple faithful child of God. She loved children. The thought of
marrying a widower with children she regarded as a special providence of a good and
gracious Heavenly Father. On January 1, 1874, we were married by Pastor Wunder and
this day marked the beginning of a happily reunited family. God had again provided my
dear children with a kind and devoted mother and we enjoyed one year of happy married
life. On January 9, 1875, she gave birth to a healthy son whom we named in his baptism,
Leopold, after our dear friend Leopold Brauns of Chicago. We were overjoyed but too
soon this joy was turned to deepest sorrow. On January 18th, death took my dear wife
out of my arms. She died of peritonitis. This was without doubt the severest and darkest
experience of my life. God had given to our dreary home and children a loving mother,
and to me a faithful and understanding companion. We had a beautiful, peaceful marital
paradise. I was happy again and grateful for this mercy of my Heavenly Father. Now
alas, everything was again destroyed. Inscrutable ways and judgments of God, who can
understand them? I was bewildered and almost began to question the mercy of God, My
Savior. He seemed to have transformed himself into a cruel tyrant. Now I stood alone
again as a widower in the midst of a group of children, the youngest of which was only
three days old. It was surely dark about me. Professor Diedrich and his wife took the
baby and cared for it most affectionately. God had denied these people children and yet
they loved children so much. They were made happy by this opportunity to take care of
this little motherless waif. But God’s providence had ordained but a short life for this
child. It died on August 8th, of the same year and was mourned by its foster parents as
though it had been their own child. The little body rests beside its mother. I, too,
sorrowed for this infant, but willingly surrendered it into the arms of the Savior. I would
not deny him his heaven. And so we have four graves of loved ones in Fort Wayne and
three in Boston, Henry, Theodore, and Emil. They all died at the tender age of a few
months. And in the cemetery here in St. Louis rest also our dear ‘Gustchen’, two
children who both died shortly after birth. Ten times the angels of death came to my
house. The second oldest son, Rudolph died September 7, 1899. He was a physician and
was 36 years old. He left a widow and two sons, Adolph and Theodore, who are living
with the mother’s parents, Henry Shenkel and wife, who are giving them a home and a
good education.

The enrollment of students in the college increased so rapidly that the instructions of the
synod governing the administration of the office of Director which had been designed for
forty students could no longer be carried out. It became an impossible burden for one

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man. To begin with, there was the tremendous task of acting as a parent of the students,
then there was also their supervision from morning until evening, on the campus, bathing
in the river, etc., and in addition to these tasks, the money of the students in the lower
classes was handled by the Director. In this work a number of professors had to assist.
As was to be expected, all sorts of disturbing elements were found among so large a
number of students. This added much work, besides the fifteen periods a week which I
had to teach. I frequently conferred with the general president of the synod with
reference to imperative changes in the instructions governing my office, but he showed
no understanding whatever of the situation and consented to no changes or innovations of
any kind. As a result, I suffered a nervous breakdown at the end of the seventh year and
decided to resign. Just at that time quite unexpectedly, I received a call from the First
German Evangelical Lutheran Trinity Church in St. Louis and could not for a moment
doubt that this was a divine call especially since I longed to return to the ministry again.
Since my friend also advised me to accept I wrote to the congregation that I was happy to
respond to their call if they would grant me two months leave of absence to recuperate.
They gladly granted this request and I immediately, before the close of the year, resigned
as Director and went to Boston for a two month stay. My dear friend, Burkhardt, had
invited me to spend the period of my leave at his beautiful summer residence at the
Ocean in Sqwuntum.

Before closing this chapter of my life, I want to mention an incident that occurred at the
very end of my Directorate. By the grace of God I saved the life of one of our students,
Hagemann of Pittsburgh, from drowning. It was a hot Saturday afternoon and the
students of the lowest class asked me to take them swimming. At first, I was reluctant to
consent because the upper classmen for some reason, which I do not remember, were
absent from the campus. The good swimmers among them had the duty of watching over
the younger ones. But these little fellows so importuned me with their request and
promised faithfully that they would not go into the deep water, that I finally consented.
But what I had feared happened. Once they got into the water, they were so happy and
frolicsome that they did not realize where the deep water began and I saw two boys who
could not swim struggling in the water. I called to them but it was futile. They were
already caught in the current and nearing a small waterfall. In a moment I had pulled off
my boots and upper garments and jumped into the water. Just when I had caught hold of
the last one who was just about to sink, I saw the other one go down hopelessly under the
water. He was the son of Pastor Heid, a splendid scholar. I was heartbroken when I saw
him go down. Somehow, I was seized with terror and tried to reach shore with the one I
was able to save. Fortunately I was not far from the shore. At that I do not believe I
would have reached it if God had not sent help. The result of my terror quickly became
apparent. My limbs were paralyzed and I went down with the boy. But I remained
conscious, and the river was not deep at this particular place. When I touched ground I
pushed myself with my feet toward the shore and when I came to the surface, a man was
swimming toward me. I called to him, “Take the boy”. And then I turned on my back
and filled my lungs with air and rested for a moment. But ever since that time there has
remained in my soul such an aversion and horror for the water that I turned about and
swam as quickly as I could to the shore. After a few strokes I suddenly sank helplessly

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into the water. Nevertheless, reaching bottom, I again pushed myself with my feet
toward the shore and when I reached the surface, I was so near the man that he reached
his hand out and pulled me in to shore. Without his help I would have drowned even
though I was close to the shore. I was completely paralyzed and helpless.

On October 24, 1875, God gave me my third wife and to my children another
understanding and affectionate mother with whom I have now lived happily for thirty
three years, Margaretha Dupree. She was born on December 10, 1842, in Billigheim,
near Landau in the Rheinpfalz, and came to America in 1863 settling down in Cincinnati,
Ohio. God’s providence led her into the family Bracher, a devoted Christian family who
belonged to the Missouri Synod church, and whose pastor was Fr. Keonig, who later was
called to New York. Originally a member of the Reformed church, she here came to the
truth and united with the local Lutheran congregation. My duties as Director in Fort
Wayne often brought me to Cincinnati during Easter and into this Bracher family, where
I learned to know her. Our marriage was solemnized on the above mentioned date by her
old pastor, Theodore Wichmann. The Lord blessed our union with five children, two of
whom died shortly after birth. Three remained to us, who lived in happiness and peace
with the five children of the first mother, namely Johanna, who was married to Pastor
Ungemach of Cleveland, Ohio, Herman who is a physician in St. Louis, and Arthur, who
since 1909 is with me, pastor of Trinity. Four years after my third marriage in the
summer of 1879, we moved to St. Louis.

CHAPTER 19

Trinity, St. Louis, Missouri

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Trinity in St. Louis and the congregation in Altenburg, Perry County were the first
congregations organized by the Saxon immigrants. Around 1830, Pastor Stephan of
Dresden, organized a group of orthodox Lutherans. However, he and his congregations
suffered much interference and persecution on the part of the government. As a result,
they emigrated to America in the year 1838. The large majority of these emigrants
settled in Perry County, Missouri. Another group went to St. Louis and organized the
above mentioned Trinity church. Shortly after their arrival came the disclosure that
Pastor Stephan was a wicked deceiver. As a result, the congregation was deeply
disturbed spiritually. They recognized how seriously they had sinned in their idolatrous
veneration of this wicked leader and their blind faith in him and his teaching in disregard
of the word of God. They humbled themselves in deep contrition before God their Savior
and the Lord showed abundant mercy and bestowed great blessing on their immigration,
although it was connected with so much sorrow, many sacrifices and sins. Their first
pastor was Herman Walther. Unfortunately he died prematurely in the year 1841 at the
age of 31 years. That seemed to the congregation an irreparable loss. His brother, the
later renowned and distinguished Dr. C. F. W. Walther became his successor. He
remained their pastor until 1849 when Concordia College and Concordia Seminary were
built and he was called to the chief professorship and to the presidency of the Synod.
Nevertheless, he maintained a sort of Bishopric pastorate even thereafter until his death
in the year 1887. His successor in the active pastorate of Trinity was Pastor Fr. Wyneken
of Baltimore. When he became President of the Synod in 1854, pastor Schaller of
Detroit was called and remained for 18 years. But he also was called to the Seminary in
1872 as professor of Church History. He was succeeded by his pulpit assistant, Professor
E. A. Brauer of the seminary, who, like myself, felt more at home and happy in the
ministry than in our educational work.

It is not surprising that this congregation, which through the years had grown to a large
self-supporting congregation, occupied a prominent position and was regarded as a model
and example of an orthodox Lutheran congregation in the land of religious freedom and
separation of church and state. At the head of this church was the great Lutheran man of
God, known as well for his eminent scholarship as for his epoch-making literary work,
for his great organizational and executive ability and for his gifts as pastor and preacher.
The leader of this congregation was the man who again brought to light the pure
Lutheran doctrine, especially the doctrine of justification through his preaching and
writing as no other theologian had done since the days of Luther. Likewise he converted
the scriptural doctrine of the Church and pastoral office into practice in contrast and
relation to the state and particularly the principles of proper church government and
administration. He deals with these principles in his incomparable booklet: ‘The Correct
Contribution of a local congregation which is independent of the State’. The twofold
basis of the organization and administration of a congregation in a land of religious
liberty and separation of state and church are the two scripture passages: “Give unto
Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s”, and “Tell it to
the congregation”. In all of his pastoral activity in his church and in the organization of
the Missouri Synod, Dr. Walther made the practical application for these divine

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principles, and thereby established a church organization and administration which led to
the remarkable development and success of the Missouri Synod and the synodical
conference. The growth and development of the Missouri Synod and the synodical
conference was God’s seal of divine approval of his eternal truth before all the world.
Serious disapproval and opposition on the part of many pastors had to be overcome in the
deliberation regarding the constitution of the synod by Dr. Walther that they, the pastors,
had no more right than to counsel, that it was not their privilege to make arbitrary
decisions in matters which the word of God did not clearly determine. The scripture,
“Tell it to the congregation”, convinced Dr. Walther that even he, as pastor, not ruler, but
rather the servant of the congregation and that it was his office to lead his congregation to
accept Jesus as their head and bridegroom. So far from assuming any personal powers or
prerogatives in his congregation, he sat rather as their ‘elder’ Christian brother in their
midst and taught and directed them how they could fulfill their high and holy office on
earth as the church of God to save souls and husband the church of God in the midst of
Satan’s kingdom on this sinful earth. Whatever his great and mighty spirit and his broad
and gracious sympathies learned concerning God and His Word and His kingdom and the
welfare of the congregation, whatever pertained to the demands upon Christian people,
he presented to his congregation, and persuaded them to become God’s instruments and
co-laborers. As a result the congregation developed great energy and enthusiasm in the
execution of their own work within the congregation through the establishment of
parochial schools, and also gave sacrificially toward the needs of churches and schools in
various districts of the city, organized branch congregations, and established missions
and mission schools.

But they did not confine themselves to their own narrow circle. Dr. Walther directed
their vision far beyond the confines of their own parish. An abundant blessing flowed
out of these St. Louis congregations over our entire country, as a result of the proposals
and encouragement of Dr. Walther. Not only did they found institutions of religious
education to supply orthodox pastors and teachers, but they also published a truly
Lutheran church paper called the ‘Lutheraner’ which is now in its 66th volume. In a
meeting of the congregation on July 3, 1844, Dr. Walther submitted to the members the
necessity and importance, as well as the practical plan for a popular church periodical,
and the congregation resolved unanimously and enthusiastically to promote such a
publication and its distribution in every possible way. In September of 1844, the first
issue of the ‘Lutheraner’ appeared. The second great venture of this congregation which
was still poor, was the publication of its own truly Lutheran hymnal. The material was
gathered by Professor Walther with the assistance of Pastor Fr. Lochner and was printed
by the German printer Ludwig in New York in 1847. Later the congregation donated the
plates and copyrights of this hymnal to the synod and so diverted the substantial income
which had now developed through its sale into the synodical treasury. In the same year
the congregation also bought ten acres of land in a southern direction from their own
church for $950. They converted eight acres into a cemetery, and donated two acres to
the Missouri Synod which was organized in the same year for the purpose of building a
college and seminary. In the following year the seminary which had been located in

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Altonberg in Perry County which proved to be inconveniently located was transferred to
St. Louis.

The first time Pastor Walther submitted the question of the organization of a synod to this
congregation was in a meeting on May 11, 1846. He pointed out the reason and the
purpose, the importance and significance and above all, the great blessing which would
result from the confederation of many Lutheran congregations into a synod for the
maintenance of the pure doctrine and Christian discipline, for the maintenance of colleges
and seminaries for the education of ministers and teachers and for the joint execution of
mission work. The congregation readily recognized the importance of such a synodical
organization and gave their pastor leave for the long and costly journeys incident to such
a movement. These trips required many great sacrifices both of time and money in those
days, much more so than today. The trip to Fort Wayne, Indiana, for instance cost $50
and the round trip required four days, which is practically a week. Before the
constitution was adopted, it was of course submitted to each one of the seven
congregations which originally contemplated this union for discussion and adoption.
Pastor Walther called the particular attention of his congregation to the circumstance that
the synod had no right of government or control over the congregations, but only as
advisory rule. In all matters in which the Word of God laid down no clear and specific
demands or statements, it was left to each congregation to accept or reject the resolution
of the synod.

In the meantime, the congregation continued active in mission work under the great
missionary Pastor Fr. Buenger, who since May 1844 had become Pastor Walther’s
assistant, also teaching school occasionally. In 1844, the congregation bought the ‘St.
Louis Garden’ at the corner of 8th and Washington, and built a mission school there
calling Cantor Buenger as teacher. This school grew so rapidly that the congregation
realized that preaching services should be conducted in North St. Louis; in fact, that a
church should be built there. In 1847 on the first of June, property was bought at the
corner of 11th Street and Franklin Avenue. They decided to build a church which would
accommodate the school in the basement and room for services in the second story. On a
Sunday in June in 1848, this church was dedicated and named Immanuel. In like
manner, two other congregations were organized namely Tien (Zionsgemeinde) and Holy
Cross. Much of these four congregations had its own independent administration and
treasury, each had its own pastor and teachers, but together they formed one combined
congregation under Pastor Walther. They all met together every two months and
discussed the large undertakings for the promotion of the Kingdom of God. Among
these subjects were, for instance, the establishment of a publishing company, now
Concordia Publishing House, a Bible and Tract society, and orphanage and a hospital.
The congregations later turned over the control of these institutions to the government of
the synod as, for instance, the publishing house. This union of the churches continued
until 1890, about three years after Dr. Walther’s death. Then the union was dissolved
and each church became entirely independent.

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These four congregations in St. Louis during their period of union actually became the
mother of our synod and the model for all synodical congregations in their constitution,
government and liberty as well as in the management of their congregational affairs and
their work in the kingdom of God at large. Dr. Walther had drawn up their
congregational constitution. This was carefully examined and compared with the Bible,
with the Book of Concord of 1580 and with Luther’s principles respecting church
government. Having been found consistent with these basic teachings, the constitution
was accepted and has therefore become the model for the entire synod and all her
congregations. Every individual church is a replica in miniature of the synod giving to
Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, repudiating any interference on the part of
government in her prerogatives. On the other hand, it gives to God the things that are
God’s, namely complete and undivided control. One is your master - ye are brethren.
The congregation alone is his spouse, his representative on earth, she alone. The
congregation is the highest and final judge in all spiritual matters and questions. God’s
word alone is her code and statute book, her supreme constitution that regulates and
determines everything, that permits no appeal to which every Christian must submit
unconditionally, pastor as well as laymen. Whenever the pastor in a meeting truly
proclaims the word of God, the scripture applies which Christ stated: “He that heareth
you heareth me”, and the congregation must submit. If the Word of God is on the side of
the congregation, the pastor must hold his peace and submit. If it should happen that the
pastor were a distinguished theologian and some simple laborer spoke the Word of God,
the theologian would have to humble himself to its acceptance if indeed he expects to be
saved. In an orthodox church, there can be no human rule or mastery. One master - all
the others brethren - none more important, none less important. That is the character of a
free congregation in the free Evangelical Lutheran synodical union, in the land of
religious liberty, in which church and state are separate and independent according to the
word of God: “Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that
are God’s”.

Religious liberty in this great democracy has given our dear Lutheran church the
opportunity for such glorious and phenomenal development as she has never attained in
the previous history of the church. Without boast or exaggeration it may be stated that
the Missouri Synod and the synodical conference in the United States has for the first
time, not only proclaimed the pure scriptural doctrine - this was done already at Luther’s
time and during the period of the preparation and approval of the formula of Concord of
1580 - but now, at the last conformed also in its outward organization and management to
the principles laid down in the Word of God.

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 CHAPTER 20

Thirty Years Activity in St. Louis, Missouri

On July 29, 1879, I again arrived in my dear St. Louis to remain for the balance of my
life. On August 3rd, the eighth Sunday after Trinity, I was installed in my new office by
Professor Schalher. I entered upon my duties with fear and anxiety. I envisioned myself
in the pulpit where the greatest men of our synod, the two Walthers, Wyneken, Brohm,
Schaller and Brauer had stood, whose shoelaces I was not worthy to unloose. But I felt
that the Lord had called me and I would not have Him rebuke my hesitancy with the
words: “Thou shalt go wherever I send thee”. I obeyed and went and God, my Savior’s
unmerited grace granted me a thirty year career of significant success. In the realization
of this divine blessing, I can now only say, “What return shall I make to the Lord for all
His faithfulness and mercy. He hath done great things with me wherefore I am happy.
Bless the Lord, oh, my soul”.

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Since the congregation had sent out unsuccessful calls for months, the members rejoiced
when they received my letter of acceptance. I arrived a few days before the date of my
installation, my family accompanying me of course. To most of the members, I was no
stranger, but many new members had been added in the meantime. On Friday evening,
the congregation held a welcoming service in the church. Dr. Walther made a very
kindly address, welcoming me in the name of the church and expressed the confident
hope that God would crown with His richest blessing our new relation. I was deeply
moved when I made my reply, expressed my deep gratitude to the congregation for their
confidence. I told them that I had accepted their call with joy but at the same time with
fear and trembling in the realization that I, unworthy as I felt, was to become the
successor of the greatest and most enlightened and distinguished pastors of our synod.
On the other hand, I assured them that I trusted confidently in Him who I believed had
called me through their instrumentality and asked them to include me in their daily
prayers.

My two previous churches, in Carondelet and Boston, had been mission churches whose
members had little Christian knowledge. The members of Trinity Lutheran Church were
well grounded in doctrine and knowledge and Christian experience. Dr. Walther was
delighted when sometime later, I expressed my joy that God had privileged me to serve
such an enlightened and well instructed congregation and spoke to him about the vast
difference between this congregation and my previous parishes.

Above all else, I considered my sermons my most important duty. “So faith comes from
what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ”. (Romans 10:17)
These words declare preaching to be the first and most important feature of the Christian
ministry. Since this is the case, industry, faithful study and conscientious preparation
must be given to it. It is an unpardonable sin to be careless and indolent in the
preparation of a sermon and to shake sermons out of one’s sleeve. Dr. Walther had often
impressed upon us the importance of faithfulness in our sermon preparation. Especially
with reference to the great festivals, he often said: “Never spare yourself on those
occasions. Give to your congregation the best of which you are capable. Festival days
are the harvest time of the church”. He was an outstanding example to us in this respect.
He wrote out his sermons for the Sunday morning services legibly, word for word, so that
the manuscript could be sent from the sacristy to the publishing house without correction.
When he prepared his sermon, every other duty was set aside. To this extraordinary
faithfulness we are indebted for the rich treasure of his published sermons. They are still
today a great blessing to our congregations and parsonages. Whoever wants to be a good
preacher must study Walther. This will prove a great blessing for his own person and a
great blessing for his congregation.

If I tried in any way to follow Dr. Walther’s example, it was in this respect. I devoted a
great deal of time to the study of his sermons. In so far as my sermons were popular and
helpful to the congregation and my pastoral work in the church was a blessing, it was due
to this dear teacher and father in Christ and to his literary work. To the preparation of my

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sermons, I therefore devoted most of my time and energy during the week. That was the
consistent principle and program of my pastoral work. But I must say that this work was
not distasteful. I started on this task not with reluctance, but with joy. Preparation for
my sermons were like time passed in a spiritual pasture especially after I had once found
a good theme. As a rule, when I had the time I wrote my sermon twice, first with a
pencil and then with ink. It was a great joy when I could finally write ‘Amen’ at the end.
Reading it over again and again and correcting the manuscript was a pleasant task. But
when I began to memorize it the real agony started. My severe headaches in the 1850’s
had seriously affected my memory. In the beginning of my ministry, I had to spend a full
two days besides Sunday morning in learning it by heart. Strangely this improved greatly
in the last ten years.

Another reason why I devoted such industry to the preparation of my sermons was the
thought that I stood on the pulpit from which our fathers and the most distinguished men
of our synod had preached. I had to be concerned therefore with the thought that the
disparity between myself and these mighty pulpit orators might not be too great so that
the congregation would have to live on too meager a spiritual diet. For that reason too, I
applied myself so faithfully and prayerfully to the preparation of my sermons. I never
entered my pulpit without repeating earnestly Dr. Luther’s prayer, a copy of which hung
in my sacristy, “Be Thou my helper, Lord Jesus”. This spiritual anxiety led even the
great man of God, the apostle St. Paul, to exclaim in II Corinthians 2:17, “Who is
sufficient for these things?” An old church father adds to these words, “This office is a
heavy burden even for the shoulders of an angel”.

Incidentally, Dr. Walther had also frequently warned us against a slavish and anxious
adherence to our manuscript. He gave us exercises, as students, in extemporaneous
speech. Twice a week, he assigned a text to us students, alternatingly, giving us two
hours to prepare an address and deliver it before the class. He said that in larger
congregations, the pastor’s work often multiplied so quickly and the call for addresses on
special occasions often came so unexpectedly and on such short notice, that there was not
even time to make an outline. It was therefore necessary, he said, to gain some
experience in speaking extemporaneously. He said that he himself had practiced with
confessional addresses and funeral sermons. However, he always emphasized that
extemporaneous speech should be the exception and that is was a sacred duty to work out
carefully, write and memorize, the chief sermon. “Cursed be he that doeth the work of
the Lord deceitfully.” (Jeremiah 48:10)

With respect to my sermon preparation, another incident proved to be a great blessing.

On the occasion of a visit to my dear Dr. Walther, he asked me, “My dear Hanser, you
could do me a great favor by relieving me of my work on the Homiletical magazine, a
monthly periodical for preachers. I have scarcely the time anymore for the preparation of
two sermon outlines each month.” At first I was frightened, but I could never decline a
request from him. Besides, this was very important and certain to yield a blessing for
myself and my ministry. “I shall be delighted, my dear Dr. Walther, if you think that I
can do reasonably satisfactory work”, I answered. To which he replied, “In regard to that

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question, I have no misgivings and thank you very much for relieving me of this work.”
It was not a burden but a pleasure to assume this responsibility and I am grateful to God
for the blessing it brought to my own ministry. I took over this editorial work in the year
1883 and continued for 23 years. In time, I produced not only detailed outlines, but a
whole series of complete sermons. I was gratified and thankful to God for the frequent
assurances of my colleagues that my sermons and outlines belonged to those which lent
themselves most easy to use in their sermon preparation. Besides these regular
contributions to the Homiletical magazine, I also prepared articles from time to time for
the chief periodical of our synod, the “Lutheraner”.

Concurrently with this conscientious preparation for my sermons, I did a great deal of
personal pastoral work. I visited not only the sick and spiritually distressed, but called
frequently on every family in the parish. I found a hearty welcome in every family, from
large and small, from parents and children. I attribute the constantly increasing church
attendance to these pastoral visits. Complaints that the church was growing too large
gradually ceased. An intimate relationship soon developed between the Pastor and the
individual members. This I regard as the result of my faithful, frequent personal calls.
Next to the sermon, I consider pastoral calls as the chief means to establish the proper
relation of mutual affection and confidence between the Pastor and members of the
church. Proof of this I believe to be also the fact that if ever I expressed a wish or a
request, it was fulfilled readily and enthusiastically, so that I actually had to be cautious
and withhold remarks that would indicate any personal desires.

My chief purpose in visiting the members was spiritual. I prayed with them, read
Scriptures and expounded them for the comfort and strengthening of the faith of the sick
and troubled. I particularly cultivated prayer and had many remarkable and encouraging
experiences.

On one occasion, in Boston, when I had to be absent on a Sunday, one of the members
read a sermon. Before beginning the sermon, however, he read to the congregation an
experience in prayer. He did this without my knowledge:

“A few years ago I was ill with fistula. On one occasion the doctor told me how
dangerous this particular type of abscess might become if it stopped draining
before it was actually healed, and in that case, it was necessary to resort to an
operation which often ended fatally. He mentioned the great preacher, Theodore
Parker, who had died as a result of that type of surgery. He congratulated me on
my excellent condition and the favorable progress of my case. But God ordained
otherwise. Suddenly the abscess ceased to drain, causing severe pain which I
endured as patiently as I could. On Saturday evening, the doctor came, examined
the fistula, probing with a lance, and said that if it did not begin again to drain
before Monday, that I should have to be prepared to submit to an operation. It is
difficult for me to express the anxiety I felt. I actually preferred to die, fearing
death less than suffering the surgery. The nearer the day came and the hour when
I expected the doctor, the more I began to tremble and when finally the doorbell

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 rang at ten o’clock, I breathed another desperate prayer to God for strength - and
behold, when my wife opened the door, instead of the doctor, Pastor Hanser
entered. He stayed a short time. I tried to be brave, but actually did not have the
courage to tell him of my fears until he finally prepared to go and tears rolled
down my cheeks, and I told him the fear that was in my heart and how I dreaded
the operation. ‘Why, my dear Schlotterbeck’, he said, ‘if that is the way you feel,
let us earnestly pray to God and ask God to give you strength in this crisis.’ He
offered a wonderful, earnest prayer. Every word fell like healing balm on my
troubled heart and when the pastor left and assured me that he would continue to
remember me in his prayers, I could tell him honestly that I felt greatly relieved.
When my wife came back to my bed, I asked her to apply a new poultice, but
when she did so, she exclaimed, overjoyed, ‘Why, the wound is draining again.’
Then I breathed another grateful prayer to God that He had so graciously heard
our prayer.

But I must mention another circumstance which seemed to me to indicate that here
was a miraculous answer to prayer. A half hour afterwards, the doctor came, and
when he inquired how I felt, I told him that the wound was again draining. ‘Well’,
he said, ‘that’s good; let’s look at it.’ He looked at the wound, started back a
step, threw up his hands, and uttered an exclamation of wonder, saying, ‘Why,
here a miracle has happened. The abscess has opened at an entirely different
place. Now you are out of danger.’ So God answered beyond our request or
understanding. We had prayed for strength and comfort and He answered with the
scalpel of ‘mercy’ and Himself opened the wound, and did it in such a way that
we could not doubt that He was the healing physician.

‘Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify
me.’ This testimony of His mercy before the whole congregation shall be my
praise of Him. When our trouble is greatest, God is nearest. Now let us proceed
to the Gospel lesson of this Sunday.”

In the course of my pastoral work, I frequently visited a sick woman whose husband
lived a very wicked life. He often made fun of me when I called and frequently repeated
the statement, “The one thing you need is money.” He had a very lucrative business and
often boasted of his money to me and to others. In the last illness of his wife, he was
frequently present when I prayed with her and sought to comfort her. Then he ceased to
mock me when his quiet, pious wife finally fell asleep in Jesus. This mocker came to me
and asked for religious instruction. He said that he wanted to go where his wife went.
Subsequently he became a faithful member of the church and never missed a service, not
even funeral - even if he did not know the deceased. He became one of my most
attentive and devout listeners and finally, after a few years, joined his wife in death.

These examples show that personal visitation is also most important for mission work.
Such faithful visitation gives the Pastor the most favorable opportunity to meet strangers
and invite them to come to church. As a result of my work in this respect the

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congregation grew not only inwardly through instruction of the children in the two
parochial schools but also from the outside through accession of new members. Through
this increase, by the blessing of God, the congregation determined to open a third
parochial school. It was intended for a mission school and was erected on Jefferson
Avenue near Shenandoah. Quite a number of our members, and many Germans
generally lived in this neighborhood, many of whom we expected to win through faithful
mission work. The building had two stories. Within two years the school was crowded
and a second class was introduced. Then the members living in that mission district
petitioned for their release in order to organize an independent congregation. This
petition was granted. This is the beautiful and growing Emmaus congregation now
numbering 170 voting members. They are served by the faithful and very successful
Pastor R. Kretzschmar. They now have a parochial school of three classes and a Sunday
School with an enrollment of more than 300 children. This congregation became
independent of the mother church in the year 1893. And let me here add that in the
summer of last year, 1908, another independent congregation was organized by old
Trinity on Grand Avenue, opposite the entrance to Tower Grove Park. This congregation
took the name ‘Messiah’, called young Pastor Wilk, and built a lovely chapel which with
the property represents a value of $30,000. This congregation has without doubt a
promising future.

When I came to Trinity Lutheran Church, this congregation had the largest membership
in the city and was at the height of her influence. All the larger united meetings of the
churches for consideration of the larger activities, were held in the spacious hall of the
Berry Street School. All union services on festival occasions were held in the large
Trinity church. In years this changed. Branch and sister congregations grew in years to
come in membership and wealth so that they too could build large and beautiful
churches. Being the oldest church it is also located in the oldest part of the city, where
factories and business houses are multiplying. As a result, many members moved to
other parts of the city and joined sister congregations within whose parish boundaries
their residences were located. The number of voting members has now declined to 200.
The word of the Scripture, “They [the branch churches] must increase and we must
decrease” is being fulfilled.

The large old stately Trinity Church was located on the corner of Lafayette Avenue and
Eighth Street and had a seating capacity of 1400. On the 27th of May, 1896, a disastrous
tornado destroyed our beautiful church. Only the foundation and base of the tower
remained. By a strange providence, the pulpit remained standing undamaged in the midst
of the ruins while not a vestige of the alter was to be found. Many other churches were
damaged but none so severely as Trinity. The residence of the janitor of the Berry Street
School collapsed and buried the janitor and his wife and one daughter. Two hundred
persons lost their lives in this terrible storm, among them six members of our church. A
new church and parsonage were built on the foundation of the old structures. Although
smaller in size, Trinity is still counted among the larger churches of St. Louis, having a
seating capacity of 1,000. The old school property on eighth and Berry Street, with the
ruins of the old school building, was sold to the city for an acceptable price and a new

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and larger school was erected beside the church. It might be of interest if I stated briefly
to what extent the Lutheran Church has in the meantime grown in the city of St. Louis,
which in the course of years, has come to be one of the largest cities in our country, with
a population of almost 700,000. We now have about thirty congregations and Pastors in
this city and new congregations are constantly being organized. Almost every church has
a parochial school with between three to seven teachers each. Our parochial school at
present has four teachers.

Although my ministry in the congregation itself appeared to occupy my entire time and
energy, it was scarcely half the work which my position entailed. The Lutheran
Churches of St. Louis maintained two charitable institutions - a hospital and an
orphanage, and a High School, Walther College. Since all these joint meetings were held
in trinity church, its pastor was naturally on the Board of Trustees of all of them and took
an active part in the administration of these institutions. No one has any idea of the
amount of time and labor which resolves upon the pastors in the administration of such
institutions, unless, he has himself been in a similar position. Although ten or twelve
laymen sit on these boards with the one or two pastors, and in spite of the fact that the
laymen are chosen from the best members of the churches, and are sensible, experienced
Christian men, nevertheless the work, that is most of it, especially the keeping of records
and correspondence is left to the pastors. Besides, the hospital for years was located
within my parish and all pastoral work in connection with it fell to my lot. Since then an
old folks home has been added to our philanthropic institutions and it is also located
within our parish. Moreover, the churches combined also to carry on general city
mission work in certain sections of the city and public institutions. A home-finding
society was also organized in order to place waifs into Christian families. These latter
two charitable enterprises are under the leadership of our city missionary, Hersberger,
who is assisted by Pastor Borches. As a result of these many activities, the time of the
Pastors is entirely preempted. For weeks in succession they often do not have an evening
for themselves when they are not compelled to attend some meeting or other. One free
evening in many weeks without a meeting is for me a happy oasis in a mighty desert.

The father of these extensive philanthropies of the St. Louis congregation was Pastor
Friedrich Buenger. After a long and extraordinarily useful career, the Lord called his
faithful servant home on January 23, 1882, to the rest of the children of God and his
reward of grace. Both Dr. Walther and the family honored me with the request to deliver
the funeral sermon on the text, Acts 15:26: “Men who have risked their lives for the sake
of our Lord Jesus Christ.” These words were applied to Paul and Barnabas in the Bible.
I had never spoken before a larger audience.

June 1880 marked the 350th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession and the 300th
anniversary of the Formula of Concord and the acceptance of the entire Book of Concord
by the Lutheran Church. A splendid celebration in memory of these historic dates was
arranged by the Lutheran Churches in St. Louis. On the first day, impressive services
with special sermons were held in all the churches. On the following day a large parade
of the members of the churches was held leading finally to the Fair Grounds, where an

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inspiring union service was held. In the parade were 25 carriages in which pastors and
professors rode and 75 in which girls in white robes sat. Following these vehicles was an
interminable procession of proudly marching Lutherans.

On the second day after Epiphany, January 16th, 1887, was the 50th anniversary of the
ordination of our dear spiritual father, the Luther of America. An appropriate grand
celebration of this golden anniversary was out of the question owing to the growing
weakness of Dr. Walther. By the grace of God, however, he lived to see the day. The
occasion was celebrated, although more modestly than had originally been planned.
Festival sermons were preached in the local churches on Sunday morning. The balance
of the celebration confined itself to visits of deputations of pastors and congregations
which called on Dr. Walther in his sickroom, congratulated him and brought him their
presents. It was my privilege to speak in behalf of the clergy. A sum of $3,000 was
presented to Dr. Walther from his former students and members of his congregations.
This sum was given to him in gold.

In May of the same year, the synod met in General Session in Fort Wayne. When Dr.
Walther’s son reminded him that he would soon enter another meeting, that of the
patriarchs, prophets and apostles he answered, “That will be grand”. From the very first
day of the session, the synod was expecting the inevitable message. Nevertheless, when
on May 7th, the message arrived that the father of the Missouri Synod had been called
home, the whole assembly was deeply shocked. In order that the sessions of Synod
might not be interrupted and that the largest possible number of delegates might go to St.
Louis, the Synod asked the family to defer the funeral services until May 17th, which
was done. On Friday, May 13th, the beloved remains were placed in state in the large
hall of the seminary. On Sunday afternoon, it was brought to Trinity Lutheran Church.
On Tuesday the memorial funeral services were held here. The honorable President
Schwan preached on the 90th Psalm and the beloved co-laborer of Dr. Walther, Professor
Cramer, on the basis of II Kings 2:12. There has probably been no funeral service of a
theologian in America at which there were more theologians present. There probably has
never been a larger funeral service up to that date in the city of St. Louis. I spoke at the
grave on Daniel 12, verse 3, “And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of
the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and
ever.” The long funeral procession from the church to the cemetery passed the seminary
where the deceased had labored for the longest period of his life. When the hearse
arrived at the seminary building it paused and the whole procession stood still for one
minute. Dr. Walther was indeed buried as a prince and great man in the Kingdom of
God.

The chief mission activity of the synod is devoted to inner mission; not only the synod as
a whole, but each district maintains its own mission board. Thirty years ago, the so-
called Western District of Synod included, as its name signified, the entire Western
territory to the Pacific coast and the south to the Gulf of Mexico. For years, I was
chairman of the mission board of this large and extensive district, which entailed a large
correspondence and many long travels. Since that time, six independent districts were

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organized within this territory and there are now 500 congregations and 400 pastors.
Each new district maintains its own mission board to carry on the work within its own
territory. Under the Grace of God the tremendous development and extension of our
synod in the course of the intervening years is due to the faithful and diligent work of
these mission boards so that today we have 20 districts all over this country. Almost at
every one of the triennial sessions of our synod it is necessary to organize new districts.
In the course of the 62 years the original seven congregations which founded the
Missouri Synod has grown to such an extent that in this year 1910, we have more than
2100 pastors and professors, over 2600 congregations and 1000 pulpits. The synod
numbers perhaps a million souls under the ministry of our pastors.

Besides our inner mission, our synod together with the synodical conference carries on
very successful mission work among the colored people. For years, I had to serve also as
a member of the joint board for this mission. My special duty was to edit the monthly
periodical for this work called “Missions Taube [Dove?]”, and for years I carried on this
work. This mission which is carried on in the South, numbers about 30 congregations
and mission places and approximately 20 schools with an enrollment of 1403 children.
33 persons are active in the mission itself. We maintain two institutions of higher
learning where Negroes are prepared for teaching in the parochial schools and for the
Holy Ministry.

In the year 1894, our synod began mission work in India. I was elected also to serve on
the board of this important rescue work among the heathen. This is the only remaining
synodical office which I retain today in the 78th year of my life. The Indian mission
today numbers eight missionaries, five stations, eighteen schools and 835 children.

In the year 1881, I was elected first Vice President of the synod as a whole. My duties
often entailed long and time consuming trips. Since the work in my church increased
considerably, I asked the synod to release me from my synodical offices. My request
was granted with the exception of my membership on the supervisory board of the
Theological Seminary. I did not refuse to retain this office because the erection of a new
building was immanent. This was the largest building of our synod up to that time.
Many expressed serious doubts whether the synod was really financially able to carry it
out. Others thought that a seminary capable of housing 200 students was much too large
and would never be filled. Nevertheless, God inspired most of the members of synod
with enthusiasm and willingness to provide the means necessary. In September of 1883,
this new building was dedicated with a large and impressive ceremony. In the course of
years, this building was not only filled to capacity with students, but has long since
proved inadequate so that a large addition had to be built a few years ago.

This is perhaps an appropriate place to speak of the large and extensive educational work
of the synod which is designed chiefly to educate ministers and teachers. Besides
Concordia Seminary here in St. Louis with its 280 students, the synod also has a practical
seminary in Springfield, Illinois with 195 students. We maintain normal schools for the
education of teachers for our parochial schools. Distributed throughout the country we

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maintain, besides the above mentioned institutions, nine colleges and prep schools and
three high schools. In these institutions, there are at present, 80 professors and 1700
students. It is significant that there are no foundations for the support of these institutions
or their professors. Apart from the profits of the Concordia Publishing house, all moneys
for the construction, equipping and maintenance of these institutions as well as for the
salaries for the professors are raised through voluntary subscriptions of the members of
our congregations. This reveals a very creditable generosity because congregational
expenses, the maintenance of parochial schools and the many charitable institutions make
their demands upon the membership, and still they maintain also these educational
institutions and are constantly extending them.

And let us not forget that the mother of all these institutions was the little insignificant
mustard seed of a block house in the primeval forest of Perry County, Missouri, which
was organized by the early Saxon immigrants in 1839. This imposing educational system
with its branches stretching out all over this country is truly a miracle. To have been an
inconspicuous partner with God and my fellow Lutherans remains today a source of pride
and joy to me.

Here my dear children, you have a brief story of the life of your father. I trust that as you
read it you will recognize how faithfully the Lord has fulfilled His promise, how
significantly He blessed my poor labors, what blessings He has laid upon my ministry
and how much I have therefore, to praise His Holy Name. Join with me in this praise of
God for His grace to your father and say with me, “Lord Jesus, for Thee I live; Lord
Jesus, for Thee I die; Lord Jesus, I am Thine, living and dying. Thou hast redeemed me,
Lord Jesus.” Amen, Amen. Yes, yes, that is surely true. Hallelujah! Amen.

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 EPILOGUE

The Last Home Coming

Our dear Father was enabled by the Grace of God to complete his autobiography in the
advent season of 1909. In the November meeting of the mission committee for India, he
still acted as chairman. After Father’s death a member of the commission remarked
about the fervent prayer he offered at the opening of the meeting. He preached his last
sermon on the evening of the festival of Reformation and assisted at Holy Communion.
On the first Sunday of Advent he delivered the confessional address. In 1906, he
suffered a severe attack of angina pectoris, which broke his strength. As a result he
resigned his office as pastor of Trinity. His son, Arthur, who had been his assistant since
1904, accepted a call to the congregation at Knieran, Iowa in October of 1906. It was not
until May of the following year that the congregation succeeded in securing a new pastor,
Pastor Schulze. During these intervening eight months, Father took care of the
congregation. Contrary to all expectations his health had so materially improved that he
was able to do all the work, even conducting confirmation classes and confirming the
children on Palm Sunday. After Pastor Schulze took over the congregation, Father
moved to Knieran, Iowa, where Authur was residing. Here he wrote the larger part of his
autobiography and preached frequently, especially for Pastor Zuerrer, in Fort Dodge, the
President of the Iowa District, who was often compelled to be absent from his church.
But his heart yearned for his dear St. Louis and in the autumn of 1908, our parents
returned and settled down within the parish territory of the Holy Cross congregation.

In May of 1909, Pastor Schulze accepted a call to Nebraska. The congregation requested
her old pastor to return to the parsonage. Simultaneously, they called brother Authur.
Since he could not come before August, father again took charge of the congregation.
God strengthened him in a wonderful way to do the work. Father accounted it a very
special blessing of God that he could again in the evening of his life return to his old
beloved parsonage and again occupy his old pulpit. He was overjoyed also that he could
surrender the work of the church into the hands of his son. The latter was installed into
his office on the same Sunday on which, thirty years previously, father had been inducted
into his office in the church, namely the 8th Sunday after Trinity, August 1st.

In the course of the advent season, father suddenly became weaker and suffered much
from shortness of breath. He was unable to lie down, and sometimes spent whole nights
sitting up in a chair. After the new year, his condition improved again. On January
22nd, it would have been fifty years since father was ordained to the Holy Ministry.
Trinity and other congregations and various groups in synod were already making
preparations to celebrate father’s golden jubilee. But it had been ordained otherwise in
God’s providence. On Monday evening, January 10th, after family devotion, mother
read a story to father. At about 10 o’clock, sister Helena noticed that father’s mouth was
drawn in a peculiar way and only a few minutes thereafter, his weary soul had already,

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without struggle of pain and after so many odysseys, entered into the eternal home. He
attained the age of 77 years, 4 months, and three days.

Trinity congregation relieved the family in a most considerate way of all the
arrangements necessary for the funeral. Since it was expected that a large number of
people would attend the services, and in order to give all opportunity to attend the
funeral, the services were deferred until the following Sunday. At five o’clock on Friday
evening a brief service was held in the parsonage for the family. Dr. G. Stoeckhardt, the
dear friend of father’s, delivered a most comforting address to the mourners. The private
service was opened with a song, “Christus, der ist mein Leben”. Father had before his
death requested that this song as well as “Jerusalem, thou city fair and high” be put on
the program of the subsequent funeral services held in the church. He had also chosen
the text for his funeral service, Philippians 1:23, “My desire is to depart and be with
Christ, for that is far better.” After the service in the parsonage, the remains were laid
out in church before the alter, under the pulpit where the departed had so often declared
the word of life. The church was suitably decorated and the casket was surrounded by a
wealth of floral offerings. In every way affection for the departed and his family were
shown, especially on the part of the members of Trinity Church. On Sunday afternoon at
1 o’clock, the funeral service began. Dr. F. Pieper, the president of Missouri Synod,
delivered a funeral address in German on the text chosen by our dear departed father.
Professor Dau of Concordia Seminary delivered an English address founded upon
Proverbs 4:18, “But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines
brighter and brighter until full day.” The various choirs of the congregation, as well as
the children of the parochial school sang appropriate songs. At the close of the service, a
number of pastors representing the clergy, his first congregation and his former students
spoke briefly expressing their sympathy and acknowledgment of the services of the
deceased.

A large congregation followed the procession to the internment at Concordia Cemetery.

Pastor C. C. Schmidt of Holy Cross conducted a brief service. During the singing of the
hymn, “Now lay we calmly in the grave, this form whereof no doubt we have, that is
shall rise again that day in glorious triumph o’er decay,” the casket was lowered into the
grave where his body awaits the great day of the resurrection, when its last real
homeward journey where body and soul will be forever united in heaven. So has God in
His grace fulfilled the prayer of our dear father which he often repeated and which at his
request was spoken as the last words to conclude his funeral service at the grave.

“Ich Herr, lass dein lieb Engelein

Am letzten End die Seele mein
In Abrahams Schoss tragen.
Der Lein in sein Schlafkaemmerlein

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 Gar sanft ohn jede Qual und Pein
Ruh bis an juengsten Tage.
Alsdamn von Tod erwecke mich
Dass Meine Augen sehen dich
In aller Freud O Gottes Sohn,
Mein Heiland und mein Gnadenthron.
Herr Jesu Christ,
Erhoere mich, erhoare mich.
Ich will dich preisen seiglich.”

This book was originally written in the German language and translated about 1958 into
the English language. Also at the time it was written, the King James Version of the
Bible was in use, but as of this date, and with the typing of it, the Revised Standard
Version was used where there were references made to the Bible.

May 15, 1961

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