Rev. Heinrich Hermann &
Clara Catherine (Kastenbudt) Fiegenbaum

Rev. Henry Fiegenbaum and wife celebrate their Golden Wedding in St. Joseph, Monday 12 April 1897. This milestone was reached on last Sunday 11 April 1897. Cards had been sent out, announcing the coming event with a reception on Monday, 12 April at their home, 1123 North 5th Street. Sunday, 11 April 1847, found the bridal party in the house of God in St. Louis, Missouri and at the close of the sermon, the minister, Rev. Casper Vost, called forward the young couple who wished to be joined in holy matrimony and then and there pronounced them husband and wife. Last Sunday they had reached the Golden stepping stone, and true to their early faith, wended their way to the house of God. It being Palm Sunday, they found the church a bower of palms. At the close of the sermon, Rev. Charles Harmes, called forward the bridal party, and seating them before the altar delivered a fitting address to them, and in connection read a poem written for the occasion by Rev. J. A. Reitz of Junction City, Kansas. Mrs. Dorthea Lahrman of St. Joseph, the only living guest and witness of the marriage in 1847 as one bride's maid, and Dorathea Balcke as the other bride's maid. After the wedding ceremony, the bridal party went to their home where a 5:00 p.m. dinner was served. Those present were Rev. Fred Fiegenbaum and wife of Oregon, Missouri;¹ Dr. J. F. Heinz and wife; Dr. H. R. Reimer and wife; Rev. J. A. Mueller and wife; Rev. Charles Harmes; Mrs. Rev. J. G. Kest; Mrs. Rev. George Schatz; Mrs. Rev. H. Lahrman and Mrs. Rev. F. Balcke and Miss Edna Heinz all of St. Joseph; Tom Curry, wife and children of Oregon, Missouri;² J. C. Steinmetz and wife; Adolph, Clara, Nettie, Emma, Addie and George Steinmetz;³ Julia and May Neudorff,⁴ Misses Mary and Anna Fiegenbaum.⁵ As early as Thursday the letters of congratulations came rolling in and by Wednesday 100 letters and fifteen telegrams had been received. Donations from friends were numerous and expensive, and true to the Golden Standard of our country, the bridal couple received one dollar each for every year of connubial bliss. Rare coins were found among the presents. It would be well to give a short sketch of the lives of this worthy couple. Henry Fiegenbaum was born in Ladbergen, Prussia, 16 October 1820;⁶ came to America with his parents in 1834 by the way of New Orleans; thence up the Mississippi River to St. Charles County, Missouri; and in 1845 to St. Louis, Missouri. Mrs. Clara Fiegenbaum (Kastenbudt) was born in Osnabruck, Hanover, 9 December 1823 and came to America in 1844, first going to Cincinnati and then to St. Louis, where in 1846 she united with the German M.E. Church, and it was then and there that these two hearts met, and in the same church where each were converted, the marriage ceremony took place, that made them one for life for better or for worse, and in looking back over the years they cannot but say: "Truly, the Lord has been good unto us." In 1847 Mr. Fiegenbaum received exhorter's license and in 1848 was sent out to fill a charge at Okoe, Illinois until conference. He joined the Illinois Conference and was sent on the Belleville Circuit. From 1848 to 1850 they were stationed at Muscoutah, Illinois; 1850 to 1852, Muscatine, Iowa; 1852 to 1860 in Galena, Illinois; 1860 to 1861 Wapello, Iowa as Presiding Elder; 1861 to 1867 in Pekin, Illinois; 1867 to 1870 in Quincy, Illinois; 1870 to 1872 in St. Joseph, Missouri as Presiding Elder; 1872 to 1875 in Oregon, Missouri; 1875 to 1883 in St. Joseph, Missouri as Presiding Elder; 1883 to 1886 in St. Joseph, Missouri as Station Minister; 1886 to 1889 in Sedalia, Missouri. In finding his health failing him he retired from active charge in the ministry and found a home in St. Joseph, Missouri. "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint," has been verified in the lives of these servants of God, and that they may spend the remainder of their lives in sweet communion with that Master and friend in whom they have trusted all these years, and that they may have a glorious golden sunset with a golden sunrise in the better world, is the wish of their many friends, both far and near.