Rev. Friedrich Wilhelm Fiegenbaum

Biography & Chronology

F. W. Fiegenbaum wurde geboren im Kirchspiel Lengerich, Reg.-Bez. Münster, Prueßen, am 12. April 1830. Mit seinen Eltern, Adolf und Christina Fiegenbaum, kam er 1834 nach Amerika. Sie wohnten in der Nähe von Hopewell, Warren Co., Mo., bis er 21 Jahre alt war. Er wurde am 19. Februar 1846 an einer vierteljährlichen Versammlung bekehrt unter der Arbeit des Vorstehenden Aeltesten, H. Köneke, und des Predigers,Franz Horstmann. Er bekamm den nächsten Morgen den Ruf ins Predigtamt, aber aus drei Gründen weigerte er sich zu gehen: 1. Das Predigtamt schien ihm ein Bettelleben zu sein, da das Gehatl $150 bit $200 betrug; 2. die Verantwortlichkeit schien ihm zu groß, und 3. seine Schulkenntnisse zu gering zu sein. Nach jahrelangem Kampf und ernster Prüfung erklärte er sich willig, dem Rufe zu folgen, und ging im Frühjahr 1853 aus. Er bediente folgende Felder: Peoria, Ill., 1½ Jahre, 1853-54; Cedar Lake, Ind., 1854-55; Sherrills Mount, Iowa, 1855-57; Freeport, Ill., 1857-59; Salem, Minn., 1859-60; St. Paul, Erste Gemeinde, 1860-62; Washington 1862-64; Burlington, Iowa, Distrikt, 1864-66; Wapello 1866-68; Des Moines 1868-70; Polk City 1870-73. Dann bekam er einem Nervenschlag und mußte einige Jahre superannuieren und ging dann wieder ans Predigen: Milton, Iowa, 1876-79; Canton, Mo., 1879-82. Dann wurde er in de West Deutsche Konferenz transferiert und bediente Wathena, Kan., 1882-84; Eudora 1884-86; Clay Center 1886-88; Lawrence 1888-92; Oregon, Mo., 1892-96. Hier brach dann seine Gesundheit zusammen, so daß er sich wieder superannuieren ließ. Er dankt von Herzen, daß Gott seie Arbeit gesegnet hat. Es reut ihn nicht, für den Herrn gearbeitet zu haben; nur thut es ihm leid, daß er nicht besser vorbereitet war für das große Werk. Seine Heimat ist Wathena, Kan.

F. W. Fiegenbaum was born in the parish of Lengerich, Administrative District of Münster, Prussia on 12 April 1830. With his parents, Adolf and Christina Fiegenbaum, he came to America in 1834. They lived near Hopewell, Warren Co., Mo., until he was 21 years of age. On 19 February 1846, at a quarterly convocation under the leadership of Presiding Elder H. Köneke and Preacher Franz Horstmann, he was converted. On the next morning he received the call to the ministry, but refused, on three grounds: 1. the ministry appeared to him to be a pauper's life, with a salary of only $150 to $200; 2. the responsibilities appeared too great; 3. his schooling was too scanty. After years of struggle and earnest trial, he declared himself willing to accept the call, and in the Spring of 1853 ventured forth. He served in the following fields: Peoria, Ill, 1½ years, 1853-54; Cedar Lake, Ind., 1854-55; Sherrills Mount, Iowa, 1855-57; Freeport, Ill., 1857-59; Salem, Minn., 1859-60; St. Paul, First Congregation, 1860-62; Washington 1862-64; Burlington, Iowa District, 1864-66; Wapello 1866-68; Des Moines 1868-70; Polk City 1870-73. He was then the victim of a nervous disorder and was for several years superannuated and then returned to the ministry: Milton, Iowa, 1876-79; Canton, Mo., 1879-82. He was then transferred to the West German Conference and served Wathena, Kan., 1882-84; Eudora 1884-86; Clay Center 1886-88; Lawrence 1888-92; Oregon, Mo., 1892-96. At this point his health collapsed and he was again superannuated. He gives heartfelt thanks that God has blessed his work. He has no regrets that he served the Lord; he is sorry only that he was not better prepared for the great task before him. His home is at Wathena, Kan.

Source: Kriege, Otto E., Gustav Beker, Matthäus Herrmann, and T. L Körner. Souvenir der West Deutschen Konferenz der Bischöflichen Methodistenkirche. S.l.: the Conference, 1906; pp. 251-252.
Translation by J. Mark Fiegenbaum.

This short sketch should be read beside the passionate personal statement which Friedrich Wilhelm addressed to his children. He spoke plainly about the trials and triumphs of his life.

The family's history was briefly recounted in an article of the St. Louis Post Dispatch on Sunday, 26 June 1898. Maria Wilhelmine (Fiegenbaum) Winter composed an autobiographical essay near the end of her life. See also the life stories of Heinrich Hermann Fiegenbaum, and a statement written by Hermann Wilhelm Fiegenbaum.

Chronology

The peripatetic nature of Friedrich's work for the German Methodist Episcopal Church, which preferred its circuit preachers to serve an appointment for no more than 2 years, has made it difficult to create an accurate chronology of his life. The emerging picture looks something like this:

10 or 11 April 1830: born at Lengerich, Westphalia, Kingdom of Prussia
June 1834: family arrived in New Orleans. Settled in St. Charles County, Missouri
19 Feb 1846: converted in Missouri to the Methodist Church
1846-1848: was class leader and local preacher near home in Missouri ¹
about 1850: moved with family to the area of Wapello, Louisa County, Iowa
11 April 1852: married Louisa Otto at Wapello, Iowa
1853-1854: pastor at Peoria, Illinois
5 July 1853: daughter, Wilhelmine Christine Elizabeth, born at Peoria, Illinois
1854-1855: pastor at Cedar Lake, Indiana ²
7 March 1855: son, Adolph Heinrich, born at Cedar Lake, Indiana
1855-1857: pastor at Sherrill Mount, Iowa
6 September 1856: son, Louis, born and died; buried at Sherrill, Iowa ³
1857-1859: pastor at Freeport, Illinois; four appointments on this circuit
11 October 1857: daughter, Lydia Maria, born at Freeport, Illinois
1859-1860: pastor at Salem, Minnesota; a large circuit with five appointments
22 October 1859: son, Louis Theodore Stephan, born at Salem, Minnesota
1860-1862: pastor at First Congregation, St. Paul, Minnesota
9 November 1861: son, Theodore Johann, born at St. Paul, Minnesota
1862-1864: pastor at Woodbury, Minnesota; a circuit of six appointments [serving congregations in Wisconsin?]⁴
16 December 1864: daughter, Emma Maria, born at Woodbury, Minnesota
1864-1866: Presiding Elder of the Burlington, Iowa District, Southwest German Conference of the Church; lived at Wapello, Iowa; took care of his nearby parents
7 January 1866: son, Benjamin Friedrich, born
1866-1868: pastor of Wapello, Iowa circuit
10 or 20 January 1868: son, Heinrich, born
1868 or 1869/1870: pastor at Des Moines, Iowa
5 January 1870: son, Wilhelm Edward, born
1870-1873: pastor at Polk City, Iowa; the family lived 11 miles north of Des Moines
1873-1876: eave of absence due to poor health; at some point, "we moved to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa to educate our children"
1876-1879/1880: pastor at Wilton, Iowa
1879/1880-1882: pastor at Canton, Missouri
1882-1884: pastor at Wathena, Kansas; transferred to West German Conference of the Church
Sept 1884-Sept 1886: pastor at Eudora, Kansas
1886-1888: pastor at Clay Center, Kansas
1888-1891/1892: pastor at Lawrence, Kansas
Sept 1892-Sept 1896: pastor at Oregon, Missouri
1896: superannuated, suffering from "Lagrippe or Malaria Fever"
1906: living in Wathena, Kansas
30 November 1911: Louise (Otto) Fiegenbaum died at Wathena, Kansas; buried in Bellemont Cemetery
27 February 1914: died at Wathena, Kansas; buried in Bellemont Cemetery

Notes

(Click on note number to return to the text, above.)

1. A local preacher in the Methodist Church is a lay pastor, a member of the community who has no official pastoral work and who serves informally without compensation from the church.

2. In his autobiographical letter to his children, Friedrich writes that he was sent to "Clear Lake, Indiana, forty miles south of Chicago in Lake County, Indiana." Clear Lake is located in Steuben County, in the extreme northeast corner of the state. On the other hand, Cedar Lake is to be found in Lake County, south of Chicago; and Cedar Lake is the posting mentioned in his biographical sketch (see above). Moreover, a biographical sketch of Friedrich's son, Adolph Heinrich (born in 1855), published in 1880, states that Adolph was born in "Lake county, Indiana."

3. See "Sherrill Methodist Cemetery." This is a transcription of gravestones in this cemetery by Vicki Schlarman and Tom Schlarman, 7 October 2001. Web site accessed 20 March 2005. Their work lists a Louis Fiegenbaum; son of Rev. F. and L. Fiegenbaum; died 12 September 1856, age 6 days. Buried in the Sherrill, Dubuque County, Iowa Methodist Church cemetery - section A, row 5, stone 7.

4. In an autobiographical statement to his children, Friedrich wrote, "At the end of two years we moved to Woodbury -- eight miles northeast of St. Paul. A circuit of six appointments, and for more money. I started over in Wisconsin. Here again we stayed our full time -- two years."

Brief Genealogy

Friedrich Wilhelm Fiegenbaum's family

Louisa Otto's family

Fiegenbaum - Otto family

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