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Rev. Heinrich Hermann Fiegenbaum

Biographies & Chronology

 

A Family of Preachers

From The Kansas City (Mo.) Journal

The Rev. Henry Fiegenbaum of St. Joseph, who celebrated his eightieth birthday anniversary in appropriate manner recently, is a member of a somewhat remarkable family. There are four brothers and two sisters. The four men are German Methodist ministers, and the husbands of the two women are likewise engaged in pulpit work. The youngest, Rudolph, is sixty-eight years old, while the eldest is Henry, to whom allusion was made above. The latter is a veteran preacher. He expounded the Gospel in Minneapolis and St. Paul when the twin cities were only trading posts, and he "rode a circuit" in Wisconsin when there was not a mile of railroad in the State. Although now on the retired list, he is far from inactive, and not infrequently preaches a sermon or leads a meeting with much of his old-time vigor.

 

Source: New York Times, Sunday, 3 November 1901; p. 22. Accessed through ProQuest Historical Newspapers [online database].

 

 

Heinrich Fiegenbaum, many years the Nestor1 of the West German Conference, was born on 16 October 1821 in Ladbergen, Westphalia. He came to America with his parents in 1834. He worked on the land and then as a carter in St. Louis. Here he became acquainted with Methodism and in 1845, after a vigorous struggle for repentance, he achieved sanctifying faith. He immediately joined the church. In 1847, he entered into holy matrimony with Katharina Kastenbudt, who over 50 years shared joy and sorrow with him. He joined the Rock River Conference as a probationary member in 1848; the Southwest German Conference in 1864; and the West German Conference in 1879. He stood for 41 uninterrupted years in the active ranks and served the following congregations: Mascoutah, Ill., 1848 to 1850; Muscatine, Iowa, 1850-52; Galena, Ill.,1852-54; Iowa District 1854-1860; Burlington District 1860-64; Pekin, Ill. 1864-1867; Quincy, Ill., 1867-70; St. Joseph District 1870 to 1872; Oregon, Mo., 1872-1875; St. Joseph District 1875-79; Missouri District 1879-83; St. Joseph, Mo., 1883-86; Sedalia, Mo., 1886-89. In 1889 he entered into retirement, but in the following 15 years he preached well over 500 times. For 20 of his 41 years of active service he was a presiding elder and was in this office, as in his pastorates, very successful. He was a born leader, a popular and forceful preacher. Without the privilege of a higher education, but through diligent study, robust common sense, and a rare power of observation, he cultivated an extraordinary oratorical gift. In a joyous assembly, he was in his element. His later years brought various infirmities, but he never lost his confidence. 'With Jesus alone' was his motto in the last days. And thus on 13 January 1905 he entered into his well earned rest. His wife had preceded him by a few years. He was survived by four daughters who follow in his faith.

 

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. 236-237.
Translation by J. Mark Fiegenbaum.

 

 

Rev. Henry Fiegenbaum, for many years one of the leading and outstanding figures in the German work in the West, was born October 16, 1821, in Ladbergen, Westfalen, Germany. He came to America with his parents in 1834. In St. Louis he soon came in contact with the Methodists and under their preaching was converted and joined the church. He married a Miss Kastenbund and for fifty years they lived happily together. In 1845 he entered the ministry and was in active service for over forty-one years, twenty of which he was a presiding elder, preaching in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska. He was a born leader, a powerful preacher in both English and German. He had but few school advantages, but was a wide reader and a good observer. Two brothers were also ministers. For fifteen years he was in the superannuated relation, yet in that time he preached over five hundred sermons. He died January 13, 1905, in St. Joseph, Missouri.

 

Source: Morton, J. Sterling, and Albert Watkins. History of Nebraska From the Earliest Explorations of the Trans-Mississippi Region. Revised and edited by Augustus O. Thomas, James A. Beattie, and Arthur C. Wakeley. Lincoln, Nebraska: Western Publishing and Engraving Company, 1918; p. 782. Accessed March 2004 at NEGenWeb Project Resource Center | On-Line Library

 

Chronology

The following is a preliminary portrait of Heinrich's work as a circuit preacher and Presiding Elder in the German Methodist Episcopal Church.

15 or 16 October 1821
born in Lengerich or Ladbergen Westphalia, Prussia2
1834
emigrated with parents to USA; landed at New Orleans; settled in St. Charles County
1845
while working as a carter in St. Louis, he was converted at a revival to the German Methodist Episcopal Church. Clara Catharina Kastenbudt was converted at the same meeting.
1847
Heinrich granted exhortor's license
11 April 1847
married Clara Catharina Kastenbudt; she was born 9 December 1823 in Osnabrück
1848
joined the Rock River Conference as a probationary member
1848-1850
served at Mascoutah, Illinois
22 August 1848
son, Edward Henry, born at Mascotah, Illinois
3 September 1850
daughter, Anna Maria, born at Mascotah, Illinois
1850-1852
served at Muscatine, Iowa
1852-1854
served at Galena, Illinois
31 October 1852
daughter, Caroline Catherine, born at Galena, Illinois
1854-1860
served the Iowa District
1 January 1855
son, George Adolph, born at Galena, Illinois
1856
Presiding Elder in the German Methodist Episcopal Church. Territory stretched from Galena, Illinois to St. Paul, Minnesota
28 May 1857
daughter, Julia Anna, born at Galena, Illinois
30 August 1859
daughter, Wilhelmine, born at Galena, Illinois
1860-1864
served the Burlington District
24 March 1862
daughter, Lizette, born at Galena, Illinois
1864
joined the Southwest German Conference
1864-1867
served at Pekin, Illinois
8 November 1865
son, Franz N., born at Pekin, Illinois
1867-1870
served at Quincy, Illinois
1870-1872
served the St. Joseph District
1872-1875
served at Oregon, Missouri
1875-1879
served the St. Joseph District
1879
joined the West German Conference
1879-1883
served the Missouri District
1883-1886
served at St. Joseph, Missouri
1886-1889
served at Sedalia, Missouri; health began to fail
1889
retired from active service
11 April 1897
at St. Joseph, at home and at their church, Heinrich and Clara celebrated golden wedding anniversary (see photo)
2 September 1897
Clara Catherine (Kastenbudt) Fiegenbaum died at home at St. Joseph, Missouri
4 September 1987
Clara's funeral amd burial at Ashland Cemetery, St. Joseph, Missouri
13 January 1905
Heinrich died at home at St. Joseph, Missouri
16 January 1905
Heinrich's funeral amd burial at Ashland Cemetery, St. Joseph, Missouri
 

Notes

Click on note number to return to text, above.

1.  I have not been able to find a translation for this word.

2.  Many U.S. sources give the place of birth as Ladbergen, Westphalia, Prussia. Researchers of church records in Germany state that the birth place was nearby Lengerich. They report that the father, Adolph Heinrich Fiegenbaum, was born and raised in Ladbergen but moved to Lengerich, the home town of his wife, Christine Elisabeth Peterjohann, after their marriage. The couple's first five children were born in Lengerich. The sixth child, Heinrich Rudolph, was born in Missouri.

 

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Heinrich Hermann Fiegenbaum's family

Clara Catherine Kastenbudt's family

Heinrich Hermann Fiegenbaum and Clara Catherine Kastenbudt were married 11 April 1847 at St. Louis, Missouri, USA.

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