Fiegenbaum, Adelaide Katherine

Other Events:

• Census: Jun 1880, La Crosse, La Crosse County, Wisconsin, USA

Notes:

Birth:

     Some resources consulted have reported that Adelaide was born in Illinois or Iowa, but I believe Wisconsin is the correct location. This is the place I will use until further research can resolve this issue.

Census:

     According to the 1880 enumeration of Ferry Street, "Adelina," born in May in Wisconsin, lived with Henry (age 43) and "Hellwig" (age 28) Fiegenbaum, and 2 brothers and 2 sisters. Also in the home were a boarder, "Edward Hellberg" (age 20) and a servant, Henriette Hellwig, (age 24); they may have been related to "Hellwig" Fiegenbaum.

Buried:
She was buried in Wendell Cemetery.

Adelaide married Vetsch, Fred J. 14 Mar 1900, Garner, Hancock County, Iowa, USA. Fred (son of Vetsch, Jacob and Kuhn, Matilda) was born Jul 1875, Wisconsin, USA; died 1925; was buried , Sioux City, Woodbury County, Iowa, USA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Married:

     According to marriage records in Hancock County, Iowa, Fred J. Vetsch, of Pipestone, Minnesota and Adelaid Katharine Fiegenbaum, of Garner, Iowa, received a marriage license on 13 March 1900 (license number not provided). Fred J. Vetsch, a salesman who would be age 25 at his next birthday, was the son of Jacob Vetsch and Matilda Kuhn and had been born at Rock Island, Illinois. Adelaid Katharine Fiegenbaum, who would be age 20 at her next birthday, was the daughter of H. R. Fiegenbaum and Elizabeth M. Fiegenbaum [sic] and had been born at La Crosse, Wisconsin. They were married on 14 March 1900 in the German Methodist Episcopal Church, at Garner, Iowa by H. R. Fiegenbaum, "minister." This was the first marriage for both bride and groom.

Census (family):

     According to the 1900 U.S. enumeration, the household consisted of 38 persons. A family of five ran the home and two other persons were identified as servants. All the rest were boarders. Two of these were Fred J. Vetsch, a 25 year old traveling salesman, and his wife, Adaline [sic] K. Vetsch, age 20. They were recently married.

Census (family):

     According to the 1910 U.S. enumeration, the household at 1914 Fourth Avenue, in Ward 7, consisted of Fred T. Vetsch, a traveling salesman, and his wife of 10 years, Adalaid Vetsch, age 29 and the mother of two children. Those children were still living and were residents of the household: Faith Vetsch, age 9 and in school; and Winifred Vetsch, age 5. It appears that Fred's age was recorded as 54, but this should very probably have been written as 34 instead. Also in the home was a roomer, Henry H. Hudson, age 21 and without an occupation.

1. Vetsch, Faith was born Abt 1900–1901, Iowa, USA; died Yes, date unknown.
2. Vetsch, Winifred Adelaide was born 1 Mar 1905, Sioux City, Woodbury County, Iowa, USA; died 6 Jan 1930, Boise, Ada County, Idaho, USA.

Other Events:

• Baptism: 5 Feb 1837, Femme Osage Township, St. Charles County, Missouri, USA
• Census: 1840, Charrette Township, Warren County, Missouri, USA
• Census: 1840, Femme Osage Township, St. Charles County, Missouri, USA
• Census: 1850, Wapello Township, Louisa County, Iowa, USA
• Occupation: Between 1860 and 1908; pastor in the German Methodist Episcopal Church

Notes:

Baptism:
The birth and baptism are recorded in the baptismal register of the German evangelical church at Femme Osage, Missouri (founded in 1833 as the Deutsche Evangelische Kirchengemeinde and known since 1957 as Femme Osage United Church of Christ).

Census:
The 1840 U.S. census enumerated eight people living in the "Rudolph Feigenbaum" household in Charrette Township, Warren County, Missouri.

Census:
The 1840 U.S. census enumerated eight people living in the "A. Frigenbottom" household in Femme Osage Township, St. Charles County, Missouri.

Census:
The 1850 U.S. Census found the Fiegenbaums living in Wapello Township, Louisa County, Iowa. According to the enumeration, the household was composed of Adolph, age 57, a farmer; Christine, age 54; Frederick, age 21, a day laborer; and, Rudolph, age 14.

Occupation:

     The following is a translation of a biographical sketch which was published in Die Nordwest Deutsche Konferenz der Bischöflichen Methodistenkirche: Geschichtlich, Sachlich und Biographisch Geschildert in 1913.


          H. R. Fiegenbaum

     Henry Rudolf Fiegenbaum was born on the 2nd of January 1837 in Warren County, Mo. It was there in his youth that he was converted and joined the church. His education took advantage of our school, then at Quincy, Ill. On the 28th of January 1860 he entered into holy matrimony with Elisabeth Krümpel, which marriage was blessed with six children, of whom three are yet living, namely: Emma Allen of Denver, Colo., Charles H. of Dubuque, Iowa, and Arthur F. of Spokane, Wash. He was the youngest of four brothers: Heinrich, Wilhelm and Friedrich, all of whom were prominent preachers in our church. In 1861, he joined the Upper Iowa Conference and when in 1864 the German Conferences were formed, he transferred to the Northwest German Conference.
     His first wife died in 1877 and in 1878 he remarried, to his still grieving wife, Elisabeth Hellweg, a daughter of the old pioneer preacher Peter Hellweg. Four children came forth from this marriage, of which the eldest daughter led the way to eternity at the age of sixteen. Those children still living are: Mrs. Fr. Vetsch of Sioux City, Iowa, Mrs. Aaron Eaton of Mesa, Wash, and Rudolf of Wendell, Idaho. Brother Fiegenbaum served as preacher in the following fields of labor: Lansing, Iowa; Lena and Yellow Creek, Ill.; Colesburg, Iowa; Platteville, Wis.; Charles City, Iowa; Giard, Iowa. Then he accepted a superannuated position and relocated to Colesburg, Iowa for one year and traveled as financial agent of the Galena School. He then moved to Garner, Iowa where he lived for eight years and served thereafter for one year in La Crosse, Wis., and then had to return to Garner for two more years because of failing health. After that he lived and worked for a year in Atchinson [sic], Kans., on the frontiers of the Western German Conference, but in the following year returned to the Northwest German Conference and served the following fields: Dubuque, Iowa, until 1887; Colesburg 1887-92; Ft. Dodge 1892-1894; Flood Creek 1894-97; Sioux City 1897-98. Rested then for a year and closed out his mission as a circuit preacher in Garner 1899-1901. In 1901, he moved with his family to a country home in Connell, Wash.
     Even as he was considering leaving Washington to settle in Idaho, the Lord called his loyal servant to his eternal rest. He passed away blest in the Lord on the 11th Sptember [sic] 1908 in Gooding, Idaho and reached an age of 71 years, 8 months and 9 days. His mortal remains were sent to Garner, Iowa and were laid to rest in the Concord Cemetery in Garner. A fitting memorial service was held in our church in Garner on the 15th of September. District Senior Minister W. H. Rolfing gave the sermon and Brothers A. Dulitz and F. H. Wellemeyer gave short addresses.
     God blessed Brother Fiegenbaum with many talents and he strove faithfully to use these for God's glory and to lead sinners to Jesus. At continuous conventions and camp meetings he always found great pleasure. His favorite theme was the blood of atonement. One can truthfully say of him that he served God and the church. Many are the churches he built and congregations he organized. Now is his work done; he has gone to his rest and is at home with the Lord.


Buried:
Henry's body was sent from Gooding, Idaho to Garner, Iowa and laid to rest in Concord Cemetery at Garner. A memorial service was held in the German Methodist church at Garner on the 15 September 1908. District Senior Minister W. H. Rolfing gave the sermon and fellow pastors A. Dulitz and F. H. Wellemeyer gave short addresses.

Heinrich married Hellweg, Maria Elisabeth 27 Jan 1878, Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa, USA. Maria (daughter of Hellweg, Peter and Danker, Martha) was born 21 Oct 1851, Franklin County, Missouri, USA; died Oct 1924, Wendell, Gooding County, Idaho, USA; was buried 1 Nov 1924, Wendell, Gooding County, Idaho, USA. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Census: 1860, Rock Island, Rock Island County, Illinois, USA

Notes:

Birth:
According to birth records in the Hellweg-Danker family bible, Maria Elisabeth was born at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.

Census:
According to the 1860 enumeration, Mary E. Helvick, age 9 (born in Ohio), lived with her parents, Peter Helvick (age 42), a Lutheran clergyman, and Martha Helvick (age 37), and seven siblings, ages 17 to 1 year of age.

Buried:
Mary was buried in Wendell Cemetery (Block 08, Lot 03, Plot 01).

Died:
According to a 1923 obituary for her sister, Mrs. Henrietta Hellwig [sic] Schneider, "Mrs. Rev. H. R. Fienenbaum [sic]" was identified as a resident of Wendell, Idaho.

Notes:

Married:
A biographical sketch of Henry, published in 1913, states the he and his second wife, Elisabeth Hellweg had four children. At that time of the biography, the eldest daughter had died at the age of 16. The surviving children were: Mrs. Fr. Vetsch of Sioux City, Iowa; Mrs. Aaron Eaton of Mesa, Washington; and Rudolf [sic] Fiegenbaum of Wendell, Idaho.

Census (family):
According to the 1880 enumeration of Ferry Street, the household consisted of Henry Fiegenbaum, head of household, age 43, born in Missouri, married, a Methodist pastor; "Hellwig" Fiegenbaum, wife, age 28, born in Missouri, married, keeping house; Emma Fiegenbaum, daughter, age 16, born in Iowa, single, who had attended school in the census year; Charles Fiegenbaum, son, age 10, born in Iowa, single, who had attended school in the census year; Arthur Fiegenbaum, son, age 7, born in Iowa, single, who had attended school in the census year; "Lulea" Fiegenbaum, daughter, age 1, born in Wisconsin, single; "Adelina" Fiegenbaum, daughter, age 1 month, born in May 1880 in Wisconsin; "Edward Hellberg," male, age 20, born in Illinois, a boarder; single; and Henriette Hellwig, female, age 24, born in Missouri, a servant, single.

Residence (family):
An account of the 50th wedding anniversary of "Rev. and Mrs. William Fiegenbaum," celebrated on 27 September 1899 at Edwardsville, Illinois, noted that one of William's three brothers was "...Rudolph of Garner, Iowa...."

Census (family):
According to the 1900 enumeration, the household consisted of Henry R. Fiegenbaum, head of the household, born January 1840 in Missouri, age 60, married, for 22 years, a minister in the German Methodist Episcopal Church; Mary E. Fiegenbaum, wife, born October 1862 in Missouri, age 47; married for 22 years, the mother of 4 children (3 still living); Elsie A. Fiegenbaum, daughter, born July 1882 in Iowa, age 17, attending school; and Rudolph E. D. Fiegenbaum, son, born February 1885 in Kansas, age 15, attending school. Also in the household was Catherine Schneider, a boarder, born February 1873 in Iowa, age 27, single, a dry goods saleswoman.
     According to other sources, Henry and Mary appear younger in this enumeration than they really were.

Residence (family):
According to an obituary for his brother, "Rev. William Fiegenbaum," published on 30 November 1906 in the Edwardsville Intelligencer, of Edwardsville, Illinois, the deceased was survived by his brother, "...Rev. H. R. Fiegenbaum of Connell, Washington...."
     Rudolph had been living near Connell since at least 1902. Hein and Anna Cathrina (Nuehs) Klindworth relocated from Nokomis, Illinois to Connell, Washington in September 1902 after having purchased a "relinquishment on a homestead situated nearly two miles south of the town of Connell" from "a bearded gentleman by the name of Rudolph Fiegenbaum, a retired German Methodist minister who was farming southeast of Connell and who at the same time was the part time real estate agent through whom Father had purchased the relinquishment."

Other Events:

• Baptism: 26 Dec 1793, Ladbergen, Grafschaft Tecklenburg
• Immigration: 1834, Missouri, USA
• Naturalization: 1838, St. Charles County, Missouri, USA
• Census: 1850, Wapello Township, Louisa County, Iowa, USA

Notes:

Birth:
Adolph's date of birth in 1792 has been reported as both December 17 or 19.

Immigration:

     Adolph was about 40 years old when he emigrated from the Hohne section of Lengerich, in the Province of Westphalia, Kingdom of Prussia with his wife, Christine, age 37, and their first five children (ages 13 to less than 1 year). The family is reported to have disembarked at New Orleans, Louisiana in late June 1834 and to have traveled up the Mississippi, arriving at St. Louis, Missouri about 3 or 4 July. They appear to have settled initially in Femme Osage Township, St. Charles County, Missouri. They later moved to nearby Hopewell, in Warren County, Missouri. Around 1850, Adolph, Christine and at least two sons still living at home settled near Wapello, Louisa County, Iowa.

Naturalization:

On 2 April 1838 in St. Charles County Circuit Court, Adolph Fiegenbaum, age 44, a native of Prussia and a resident of St. Charles County, declared his intention to become a citizen of the USA.

     I Adolphus Fiegenbaum do declare that I am a native of Ladbergen, Kingdom of Prussia, that I am about forty [sic] four years old; that I emigrated from Ladbergen that I there owed allegiance to King William III King of Prussia, that I am a Carpenter by profession, and that I am married to Cristina Peterjohan, and that I have six children, that I landed in New Orleans in June 1834 and that I intend to settle in the State of Missouri. I further declare that it is my bona fide intention to become a citizen of the United States, and to renounce and abjure forever, all allegiance and fidelity to every foreign Prince, Potentate, State and Sovereignty whatever, and particularly to William III of Prussia.
               [Adolph's signature]
     Subscribed and sworn to in open Court, this 2nd day of April A.D. 1838.


Census:
The 1850 U.S. Census found the Fiegenbaums living in Wapello Township, Louisa County, Iowa. According to the enumeration, the household was composed of Adolph, age 57, a farmer; Christine, age 54; Frederick, age 21, a day laborer; and, Rudolph, age 14.

Buried:
Adolph was buried in Concord Cemetery at Garner, Iowa.

Died:
Adolph died at the home of his son-in-law, H. F. Wellemeyer, in Garner, Iowa, where he had been living for about the last year of his life.

     The following obituary appeared in Der Christliche Apologete, on 29 January 1877.

     Am 11. Januar 1877, des Abends um 10 Uhr, starb, alt und lebenssatt, aber selig im Herrn, Vater Adolph Fiegenbaum. Vater F. wurde geboren am 17. December 1792 in Kirchspiel Ladbergen, Regierungs=Bezirk Münster, Königreich Preußen. In 1832 kam er nach Amerika und ließ sich in St. Charles County, Mo., nieder; von dort zog er nach Warren County, Mo., woselbst er mit seiner Gattin nebst drei seiner Kinder unter der Arbeit Br. Zwahlen's erweckt und nach dem unter der Arbeit des selig entschlafenen Br. F. Horstmann gründlich zu Gott bekehrt wurde, und schloß sich auch daselbst der Kirche seiner Wahl an, der er treu blieb bis an's Ende. Die übringen drei seiner Kinder wurden schon früher in St. Louis, Mo., zu Gott bekehrt. Immer war Vater F. opferwillig, nie machte er Einwendungen, als der Herr einen seiner Söhne nach dem andern in's Predigtamt rief. Endlich kam auch die Reihe an den jüngsten Sohn, auf den der alte Vater sich stützen wollte in seinen alten Tagen; auch er sollte nun das elterliche Haus verlassen. Der Vorstehende Aelteste meinte: Nein, das geht nicht, daß ich den alten Leuten auch noch den entreiße! Doch der Vater war willig, auch diesen noch zu geben. O, welche Opferwilligkeit, ihr Väter!
     In den letzen drei Jahren hatte Vater F. viel zu leiden, indem er sich durch einen Fall derart verletzte, daß er hülflos war und behegt und gepflegt werden mußte wie ein Kind, welches auch gewissenhaft und mit Liebe geschah. Er trug alles mit Geduld und ergeben in den Willen Gottes, wissend, daß dieser Zeit Leiden der Herrlichkeit nicht werth sei, die an ihm geoffenbart werden sollte. Er sehnte sich, daheim zu sein bei seinem Herrn. "Ja," sagte er, "ich möchte nun gerne heim gehen, dann ich habe schon lange darauf gewartet." "O ja," sagte er dann wieder, "ich gehe auch bald heim." Sein jüngster Sohn sagte mehrere Tage vor seinem Ende zu ihm: "Vater, du gehst nun bald über den Jordan." "O," sagte er, "durch den Jordan bin ich schon dindurch." Wenn die Schmerzen groß waren, rief er dem Herrn um Hülfe an. Er hat auch geholfen und alle Leiden ein Ende gemacht.
          Nun ist es überwunden,
          Nur durch des Lammes Blut,
          Das in den schwersten Stunden
          Die größten Thaten thut. Hallelujah!
     Ja, er hat nun übermunden, was wir noch zu überwinden haben. Er ist nun daheim bei siener Gattin, die ihm vor etwa 5 Jahren voran ging in einer lebendigen Hoffnung des ewigen Lebens. Er hinterläßt vier Söhne, die alle auf Zions Mauern stehen und schon manche Seele den Weg zum Himmel zeigten. Nebst dem hinterläßt er zwei Töchter, wovon eine die Gattin des Br. Winter, gegenwärtig Preidiger in Springfield, Ill., und die andere, hierselbst wohnend, die Gattin von Br. Wellemeyer ist, in dessen Hause er starb, und die ihn auch hegte und pflegte bis an den Tod. Alle schauen ihm nach im Glauben und in der lebendigen Hoffnung des ewigen Lebens. Mögen sie Alle wieder vereinigt werden als eine "volle Familei," wo sein Scheiden mehr ist. Welche Freude wird das sein, wenn all mit der blutgewaschenen Schaar einstimmen in das: "Heil sei dem, der auf dem Stuhl sitzt, unserm Gott, und dem Lamm! Amen. Lob und Ehre, und Weisheit, und Dank, und Preis, und Kraft, und Stärke sei unserm Gott von Ewigkeit zu Ewigkeit! Amen."
     Garner, Iowa.          C. W. Henke

An English translation might read thus:

     On 11 January 1877 at 10 o'clock in the evening, Father Adolph Fiegenbaum died, aged and finished with life, but blessed by the Lord. Father Fiegenbaum was born 17 December 1792 in the parish of Ladbergen, in the administrative district of Münster, Kingdom of Prussia. He came to America in 1832 and settled in St. Charles County, Mo.; from there he moved to Warren County, Mo., where he, with his wife and three of his children, was inspired by the work of Brother Zwahlen and thereafter was thoroughly converted to God by the mission of the blessed, departed Brother F. Horstmann, and embraced the church of his choice to which he was faithful for the rest of his life. The other three of his children had already turned to God in St. Louis, Mo. Father F. was always self-sacrificing and never objected when the Lord called one after another of his sons to the ministry. Eventually it became the turn of the youngest son, on whom the aged father wished to depend in his waning days; he, too, was to leave the parental home. The presiding elder objected: It is not right that I should take him away from the old folks! But the father was willing to surrender this son as well. Oh, what selfless devotion, your ancestors had!
     In the last three years, Father F. suffered much from a fall in which he injured himself in such a way that he was helpless, requiring protection and care as if he were a child, which was done conscientiously and with love. He met it all with forbearance and surrendered to God's will, knowing that the suffering of this time would not be worth the glory that would be revealed to him. He longed to be home with his Lord. "Yes," he said, "I wish to go home; I have waited for it for a long time." "Oh, yes," he repeated, "I am going home soon." Several days before the end, his youngest son said to him: "Father, you are soon going over Jordan." "Oh," he said, "the Jordan is already behind me." When the pain was great, he cried out to the Lord for comfort. He came to his aid and brought the suffering to an end.
          Now is it vanquished,
          Through the Blood of the Lamb alone,
          Which in the darkest hours
          Accomplishes the greatest deeds. Hallelujah!
     Yes, he has now conquered what we must still overcome. He is now at home with his wife who 5 years earlier preceded him into the expectation of eternal life. He left four sons, all of whom stand on Zion's walls and have already shown many souls the road to heaven. He also left behind two daughters, one of whom is the wife of Brother Winter, the current pastor in Springfield, Ill., and the other, living here, is the wife of Brother Wellemeyer, in whose house he died and who also protected and nurtured him until his death. Everyone looks to him in faith and the expectation of life everlasting. May they all be reunited as a "complete family," where his parting is. What joy there will be when everyone joins their voices with the blood-washed flock: "Hail to Him, who sits on the Throne, our God, and to the Lamb! Amen. Praise and glory, and psalms, and thanks, and praise, and strength, and power to our God, for ever and ever! Amen."
     Garner, Iowa.          C. W. Henke

     The following is a transcription supplied by Frances Gretchen (Klein) Leenerts of an obituary for Adolph Heinrich Fiegenbaum which she reported had appeared on 18 January 1877 in the Hancock Signal, of Garner, Iowa.

Died: at the residence of H. F. Wellemeyer, Garner, Hancock County, Iowa, in the evening of 11 January 1877, and the evening of his life -- tired of this world but happy in the Lord, Father Adolph Fiegenbaum, aged 84 years and 26 days. Father Fiegenbaum was born in Perish Ladbergen, Circuit of Muenster, Prussia on 17 December 1792. In 1832 he came to America and settled in St. Charles County, Missouri, and from there moved to Warren County in the same state, where with his wife and three of his children he was truly converted, under the ministration of Rev. Frank Horstmann, and at the same time joined the M.E. Church, of which he was a member to the end of his life. The other three children were converted in St. Louis. In 1850 he moved from Missouri to Louisa County, Iowa, where he resided until about a year ago when he came to Hancock County, Iowa, with the family of Mr. H. F. Wellemeyer. During this last three years Father Fiegenbaum had to suffer a great deal, from injuries received in a fall, rendering him helpless, so that he had to be handled like a child. He bore all of this with great patience and gave himself up to the will of God, knowing that the sufferings of the present are not worthy to be compared with the Glory which shall be revealed hereafter. He had a desire to go home, for he often said, "I would like to go home now, for I have waited long," and then would repeat, "I shall go home." He has now gone to meet his wife who went some five years ago to that better land "where sin and sorrow are no more." His four sons are all living, and are in the ministry; Rev. H. R. Fiegenbaum, at present located here in Hancock County, is the youngest of the four. There are two daughters, one the wife of Rev. Winter, Pastor of a church at Springfield, Illinois; where the father, Professor F. W. Winter, is Principal of the Garner School, the other, the wife of H. F. Wellemeyer of this place, at whose house he died. All hope to meet him again where parting is no more. May they all be united in that world to come, as a full family, to praise the Lord forever. F. W. Henke, Pastor.

Adolph married Peterjohann, Christine Elisabeth 25 Oct 1820, Ladbergen, Province of Westphalia, Kingdom of Prussia. Christine (daughter of Peterjohann, Johann Hermann and Otterman, Anna Maria Elisabeth) was born Abt 1796, Lengerich, Province of Westphalia, Kingdom of Prussia; died 17 Sep 1871, Colesburg, Delaware County, Iowa, USA; was buried 1871, Colesburg, Delaware County, Iowa, USA. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Immigration: 1834, Missouri, USA
• Census: 1840, Femme Osage Township, St. Charles County, Missouri, USA
• Census: 1850, Wapello Township, Louisa County, Iowa, USA
• Census: 1870, Wapello Township, Louisa County, Iowa, USA
• Burial: 1877, Garner, Hancock County, Iowa, USA

Notes:

Birth:
According to other researchers and secondary sources, Christine's date of birth occurred in 1795, 1796 or 1797. The place of birth has been identified as either Ladbergen or Lengerich, in Westphalia, Prussia. Further research is required to resolve this matter.

Immigration:

     Christine was about 37 years old when she emigrated from the Hohne section of Lengerich, in the Province of Westphalia, Kingdom of Prussia with her husband, Adolph, about age 40, and their first five children (ages 13 to less than 1 year). Christine's sister, Maria, also made the trip with them. The family is reported to have disembarked at New Orleans, Louisiana in late June 1834 and to have traveled up the Mississippi, arriving at St. Louis, Missouri about 3 or 4 July. They appear to have settled initially in Femme Osage Township, St. Charles County, Missouri. They later moved to nearby Hopewell, in Warren County, Missouri. Around 1850, Adolph, Christine and at least two sons still living at home settled near Wapello, Louisa County, Iowa.

Census:
The 1840 U.S. Census enumerated 8 people living in the "A. Frigenbottom" household in Femme Osage Township, St. Charles County, Missouri.

Census:
The 1850 U.S. Census found the Fiegenbaums living in Wapello Township, Louisa County, Iowa. According to the enumeration, the household was composed of Adolph, age 57, a farmer; Christine, age 54; Frederick, age 21, a day laborer; and, Rudolph, age 14.

Census:
The 1870 U.S. Census recorded that Christine, age 73, keeping house, and Adolph Fiegenbaum, age 76, unemployed, were living in Wapello Township, Louisa County, Iowa.

Burial:
Upon her death in 1871, Christine was buried at Colesburg, Iowa. When Adolph, her husband, died in 1877 and was buried in Concord Cemetery at Garner, Iowa, Christine's body was moved to Concord Cemetery to lie beside his.

Died:
The month of her death has been reported as either January or September.

Notes:

Married:

     The record of Adolph and Christine's marriage in the archives of the evangelical church at Ladbergen identified Adolph as a Zimmermann (carpenter) living in the Wester Bauerschaft (district) of Ladbergen. After the marriage, Adolph and Christine lived in Lengerich, Christine's home town, where Adolph supplemented his skills as a carpenter by farming. Lieselotte Fiegenbaum, from her research on the family, has identified Adolph as a Heuerling or tenant farmer.
     Tenant farmers were low on the social scale in Ladbergen at the time. "They owned no land, and they lived in rented houses on larger farms. Every large or middle-sized farm in Ladbergen had one or more tenant houses (in German: Heuerhäuser) scattered over the farm. The highest number on any farm in Ladbergen was seven; two or three was common. Each tenant farm house had its own plot of 7 to 12 acres. The tenants rented the houses and plots for life. The tenant farmers were not the same as sharecroppers or rental farmers in the American sense. They had only a small plot to themselves, and they did not need to give any of the yield to the landowner. They were essentially renters of houses who paid for their dwellings with a small amount of cash and a specified number of days of labor. In the 19th century the tenants were typically relatives of the landowners, but this was decreasingly the case after the turn of the century."


Census (family):
The 1840 U.S. census enumerated eight people living in the "A. Frigenbottom" household in Femme Osage Township, St. Charles County, Missouri. The household consisted of: 5 males (2 at less than 5 years of age; 1 at 5 years to less than 10 years; 1 at 15 years to less than 20 years; 1 at 40 years to less than 50 years old) and 3 females (1 at less than 5 years of age; 1 at 10 years to less than 15 years; 1 at 40 to less than 50 years old).

Census (family):
The 1840 U.S. census enumerated eight people living in the "Rudolph Feigenbaum" household in Charrette Township, Warren County, Missouri. The household consisted of: 5 males (1 at less than 5 years of age; 1 at 5 years to less than 10 years; 2 at 15 years to less than 20 years; 1 at 40 years to less than 50 years) and 3 females (1 at 5 years to less than 10 years of age; 1 at 10 years to less than 15 years; 1 at 40 years to less than 50 years).

Census (family):
According to the 1860 enumeration, the household consisted of "Adolph Feigenbaum," age 67, born in Germany, a farmer; "Christina Feigenbaum," age 63, born in Germany; "Rudolph Feigenbaum," age 23, born in Missouri, who was married within the year; and "Elisabeth Feigenbaum," age 23 or 26, born in Germany, who was married within the year. This last person was no doubt the former Elizabeth Ann Krümpel; she and Rudolph, youngest child of Adolph and Christine, had been married in January 1860.

Census (family):
According to the 1870 enumeration, the household consisted of Adolph Fiegenbaum, age 76, born in Prussia, unemployed, a U.S. citizen; and Christena [sic] Fiegenbaum, age 73, keeping house.

Other Events:

• Immigration: 1839, City of New York, New York, USA
• Moved To: Apr 1843, Iowa, USA
• Occupation: Between 1847 and 1897; a pastor in the German Methodist Church

Notes:

Birth:
The Duchy of Bremen, a holding of the Hanoverian Crown from 1715, was abolished in 1823 and became part of Landdrostei Stade, an administrative district of the Kingdom of Hannover. In 1972, the communities of Assel and Hüll were united; they exist within the larger municipality of Drochtersen, Landkreis (District) Stade, Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Federal Republic of Germany); it is about 45 kilometers northwest of Hamburg.

Occupation:

     The following is a transcription of a biographical sketch from Die Nordwest Deutsche Konferenz der Bischöflichen Methodistenkirche: Geschichtlich, Sachlich und Biographisch Geschildert. Although this book was published in 1913, the last paragraph of this sketch speaks of the aborted celebration of the 50th anniversary of Peter's appointment to the ministry and suggests that this biography was actually written in 1897.

          Peter Hellweg.

     Unser selig heimgeganger Vater Hellweg wurde geboren am 13. März 1817 zu Assel, Hannover, Deutschland.
     Er kam im Juli 1839 nach New York, ging das nächste Jahr nach New Orleans, und kam im Frühjahr 1841 nach Marietta, Ohio. Hier trat er in den Stand der heiligen Ehe mit Martha Danker, einer Tochter von Rev. Geo Danker. Da seine Gattin schon bekehrt war, so gingen sie am Weihnachtabend zur Kirche. Die Predigt von Bruder H. Köneke ergriff ihn heilsam, auf Einladung ging er an den Betaltar, und als man sang: "Wie der Nebel muß verschwinden" u. s. w., da ging in mitternächtlicher Stunde der Morgenstern auf in seinem Herzen.
     Im April 1843 kam das junge Ehepaar nach German Creek, Iowa. Durch ein Schreiben an Vater Danker kam das nächste Jahr ein Prediger Namens J. [or, I; in the text, the two letters are identical] Mann dorthin. Bruder Hellweg missionierte und lud seine Landsleute ein zum Gottesdienst in seinem Hause. Bald erhielt er Licenz zum Predigen und im Jahre 1847 wurde er durch Bruder L. S. Jacoby als Reiseprediger ausgesandt.
     Von obigem Datum bis zum Herst 1875 war er tätig als Reiseprediger. Um diese Zeit zog er auf eine Farm bei Charles City, wo er 15 Jahre wohnte. Die letzten Jahre verlebte er in Garner, Iowa, bei seinem Schwiegersohn, Adam Schneider, allwo er auch starb. Vater Hellweg ist ein tüchtiger Bußprediger gewesen, der viele Seelen zum Herrn geführt. Liebe zum Werk der Seelenrettung und treu zu sein mit dem, und in dem, das ihm anvertraut war, sind seine Haupt-Charakterzüge gewesen. Die Kirche seiner Wahl war ihm sehr teuer, und der "Apologete" unentbehrlich. Wenn er ihn las, war es eine Erquickung für ihn. Die wichtigsten Artikel bezeichnete er, und die lieben Seinen lasen dann diese Stücke zuerst. Da Bruder Hellweg in den letzten Jahren fast gar nicht hören konnte, und demgemäß die Gottesdienste wenig besuchte, so erhielt er sich doch ein warmes Herz durch Betrachtung der Bibel, sowie durch Lesen des Predigtbuches und unserer Zeitschriften, als auch durch betenden Umgang mit dem Herrn. Das Wohl der Gemeinde lag ihm sehr am Herzen; wenn Leute bekehrt wurden, dann weinte er Freudentränen. Von seinen früheren Erlebnissen erzählte er gerne, und stets mit Thränen.
     Eigentlich krank war Vater Hellweg nur wenige Tage. Am 5. Februar 1897 entschlief er sanft und selig im Herrn. Als die Sprache ihn verließ, zeigte er nach oben, als ob er sagen wollte: "Ich gehe heim!"
     Neun deutsche und ein englisher Prediger wohnten der Leichenfeierlichkeit bei. Gattin, drei Söhne und drei Töchter schauen ihm nach, währen drei Kinder vorangegangen sind.
     Da Bruder Hellweg das älteste Glied unserer Konferenz war, so gedachten wir, diesen Herbst sein fünfzigjähriges Amtsjubiläum zu feiern. Doch nun feiert er droben. Seine Werke folgen ihm nach.

     I have attempted a translation, thus:

          Peter Hellweg.

     Our blessed late Father Hellweg was born on 13 March 1817 at Assel, Hannover, Germany.
     He came to New York in July 1839, removed the next year to New Orleans, and in the Spring of 1841 came to Marietta, Ohio. Here he entered into holy matrimony with Martha Danker, a daughter of Rev. Geo. Danker. As his wife was already converted, on Christmas Eve they attended church. Brother H. Köneke's sermon stirred him in a salutary manner, at the invitation he approached the alter and as they sang "How the Fog Must Lift," etc., because in the wee hours the morning star swelled his heart.
     In April 1843 the young married couple came to German Creek, Iowa. Following a note to Father Danker, a preacher by the name of J. Mann showed up the next year. Brother Hellweg evangelized and invited his countrymen to church service at his home. Soon he obtained a license to preach and in 1847 Brother L. S. Jacoby dispatched him as a circuit preacher.
     From the above mentioned date until the Fall of 1875 he was active as a circuit preacher. At this time he was drawn to a farm near Charles City where he lived for 15 years. He passed his last years at the home his son-in-law, Adam Schneider, in Garner, Iowa, where he died. Father Hellweg became a proficient preacher of repentance who lead many souls to the Lord. Love of the work of salvation and fidelity to those who placed their trust in him were the hallmarks of his character. His chosen church was very dear to him and the "Apologist" was absolutely essential. Reading it was a comfort to him. He made note of the most important articles and read them first. Because in his last years, Brother Hellweg could hardly hear a thing, and accordingly attended church services infrequently, he preserved a warm heart by contemplation of the Bible, by reading books of sermons and our newspapers, and by prayerful company with the Lord. The welfare of the community was of great interest to him; when people were converted, he cried tears of joy. He loved to tell stories of his early experiences, and always with tears.
     Father Hellweg was seriously ill only a few days. On 5 February 1897, he passed away peacefully and blest by the Lord. As speech left him, he pointed upwards, as if he wanted to say: "I am going home!"
     Nine German and one English preachers attended the funeral services. The widow, three sons and three daughters survive him; three children have preceded him.
     Because Brother Hellweg was the eldest member of our Conference, we had thought to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of his appointment this Fall. Now he celebrates up above. His works succeed him.

     The Apologist mentioned above is Der Christliche Apologete. Deutsches Organ der Bischöflichen Methodistenkirche (The Christian Apologist. German Organ of the Episcopal Methodist Church), a newspaper founded 1844 in Cincinnati, Ohio by Wilhelm Nast.

Buried:
Peter was buried in Concord Cemetery.

Died:

     The following is a transcription of an obituary which is reported to have appeared in the Adams County Free Press, of Corning, Iowa, on 11 February 1897.

     Peter Hillweg died in Garner, Hancock county, Iowa, at 8 o'clock, Friday morning, February 5, 1897, aged 79 years, 10 months and 21 days.
     Deceased was the father of Dr. C. A. and E. W. Hillweg, who are well known to all are [sic] readers. He was the first German Methodist minister in the state of Iowa, and his first charge was at Farmington in 1847. For twenty-eight years thereafter he continued actively at the work. Mr. Hillweg died suddenly, not having been ill until but a short time before his death. It was probably a collapse of the vital forces. His wife and six children, three sons and three daughters, survive him. Of these, Dr. C. A. Hillweg and E. W., who now lives in Des Moines, are well known to our readers. All the children were present at the funeral, which occurred last Sunday afternoon. The pall bearers on this occasion were all ministers, each of whom had known the deceased for twenty years at least.
     There seems to have been an affinity for the ministry in the old gentleman's family. Beside being a minister himself, his father-in-law and one son-in-law were followers of that high calling.

     A biographical sketch of Rev. Hellweg published in 1913 reported that he had lived the last years of his life with his son-in-law, Adam Schneider.

Peter married Danker, Martha 12 Nov 1841, Marietta, Washington County, Ohio, USA. Martha was born 21 Nov 1822, Amt Ottersberg, Duchy of Bremen; died 1898; was buried , Garner, Hancock County, Iowa, USA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Birth:
The Duchy of Bremen, a holding of the Hanoverian Crown from 1715, was abolished in 1823 and became part of Landdrostei Stade, an administrative district of the Kingdom of Hannover. Ottersberg is now a municipality in Landkreis (District) Verden, Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Federal Republic of Germany); it is about 28 kilometers east of Bremen.

Buried:
Martha was buried in Concord Cemetery.

Notes:

Married:
According to a biographical sketch of Peter, published in 1913, the couple had 9 children.

Census (family):
According to the 1860 enumeration, the household consisted of Peter Helvick, age 42, born in Hannover, a Lutheran clergyman; Martha Helvick, age 37, born in Hannover, the wife; Anna C. Helvick, age 17, born in Ohio; John Helvick, age 15, born in Ohio; George H. Helvick, age 13, born in Ohio; Louisa Helvick, age 11, born in Ohio; Mary E. Helvick, age 9, born in Missouri; Henrietta Helvick, age 7, born in Missouri; Charlotte Helvick, age 4, born in Missouri; and Edward Helvick, age 1, born in Illinois.

Census (family):
According to the 1870 enumeration, the household consisted of Peter Hellwig, age 53, born in Hannover (both parents of foreign birth), a clergyman and a U.S. citizen; Martha Hellwig, age 47, born in Hannover (both parents of foreign birth), keeping house; Henrietta Hellwig, age 16, born in Mississippi, attending school; Edward Hellwig, age 10, born in Illinois, attending school.

Notes:

Birth:
This man's second given name is reported variously as Hendrik, Hedrich, Henrich and Heinrich. Alternative dates of birth are sometimes given as 9 February or 17 March 1764.

Died:
According to the church records in Ladbergen, Hermann died of water dropsy and was in need of a doctor.

Hermann married Horstmeier, Anna Christine Katharina 20 Nov 1785, Lienen, Grafschaft Tecklenburg. Anna was born 21 Oct 1759, Lienen, Grafschaft Tecklenburg; died 9 Jan 1830, Ladbergen, Province of Westphalia, Kingdom of Prussia. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Birth:
Anna was born in Lienen (in the township of Holperdorp), a neighboring village to the east to Ladbergen.

Died:
Anna was 70 years, 2 months and 19 days old when she died.

Notes:

Married:

     The newly married couple lived in the Horstmeier Heuerhaus located in Bauerschaft Holperdorp, a section of the town of Lienen. Their first child was born there. It would appear that within a few years the family had moved. The couple's second child was born in the nearby village of Ladbergen. By 1800, the family had built a house at Ladbergen-Wester 21, located in the section of the village know as "In der Laake." Hermann died in this home in 1829 and Anna passed a year later. In 1840, the house was sold. It may be that some of the proceeds from this sale helped finance Johann Heinrich Fiegenbaum's family emigration to the USA in 1841.
     In addition to being a carpenter or house builder, Hermann Heinrich Fiegenbaum was a Heuerling or tenant farmer. Tenant farmers were low on the social scale in Ladbergen at the time. "They owned no land, and they lived in rented houses on larger farms. Every large or middle-sized farm in Ladbergen had one or more tenant houses (in German: Heuerhäuser) scattered over the farm. The highest number on any farm in Ladbergen was seven; two or three was common. Each tenant farm house had its own plot of 7 to 12 acres. The tenants rented the houses and plots for life. The tenant farmers were not the same as sharecroppers or rental farmers in the American sense. They had only a small plot to themselves, and they did not need to give any of the yield to the landowner. They were essentially renters of houses who paid for their dwellings with a small amount of cash and a specified number of days of labor. In the 19th century the tenants were typically relatives of the landowners, but this was decreasingly the case after the turn of the century."

Johann married Otterman, Anna Maria Elisabeth 29 May 1796, Ladbergen, Grafschaft Tecklenburg. Anna was born Abt 1774; died 17 Feb 1823, Ladbergen, Province of Westphalia, Kingdom of Prussia. [Group Sheet]