Notes |
Married:
The following is a transcription of an article published in The Holt County Sentinel (Oregon, Missouri) on Friday, 16 April 1897.
Half A Century.
Rev. Henry Fiegenbaum and
Wife Celebrate Their Golden
Wedding in St. Joseph,
Monday, April
12, 1897.
Were United in Marriage, April 11,
1847 - Recipients of Many Hand-
some Presents - Telegrams and
Letters of Congratulations
Received by the Score.
This mile stone was reached by Rev. Henry and Mrs. Clara Fiegenbaum of St. Joseph, Mo., on last Sunday April 11th, 1897.
Cards had been sent out, announcing the coming event with a reception on Monday, April 12, 1897, at their home, 1123 North 5th Street, St. Joseph, Mo.
Sunday, April 11, 1847, found the bridal party in the house of God in St. Louis, Mo., and at the close of the sermon the minister, Rev. Casper Yost, called forward the young couple who wished to be joined in holy matrimony and then and there pronounced them husband and wife.
[anniversary photo here]
Last Sunday, April, 11, 1897, 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, pastor in charge, 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 [sic] by Rev. J. A. Reitz, of Junction City, Kansas, Mrs. Dorethia [sic] Lahrman, of St. Joseph, Mo., the only living guest and witness of the marriage in 1847, acting as one bride's maid and Mrs. Dorathea Balcke as the other bride's maid.
After the wedding ceremony, the bridal party went to their home where a 5 o'clock dinner was served.
Those present were Rev. F. Fiegenbaum and wife, of Oregon, Mo.; Dr. J. F. Heinz and wife, Dr. H. R. Riemer and wife, Rev. J. A. Mueller and wife, Rev. Chas. Harmes, Mrs. Rev. J. G. K[o?]st, Mrs. Rev. Geo. Schatz, Mrs. Rev. H. Lahrman and Mrs. Rev. F. Balcke, and Miss Eda Heinz, all of St. Joseph, Mo.; Tom Curry, wife, children, of Oregon, Mo.; J. C. Steinmetz and wife, Adolph, Clara, Nettie, Emma, Addie and George Steinmetz, Julia and May Neudorff, Misses Mary and Anna Fiegenbaum and Miss Lydia Gutknecht, of St. Joseph, Mo.
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, such as a $2½ gold piece, coined in 1847, and $1.00 gold pieces 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, Oct. 16, 1820; came to America with his parents in 1832, by the way of New Orleans; thence up the Mississippi river to St. Charles county, Mo., and in 1845 to St. Louis, Mo.
Mrs. Clara Fiegenbaum (nee) Kastenbudt, was born in Osnabruck, Hanover, Dec. 9, 1823, and came to America in 1844, first going to Cincinnatti [sic] and thence 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 and joined that the marriage ceremoney [sic] was performed, Sunday, April 11, 1847, 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, Ill., until conference. He joined the Illinois conference and was sent on the Belleville circuit.
1848 to 1850 they were stationed at Mascoutah, Ill.; 1850 to 1852, Muscatine, Iowa; 1852 to 1860 in Galena, Ill.; 1860 to 1864 in Wapello, Iowa, Presiding Elder; 1864-1867 in Pekin, Ill.; 1867 to 1870 in Quincy, Ill.; 1870 to 1872 in St. Joseph, Mo., Presiding Elder; 1872 to 1875 in Oregon, Mo.; 1875 to 1883 in St. Joseph, Mo., Presiding Elder; 1883 to 1886 in St. Joseph, Mo., as station minister; 1886 to 1889 in Sedalia, Mo., and finding his health failing him retired from active charge in the ministry and found a home in St. Joseph, Mo., from whence they celebrated their Golden wedding on last Sunday.
"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.
Residence (family):
- From 1850-1852 (in Muscatine) and again from 1854-1864, Heinrich served Methodist congregations in Iowa.
|