The
REQUIEM Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. — Matthew 11:28 (NIV)
T R A D I T I O N S
The
WINTER
2013
VOLUME
Editor: Gerald A. Heebner Business Manager: Michelle Pritt Design: Robin Hepler, robindesign@rcn.com Artist: Frank Batson Photographer: Lee Schultz Reporters: William Potts, IV, Central Rev. Edward O. Winslow, Missionary Leah Tyson, Olivet Karen Kriebel, Palm Diana Weir-Smith, Perkiomen School Lena Johnson, In Retrospect
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NUMBER
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In this Issue
Publication Committee Rev. David W. Luz, Chair Jean S. Ross, Secretary Publication Office Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center 105 Seminary Street Pennsburg, PA 18073-1898 THE SCHWENKFELDIAN is published during the Winter, Spring, and Fall quarters by the General Conference of the Schwenkfelder Church, under the direction of the Publication Committee, in the interest of the churches. Material presented in this magazine does not necessarily represent the beliefs and teachings of Schwenckfeld or the Schwenkfelder Church.
CELEBRATE! Olivet-Schwenkfelder Church observes its 15th anniversary.
BURIAL GROUNDS Reviewing the land conveyances that facilitated the formal creation of Schwenkfelder cemeteries, schools, and meetinghouses in Pennsylvania.
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CHURCH BRIEFS News and personal notes from Central, Olivet, and Palm.
IN RETROSPECT Looking back at the accomplishments of members.
If you move, please advise us promptly, giving both your old and new addresses to ensure uninterrupted delivery. To discontinue mailings, email info@schwenkfelder.com or call 215679-3103.
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$12.00 per year, $5.00 per copy. Free to each Schwenkfelder Church member household.
ABOUT OUR COVER
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MY STORY Reflections excerpted from the autobiographical journal written by Foster S. Schultz.
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UPCOMING EVENTS Schwenkfelder Heritage Center hosts Penn Dry Goods Market: Dutch dinner with dealers. Workshops and lectures. Antique and vintage textiles.
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ISSN 0036 8032
The first place for public worship, owned by the Schwenkfelders in America, was erected of logs in 1790 where the present Hosensack Meetinghouse now stands. The log building was replaced by a stone structure in 1838 and was later remodeled in 1893. The Schwenkfelders have maintained their own cemeteries since they immigrated to America. These cemeteries are still privately owned by the various Schwenkfelder churches, even after the buildings of worship moved on to different locations. Cover photograph by Jerry Heebner.
Burial Grounds M
uch has been written about the Viehweg, or burial ground of the Schwenkfelders in Harpersdorf, Germany (now Twardocice, Poland). But what about those hallowed grounds where Schwenkfelders were buried in America, particularly those where the original immigrants are buried. How did they come into being? Of the cemeteries maintained by Schwenkfelders, there are three that contain the remains of immigrants in the upper part of Montgomery County with one being just over the line in Berks County and five in the central and lower part of Montgomery County. Of those nine cemeteries, the Hans Heinrich Yeakel, Hans Christopher Heebner, and Christopher Wagner are little more than family plots, so we will look at the other six cemeteries.
In the late 1700s and early 1800s, the Schwenkfelders began to change their practice from worshiping in their homes to gathering at meetinghouses for formal services. The Washington Meetinghouse was constructed in 1791. Later, the building was taken down in 1911, but the cemetery and a monument to the Schwenkfelder immigrants still remain at the site.
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WA S H I N G T O N Long before the Schwenkfelders had meetinghouses in the Goshenhoppen region, many of them buried their dead in the graveyard adjoining the Washington Meetinghouse. By lease and release of March 14 and 15, 1743, George, Melchior, and Christopher Schultz, who resided on the farm now in Upper Hanover Township, acquired ownership to 107 acres and 117 perches of land in Hereford Township, in Berks County; which was part of 645 3/4 acres of land conveyed by William Penn to Henry Tompson of the Parish of St. Ann, Westminster, in the county of Middelsex, England, April 3 and 4, 1695. By various transfers in the family Humphrey Hill, it finally came into the possession of Thomas Hopkinson who sold the above tract of 107 acres and 117 perches to the Schultz brothers. Now it appears that the Schwenkfelders began to bury here even before it was in the possession of the Schultz brothers—at least the young wife of Melchior Schultz, one of the three brothers, was buried on that part of the tract now included in the cemetery adjoining the Washington Meetinghouse, in 1742. This would indicate that the purchase of the tract was contemplated before that time. It was then determined that Christopher Schultz should become the owner of it, so he and his brother George Schultz sold the same to their other brother Melchior on December 27, 1745, who in turn sold the same to Christopher on January 14, 1746. In each transfer, Abraham Yeakel and Abraham Heydrich were the witnesses. Thenceforth, the neighborhood used the plot surrounding the grave
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of Mrs. Melchior Schultz as a common burial ground on Christopher Schultz’s land. From an old draft made by Christopher Schultz himself indicating the location of graves we learn that among others the remains of the following were buried here: Casper John, who died on July 16, 1747, the only Schwenkfelder of that name who came to Pennsylvania; Philip Steb in 1762 and Maria Steb in 1764; Hans Bauer, Sr., in 1749 and his wife Anna in 1761, the ancestors of a large Mennonite family of that name; Samuel Bauer in 1761; David Heil in 1789; Eva Heydrich in 1776, widow of George Heydrich of the Middle District; Barbara Hartranft who on died February 15, 1764, widow of Tobias Hartranft, the ancestors of all the Hartranfts of Pennsylvania and elsewhere in America; and George Hartranft in 1759, a son of Tobias. Christopher Schultz devised the 107 acres and 117 perches of land, which included the little graveyard, to his son David Schultz by his will dated October 24, 1788. And in 1791, the second Schwenkfelder meetinghouse in the region was erected on this plot of ground then still the property of David Schultz, and yet it had become a spot dedicated to the honored dead including Christopher Schultz who closed his useful life on May 9, 1789. The first services held in the first meetinghouse at Washington were the Gedächtnistag services of September 24, 1791, and in that connection Christoph Kriebel delivered a magnificent dedicatory address. In 1810, the adjoining burial plot was surrounded by a stone wall. The stones and other necessary material were contributed by the neighbors. In 1824, the old buildings gave away to a modern house of wor-
The original Kraussdale Meetinghouse, built on this site in 1815 or 1825, was used for both worship and and as a school. Burials of Schwenkfelders on the Krauss farm had taken place for many years prior to the construction of the Meetinghouse. In 1875, the original stone structure was replaced by the present brick building. Worship services at the Meetinghouse were discontinued in 1911 when the new Palm Schwenkfelder Church was constructed.
ship, whose outlines and adjacent grounds some unnamed artist had preserved for us in colors on the back of the parchment deed by which David Schultz and Anna his wife, under date of April 1, 1819, sold to Gregory Schultz and Jacob Gerhard, both of Upper Hanover Township, “the present Trustees of a school to be regulated in behalf of the Congregation called Schwenkfelders” a certain piece of ground situated in Hereford Township containing 118 perches of land for the consideration of I9£ 5s [pounds and shillings; it is unclear why the reference to the British monetary system—ED.] lawful money of Pennsylvania “for the only use, benefit and behalf” of the Schwenkfelder Society “and for no other use and behalf whatsoever.” Two additional purchases of land from the same 107 acres and 117 perches tract were made as follows: on January 7, 1851, Jeremiah Schultz and Maria his wife sold the society 29 1/2 perches; and May 28, 1892, Morris Y. Schultz and Emma his wife conveyed an additional 80 square perches of land to the Society; these three purchases constitute the grounds of the Washington Meetinghouse. In 1883, the old meetinghouse was entirely remodeled.
K R AU S S DA L E There is still in existence a time-honored document now yellow with age bearing the date of December 16, 1749, whose opening paragraphs speak of “a certain tract of land in Newcowissioping in the County of Bucks” and another tract “in New Cowissioppin in the County of Philadelphia” and that “By two several warrants dated November 10, 1749, upon application made by Balthazer Krouse, the Surveyor General
was required to accept, and receive into his office, the surveys of the said two tracts of land and to make return thereof into the Secretary’s office for the use of Balthazer Krouse the two tracts containing 140 acres in Bucks County and 60 acres in Philadelphia County.” This survey was signed by James Hamilton Esq., Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania. By a patent dated January 26, 1760, Balthazer Krauss secured an additional tract of 15 acres and 30 perches of land. In 1772 (February 7), he conveyed the 215 acres and 30 perches of land to his son Baltzer Krauss, Jr., who, in turn, conveyed to his son George Krauss (August 17, 1805) in two tracts of land —the one 128 acres and 42 perches, it being the greater part of the 140 acres above mentioned, and the other tract of 61 acres and 118 perches in Upper Hanover Township. In regard to the second, the following stipulation was made: “Except one acre of land which shall belong to the graveyard (including the same) for a meetinghouse if ever Schwenkfeldians shall intend to build one there, which said graveyard and one acre of land shall be free for the use of the said Schwenkfeldians with free ingress, egress, and regress to and from the same forever.” And in pursuance of this stipulation George Krauss conveyed the acre of land on August 5, 1817, to Jacob Gerhard and Gregory Schultz, “Trustees for and concerning a School or Schools to be regulated by them for and in behalf of the Congregation or Society of the People called Schwenkfelders, it being the same land which Baltzer Krauss did except and reserve for the use of a meetinghouse for the Congregation or Society aforesaid.” Three adjacent parcels of land were added subsequently on April 3, 1847, a plot of 120 perches; on April 8, 1858, a plot of 13 1/2 perches; and on March 12, 1885, a plot of 32 perches— and these three parcels were all purchased from Jonathan Krauss and Magdalena his wife. The deed to the first parcel was written by Anthony Krauss who also attached a beautiful draft of the grounds. And his father John Krauss made a draft of the original acre of land in 1817, August 5. Moreover, when the 13 1/2 perches were added in 1858 a fine draft of the grounds, including the three tracts, was inscribed on the parchment deed by Isaac Y. Krauss, who also made a draft in 1883 of the 32 perches secured in 1885. We have here a remarkable exhibition of the mathematical ability of the Krauss family, and it is rather unique to have a father, son, and grandson successively execute the drafts of the grounds which constitute a single church property. One of the perplexing problems is to determine the exact year in which the first school or meetinghouse was erected on the Kraussdale grounds. According to the best authority it was in 1825, but I [E.E.S. Johnson] have since found a paper which claims that it was in 1815. This latter date receives some support from the fact that John Krauss wrote a vigorous petition in April 1813 praying the Schwenkfelders to erect a meetinghouse on the acre of ground on the George Krauss farm where many persons had already been buried including “our highly respected friend and teacher George Kriebel whose family together with many others will bury there.” He argues that in case of funerals the services must be held in the open air, in the house of mourning, or in the barn; if the weather is bad it is next to impossible to do this. For these and other reasons the petitioner resolved to lay the matter before memTHE SCHWENKFELDIAN
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In 1790, the Schwenkfelders erected the Hosensack Meetinghouse—their first place for public worship in the United States. At one end of the log structure, a schoolroom was partitioned off, equipped with benches and tables, where the Hosensack Academy was conducted. Prior to this time, school and worship were held in private homes. The first recorded burial in the Hosensack Cemetery was that of Peter Gerhard in 1791. The three Schwenkfelder immigrants buried there are from the Yeakel family.
bers in this so called Upper District, and indeed if the Skippackers desire to join in erecting such a building no one will prevent it. For the present we shall rest the question of date here. The first school or meetinghouse at Kraussdale was a rough stone building standing parallel with the street and a little to the rear of the present meetinghouse; the joints in the wall were painted white and the entrances were on the same side on which they are in the present building. A part of the western end was partitioned off for a school room; one of the men who taught in that room for a number of terms was Jacob Kriebel, and I have been told that George S. Krauss also taught there. In 1875, it was decided to erect a new building so the old stone structure was replaced by the present brick meetinghouse which was completed before December 5, 1875; the building committee consisted of Daniel Krauss, Jonathan Krauss, and Andrew Gerhard. The present building was remodeled in 1900.
HOSENSACK It is not yet clear why the first of these [school] buildings was erected
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at Hosensack and not at either Washington or Kraussdale, at both of which very many burials had already been made. Whatever may be the reason, the fact remains that the first [school] to be erected was at Hosensack during the summer of 1790. No interment had been made there, unless we consider the Hans Heinrich Yeakel plot on the higher ground where the widow of David Schubert was buried in 1778, Hans Henrich Yeakel himself in 1783, and Andrew Warmer in 1786. The site of this meetinghouse is on a parcel of land in the James Hamilton tract of 536 acres and 60 perches of land lying partly in Lehigh and partly in Montgomery Counties, and which was conveyed by deed of sale to Hans Henrich Yeakel December 23, 1761, who had the tract surveyed and divided into four farms each containing precisely 134 acres and 15 perches of land in such a manner that each farm lay partly in Lehigh, then a part of Northampton, and partly in Montgomery County, which he conveyed on May 16, 1769, to his four sons, Baltzer, Melchior, George, and Jeremiah. On October 20, 1789, the surveyor and scrivener of the Goshenhoppen region, David Schultz, surveyed one acre of land in the George Yeakel farm and 25 perches of land adjoining but lying in the Jeremiah Yeakel farm “for the use of a school house,” and both parcels of land in Montgomery County. “To the only proper use and [in behalf] of the said Trustees their heirs and successors or for the use of a meetinghouse of the Congregation or Society of the People called Schwengfelderians [Schwenkfelders] forever and for no other use and [behalf] whatsoever.” Two subsequent land purchases, one on December 13, 1828, and the other on January 14, 1863, increased the entire tract included in the
A rich history of pioneering Schwenkfelders is encompassed in the 1869 Salford Meetinghouse and adjoining cemetery. Regular worship services were discontinued in 1920 upon the death of Isaac Kriebel, the adjacent farmer who maintained the property and who was the last active Schwenkfelder in the congregation. Currently, memorial services, in memory of the Schwenkfelders who lie buried in the adjoining cemetery, are held annually at the Salford Meetinghouse.
meetinghouse grounds to 2 acres and 18 perches, all of which, with the exception of the 25 perches already mentioned, was a part of the George Yeakel farm. The first building at Hosensack was a log structure with a school room at one end in which there were tables and benches. The first religious services in this building were held on Sunday, August 8, 1790. And in the same year, George Carl Stock opened the illustrious Academy on the Hosensack in this building under the regulations of the Schwenkfelder School agreements of 1764. In 1838, the log structure gave away to a stone building which a noted pastor of a neighboring church was wont to call a mill. In 1893, the stone structure of 1838 was remodeled. We may add that, so far as we know, the first interment made at the Hosensack Meetinghouse was that of Peter Gerhard in 1791, and it is a singular fact that there also the widow of Hans Henrich Yeakel was buried in 1793, instead of the plot wherein the remains of her husband were laid the year before.
SALFORD There seems to be very little information available on the construction and use of the meetinghouse at Salford. It may well have been the earliest graveyard of Schwenkfelder immigrants. Reconstructing information found in the Genealogical Record of the Schwenkfelder Families, it is noted that Christoph Kriebel [E19] was sick upon his arrival in Philadelphia in September 1734. He brought with him, his wife, Maria (Heydrick) Kriebel, and seven children—the oldest, George Kriebel, would soon be 20 years old. A second son, Christopher Kriebel, was ten years old upon his arrival in Pennsylvania. Father Christoph was a
farmer, both in Silesia and Pennsylvania, and we learn that he bought 150 acres of ground on March 26, 1735, in Lower Salford Township from Casper Wister. Balthasar Yeakel also came to Pennsylvania in 1734 with his wife, Regina (John) Yeakel, and five of their six children. The youngest had died in Berthelsdorf, Germany, five years before arrival in Philadelphia and their second daughter, Susanna, had just turned 20 years old before the departure from Europe. Balthasar Yeakel bought 160 acres of ground from Casper Wister, in 1735, that adjoined the Kriebel property previously mentioned. Misfortune would soon arrive for the two families. Maria Kriebel died on April 11, 1738, and she was buried in what was probably a lovely high spot of ground near the boundary of the two properties. Balthasar Yeakel succumbed a few months later on July 5, 1738, and was buried in the same area as his neighbor, Maria Kriebel. Soon after, Christoph’s son, George Kriebel, married his neighbor Susanna Yeakel, daughter of Balthasar, on November 25, 1740, with Balthasar Hoffman officiating. A scant six months later, Christoph Kriebel died on May 14, THE SCHWENKFELDIAN
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1741, and he was placed next to his wife, Maria. Sons Christopher and George seem to have taken over farming the two parcels of adjoining ground that would be the site of their parent’s burial plots. George Weiss, the original spiritual leader of the Schwenkfelders in Pennsylvania, passed away on March 10, 1740, and his grave is found next to Christoph Kriebel’s at Salford. Then, Balthasar Hoffman and his wife, Ursala (Beyer) Hoffman, were also interred in the expanding graveyard along with David Heebner and his wife, Maria (Kriebel) Heebner, who never resided in the Salford area. The location of the many graves of those with Schwenkfelder background may have been the determining factor for the location of a schoolhouse and eventually the Salford Meetinghouse. A recorded deed shows that Christopher Kriebel’s son, Jeremiah Kriebel, sold about a third of an acre to the “Trustees of the Congregation of Swingfelders of the Middle District on Skippack” on November 3, 1812, for $12. The original purchase gave a right of way access to Fretz Road. In subsequent years, additional surrounding ground was added. The current six acres were conveyed to the Central Schwenkfelder Church in 1932. The present Lower Salford Meetinghouse was completed in 1869 but a stone in the north gable says 1828. That is because a schoolhouse was erected at this location in that year and continued to operate as a school and church into the 1850s when public schools became accessible. This was the site of the fifth, and last, Schwenkfelder sponsored school.
YEAKLE (NEAR CHESTNUT HILL) There has been renewed interest in this extended family cemetery in recent years. The Burying Ground, as it was originally referred to, is located in Springfield Township, Montgomery County, just over the county line from the Chestnut Hill section of the city of Philadelphia. Some of the Schwenkfelders who came over in the 1730s chose to settle in Philadelphia or returned to the city later in life. There were two Christopher Yeakles who arrived in 1734. One, aged 16 years, came with his mother, Regina Yeakle. He apprenticed as a cooper, became successful, and settled in the Chestnut Hill area as a property owner prior to the Revolutionary War. After marrying Maria Schultz, the couple had six children, three of whom apparently stayed in the neighborhood of their parents. In 1802, Christopher (Sr.), along with sons Abraham and Christopher (Jr.) and son-in-law Abraham Heydrick (daughter Susanna’s husband), bought a landlocked tract of ground that was provided access to it via a 12-foot right-of-way from the main road (Bethlehem Pike today). Two more adjoining tracts of
land were added in 1838 and 1847 to encompass a total of just under 2/3 acre of ground. There are unconfirmed stories that burials took place on this plot of ground prior to the Yeakle ownership. It is known that a skirmish between Lord Howe’s British troops and the local militia took place in the area and some of the casualties may have been buried in this ground. The 50-plus graves marked with tombstones are predominantly descendants of Christopher Yeakle, Sr., and his three local children. The last burial took place in 1902. It is the site of the 1934 memorial marker that notes other Schwenkfelders who lived in the area and those thought to be buried at Hood Cemetery in Germantown and the former Pilgrim Cemetery in center city Philadelphia. It is unknown, at this time, how the ownership changed from the Yeakle family to the Schwenkfelder Church. There is a current effort to restore, improve access, and maintain this piece of Schwenkfelder history.
T O WA M E N C I N The Towamencin cemetery ground has some unanswered questions about it. Using known information, we can reconstruct a possible history of the burial grounds. Beginning with accounts in the Genealogical Record of the Schwenkfelder Families (G.R.) published in 1923, it is stated that Melchior Kriebel, Sr., [E25] and his wife, Maria [E97], came to Pennsylvania in 1734 and probably settled in Towamencin. There is no record of them owning land. It then adds that both are probably buried in Towamencin Schwenkfelder Cemetery. There are documents at the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center (SLHC) that state Maria died on November 1, 1738, and Melchior died on March 17, 1744.1 Melchior and Maria Kriebel had two sons that came to America with them and both children were married before they left Europe. The older son, Caspar Kriebel [E26], was married to Susanna Wiegner [E98] and Melchior Kriebel, Jr., [E29] was married to Anna Dresher [E105]. The G.R. states that, in 1735, Caspar and Melchior bought 189 acres for farming in Towamencin Township and, nine years later (1744), Melchior sold his interest in the land to Caspar who then became sole owner. Caspar was a well educated man and took an active part in the affairs of the Schwenkfelders. He assisted his cousin, Rev. Christopher Schultz, in the establishment of the Schwenkfelder school system. In 1764, Caspar Kriebel sold the full parcel to the younger of his two sons, Abraham Kriebel. In 1735, as well, Christopher Wiegner [E16] bought a 150-acre tract adjoining Caspar Kriebel’s 189 acres on the north side of Caspar and Melchior’s ground.
The Yeakle Cemetery consists of 50-plus graves, marked with tombstones, which are predominantly descendants of Christopher Yeakle, Sr., and three of his children. A memorial marker notes Schwenkfelders who lived in the area as well as those thought to be buried in other regional cemeteries. The last burial in the Yeakle Cemetery took place in 1902. Current efforts are underway to maintain this piece of Schwenkfelder history.
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Original Schwenkfelder immigrants are interred at the Towamencin Cemetery along with subsequent generations of Schwenkfelders. The cemetery land was originally used for a schoolhouse that was built in the 1760s, about 30 years after the Schwenkfelders first arrived in Pennsylvania. In 1793, the schoolhouse was replaced by a meetinghouse. Over the years, two other meetinghouses were constructed on the site. The last worship service at the Towamencin Meetinghouse was held on May 27, 1951.
Appearing in Montgomery County Deed Book 41, on page 323, is recorded a “Deed of Trust for a School” from Abraham Kriebel to trustees of the Society of Schwenkfelderians. (sic) The date of agreement is June 1, 1767. The lot is just over one acre in size and the description says it adjoins Christopher Wiegner’s land on one side, giving a clue where the land was located but not precise. The agreement called for 12 shillings to be paid to Abraham Kriebel annually as rent! The G.R. states that “The first meetinghouse in the Lower District (Towamencin area) was built in 1793. It is likely that this building replaced the schoolhouse erected there in 1765. In 1854, this building was replaced by a stone structure which did service until 1893.”2 On August 28, 1854, George Kriebel, grandson of Abraham Kriebel through father Andrew Kriebel, conveyed 127 square perches (0.8 acres) of land where the old Towamencin Cemetery is located to the “Trustees of the Schwenkfelder Society of Montgomery County.” This probably superseded the prior agreement above. On May 6, 1869, Andrew K. Kriebel, son of George, sold another 3/4 acre that gave direct access to the graveyard from the road (now Rte. 363). Three more plots of ground were then added but these were on the original Christopher Wiegner side of the boundary line. The first was in 1880 and made space for more grave sites across the lane from the original cemetery. The second, in 1893, provided ground to build the new church mentioned above and the third, in 1906, expanded the
cemetery grounds even more (to the sidewalk of where Hunter Hill Drive is today). The final acquisition came in 1979 when the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission conveyed a landlocked triangular piece of ground that adjoins the original acreage bought in 1854. As mentioned earlier, it is presumed that Maria and Melchior Kriebel are buried in this cemetery because the ground was owned by their sons, Caspar and Melchior, Jr. Their neighbor, Christopher Wiegner, died in 1746, followed soon after by Christopher Seipt (1748), Susanna Reinwald (1749), Susanna Wiegner (1752), Balthasar Anders (1754), and Rosina Wiegner (1756). All of them were buried in the same acre of ground. The land where Maria and Melchior Kriebel were probably buried seems to have established where the Towamencin Church would be located. n
In the October 1911 issue of The Schwenkfeldian, Dr. Elmer E. S. Johnson wrote a short history about the origin of the Washington, Kraussdale, and Hosensack cemeteries which has been partially condensed for this article. Jerry Heebner researched the information for the Salford, Yeakle, and Towamencin cemeteries. Color photographs by Jerry Heebner. Sepia photographs courtesy of the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center. Property locations pertaining to the Salford Meetinghouse were determined from Plate F on page 79 of the Genealogical Record of the Schwenkfelder Families. Property XXXI belonged to Christoph/George Kriebel and Property XXIX belonged to Balthasar Yeakel. 1Genealogical Record of the Schwenkfelder Families; Melchior Kribel, Sr., pg. 348. 2Genealogical Record of the Schwenkfelder Families; Towamencin Meetinghouse, pg. 23.
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MyS The Warren Schultz farm on Mill Hill Road was owned by Warren Gerhard Schultz and Edna (Seibert) Schultz, the parents of Foster S. Schultz.
F
or a long time I have thought about writing a short autobiography of my 73 years of life on this planet. I was born on the 30th of May 1913 in a large farmhouse. This farm is now the McDonnell Dairy farm. It is located on the south side of Mill Hill about 1/2 mile east of PA Route 29. The highest point of Montgomery County is at the top of Mill Hill at a point straight up from the farm buildings. JA N UA RY 2 0 , 1 9 8 6 My grandparents on the Schultz side were Frank and Selina (Gerhard) Schultz. They lived about 1/4 mile from our place on Mill Hill Road, towards Route 29. The buildings are very close to Mill Hill Road. The barn is first (now dilapidated) then the house. It was red brick then, but now bears a white brick overface. There was a windmill between the house and barn, which pumped water into a tank on the third floor. They had cold running water in the house (we didn’t at that time). My grandmother fell victim to cancer when I was three years old. I remember very little about her. When she took sick, they sold the small farm and moved in with their daughter and son-in-law, Amos and Elva Schultz, who lived in East Greenville. She soon passed away. World War I was waging in Europe and our [U.S.A.] entry was imminent. My grandfather then took a job in a steel plant in Claymont, Del. I did not get to see him much after those occasional visits until he died from an obstruction of the bowels in approximately 1922. I do remember that they had a horse in their barn and that was their mode of travel. I was about 3 years old when they sold their home and I remember the day of the sale. A lot of horses with buggies were tied to the whitewashed fence along their property. They had a framed picture of five puppies lapping milk from a bowl in one of the bedrooms. I liked this picture a lot. One day, just before the sale, grandpa hitched his horse to the buggy and he and I brought this picture to our house and we hung it in my bedroom. It hung there as long as I lived at home (25 years). I remember one other incident. Because they lived so close to our home, I started to leave home unannounced and go to their place. I
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was warned by my parents not to do this again. I was to ask permission to make this journey. One day, my father and the hired man were working on the thrash floor up in the barn. The large barn doors were open and my father saw me walking up the hill towards the woods. He called to me and told me to come back, that I did not have permission to go to grandfather’s house. Pop says I just looked back and smiled and continued on my journey. At the top of our lane (at the woods) I had to turn left and continue along the woods. There was a cornfield to my left and when dad saw my defiance he went into the shed and took the whip from the buggy and went through the cornfield and came out on Mill Hill Road ahead of me. When I saw what had happened, I turned around and started to run home as fast as I could. Every now and then dad whipped my little legs. It must have made an impression on me because I can still see him coming out of the cornfield ahead of me, with the whip in his hand. He says I never went to grandpa’s again without asking first. Pop says that when grandpa found out that I was whipped for sneaking out to his place, grandpa did not speak to him for a week. These are about the only remembrances that I have of my grandparents on my father’s side. My father had one brother, Uncle Marvin, who was married to Aunt Dorothy Dambly. He also had three sisters: Aunt Irene Highfield, Aunt Elva, and Aunt Erma. These latter two married Schultz’s so their names were not changed. They were Aunt Elva and Uncle Amos (Schultz) and Aunt Erma and Uncle Abner (Schultz). My father Warren Gerhard Schultz married Edna Seibert, the only daughter of Henry Reinwald Seibert and Clara (Baus) Seibert.
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A N A U T O B I O G R A P H Y B Y F O S T E R S . S C H U LT Z
My father, Warren, was born at Clayton, Pa., in the hotel that his parents operated. This building is located along Route 100 at Clayton, Pa., the building between the (Krupps) garage and Kutztown Road. Up to about 30 years ago, the road passed on the opposite side of the house as you can see by the porch there. Also, some of the back of the house was removed when Route 100 was straightened at that point. He lived there until he was about 16 years old then his parents moved to a farm at Kraussdale. When my father was of age, 21 years, they moved to the smaller farm at Mill Hill. While they were still at Kraussdale, my father worked at the Hosensack Icehouse during the winter months and also at a sawmill. The boss soon saw that my father was mechanically inclined. He watched the boss file the saw and operate the steam engine and soon Pop could run the sawmill in the absence of the boss. When he was 21 years old, he took a job with the Reading Railroad and soon was the fireman on a fast freight between Allentown and Harrisburg and at times on the run through our Perkiomen Valley to Philadelphia, Pa. When he got married he took a job as janitor at Perkiomen Seminary as it was then known. After about a year, as the school was growing, he needed an assistant. They hired a married man with four children. The headmaster offered this new man more money than father received. The headmaster said this new man has a larger family and needs more money. This did not sit well with Pop, so he quit. My mother, Edna Seibert, was born in the same farmhouse that I was born in. As noted before, she was an only child. Her father (my Grandpa Seibert) was a short, muscular man. He had a sense of humor. He had a mustache and wore glasses only to read. Before my time he had a huckster route in Philadelphia. Imagine hauling vegetables, meat, eggs, and poultry to Philadelphia in a heavy wagon pulled by two horses. When he discontinued the huckster business he went into the
stone crushing business. Crushed stone was badly needed to fill in the ruts and soft spots in the dirt roads of that time. There was lots of granite stone on Mill Hill just above the farm buildings. He bought a crusher and a 20 HP Olds gasoline engine to run it. At this time period, a 20 HP single cylinder engine was by far the largest engine in this territory. He used dynamite to break the large stones to a size usable in the crusher. When stone crushing became more common with larger crushers than rail transportation, Grandpa sold the crusher but kept the engine. He built a small mill and put the engine on the first floor, as it was very heavy. The flywheels were taller than my father was and it often took two men to turn these wheels to start the engine. On the second floor of this mill was a hoist to raise the barrels or sacks of grain to the floor. Also included were a corn sheller and a plate mill. A belt from the engine to a jackshaft in the mill powered these machines. This jackshaft was connected to another one in the barn (75 foot distant) to power the fodder cutter and the thrashing machine. The silos (two wooden ones) were between the mill, the barn, and the cutter. The blower was powered by the engine via belts. Grandpa Seibert operated this dairy farm when my father came there. My grandmother Seibert, who both Clark and Gayle [Foster’s children] were acquainted with, was an unusual woman. She always had much work to do. Along with the huckstering (Grandpa absent for days at a time), she had hired men to feed and manage, as well as the usual chores of a farm wife. It is hard for us to picture farm life at that time. Washing done by hand, irons had to be heated on the wood stove, and vegetables and fruit dried and or canned by the heat of a wood stove. All the chores of butchering were done by hand. All the vegetables and fruit had to be raised at home then and we made our own THE SCHWENKFELDIAN
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applebutter. They had no conveniences—no running water, electricity, fell to the road, broke open, and the contents scattered on the road. telephone, inside plumbing, central heat, radio, television, or autoI cried pretty loud and my mother heard me and started running across mobiles. What a life! the field to the scene of the accident. I can still see her running across Both of my grandparents (Schultz and Seibert) were very active in the field to see what terrible thing had befallen her small son. I do not church affairs. They often had guests after church for dinner. It was remember how things were patched up. this environment that my mother experienced as she grew up. During the winter of 1919-1920, a terrible epidemic of flu occurred My parents did not relate to me much information about their courtin Pennsylvania and perhaps further. People at some places died faster ing other than it was done by horse and wagon. My parents were than they could be buried. My mother was taken ill with this flu and married while he was working at Perkiomen Seminary and I related soon died. I can still see father coming down the stairs, crying and going earlier why he quit his job there. Grandpa Seibert had previously asked out on the porch, pumping water into the wash basin and washing Pop to work for him on the farm and his face. He was not able to talk but I subsequently take over the farm because knew what had happened. I was six Edna was their only child. At this time, years old, Erle was four, and Dorothy Pop made the decision and he and my was two. In those days, the deceased mother moved from the school to the were kept at home and the funeral was Seibert farm where, in due time, on the started in the home and then contin30th of May in 1913, I, their first child, ued at church. I remember very well was born. I was given the name of where the coffin was placed at home Foster Seibert Schultz. In the first year and also as it was lowered in the grave. of my life I was prone to get colic. My I had a brother Paul, born between father relates this story. One night, at Erle and myself. He died when I was about twelve o’clock, I started to cry almost three years old. I do not reand scream bloody murder. In those member him, but I remember where days, the old country doctors made his white coffin was in our home. house calls—even at night. Dad called When mother passed away, Grandma Dr. Rohrbach, who lived in Palm (the Seibert took her place. It must have large house across the street from Palm been a difficult time for Grandma and Church), and told him I was very sick Grandpa. Their only child passing away (you know how it can be with the first in her youth and leaving three small child). At this time, we had a telephone children. It must have been a terrible and the doctor had a Krit [small autoblow to father, too, but he was fortumobile manufacturing company based nate to have Grandma in the house to in Detroit from 1909-1916] automobile take over for her daughter. I was never and he said he’d be right over. When able to repay Grandma fully for the love the doctor stopped the car at the yard and devotion she showered on her songate and put out the gaslights, I stopped in-law and grandchildren. So we lived crying and closed my eyes to go to sleep. this way for a little over two years. For us Dad couldn’t stand the embarrassment kids, we were well cared for. Grandma so he slapped my behind and I started took care of the house and Grandpa Foster Schultz, around the age of four (right), poses with his bawling again and the doctor gave me helped Dad on the farm. When we kids two-year-old brother, Erle, in a local photographer’s studio. colic medicine and left. I don’t know if got out of hand, then Grandpa would the colic medicine helped my behind or straighten things out again. In due time, not. I don’t want you to get the impression that my father was a mean Grandma told Pop that she was getting older and it would be a good man. He was anything but that. However, he would not let this little idea to consider marriage again. I heard through the grapevine that squirt get the best of him. she even proposed a prospect. I slept with dad and several times a week he came to bed later than usual. I didn’t know at the time what APRIL 8, 1986 the reason for this was. Dad took Erle and me along to Zanesville, Ohio, Since the last entry in this book, Ruba [Foster’s wife] and I went to as he wanted to talk to Aunt Irene, his older sister, about remarriage. Florida for several weeks and visited Dorothy and Webster Fetterman Evidently Aunt Irene did not discourage him because two years and (Feb.). After being home for two weeks, we went on a 16-day bus trip four months after Mother’s death, he married Edna K. Schultz. This to Texas. We had good weather and a wonderful time on both trips. is the lady that my children and grandchildren know as Grandma Grandpa and Grandma Seibert lived in the house with us. I do not Schultz. I was eight years old at this time and I remember the wedding remember much about my mother. I remember several minor incidents and reception very well. They were married in the home of her parents at home. My best recollection of her was one morning as I was going (second door below the Palm Church). They were married in the midto school. It was about one mile to Warner’s Schoolhouse from our dle room under a trellis covered with red roses and, at the dinner folhome. It was my first year at school and I was already past our lane and lowing the wedding, my new Grandma Schultz served coffee to us kids. was going down the road accompanied by the neighbor’s children Something we didn’t get at home. (Schafers). The handle on my lunch box tore off at one end and it What a change, a new mother and new grandparents. These new
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A picture of the barn at the place where I was born May 30, 1913. This photo was taken before my time. The man in the white shirt holding the horse is my grandfather, Henry Seibert, owner of the farm. The other characters are unknown to me. About the only change that I can see, as I remember it, is that the milk house, the small white building in front of the overshoot and beyond the water trough (with running water), was about three times as big when my father Warren used it. This barn was destroyed by fire in December 1936. My father Warren bought a second-handed saw mill from trees cut from his woodland—20 acres just above the barn. It furnished all the lumber needed to rebuild the barn. This farm is now (1982) owned by the McDonnell brothers along with the retail milk store along Route 29 at East Greenville, PA. I lived here until I married in 1938 and father sold it in 1940. grandparents were Grandma and Grandpa Schultz to me. After we kids and our new mother got acquainted, we had very few, if any, differences. Grandpa and Grandma had two rooms downstairs and one room upstairs. Grandma did not interfere in any way with Mother’s running of the house and was always ready to help in any way she could. The following year my stepbrother, Donald, was born. Mother had a very difficult childbirth so our family doctor, Dr. Rohrbach, was summoned. He soon saw that he needed assistance and Dr. William Hunsberger, a younger doctor from Pennsburg, was called. They used instruments and, after a long time, Donald was born. His head was injured and Mother was seriously torn and I guess one could say mutilated when this ordeal was over. She got peritonitis and, at this time in medicine, they did not have the sulfas and antibiotics. Many of these mothers died after childbirth but mother, after a few perilous weeks, recovered. I would say that I had a normal childhood. Before Dad remarried, he had a bathroom and running water installed in the house. I remember this. We had the telephone before I was born. There were about ten neighbors (covering four miles) that got together, built their own lines, bought and installed their own phones, and were connected to
the Bell System. Dad was the brains in this project and it was used until about 1935 when Bell bought out this system, paying each subscriber $1.00. Soon after the running water, he installed a pipeless heater central heating. We used mostly wood for fuel. Cutting and hauling this wood from the top of Mill Hill was another story—and I might add, a sweaty one. Each winter, we butchered about four hogs and at least one beef. This made a lot of work for both men and women. Dad did his own butchering and helped some of the neighbors with theirs. With sausage, smoked sausage, summer sausage, dried beef, ham, bacon, liver pudding, and pork chops we ate pretty good. You must remember we had no refrigeration. All this had to be salted, seasoned, smoked, and some was cooked and preserved in lard. I believe I could write a book about this and also canning and drying fruits and vegetables. Dad’s farming consisted mainly of dairying and raising crops, both to sell and feed the cows and horses. We had four horses and all farm work was done with horses. Many a time I accompanied my grandfather when he hauled the milk to the shipping station at Palm by horse and wagon, then stopping at the store for supplies on the way home. This milk had to be delivered seven times a week—rain, snow, hail, or cold withstanding. THE SCHWENKFELDIAN
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Celebrate!
When I was about ten or eleven years old, I started to help with the milking. I think Dad was a little ahead of the times as far as dairying is concerned. When I was about six years old he bought a milking machine. This was practically unheard of at this time. It would take too long to describe how this thing worked, but it was powered by a gasoline engine and I remember several times it was rather difficult to start. The machine was not too successful because he only used it several years. He also bought a butterfat-testing outfit. This consisted of sample bottles, pipettes, sulfuric acid, bottles, and centrifuge machine that was powered by a hand crank. This machine was unheard of in the neighborhood dairies. This way he could determine which cows produced the most butterfat content. He went to New York State and bought a bull whose sire and dam had a very good record. This bull was quite expensive but he wanted to upgrade his herd. Several years after he started these practices, T.B. [tuberculosis] testing of all herds was instituted. When his herd was tested, two cows and the bull tested positive. These animals were to be slaughtered and, if not too badly infected, be used as a regular beef product. He also sent along two cull [worthless] cows with the supposedly infected cattle to A & B slaughterhouse in Allentown. He was present, along with a government inspector, when the cattle were slaughtered. The inspector discovered no sign of infection in the condemned cattle. But the two culls that had tested negative were so badly infected that they were unfit for human consumption. The T-13 test at that time was terribly unreliable. The government paid some indemnity for the positive tested animals, but not near their actual value, and for the negative tested one (but condemned) he got nothing. My father could not see a future under such conditions. In anger, disappointment, and frustration he decided to get out of the dairy business. He sold all the cattle but one and decided to get into the potato and poultry business. This proved to be an unwise decision. For one thing, the land on our farm was not suited to potato growing. I was about 14 years old when this change took place. We rotated our crops in this manner: potatoes, grain, hay, and then potatoes again. He built two new poultry houses and reconditioned two smaller ones. He built four brooder houses that were used to start and raise chicks. They were heated by coal stoves until no heat was needed. Later on, kerosene stoves replaced the coal stoves as temperature could be controlled better with them. We grew about 30 acres of potatoes each year and had about 2,000 laying hens. Plowing, disking, and harrowing was done with a Fordson tractor. This tractor was not too handy especially in cold weather. When we wanted to grind feed for the chickens, we could hardly start the thing. Dad bought a Model D John Deere tractor. It was easy to start in any kind of weather; it pulled a four-bottom plow (an exception at that time). I beg your pardon, it was a three-bottom plow. It pulled the implements at a faster rate of speed and it proved very handy and successful. The planting, cultivating, spraying, and harvesting was done with horses or mules. The general purpose tractors with narrow front wheels came later. n At the age of 73, Foster S. Schultz started a journal recounting the events of his life. This article is an excerpt from that handwritten notebook. Unfortunately, for some unknown reason, after 1989, Foster discontinued his practice of recording regular entries and his autobiography was never completed. The remainder of his narrative will be published in the Spring 2013 issue of The Schwenkfeldian. Photographs courtesy of the Foster S. Schultz family.
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he year 2012 marked the Olivet-Schwenkfelder United Church of Christ’s fifteenth anniversary. Olivet-Schwenkfelder UCC is unique, as a member of both the United Church of Christ and Schwenkfelder denominations. The congregation formed from the merging of two different churches: Norristown Schwenkfelder and Olivet UCC. Both churches were founded primarily by those with German ancestry, and both were originally urban congregations that served the needs of the city. Each of these churches also brought its own special story and valuable history to the merger.
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VET–SCHWENKFELDER CHURCH OBSERVES 15 YEARS The Norristown Schwenkfelder Church began humbly in the homes of local Schwenkfelder families who wanted to gather for Bible study and worship. On February 7, 1904, the first worship service was held in the home of Mrs. Mary Kriebel. There were 25 women and men who signed as charter members of the new congregation. Only two weeks later, on February 21, services and Sunday school classes moved to the Chain Street School building in Norristown. With the aid of the Schwenkfelder Mission Board, the Norristown congregation became a Mission Church. Although the Chain Street School provided a better space for worship, it too had its drawbacks. In the following months, a scarlet fever epidemic prevented worship at the school, furthering the need for an actual church building. In 1905, the congregation purchased the Grace Lutheran Church building at George and Marshall Streets in Norristown. The first service in the new house of worship was held Sunday, June 11, 1905, at 2:00 p.m. By the end of the year, church membership had grown to 33. The congregation continued to grow, and, in 1917, the Norristown Schwenkfelder Church successfully petitioned the Mission Board for its independence. From those early days onward, Norristown Schwenkfelder Church was a faithful presence in the city of Norristown, proclaiming the Gospel and honoring the rich heritage of the Schwenkfelder immigrants. Olivet Reformed Church of Philadelphia grew from similarly humble roots. The congregation’s first worship together was an open air service during the summer of 1907, with eight people in attendance. For the pulpit, they used a packing box wrapped with an American flag. Their first building was constructed in 1909; a green shingle chapel on the corner of Fifth and Rockland Streets, Philadelphia. Originally not affiliated with an organized denomination, Olivet joined the Home Mission Board of the Reformed Church in 1911. The small congregation knew it needed a better location if it was to grow. During the winter of 1914-1915, the chapel was physically moved on skids over open, frozen fields to Tenth and Ruscomb Streets. The church grew in the
B Y R E V. L E S L I E K E A R N E Y
rapidly developing Logan area of Philadelphia. A new edifice was built in 1922. However, beginning during the Great Depression, families moved out of the Logan area of Philadelphia. The members of Olivet knew they needed to move once more if their ministry were to continue. 1957 was a pivotal year for the congregation of Olivet. Evangelical and Reformed churches merged with Congregational Christian churches to form a new denomination: the United Church of Christ. And on September 22, 1957, Olivet (now Olivet UCC) dedicated its new building in East Norriton. Since that time, Olivet UCC ministered to the growing population in the suburbs of Norristown. The two churches were, interestingly enough, brought together by snow. The winter of 1995-1996 was an especially stormy one, with a historic blizzard in January. Snow accumulation and ice kept the congregation of Norristown Schwenkfelder Church from accessing its building for worship. An invitation went out from Olivet United Church of Christ, offering the use of its facilities during the storm. From those earliest days of cooperation, the two congregations recognized their similar needs and goals. Throughout 1996, both congregations held meetings and retreats focused on future sustainability and growth. Following months of study, prayer, and reflection, both Norristown Schwenkfelder and Olivet UCC voted on merging. Both congregations voted overwhelmingly in support of becoming one church. OlivetSchwenkfelder United Church of Christ was born, blending and celebrating the rich heritage of both traditions. The Schwenkfelders sold their church building on George Street in Norristown, and moved into the Olivet building on Township Line Road in East Norriton. The UCC members welcomed the Norristown pastor, Rev. Gene F. Jerge, as their new minister. On May 18, 1997, Pentecost Sunday, the new congregation officially gathered as one. Fifteen years later, Olivet-Schwenkfelder UCC continues to thrive as it lives out its Christian ministry. n Rev. Leslie Kearney serves as the pastor of the Olivet-Schwenkfelder UCC.
The Olivet-Schwenkfelder United Church of Christ (above) was born, blending the rich heritage of both traditions. Photograph by Laura Heebner. Following months of prayer and reflection, the Norristown Schwenkfelder Church (inset) merged with Olivet UCC in 1997. Photograph by Everett Tyson.
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The guest speaker in the pulpit on Sunday, August 5, was intern Jeremy Behne. He shared three summers of activities at Central Church as he was first working on and now following his receipt of a Bachelor’s Degree at McMillan College, Tennessee. Our thanks, also, to Patricia and Travis Simpson and Alicia Kalb for their instrumental presentations during the service. 89 children attended Vacation Bible School from July 29 through August 2. What a wonderful opportunity for preschoolers through grade six to learn about Christianity! Adult summer Sunday School began on June 24 and concluded on August 26 with an emphasis on practical and biblical discipleship. The program was under the direction of Rev. William Kalajainen, our Associate Pastor, and the teachers were Kathy Casey, Peter Colvin, Mary Beatrice, and Janet Singer. Summer guest speakers included Dr. Drake Williams, visiting from The Netherlands, and Rev. Roger Wambold (twice). On Sunday, August 19, we welcomed guest speaker Pastor Ryan Casey to the pulpit. His presentation, entitled “Protecting the Most Vulnerable,” was about human trafficking. Ryan is a pastor with Horizon Church of Towson, MD, and is a director of the Araminta Freedom Initiative. He is also the son of Central Church members Don and Kathy Casey. Central members Barbara Rodenbough and Linda Schmidt once again led the Red Cross blood and platelet drive on September 6. On Sunday, September 9, teachers, super-
intendents, Christian Endeavor advisors, and Board of Christian Education members were dedicated during the traditional service. Also, Rev. David McKinley, our Senior Pastor, presented Bibles to the third graders: Nicholas Antonio, Jaylyn Ford, Lauren Keyte, Jason Podbielski, Eve Ramsey, Julia Roth, Leah Texter, and Peyton Wurtz. Afterwards, Rally Day was held in Fellowship Hall. The program included a prayer by Pastor Julian Scavetti; sing-along led by our Praise Band; Sunday School class announcements by Rev. William Kalajainen; and a presidential debate with Penny Krosskove, Timothy Heebner, and Jeffrey Ost. Saturday, September 15, was a gorgeous day for Central’s annual Country Fair. Some of the receipts will be used to further our mission programs throughout the world. Special thanks to Beth Anne Mininger, the Fair’s leader. A new members reception was conducted on Sunday, September 30, during the traditional service with Rev. David McKinley officiating. New members welcomed into the Church membership included Lauren Apple, Madison Schanbacher, and Alexandra Stetler. Construction has been underway for the Garden of Prayer on Church property donated by the Garden of Memories. This is a project led by Ken and Fran Clemens and Harris and Pat Gramm. Sunday, October 14, was Laity Sunday. Our thanks to the participants in the traditional service: Jim and Karen Faber, Cookie Carney, Steve Francis, Penny Krosskove, Juli Apple, Barbara Bucher, Gene and Dianne Cestrone, Roger and Tim Heebner, and Krystal Broughton. The message, delivered by Roger and Tim
Heebner, was entitled “A Relevant Family.” The Nexus program to connect college students and young adults to Christ was recently begun at Central Church. Nexus is a threestep process to train and empower students and young adults—fuse, merge, and annex. The approach will lead participants to loving God, serving others, and growing disciples— Central’s mission. Jeremy Behne, Central’s young adult leader is providing leadership. On Sunday, November 4, Rev. David McKinley honored the memory of Church members who died during the past year. It is a solemn event, as their names are stated, but it is important to remember those who have departed. Mission Sunday was commemorated on November 11 with guest speaker Rev. David Vos, who recently completed 11 years of service as a missionary in France. He had been assigned to The Pioneers (formerly known as Arab World Ministries). We honored Mrs. Florence L. Sayre, Central Church’s oldest member, who celebrated her 104th birthday on Monday, November 12. Our Garden of Prayer was dedicated on Sunday, November 25, at the Central Church Community Center. Comments were offered by Mr. and Mrs. William Strasburg (representatives for the founders of the Garden of Memories). Ken and Fran Clemens and Harris and Pat Gramm were also recognized for their leadership in the construction of the Garden. For 14 years, during November, Central’s members have hosted needy persons from the North Penn and Indian Valley areas through InterFaith Hospitality Network. Meals, lodging, transportation, and laundry services are
Central Schwenkfelder 2111 Valley Forge Rd., Lansdale, Pa. 19446 610-584-4480 www.centralschwenkfelder.com Worship: 9:00 a.m., 11:15 a.m. Church School: 10:00 a.m.
Olivet-Schwenkfelder United Church of Christ 619 Township Line Rd., Norristown, PA 19403 610-539-7444 • www.osuccpa.org Worship: 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. Church School: 9:00 a.m.
Palm Schwenkfelder P.O. Box 66, Palm, PA 18070 215-679-5321 www.palmschwenkfelder.com Worship: 10:15 a.m. Church School: 9:00 a.m.
CHURCH PHOTOGRAPHS BY JERRY HEEBNER
our facilities
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provided. Thanks to coordinators Karen Faber, Sue McGinnis, Patricia Simpson, Linda Grisdale, Amelia Stetler, and Carolyn Channell. The Central Church Women’s Christian Fellowship, formerly the Ladies Aid Society, held their Holiday Shopping for a Cause on November 30 and December 1 at the Central Community Center. Women throughout the world, who were rescued and are now sheltered from human traffickers, created the many items for sale. Proceeds from the sale will be forwarded to Women at Risk International. ✞
OLIVET Olivet continued in the vacation mode during August (not that a church can ever completely go on vacation). This month, our soloists included Jenny Smith, Beth Slating, Lore Slough, and Tony Godorecci. We were so pleased to have our own Jenny Smith in the pulpit on Sunday, August 12. As in July, our mission focus continued to be Norristown Ministries Hospitality Center. On September 3, we returned to our regular schedule. Like shades of Noah, the rains poured down on Saturday, September 8. Despite the deluge, the Men’s Club held a successful clam steam and family barbeque under the leadership of Vince Nyce. Members of the Men’s Club displayed their culinary talents again on Saturday, September 29, when they hosted a spaghetti dinner. Throughout the month, we also collected items for the benefit of the West End Preschool in Norristown.
We welcomed our furry, feathery, and scaly friends on Saturday, October 6, for a blessing of the animals service. As has become our custom, we celebrated World Communion Sunday with breads from different countries. The service became even more meaningful when Rev. Suk Gi Jung, pastor of the Apostles Presbyterian Church, gave parts of our service in the Korean language. On October 14, Youth Serve sponsored their annual basket auction. Thanks to Cheryl and Doug Emerson for all their hard work. Do you like Progressive Rummy, Clue, WII Bowling, and Sneaky Snacky Squirrel? Sheila Tornetta organized them all for our family game night on October 19, along with delicious snacks. Sunday, October 21, was a dual celebration—children’s sabbath and pulpit exchange Sunday. Gregory Briggs, Alex Nyce, and Kyle Sakamoto represented Youth Serve. Special music was provided by Rev. Leslie Kearney, Jenny Smith, Beth Slating, and Leah Tyson. In addition, we were pleased to have Rev. William Kalajainen in the pulpit. That afternoon, several of our members participated in the Crop Walk. Continuing our children’s sabbath observance, twelve-year-old Alex Nyce was our youngest walker. Longtime Schwenkfelders were happy to greet Rev. Martha Kriebel at the Crop Walk. On All Saints Sunday, November 4, members were encouraged to bring in photos or mementos of deceased loved ones to display in the Sanctuary during the worship service. The next Saturday, November 10, was a busy day. In the morning, many enjoyed a delicious flapjack breakfast at Applebee’s spon-
It was a busy fall season for the congregation. On August 12, we held our second meetinghouse service of the summer at the Kraussdale Meetinghouse. It’s a wonderful opportunity for our members to experience what it might have been like as a Schwenkfelder way back when. Palm Church held a special luau party on Saturday, September 8, to raise money for our mission trip with Heifer International, which is scheduled for June 2013. The party offered a pig roast, music, volleyball, and an opportunity to dance the hula with Pastor Nick Pence! A great time was had by all and the money that was raised will help our mission group help others. Rally Day is the beginning of our Sunday School season. This year, the rally was held on September 9 during the Sunday School
Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center 105 Seminary St., Pennsburg, PA 18073 215-679-3103 www.schwenkfelder.com Mon.: Closed • Tues., Wed., Fri.: 9–4 Thurs.: 9–8 • Sat.: 10–3 • Sun.: 1–4
Schwenckfeld Manor– Advanced Living Communities 1290 Allentown Rd. Lansdale, PA 19446 215-362-0227 www.advancedlivingcommunities.org Office Hours: Mon.–Fri. 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
sored by L’il Angels Preschool. Then, in the evening, we headed to the Church for our annual roast beef dinner. We welcomed 12 veterans as our guests. November 18, was harvest home Sunday. During the service, canned goods were collected for Norristown Interfaith. Between the two services, we shared a harvest home breakfast. A congregational meeting followed the service. Ready or not, Christmas is around the corner. Once again, we joined with our L’il Angels to collect gifts for the children of Bethany Children’s Home so they might have a blessed Thanksgiving. ✞
PA L M
Schwenkfelder Missionary 2010 Reed St. Philadelphia, PA 19146 215-334-4658 Worship: 10:45 a.m. Church School: 9:30 a.m.
Perkiomen School 200 Seminary Street Pennsburg, PA 18073 215-679-9511 www.perkiomen.org
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hour. North Penn Clown Alley, a clown ministry from the Lansdale area, led a very special performance of the story of Noah’s Ark with the help of our Sunday School participants. Breakfast was served and the teachers and students got a chance meet and to see their classrooms for the year. Happy Gedächtnestag! This celebration of our Day of Remembrance was held on Sunday, September 23. We started the day with a combined Sunday School class where we shared apple butter and bread in memory of the Schwenkfelders who landed in Philadelphia in 1734. We followed Sunday School with a special Gedächtnestag worship service. It was our 279th Day of Remembrance—the oldest continually celebrated day of thanksgiving and remembrance in the U.S. Our Ladies’ Aid harvest dinner was held on October 6. The menu included roast beef, turkey, filling, gravy, glazed carrots, green beans, chow-chow, and baked goods. Palm Schwenkfelder hats, t-shirts, afghans, cookbooks, chow-chow, and baked goods were also on sale. Two trips to the Wilcox Farms were held on October 7. The first one, held right after the Church service, was for youths through grade 4. While they walked through a corn
maze, the children hunted for clues to help find farmer Joe’s stolen apple pie. They went on a hayride and picked pumpkins too. Later in the day, the older youths went to Wilcox Farms where they searched for farmer Joe throughout the corn maze, warmed up at a fire pit, and roasted marshmallows and hot dogs. It was a little drizzly, but everyone had a great time! October 26 was the night of Palm’s talent show and art, writing, and photography display. The event raised money for the summer youth mission trip to Overlook Farm. Many talented piano players played for the crowd. Several dances were also performed, including one with hula hoops, a goddess dance, and a waltz. The host and hostess, Blake Masters and Selia Werth, kept the night going with comedy. Additionally, included in the show were a couple of guitar and rainbow bell performances and poem readings. Refreshments were even served during the intermission. It was great to see some of Palm Church’s talent displayed! This year, our holiday bazaar took place on November 17. Shoppers were able to purchase craft items and homemade foods while sharing fellowship. It is always a nice way to start off the Christmas season. ✞
personal notes MARRIAGES Nicholas John Fox to Melanie Heller at the Manor House, Ambler, PA, on August 10, 2012. (Olivet) Sean Mason to Jessica Croll in Tunkhannock, PA, on August 17, 2012. (Palm) Jeremy Master to Melissa Ferketich in Virginia on July 9, 2012. (Palm)
DEATHS Robert Earl Cassel, Sr., age 95, husband of the late Ruth (Hoepfl) Cassel, of Lansdale, formerly of Skippack, October 3, 2012. Services October 9, 2012; interment at Trinity UCC Cemetery, Skippack. (Central) Glenna (Schultz) Fulmer, age 84, of Mifflin, formerly of Boyertown, August 10, 2012. Services August 15, 2012; interment at Palm Schwenkfelder Cemetery. (Palm) Mary (Kriebel) Moyer, age 98, wife of the late John P. Moyer, of Gilbertsville, September 13, 2012. Services September 18, 2012; interment at the Washington Schwenkfelder Cemetery. (Palm) Elizabeth (Newhart) Reichert, age 79, wife of Fred Reichert, of Audubon, formerly of Fairview Village, September 18, 2012. Services October 6, 2012. (Central) Jean (Rambo) Schrack, age 89, wife of the late John William Schrack, Sr., of Audubon, August 3, 2012. Services August 18, 2012; interment at George Washington Memorial Park. (Olivet) Joanne (Moore) Seipt, age 78, wife of Fred L. Seipt, of Lansdale, November 25, 2012. Services November 30, 2012; interment at Garden of Memories, Worcester. (Central)
FA M I LY T R A D I T I O N S : Drew Colvin, the son of Andrew and Erica Colvin (grandson of Barbara and Gerry Colvin, great-grandson of Mae and Dr. Claude Schultz), enjoys playing with a pumpkin in the doorway of the Hosensack Meetinghouse. Photograph by Barbara Schultz Colvin.
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Roderick W. Wood, age 67, husband of Lusandre (Chaudruc) Wood, of Pennsburg, September 19, 2012. Services September 24, 2012. (Palm)
heritage In Retrospect 50 YEARS AGO Three members of a special committee to consider the future of the Schwenkfelder Church prepared and presented to each of our congregations thoughts on the following subjects: Wilbur Seipt on the life and times of Caspar Schwenckfeld, John Moyer on the teachings of Caspar Schwenckfeld, and Jack Rothenberger on the ecumenical ideal. Gedächtnis-tag, our day of remembrance, was held on Sunday, September 23, 1962, at Central Church at Worcester. This was the 228th annual service held in commemoration of the safe arrival in Philadelphia of the Schwenkfelder immigrants. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Kriebel was featured in a Christmas caravan sponsored by North Penn Hospital in Lansdale. Their home was decorated to show an oldfashioned Schwenkfelder Christmas with objects and customs collected from various Schwenkfelder families. At a special district conference meeting, the Palm Church Building Committee presented the congregation with plans for the renovation of the present building and development of an addition for larger and better church school facilities. These preliminary plans were approved. Mrs. Sara Bieler, Mabel Kriebel, Florence Schultz, and Rev. Martha Kriebel attended various sessions of the Sabbath School Convention, in Philadelphia, from October 25 to 27. At this event, Elizabeth Snyder, from the Lansdale Church, was honored for her more than 50 years of continued service to christian education in the church school. ✞
BY LENA JOHNSON
25 YEARS AGO Rev. A. William Stebbins of the Norristown Church delivered the address at the annual Salford Pilgrimage on August 2, 1987. Bob Krauss was honored for 50 years of service to choir work at Central Church on choir recognition Sunday. Headmaster George K. Allison announced the beginning of classes on September 14 for Perkiomen School. This marks the 113th year for the school opening. State Secretary of Aging Linda Rhodes was keynote speaker at the dedication of Upper Perkiomen Manor in Red Hill. Construction plans for of the Manor were partly initiated by Schwenckfeld Manor of the General Conference of the Schwenkfelder Church. An interview given by Minnie K. Schultz, a resident at the Phoebe Home, will be part of Each One Teach One, a documentary narrated by former NBC newsman Edwin Newman, which describes the work of Frank Laubach. Miss Schultz spent six years working with Dr. Laubach on his literacy project on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. This project was supported by the Schwenkfelder congregations. Dr. R. Emmet McLaughlin, author of the recently published book Caspar Schwenckfeld, Reluctant Radical, was keynote speaker at the annual School of Christ on October 25, 1987. Gerald Kriebel provided special music. The change of format for The Schwenkfeldian, under the editorship of Nancy Byron, was received favorably by the Board of Publication. By using Central Church’s computer, the articles are now typed and saved onto a
floppy disc before going to the printer, thus saving a portion of the cost. ✞
10 YEARS AGO On October 27, 2002, Rev. David W. McKinley was installed as the Minister of Pastoral Care and Outreach at Central Church. This represented the culmination of more than two years of searching that began with the resignation of Rev. Thomas Byron as Senior Minister in the spring of 2000. On October 13, 2002, more than 80 people gathered near the Seaport Museum in Philadelphia for the rededication of a plaque commemorating the landing of the Schwenkfelders in Philadelphia during the 1730s. The speaker was Rev. David Luz, Executive Director of the Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center. Eugene Schultz placed nine roses at the memorial to represent those who had died at sea on the 1734 voyage. A solemn prayer service in response to the tragedy of September 11 was held at Palm Church a several days following the event. Edward Bieler made an appeal for emergency supplies which were delivered to Philadelphia for distribution. At Sunday morning service on October 13, 2002, at Central Church, Wilson Allebach gave a talk on Schwenkfelder heritage. He presented it as seen through the eyes and thoughts of one of the immigrants—David Hüebner, his direct ancestor. Dr. Drake Williams has been teaching at Eastern School of Ministry of Eastern Theological Seminary in Wynnewood. His specialty is the Pauline Epistles. ✞
Thanks for the Memories In June 1956, The Schwenkfeldian changed format and a new column was introduced called “In Retrospect.” The column noted what was significant in the Schwenkfelder Church family 50 years prior, 25 years prior, and 10 years prior to that issue. Unfortunately, there is no record of who prepared or continued to write the column that has appeared in nearly every issue since then. By 1985, The Schwenkfeldian had changed format again to the larger size as it currently appears and was published thrice yearly. With a change of editor, we find, for the first time, that the author of “In Retrospect” is Glenna Fulmer. Glenna faithfully continued to produce the column for another 27 years. Sadly, she passed away on August 10, 2012, and will be missed by those of us who have been editing and producing The Schwenkfeldian over the years.
THE SCHWENKFELDIAN
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