October 2011 archive

Recollections of Chattanooga, Ohio, Part 2

The following is the continuation of a narrative written by Rev. Reuben Valentine Smith in 1955. It is his personal account of his experiences as a pastor at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Chattanooga, Ohio, from 1899-1905. A Busy Preacher I was a very busy person. I had the school on my hands. I preached a German sermon every Sunday morning …

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Tombstone Tuesday–Friedrich P.M. Schinnerer

This is the tombstone of Friedrich P. M. Schinnerer, located in row 4 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. All that is readable on the gravestone is Friedrich P M, son of Friedrich & Margaretha. This tombstone is broken, weathered, and basically unreadable. I relied in part on the Van Wert County, …

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Recollections of Chattanooga, Ohio

The following narrative was written by Rev. Reuben Valentine Smith in 1955. It is his personal account of his experiences as a pastor at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Chattanooga, Ohio, from 1899-1905. How I Came to Chattanooga It is my belief that Providence directs our lives and that God rules His Church, although the human factors by which His Will …

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Tombstone Tuesday–M. Margaretha Schinnerer

This is the tombstone of M. Margaretha Schinnerer, located in row 4 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The gravestone is inscribed: M Margaretha, daughter of Friedrich and Maria Schinnerer, died 27 September 1861, age 5 years, 11 months, 18 days. This tombstone is weathered and very difficult to read. I relied …

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Bierbach–Jacob Müller’s Hometown

A couple weeks ago I wrote about the immigration of my great-grandfather Jacob Müller/Miller. He was born and lived in Bierbach, Kingdom of Bavaria (now Germany). What was the little village of Bierbach like during the time Jacob lived there? Bierbach was part of the Bavarian Pfalz, also called the Palatinate. It is located in …

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