Last week I featured a picture postcard sent by Nellie Loehr in 1911, postmarked Rockford, Ohio. Nellie and her husband, Rev. Lincoln Luther Loehr, had just arrived in Chattanooga, Ohio. Rev. Loehr was the new pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, Chatt.
Thanks to a Karen’s Chatt reader, I have another item related to the Loehr family, an old book that once belonged to Rev. Loehr’s father, John Jacob Loehr: The Distinctive Doctrines of the Different Christian Confessions, In the Light of the Word of God, by G. Graul, DD, Director of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission House at Leipzig, translated from the Fifth German Edition by Rev. D.M. Martens, A.M. Columbus, Ohio: Osgood & Pearce, Printers, 1862.
The Distinctive Doctrines of the Different Christian Confessions, 1862; owned by John Jacob Loehr
That is quite a long title for a book that measures only about 4½ x 7 inches and 133 pages.
The Distinctive Doctrines of the Different Christian Confessions, 1862; owned by John Jacob Loehr
The well-worn book dates back to the time of the Civil War, a time when not everyone could read and write, let alone read a scholarly book like this. Although John Jacob Loehr was born in Germany, he obviously knew how to read English very well. And it appears he was very interested in theology, which undoubtedly influenced his son Lincoln Luther to become a minister.
The Distinctive Doctrines of the Different Christian Confessions, 1862; owned by John Jacob Loehr
The book was published in 1862 and written inside the front cover is J Jacob Loehr 1865. 1865, the year his son Lincoln Luther Loehr was born. I wonder if Rev. Lincoln Loehr read this book as well.
J Jacob Loehr, 1865, signature
John Jacob Loehr was born in Rhineland, Germany, 26 August 1814, and died 4 April 1888 in Stark County, Ohio, aged 73. He is buried at Mapleton Cemetery, Canton, Stark County, Ohio. [1] John Jacob Loehr was a farmer.
John Jacob Loehr immigrated sometime before 1837 and may have immigrated with his parents. He married Catharine Shearer (1819-1891) on 15 June 1837 in Mapleton, Stark County, Ohio. [2] John Jacob Loehr and wife Catharine remained in Stark County all their lives and both are buried at Mapleton Cemetery at Canton.
John Jacob and Catharine (Shearer) Loehr had a large family, predominately sons:
Caroline Loehr (1838-1917)
Josiah Loehr (1840-1917)
Washington Loehr (1842-1863)
Rueben Loehr (1844-1852)
Henry Shearer Loehr (1847-1921)
John J. Loehr (c1850-1924)
Edwin A. Loehr (1853-1910)
Charles Loehr (1856-1922)
George Loehr (1860-1863)
Lincoln Luther Loehr (1865-1954)
Because Lincoln Luther Loehr was born in 1865, you have to wonder if he was named after Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther. There is a lot of meaning and alliteration going on in his name. Rev. Loehr finished seminary and became a minister in 1899, eleven years after his father died. His father would have been very proud of him.
[1] FindaGrave.com, John Jacob Loehr, memorial no. 53790390, Mapleton Cemetery, Canton, Stark Co, Ohio.
[2] Ohio, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1774-1993, Stark County 1809-1874, p. 43, John Jacob Locher (sic) & Catherine Shearer, 15 Jun 1837; Ancestry.com.
