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Rev. Heinrich Rudolph Fiegenbaum

Biography & Chronology

 

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.

Photo of Heinrich Rudolph Fiegenbaum

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.

Source: Henke, E. W., W. H. Rolfing, Friedrich Schaub, L. J. Brenner, and J. F. Hartke. Die Nordwest Deutsche Konferenz der Bischöflichen Methodistenkirche: Geschichtlich, Sachlich und Biographisch Geschildert. Charles City, Iowa: The Conference, 1913. pages 97-99. Translation by J. Mark Fiegenbaum.

 

Chronology

The nature of Heinrich's work as a circuit preacher in the German Methodist Episcopal Church has made it difficult to create an accurate chronology of his life. The emerging picture looks something like this:

2 January 1837
born in Missouri, either St. Charles County or Warren County
5 February 1837
baptized at Femme Osage, St. Charles County, Missouri
1840-1860
studied at the German Methodist school in Quincy, Illinois
1859-1862
possibly served the French Creek Church in the Lansing, Iowa, Mission
28 January 1860
married Elisabeth Krümpel in Colesburg, Iowa; 6 children were born to this marriage (1860-1877)
1861
joined Upper Iowa Conference of the Methodist Church
1862-1865
served the Colesburg, Iowa, district; a new church was built for the Zion Congregation (1864)
1864
joined the Northwest German Conference of the Methodist Church
1865-1867
served in Platteville/Livingston, Wisconsin; a new church was built (1866)1
1865-1866
possibly served in Stitzer, Wisconsin (however, this may have been his brother Heinrich Hermann Fiegenbaum; both men are often identified in the literature as Rev. Henry Fiegenbaum)
1867-1870
appointed to Charles City, Iowa; serving also: in Minnesota, Albert Lea and Blue Earth; in Iowa, Esterville, Spirit Lake, Peterson, Fort Dodge, Eagle Grove, Forest City, Webster City, Alden, Iowa Falls, Hampton, Waterloo, Decorah. Flood Creek congregation was also part of this appointment until 1869, when it was separated from Charles City and joined with the Shell Rock Mission.
1870-1872
served in Giard, Iowa
Spring 1872 - ?
served as financial agent for Charles City College (Iowa)
9 July 1873
daughter, Anna Amelia C., died; buried in Delaware County, Iowa.
1872?-1880?
returned to Garner, Iowa for 8 years? during which he served one year at La Crosse, Wisconsin
23 September 1877
his 1st wife, Elisabeth Krümpel, died
27 January 1878
married his 2nd wife, Elisabeth Elizabeth Hellweg, in Charles City, Iowa; 4 children were born to this marriage
Fall 1878-1880
served the First German Methodist Episcopal Church at La Cross, Wisconsin; the church building was either built or remodeled at this time2
1880?-1882?
returned to Garner for 2 years?
1882?-1883?
served in Atchison, Kansas
1885-1887/88
served Dubuque, Iowa; the present [i.e., 1913] parsonage was built
1887-1892
served the Colesburg, Iowa, district; a new church for the Zion Congregation was built (1889)
1887-1889
served Wood Congregation (near Colesburg, Iowa)
1892-1894
served at Ft. Dodge, Iowa
1894-1897
served again at Flood Creek, Iowa
1899-1901
served at Garner, Iowa
1901
moved to Connell, Washington
11 September 1908
died at Gooding, Gooding County, Idaho
15? September 1908
buried at Garner, Iowa
October 1924
Elisabeth Elizabeth (Hellweg) Fiegenbaum died at Wendell, Gooding County, Idaho
 

Notes

Click on note number to return to text, above.

1.  In additon to the biographical sketch, above, see the Platteville (Wisconsin) Journal, 16 August 1916, "German Methodist Church Hold [sic] Their Last Meeting," page unknown. "The present church was built in 1866, during the pastorate of H. F. [sic] Fiegenbaum, who moved from here to Charles City, Iowa, where he baptized as an infant, the present pastor." Accessed October 2005 at the Wisconsin Historical Society, Wisconsin Local History and Biography Articles at:
<http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/wlhba/articleView.asp?pg=1&id=10622&pn=0>.

2.  In additon to the biographical sketch, above, see "The First German M. E. Church" in Methodism in La Crosse From 1849 to 1904 (La Crosse, Wisconsin?: S.l.: s.n., 1904), page [9?]. "In 1879 the society [i.e., the German Methodist Episcopal Society of La Crosse] remodeled this property [on Jay Street], the pastor at that time being Rev. H. R. Fiegenbaum."
This booklet accessed on 28 September 2005 at La Crosse Public Library Digital Library Collections at <http://lacrosselibrary.org/digital/methodism/contents.htm>.
The article on the First German Methodist Episcopal Church (later known as Salzer then Asbury United Methodist Church) begins at <.../methodism/00110011.htm>.
See also, Consul Willshire Butterfield, History of La Crosse County, Wisconsin: Containing an Account of its Settlement, Growth, Development and Resources: etc., etc. (Chicago: Western Historical Co., 1881), pp. 569-570.

 

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Heinrich Rudolph Fiegenbaum's family

Elizabeth Ann Krümpel's family

Heinrich Rudolph Fiegenbaum and Elizabeth Ann Krümpel were married 28 January 1860 at Colesburg, Delaware County, Iowa, USA.

Their children:

Elizabeth died 23 September 1877 at Garner, Hancock County, Iowa, USA and was buried there in Concord Cemetery.

Mary Elizabeth Hellweg's family

On 27 January 1878 at Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa, USA, Heinrich Rudolph Fiegenbaum married his second wife, Mary Elizabeth Hellweg.

Their children:

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