7 July 2013

Rev. Peter Hellweg

1817 — 1897

Obituaries

Died.—At Garner, Iowa, on Friday morning, of old age and heart failure, Rev. Peter Hellweg.

Mr. Hellweg was born in Germany March 13th, 1817, and immigrated to the United States in 1839.  In 1849 he entered the ministry of the German M. E. church and continued in that service for 28 years.  With his wife who is left to mourn his death, he came to Garner in May, 1893, and they have since resided with their youngest daughter, Mrs. Adam Schneider.  He died as he had lived, in full faith of the Christian religion, and his death was the passing of well spent life.

Funeral service was held at the residence of Adam Schneider and then at the German M. E. church on Sunday.  At the church three German ministers paid their last tribute of love to their departed brother, in German and Rev. Fred Merten in English.  His children, three sons and three daughters, were in attendance at the funeral, viz:  John Hellweg of Hayward, Wis.; Dr. C. A. Hellweg, Corning, Iowa, E. W. Hellweg, of Des Moines, Mrs. H. R. Fiegenbaum, Rockford, Mrs. H. T. Schneider and Mrs. Adam Schneider of Garner, also Chas and Bery Harding, grandsons, of Charles City, Iowa, and with sad hearts saw the remains of their loving father laid to his last rest in Concord cemetery.  Mother Hellweg who is in feeble health was unable to attend the funeral.  Father Hellwig [sic] was loving and kind in all his words and acts.  "None knew him but to love him" and his gentle kindly face will be missed by all.  He was one of God's noblemen.

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Obituary for Rev. Peter Hellweg

Source: Garner Signal (Garner, Iowa); 10 February 1897; page 5, column 4. A digital image (PDF) was provided by John H. Hellweg.


Peter Hillweg died in Garner, Hancock county, Iowa, at 8 o'clock, Friday morning, February 5, 1897, aged 79 years, 10 months and 23 days.

Deceased was the father of Dr. C. A. and E. W. Hillweg, who are well known to all are [sic] readers.  He was the first German Methodist minister in the state of Iowa, and his first charge was at Farmington in 1847.  For twenty-eight years thereafter he continued actively at the work.  Mr. Hillweg died suddenly, not having been ill until but a short time before his death.  It was probably a collapse of the vital forces.  His wife and six children, three sons and three daughters, survive him.  Of these, Dr. C. A. Hillweg and E. W., who now lives in Des Moines, are well known to our readers.  All the children were present at the funeral, which occurred last Sunday afternoon.  The pall bearers on this occasion were all ministers, each of whom had known the deceased for twenty years at least.

There seems to have been an affinity for the ministry in the old gentleman's family.  Beside being a minister himself, his father-in-law and one son-in-law were followers of that high calling.

Source: Adams County Free Press (Corning, Iowa); Thursday, 11 February 1897 (volume 15, number 5); page 4, column 6.

Brief Genealogy

Peter Hellweg's family

Peter was born in Assel, Duchy of Bremen (later a part of the Kingdom of Hannover). I currently have no additional information about his birth family. The family surname has a variety of spellings in the source materials: Helweg, Hellweg, Helwig, Hellwig, Hillweg. I believe Hellweg was the spelling used by Peter. As an adult, his son, Charles A., preferred Hillweg.

Martha Danker's family

Martha was born in Amt Ottersberg, Duchy of Bremen (later a part of the Kingdom of Hannover). She was reported to be the daughter of Rev. George Danker, a pastor in the German Methodist Episcopal Church. I currently have no additional information about Martha's birth family.

Hellweg - Danker family

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