SS. Peter and Paul Church, Springbrook

BUDDE, WEIS, WITTMANN, HOMANN, SCHECKEL, MILLER, EULBERG, PUETZ, CAPESIUS, WEIS, HILBERT, BECKER, JACOBY, KNAPSTEIN, FRIEDMAN, NOSBISH, PUETZ, CLOOS, LAFFEY

Posted By: Anne Hermann (email)
Date: 6/24/2008 at 15:10:48

CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF DUBUQUE,
Rev. M. M. Hoffmann, 1938

SS. PETER AND PAUL CHURCH, SPRINGBROOK

From about 1859 or 1860 on Mass was offered up in the home of Mr. Frank Budde, located about two miles west of the present town of Springbrook, in Jackson County, by occasional visiting missionary priests. SS. Peter and Paul parish was organized in 1864 when the number of Catholic families had increased to about forty. At a meeting held at the home of Mr. Anton Budde the contract for a church was let to Mr. John Weis. Mr. Wittmann generously donated five acres of his eighty-acre farm for this worthy cause. The erection of the present rock church forty feet wide and seventy feet long was begun in the spring of 1864. Rock was hauled from a quarry located a short distance to the northwest in wagons drawn by ox teams. Prominent men in the little band of workers were Mr. Louis Homann, Mr. Peter Scheckel, Mr. Michael Miller, Mr. Anton Budde, Mr. Adam Eulburg, Mr. Puetz, Mr. Peter Capesius, and others.

The first Mass was celebrated in the church on August 15, on temporary altars. Around the church as a nucleus sprang up a little village and a Catholic community. In time the Protestant land owners sold their farms and moved to other locations, so that to this day the parish is a solidly Catholic community including within its boundaries, Jackson Township and a part of Washington and Fairfield Townships.

The Rev. Father James Harding, the first priest to care for the spiritual needs of the newly organized parish did not remain long because of friction with this congregation of German and Luxemburg descent. He was succeeded by the Rev. Father F. Heimbucher of Lyons, Iowa, who occasionally visited the mission, and on the days of his visitations a cannon was shot off to announce his arrival. Parish records date back to his time. The first baptism was that of Frank Henry Budde born on February 28, 1867. Peter Weis and Catherine Hilbert entered the state of matrimony on September 16, 1867. On May 13 of the same year the first burial is recorded, that of John Becker. In 1868, the Rev. W. Jacoby was appointed by Bishop John Hennessy, D. D. as first resident pastor of Springbrook. His stay, however, was of short duration for after three weeks he was removed to West Point, Iowa, and the parish of Springbrook was entrusted to the care of the Rev. Theodore Schiffmacher of Bellevue. In November, 1871, the Rev. Joseph Knaeple, the second resident pastor arrived. He was succeeded by the Rev. John Theobald Bitche in 1874, who in time was succeeded by the Rev. James J. Bassler in 1878.

A strong influence in the prosperous growth of the small parish was the pastor, the Rev. Wm. Knapstein, who took charge in October, 1881, and served the little flock of SS. Peter and Paul parish faithfully for fifty-one years. Endowed with a clear and vigorous mind, he devoted his time and energy to the welfare of those entrusted to him.

Father Knapstein had the unique distinction of having been born at sea, on a sailing vessel, January 6, 1835, and when as pastor of Springbrook he sought to obtain American citizenship papers, it could not be ascertained which nation he was to renounce. As he could not be expected to remember and no one else at the time knew whether he was born on an English, German, or French ship, it was decided to waive the point and admit him as a good citizen of the United States anyway.

The first parochial school, a frame construction, next to the church had been built in 1874. Here religious instruction was given by the pastor himself. Classes in German and other subjects were taught by Mr. Peter Weis, Mr. Tritz and others. The mission had increased to about one hundred and ten families and more school room was deemed necessary. A rock building thirty by fifty feet, three stories high, was erected in 1883. The eager young priest worked side by side with the parishioners in the local quarry east of town. At the opening of the school the institution was placed under the direction of the School Sisters of Notre Dame of Milwaukee, on September 9, 1884, with an enrollment of fifty children.

As time went on the number of families increased and other improvements were made. In 1890 Father Knapstein enlarged and remodeled the little rock church on 1866, which had been found inadequate for the growing congregation. During a severe storm in 1894 the steeple of the church was carried away, and was later replaced with the present one.

The rectory erected in 1867-68 has yielded its place to a large parochial residence, a beautiful brick veneered building.

St. John’s Church of Andrew was placed under the direction of Father Knapstein in 1916 and has been served from Springbrook by the assistants of Father Knapstein.

On the day of Father Knapstein’s golden jubilee, July 29, Archbishop Beckman and six hundred priests and people joined in doing him honor at a grand parish and civic celebration. Despite ill health, Father Knapstein remained in the midst of his parishioners for two more years. He was wholly relieved from his arduous duties and responsibilities on January 22, 1932, when the Rev. Henry Nosbish, who had received the commission of administrator of the parish, arrived. Father Knapstein died on August 26, 1932, and his remains were buried in the parish cemetery of Springbrook.

On November 17, 1932, the Rev. Peter Friedman, the present pastor, succeeded the administrator, Father Nosbish. Under his direction the parish has gone forward in improvements. In the summer of 1934 the entire school was renovated and showed an increased enrollment of 120 pupils. In the summer of 1936 at a monster parish picnic, the parishioners were honored in having as their guest speaker the present governor of Iowa, the Hon. Nelson G. Kraschel.

Among a people of staunch Catholicism and firm faith vocations are not wanting. Three sons of the parish are serving as priests in the vineyard of the Lord: The Rev. P. Puetz ordained in 1901; the Rev. Nicholas Cloos, 1930, and the Rev. Paul Laffey, 1931.

More numerous have been vocations to the religious state among the young ladies. Twenty-one have joined the School Sisters of Notre Dame, who teach the parish school, and whose Motherhouse for the Northwest province is at Mankato, Minnesota. Three have entered the Convent of the Sisters of St. Francis, Dubuque, and one has joined the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, La Crosse, Wisconsin.