LANDGREBE, George, Rev. 1850-1911

LANDGREBE, GEFFERT

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 10/23/2009 at 18:39:52

Reverend George Landgrebe

The Reverend George Landgrebe was born on May 20, 1850 at Melsungen, Hessia [Hesse], Germany. He was the only child of a godly mother who considered the birth of her son the answer of many prayers. Soon after his birth the child was consecrated to the Lord by the sacrament of Holy baptism. Little George was brought up by his pious parents in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Having completed the common school he was confirmed, in his fourteenth year, and then visited the high school of the city. I always had been the father’s hope and desire, that his boy should become his successor in the flourishing mercantile business he had at Melsungen; so George complied with his father’s wish and entered the career, his heart however being bent on serving the Lord in ministry.

In 1871 a seminary was founded at Melsungen, whose object was to prepare young men for the ministry in the Lutheran Church of America.

Then the young merchant obtained his father’s permission to enter this school, and so became a theological student.

In 1873 he came to America and entered the theological seminary of the Iowa Synod of the Lutheran Church. In 1874 he graduated and was called as pastor by the Evangelical Lutheran congregation of Union Township, Mitchell County, Iowa. This congregation he has served faithfully for 37 years, and the entire present generation of that congregation consider Pastor Langrebe their spiritual father. No doubt he has ministered to their wants and needs with fatherly love and care. The simple fact, that a pastor can work in the same congregation for so many years, shows that he must be a faithful worker. The Toeterville people appreciated this fact, and all sincerely sympathized with father Landgrebe, when some years ago he was attacked by the fearful malady, diabetes, and his strength began to decline. Slow but sure was the progress of the disease, and at last Pastor Langrebe had to give up the struggle and resign his ministry.

In September of this year he moved to Waverly there to spend the evening of his life. . .

Reverend Landgrebe married Miss Doretha Geffert of Toeterville, in 1879. Their union was blessed with seven children, five of whom, three sons and two daughters, with the widowed mother mourn the loss of their beloved father.

Pastor Landgrebe will never be forgotten by all who knew him, his humble piety, his kindheartedness, his sincere and faithfulness are appreciated by all.

On Tuesday a funeral service was held at Waverly in which Reverend Professor Becker preached on Timothy 1, 15-16. On Wednesday the remains were taken to Toeterville, where the whole Toeterville congregation and many outside friends had gathered. Reverend Mardrof preached on Job 19, 25 and Reverend Schultz on Mathew 25, 21. The successor of Reverend Landgrebe, Reverend Lehmann, performed the liturgical part of the service and the funeral rites at the grave.

(St. Ansgar Enterprise, Wednesday, December 6, 1911 -- from St. Ansgar Museum Collections)