BRAMMER, Paul c1880-1949
BRAMMER, DORNSEIF
Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 3/28/2011 at 12:02:12
#1:
Dies in Wisconsin
ST. ANSGAR, IOWA — Word was received of the death of the Rev. Paul Brammer, 69, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. W. J. Kurth, at Wausau, Wisconsin, on Sunday.
He was pastor of St. Ansgar Immanuel Lutheran church from August, 1906, to December, 1945, when due to ill health, he retired and moved to Wausau to make his home with his daughter. His wife died in October in 1946.
He is survived by 7 children.
[Mason City Globe Gazette, Wednesday, April 13, 1949]
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#2: (Biographical sketch)
PASTOR BRAMMER
In August of 1906, Pastor Paul Brammer began a tenure of Christian service spanning 39 years in St. Ansgar alone. His education was received in a parochial school at Lowden, Iowa where his father was pastor. Being one of twelve children, it became imperative for him to support himself through school. He was interested in the printing trade and followed this as a hobby and means of support with a small printing press in his home.
At the age of fourteen, he left for Concordia College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin for academy training and entered the same school for his college work in 1897 and graduated with honors in 1899, as president of his class. Entering Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri, he graduated in June 1902, president of his class.
Before his pastorate at St. Ansgar, he served at Remsen, Iowa for four years. His marriage to Clara Dornseif occurred September 10, 1903. Their children included Ruth, (Mrs. W. F. Wendling); Laura, (Mrs. C. T. Affeldt); Helen, (Mrs. R. O. Hulcey); Flora, (Mrs. W. J. Kurth); Theodore; Reverend Reginald Brammer (now deceased); and Reverend Edgar Brammer.
After his death in 1949, the congregation gave one dollar for every year of service at Immanuel’s to purchase a new baptismal font as a memorial for him.
At the time of his resignation because of illness in December of 1945, he had served this congregation for 39 years and 5 months. During this time, the parish had grown from 200 members to 596 baptized members and 481 communicants. Numerically this growth represented its highest figures for Immanuel Church. He had the distinction of baptizing 432 persons, officiated at 165 weddings, 222 burials, and confirmed 443 persons during his entire pastorate.
The men in service during World War II received personal messages from their home pastor whose daughter, Helen, was also serving as a nurse in Africa and Italy. It was estimated that during his 43 years in the ministry, he delivered more than 4500 sermons. A new church was planned here and built in 1924 for $50,000 with his help and was debt free at the time of its dedication. While Reverend Brammer served Immanuel, the language of the church service passed from German, principally, to English.
In addition to his local duties, he served as: Visitor of the Waterloo Circuit of Lutheran churches for 25 years; Vice-President of the District and member of the Board of Directors for 10 years. He helped establish and served on the Board of the Lutheran Hospital at Hampton, Iowa; also as an advisor to the Iowa District of the LWML; and was elected to serve on the District Board of Appeals for the Synodical District.
[Immanuel Lutheran Church, St. Ansgar, Iowa; Centennial Booklet, 1974]
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#3:
Photo of Paul Brammer and his wife from the Centennial Booklet, 1974.
Mitchell Obituaries maintained by Sharyl Ferrall.
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