Rev Herman Grefe (1859-1912)

GREFE, MATUSCHKE

Posted By: jane austin (email)
Date: 2/18/2016 at 02:03:55

H. [Herman] Grefe was born March 27, 1859, at Maaslinger, Westphalen, Germany. During his youth he came to New Minden, Ill., where relatives resided. In 1883 he entered Concordia State College at Springfield and graduated in 1859. Next year he was married to Magdalena Matuschke. He accepted a call to New. Dell, Kan., where he remained two years and then removed to New Melle, Mo., where he preached for eleven years. From there he went to Good Farm, near Dwight, Ill., for four years and then to Lamont, Ill., for four more. From that place he came to Germantown, where he was installed in Nov., 1910.

He was the father of seven children, of which one died in infancy. The surviving ones are Paul, Hulda, Martin, Ewold, Gotthold and Emilia. Besides them he leaves one brother, still in Germany. His wife died in February of this year.

Those from away who attended the funeral were his father-in-law, Rev. Wm. Matuschke of Lake Creek, Mo, and his brother-in-law, Rev. Paul Matuschke, of Plymouth, Neb.; Rev. T. Hartmann, of Louisville, Neb., and John Both, Geo. Konrad and J. Hohn, of his old parish near Dwight.

Rev. Grefe had been very successful in his work here. He was a quiet, gentlemanly, genial man and a loving pastor. He had won the respect of all, Germans and Americans alike. He was in the midst of a profitable work and his untimely end leaves sorrow and sadness on all sides.

Paullina Times, Sep 13, 1912, p1