Anna Martha (Richter) Gruenhagen (1851-1941)

RICHTER, BRAUMILLER, BRAUMOELLER, GRUENHAGEN, HAPPEL, HOERMANN, FEGEBANK

Posted By: jane austin (email)
Date: 2/24/2016 at 17:05:25

Death Claims Mrs. Anna Gruenhagen

In the first days of the new year a pioneer member of St. John Lutheran Church, a pioneer settler of Caledonia Township, and a pioneer resident of O'Brien County, passed on Into eternity In the person of Mrs. Anna Gruenhagen. She died on Thursday afternoon. January 9th, and was laid to rest on the cemetery of St. John's Church beside the remains of her husband on Sunday. January 12th. By her own request her mortal remains were brought directly to St. John's Church, where in the presence of a large audience of relatives, members, and frlrnds her Pastor conduoted the burial service. Pastor Jurgens preached in German and English on the words of the Psalmist recorded in Psalm "71, 9, speaking on "The Prayer of an Aged Saint." The Congregation joined in singing the masterful chorals of the Lutheran Church, as the sainted Mother Gruenhagen would have wished to have it.

Anna Martha Gruenhagen was born in Chicago, Ill., on January 1, 1851, the daughter of Mr. Henry Richter and his wife, Sophia Braumiller. In early infancy her parents brought her to Holy Baptism, where she was made a child of God and an heiress of life everlasting. Soon thereafter her parents moved to Coopers Grove, Ill, where the deceased received her schooling and was confirmed on March 20th, 1864 by the sainted Pastor C.H. Loeber. To the vow made on the day of her Confirmation the departed Mother remained true to the end of her life.

On March 23, 1873, the departed sister in Christ entered holy wedlock with Mr. Henry Gruenhagen, and this union the Lord blessed with two children, a son, Gustav, and a daughter, Clara. In the year 1881 this family moved to Caledonia Twp., Iowa, and since that time the deceased had made her home here with one interlude of eight years, at the same time holding membership with St. John's Church.

In the Spring of 1921, March 18th, the husband of the deceased departed this life and in November of the same year, her daughter also, at that time Mrs. Henry Fegebank.

When in the year 1923 her widowed sister, Mrs. Mary Happel, of Atkins, Iowa, desired it, the deceased moved to Atkins and lived there until the death of her sister in May 1931. From 1931 to 1936 she then lived with her grandaughter, Etta, Mrs. Adolph Hoermann, and from 1936 on until the day of her death, she lived with her son in his spacious home in Paullina.

Since June 1, 1937, Mother Gruenhagen had been confined to her bed, receiving the untiring and unselfish service, care and devotion of her son and his wife, Kathryn. Since May, 1938, it was the privilege of the present Pastor of St. John's Church to minister to her spritual wants, and he visited her regularly every two weeks. She listened eagerly to the sermons read to her; she eagerly received the Lord's Supper for the strengthening of her faith; she conversed eagerly and interestedly on the welfare of her beloved St. John's Congregation. Though she often sighed for deliverance, she was content to bid the Lord's time. She commended herself to His will. She fell asleep peacefully trusting in the merits of her Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, as we confidently believe.

She leaves to mourn her departure her son Gustav and his wife Kathryn, her two brothers, Johannes and Ernest Richter, six grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, her son-in-law, Henry Fegebank, and other near and distant relatives and friends.

Her mortal remains were borne to the ground by W. Beermann, Mr. Emil Gebert, Wm. Strampe, Fred Seemann, and Mr. Imwiehe.

Paullina Times, Paullina, Iowa, January 16, 1941, p10