Rev. Georg Heinrich Fuehr, Pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Sebald, Clayton County, was born in Muenchen, kingdom of Bavaria, September 13, 1838. Orphaned at the age of three years, he was at four years taken into the home of his maternal relatives, Leonhard and Wilhelmina Rosenbauer, who tenderly cared for him, training him to habits of usefulness and maintaining the deepest interest in his physical and spiritual growth. Before he was five, he entered a school at Aufkitchen, and there remained until fourteen.

Christened in the Lutheran Church, our subject was confirmed by Rev. Mr. Aufsberg on Palm Sunday, 1852. After his confirmation he learned his foster father’s trade, an occupation for which he had no natural inclination, but which he learned in obedience to the fourth commandment. From childhood he was devoted to books, and often until after the midnight hour was engaged in reading religious and historical works. At that time all were obliged to spend eight years at a school of apprenticeship, and for the four years following to attend the Sunday School. The scholars were obliged to write a letter to a friend who wanted to emigrate to America, and try to influence him against it. Among all his schoolmates he was most successful, and his pastor urged him to continue his studies, doubtless recognizing in him talents of a superior nature. His foster parents were willing that he should study for a teacher, but, in addition to the fact that they could ill afford the expense, he had no desire to enter that profession.

Through acquaintance with some whose opinions were similar to his own, and especially through the influence of an honest Lutheran pastor who lived near Aufkirchen, the attention of our subject was called to missionary work among those who had never heard of the Gospel. He was then but eighteen years of age. Shortly afterward he heard from a company who were working for home missions, at the head of which was the well known Father W. Loehe. At first the youth had a preference for foreign missionary work, but as the time was approaching when he was obliged to enter the home mission field; in order to cure consummation of his plans he was obliged to make arrangements to be released from his term of service in the army.

From March 2, 1860, until 1866 the young man was wearing a uniform. He was pleased with a soldier’s life, though he was in active service but one and one-half years. At the expiration of that time he was relieved from active duty, but was subject to call upon the breaking out of war. In February, 1863, with the consent of his foster parents, he entered the mission house at Neuendettelsau, Bavaria, to prepare himself for the service of the Lutheran Church. His studies were continued until the middle of April, 1866, with only five weeks’ vacation in a year. He passed creditable and satisfactory examinations, as evinced by his certificate.

June 16, 1866, Rev. Mr. Fuehr took passage on the steamer “Bremen”. The voyage was very stormy, which did not seem a good omen for his service in the church in America. July 2 he arrived with his intended wife in New York. The 4th of July in this country he celebrated at his uncle’s home in Philadelphia. The next day he started for Toledo, Ohio, and not being accustomed to American ways he found the journey a very expensive one. Rev. I. Deindorfer, now President of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Iowa was the one who received the candidates for service from Germany, and by him our subject entertained. At Berea, near Cleveland, Ohio, and was given his first assignment. This was but a small congregation, numbering on New Year’s, 1866, but fifteen heads of families. July 15, 1866, the young paster was ordained by Rev. I Deindoerfer, and August 10 following he married Miss Christina Guthmann. His pastorate was successful in a short time the membership had increased four fold.

After four years of happy married life, Rev. Fuehr was bereaved by the death of his wife. Their children had preceded her in death. In time he was again married, choosing for his wife Philippina Elizabeth Schaaf, daughter of Michael and Elizabeth Schaaf of Berea. They have had four sons and three daughters; two of the latter are deceased.

After several years in this country Rev. Mr. Fuehr decided to become a citizen of the United States, and took out the first papers in Cleveland. He was treated as a Prussian citizen, because the officers could not understand that in Germany there was the kingdom of Bavaria still in existence. In 1876 he took out the second papers in Clayton County. After having spent nine years with his first congregation, in August, 1875, he accepted a call to St. Sebald Church, in Clayton County, and here he has held the pastorate since the middle of September, 1875. In 1878 some of the members established another congregation five miles away.

St. Sebald congregation, in Sperry Township, Clayton County, is one of the oldest congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Iowa. It was organized either in 1853 or the spring of 1854, under the care of I. Diendorfer, before this synod was organized, which was August 24, 1854. The congregation now numbers over five hundred. From 1857 until 1874 it was the seat of a priests’ seminary. In politics Mr. Fuehr is independent , and although in elections he usually votes the Democratic ticket, he is not a partisan, and has expressed the wish that a new patriotic party would start from the two old parties and include the better element of the old.

Through his studies and manner of conducting his service for over twenty-eight years, God has with an all-wise providence arranged that Rev. Mr. Fuehr should become a homeopathic physician. During his studies in the Old Country he became acquainted with the science; on locating in Berea, finding that the doctors there were not competent and the people needed the services of a good physician, he continued his studies still further. Years ago a law was passed in Iowa prohibiting persons from practicing medicine until five years in the state and thoroughly efficient; to such were granted state licenses. One of these he secured, not with an intention to practice the profession, but in order that he might be of assistance in cases of sickness in his own parish. Since accepting this pastorate there have been two epidemics, one of scarlet fever and diphtheria in1876, the other of diphtheria in 1891; at both times his sound medical advice and spiritual counsel made him an invaluable assistant in the stricken families.

~source: Portrait and Biographical Record of Dubuque, Jones and Clayton Counties; Chicago: Chapman Pub. Co., 1894; pg 520-521
~transcribed by Suzanne Terrell