Philip J. Dornseif was born in St. Clair County, Ill., March 21,
1856, and was a son of Louis and Christina (Worth) Dornseif, natives of Germany.
They came to America in 1852, where the father died in 1880. Mrs. Dornseif is
residing in Monticello, Ill. The subject of this memoir was educated in the Fort
Wayne, Ind., College, and graduated at the Lutheran Seminary in St. Louis, Mo.
His first field of labor was at Benton, Iowa, in charge of the Lutheran church
there. He remained one and one-half years; then came to Elkport, and has been
pastor of the church here about two and one-half years. He was united in
marriage with Mary Guenther in 1880. She was born at Fort Dodge, Iowa, in
August, 1861. Their union has been blessed with one child - Clara, born in
April, 1881. Mr. Dornseif is a gentleman of high literary attainments and
superior mental endowments. source: History of Clayton
County, Iowa, 1882, p. 1119 |