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SUNDAY MORNING, AUGUST 17, 1913.Prof- J. F, Koch, who cams to America with Dr- C. F. W. Walther,onsets, were tmnsferrod on hoard this ship* which has never been heard from since it loft Bromorhnven in the mil or lx:iK. The shif) nn which Wal-ther and Koch und hinny other a of the Saxon emigrants galled for America arrived at New Orleans on January f»t Professor Koch, who wastlion twenty-eight years rf age, accompanied the passengers rC the ship on their pilgrimage tn St, Louis, where hlt;* look employment in one of the tendmines near that city- After the organization of the lirst Lutheran congregation in St. Louis lie accepted a call as teacher of the parish school, which had at once been organized, In which position he remained for twentyyears. He ilien accepted a call asjiurochml tencher at New Minden, 111., where he remained until he was laid to rest in JSS2. after reaching the age of seventy-one years.Rev, George J. F. Koch,At New Minden, IH., Rev. George -1.F. Koch, who on Inst Sunday celebrated the silver anniversary of his. ord I notion to the ministry, was born on May 23, Itffifi, as one of il family of j thirteen children. After receiving his early education in the parochial school conducted by his father ho entered Concordia college in this nMy at the Ofe of fourteen years. After being ftftduated from that institution he Continued his studies at the Con* cordia seminary at Springfield, III., until August It, 1SS$—twenty-Aw years ago last Monday—when he was ordained a Lutheran minister, at. tlio an me time taking charge of the confound his entire congregation and many of thd ministers attending the Fort Wayne conference, including Rev, G. OoLseh, of Cleveland, whom he had seen Ilf teen minutes before his departure from Fort Wayne, assembled in his church. In the anniversaryservice which was hold immedi:ii«ly following I he arrival of Rev. Koch, Rev. Gotsch delivered a sermon appropriate tn the occasion, choosing as his text Lent. 32, 2.At the conclusion of the service and while receiving the congratulsiUona from the members of jjls congregation and his brother ministers. Rev. Koch remarked that there was only ono thing wanting lo make the event the most happy one in his life, namely, the presence of his wife, whom he thought Jit that time visiting at St. Louis. He had hardly said this when he found himself face to, face with Mrs, Koch, who had been nnliJhid by members of the congregation of j.hn proposed celebration, arriving at Fre-i ! hie on Saturday and attending the! service without the knowledge «»f Rev. ■ Koch, who at this turn was tears and unable to utter aThe service in ihe church was lowed by a gathering nf the visiting: mlniHter*, many of whom, on account of the heavy rain last Sunday evening, saw themselves compelled to accept the hospitality of thlt;» parsonage until the following morning. Former acquaintances were renewed and past ! experiences reJahvl and all those in n l ten dun re declared the affair as one of the most enjoyable during the entire convention.One of the events of special interestto the visiting ministers, teachers andlay delegates during the Lutheran dia- j trict convention here last week, since it recalled in their minds the early. history of the Missouri Lutheran Synod of. America, was the celebration at Preble, Ind., last Sunday of the silver anniversary of . the day .when.-Rev. George J. P. Koch, pastor of the Preble congregation/ was ordained to the* ministry twenty-five s years ago.A large number of the visiting ministers participated In the celebration in honor of Rev. Koch, who— what may not be known to many Lu-1 therans of this city—Is a son of Pro-: fessor. Johann Friedrich Koch, at ono ] time a teacher at the parochial school ; of Langenchursdorf, Saxony, the ! birthplace of Dr. C. F. W. Walther, and one of a number of teachers who accompanied Dr. Walther and his TOO ; Saxon pilgrims on their voyage to America in 1S28.Johann Friedrich Koch,Johann Friedrich Koch was bom jnear Chemnitz, Saxony, January 13, ill, as a son of a royal forester. After completing his education he accepted a call as assistant teacher at the parochial school of Langenehurs-dorL where Rev, Gottlob H. W. Wal-;therT the faLher of Dr. Walther, was pastor at that time. Professor Koch was one of the many orthodox Lutherans who suffered - under the unionltlc regime of those days and was among the first'who entered their names upon the rolls, when, a definite plan for emigration to America had been devised, professor Koch was in the same party 'with Dr. Walther, the members of which, including Walther and Koch, were refused admittance to ihc* ship ‘Amalia// wh’ich was crowded to its full capacity at the time of their arrival at Bremerhaven. Professor Koch's luggage, however, including his library and other personal/ Rev, George J- F. Koch, of Preblegregation a I Elmirar Ottawa county, Ohio. In October, 18915, he accepted acall to VTnnilcri Henry county, Ohio, until eight years later he became the pastor of the Lutheran congregation at-Bedford. Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. Five years later, on January 1, 1010, he took his present charge at Preble, Ind.Was Impressive Event-The celebration last Sunday was one of the moac \ Impressive of the kind conceivable, ‘Rev. Koch, who was in Fort Wayne- attending the conference, was taken to his church in an automobile, being told that he was wanted by some member of his congregation. He was completely surprised when he
Newspaper Details
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
Fort Wayne, Indiana, US
Sun, Aug 17, 1913
Page 35
Full Page
Clipped by
Adam Y.
NA, 06 Jul 2023
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