Heritage \ Writings | Letters by Rev. F. Sievers

December 7, 1853, to Rev. Loehe in Germany.

Contributed by Kathy (Stroemer) Czuba -- May 2005.

1 December 7th, 1853 Dear Pastor Loehe, The shortage of pastors and teachers has brought about that Pastor Dicke of Amelith was called to be pastor at Frankentrost. Presently the parsonage at Amelith is vacant until a new pastor gets called. For the immediate future I will serve the Amelith congregation until Synod is able to send a competent man.* I, myself, feel very fortunate and happy at Frankenlust when I behold that the Word of God bears much fruit. I don’t have too many people that are too knowledgeable in the Word of God. Several are real conscientious and have an upright will and simple, child-like faith in the Word of God. John Eschenbacker, my present servant, is among one of them. He greets you; Schwabs and Goetz likewise. At the present time we are in the process of gathering funds for a new church. We will have to be content with our log cabin church for another year or two. It is still a respectable building and warm and cozy in the winter as a stove with long smoke pipes heats the church nicely.** We were fortunate not to have any contagious sicknesses this past year. A twenty-year old man was killed accidentally when the Kernstock bard was erected, and a stranger by the name of Pauck died of infirmities; besides two small children, these were the only deaths. * Pastor Sievers served Amelith congregation, as well as his own congregation, until 1867 as vacancy pastor, at which time Amelith received its own pastor. ** The log cabin church served eight years as house of worship before it was replaced with a frame building 70 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 22 feet high. This church was dedicated October 4, 1857, and served as God’s house for 48 years.

2 Swabs and Kernstocks were gladdened with children, but the good Lord called them home several weeks after baptism. I hope that Kernstock will become a more sincere Christian. He is not too energetic with his farm operations. He has used up sizable sums without seeing too many improvements on his farm. My next neighbor, Schwabs, live as honest and humble Christians . He often works with his yoke of oxen in my garden and adjoining field. His finances are a little scarce at the present time, being that some of his loans are not being repaid. Several families join my congregation every year. We have approximately 50 voting members. The support me, as is right and proper. My salary is $250 per year. Besides that I receive generous portions of the “Metzelsuppe”* In the first week of the new church year, every congregation member pledges conscientiously how much they expect to give for support of the pastor and teacher and general church work. My wife and I were blessed by the grace of God with a son, in 1851. However, we lost our first born, but we were consoled with another son, Frederick, in 1852. Around Christmas time we expect another blessed event. The Lord be merciful to my dear wife in her hour of peril and pain. My wife is a faithful and loyal helpmate and was never sad or sorry that she came to Frankenlust. Even in times of great trials and temptations, she always supported me with child-like faith and with a confident and cheerful mind, that whatever God ordains is always good. (No closing) * A German expression meaning when farmers butchered hogs or beef and voluntarily gave the pastor and teacher a sample of their sausages and meat.