MEMORIAL OF HONOR TO THE SAINTED MRS. C.A. GERMANN
wife of Rev. C.A. Germann, who departed this life on the 10th of March, 1924.
Dedicated in devoted love to the surviving husband, the mourning children and grandchildren, the worthy members of the Ladies' Society of Trinity Lutheran Church of Utica, N.Y., and the many relatives and friends of the deceased by Theo. J. Gesswein, Pastor. Rome, N.Y., March 1924
On the 10th day of March, Mrs. Germann, the wife of Pastor emeritus C. A. Germann, passed out of this life, the victim of a reckless automobile driver. Accompanying her husband, she was on her way to church on Shrove Tuesday evening, when a lad seventeen years old, driving an auto not his own, ran both of them down at the curbing of the street. Immediately they were brought to the hospital. The pastor could soon be dismissed. His wife also apparently recovered, and even on Sunday evening was quite herself. Early Monday morning she suddenly and unexpectedly passed out of this life. On the thirteenth her weary body was carried to the grave, followed by a large number of mourning friends. The local pastor, the Rev. L. Henze, delivered a splendid sermon on Psalm. 66, 16; "Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul".
It presented a beautiful picture, not a picture of death, but a picture of eternal life, when the calm and peaceful features of Mother Germann, in death's repose, surrounded by a vast array of exquisite floral tributes, were viewed for the last time in her beloved Trinity Church. For more than forty years she had diligently attended here, a Christian, active, virtuous pastor's spouse who also in her old age continued her useful service for three years, after her husband had retired from office.
She was born at Baltimore 71 years ago, the daughter of Pastor E.G. W. Keyl, who in 1837 had joined the Saxon emigrants coming to Missouri, and who was one of the founders of the Missouri Synod. At Monroe, Michigan on October 12, 1873, at the age of twenty years, she was joined in holy wedlock to the young Pastor C. A. Germann of Peru, Indiana. And now, after a long and useful life, and after having been privileged to celebrate the golden anniversary of her husband and pastor, and the golden anniversary together with her faithful life companion, this bond was cut asunder by such a sudden and fatal accident.
As a model pastor's wife, she faithfully shared her husbands burdens, heavy as they were. She also bore patiently by the personal cross allotted to her, being hard of hearing and asthmatic for years. Her daughter Julia met with such grief and sorrow but just in their affliction mother and daughter were drawn together in closest intimacy, until her daughter entered her eternal home about twenty months ago. A grandchild, the son of this departed daughter, Missionary Milton Germann Kuolt, only three months ago bid her grandmother an affectionate farewell, when he with his young bride departed for India.
However, the departed enjoyed much happiness during her lifetime. Her three sons, Albert, Gerhard, and Oscar grew up to be stalwart pillars of the congregation and prominent citizens of Utica. He daughter Emma was married to Mr. Hermann Wiegel, now of St. Louis, the son of Pastor Wiegel, of Rome, N.Y., for may years their neighbor. As a bride, celebrating her golden anniversary, she was permitted to share this happy event with her sister Emily, who fifty years ago became the bride of her husband's brother, the Rev. P.F. Germann, of Decatur, Ill. And last summer she was granted the pleasure of visiting her relatives out West. Aside from those mentioned, she is survived by a brother, a brother in law, and a sister in law in Decatur, Ill., two sisters in Brooklyn, N. Y. three daughters in law and seven grandchildren, an aged sister in law, the Pastor St. Keyl, daughter of Dr. Walther, and other relatives.
From early youth, the deceased grew up in the most desirable Lutheran environments; at all times, she proved herself a true Lutheran Christian and a pastor's wife of sterling qualities; up to the last week of her life she was deeply interested in matters pertaining to the church; to her very last breath she was a woman of Christian nobility in this declining age of the world. Surrounding the beautifully decorated casket, which contained the remains of one of such useful service, her sorrowing husband, her weeping children, and an entire revered congregation, though sincerely mourning her departure, could not but join in Job's prayer of thanksgiving: "Blessed be the Name of the Lord". Theo J. Gesswein, pastor