HIMMEL'S CHURCH SESTERCENTENNIAL 1773-2023
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
June 18
Lynn Otto, Captain, 1st Battalion Penna. Regiment, Weiser Battalion Busse’s Company will speak during the Sunday morning service of The Tulpehocken Path, the route many Himmel’s families took to settle here with special note of geographical features for descendants to follow. (Summer schedule time 9:00am).
August 5
Himmel’s Country Festival with historical enhancement by Northumberland County Historical Society with book and youth tables; exhibit by Brother Johannes of the Hermitage in Pitman and other demonstrators and genealogical tables related to various Himmel’s families.
August 6
Carol Dieffenbach Kantner, church organist and direct descendant of Christian Dieffenbach, organ builders will share the Dieffenbach story during the morning service (Summer schedule time 9:00am).
September 17
Michael Peffley, a Kieffer/ Brosius descendant will speak on the Stone Church and/or Frame Church era. Also with possible references to John Michael Enderlein’s first German service.
October 15
Lisa Minardi, Executive Director of Historic Trappe (Muhlenberg Site) and Center for Penna. German Studies will speak on the History and Art of the Schwaben Creek Valley and Himmel’s Church.
Is Peter Montelius (1791-1859) Your Great-Grandfather?
From about 1830 until 1859, a man by the name of Peter Montelius was many things to the people who attended Himmel’s Church. He taught their children in the school. He was the organist and choir director for church services. He surveyed land. He was a justice of the peace. He operated a printing press at Himmel’s. The name Montelius is no longer common or even heard at Himmel’s. That might be because Peter and his wife, the former Margaret Rebecca Stitzer, had 10 daughters and only two sons. The sons were Timothy (1818-1893) and Frederick Marcus (1837-). Frederick Marcus married Sara Hain from Hickory Corners and moved to Snyder County. Timothy was a veteran of the Civil War and he left no sons who remained in the area. Peter is buried at Himmel’s. His wife Margaret is buried at Salem, Rough and Ready.
The daughters all married men from the local area. In a nutshell, here are the names of the daughters and their husbands.
1. Elizabeth Christiana (1814-) married John Snyder
2. Mary (1816-) married George Snyder
3. Timothy (1818-1893). Buried Howerter’s Cemetery
4. Sarah (1820-1893) married Daniel Fetter
5. Rachel (1823-1897) married Nathan Erdman. Buried Salem Rough and Ready
6. Jane (Johanna) (1825-) married John Shafer
7. Fanny (1827-) married Benneville Eister
8. Charlotte (1829-1906) married Solomon Snyder. Buried Howerter’s Cemetery
9. Harriet (1832-) married Samuel Kieffer Buried Reformed section of St. John’s, Leck Kill
10. Amy (Emma) ( 1834-) married Michael Hepner
11. Fredericka Maria (1837-) married Edward Starr
12. Frederick Marcus (1837-) married Sarah Hain
There are literally too many grandchildren to list by name in this article. Suffice it to say that there are over one hundred grandchildren. If you need further information on the descendants, please check with Jeanne Adams or Dan Schwalm or anyone you might know who is a direct descendent.
Virtual Cemetery Walk to be held May 20, 2023
On Saturday afternoon, May 20, 2023 beginning at 2:00 p.m. in the sanctuary, “A Journey Upstream” will be presented at Himmel’s Church. It will be a walk back in time and a virtual cemetery walk which will include the meeting of interesting personalities from Himmel’s 250 year history.
The event will begin with a series of hymns each pre-ceded by a brief description of its origin and an accompanying description of world and cultural events intertwined with Himmel’s history. With each hymn, time moves back 25 to 50 years until 1773 and the founding of Himmel’s Church. This sets the stage for the stories of the following nine persons who will be portrayed or share their stories. These persons include the following:
Anna Maria Bordner Schneider (1756-1827) Matriarch and Pioneer settler.
Johann Nickolas Schneider (1749-1821) Revolutionary War soldier, Pioneer Settler and one of Himmel’s Founding Fathers
Benneville Holschuh (1815-1853) Hotelkeeper, Postmaster, Storekeeper in Greenbrier, remembered by his wife, Western Pioneer and member of the Brosius Mill Family, Anna Maria Brosius Holschuh Lawrence
Dr. Frederick Trion (1762-1840) German Immigrant and Saddlebag Doctor from Rebuck
Louisa Christina Kauffman Beachel, Survivor of Typhoid Fever and Western Pioneer remembering her brothers and sisters of the Kauffman family returns from Waverly, Nebraska.
Andrew Geist (1753-1849) Continental Soldier, Farmer, and Friend of Native Americans
Rev. Johann Georg Christian Augustus Bergner (1806-1860) German Immigrant, Teacher, Lutheran Minister of Line Mountain and Mahanoy Parishes
Jacob D. Hoffman (1804-1886) Farmer, Twice married; Wives remembered by almost identical monuments at Himmel’s and St. Peter’s, Red Cross.
Peter Montelius (1781-1859) Teacher, Organist, Chorister, Printer at Himmel’s Church, Surveyor, Justice of the Peace
Plan to attend this event on Saturday afternoon May 20, 2023 at Himmel’s Church to meet some of the people who attended Himmel’s Church in the early years. Light refreshments will be served following the “walk.”
ANNIVERSARY MERCHANDISE
Ceramic Mugs
Travel Mugs
Christmas Ornaments (set of 4)
Baseball Hats
Knit Hats
T-shirts
Calendars