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Rev.
Schweppe was born February 10, 1872 in Frotheim, Westphalia,
Germany. He graduated in 1897
from Concordia Seminary, Springfield, Illinois.
From 1897
to 1906, he served as a missionary in and around Petoskey, MI
In
1901, Rev. William Schweppe was called from the pastorate of the
congregation in Mancelona
with the understanding that he was to reside in
Traverse City but to continue to serve his
former parish. He remained until 1906 when he accepted a call to St.
Paul's congregation in Sadorus, Illinois.
His
service at Trinity was only five years, but he remained at Sadorus from
1906 to 1941. While at
Sadorus, he also taught in the congregation's
parochial school. He retired
in 1941 due to failing sight and hearing.
He
moved to St. Louis, Missouri and affiliated with Bethlehem Lutheran where his daughter,
Olga, had been a kindergarten teacher for 30 years. Pastor
Schweppe assisted his own pastors and other
North St. Louis pastors until
two years before his death. He died in St. Louis September 15,
1951.
In
1898, Pastor Schweppe married Clara Broadhorst. She survived him
along with two daughters and
four sons.
The departed had prepared his own funeral
sermon on I Tim. 1:15 testifying to the glorious comfort that sustained him
throughout his life and inviting all who mourn his passing to continue to avail
themselves of the same. The Rev. Edward A. Krause conducted the funeral service
at Bethlehem in St. Louis on September 18th, 1951 while Rev. E. C. Krause conducted the
committal services at New Bethlehem Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri.
Rev.
Schweppe's obituary (written by Rev. E. C. Krause) appeared in German in Der
Lutheraner Oct. 23, 195 l. It also appeared in English in The
Lutheran Witness on Nov. 13, 1951.The only picture of Rev.
Schweppe ever found was the one that appeared in Der Lutheraner which is
duplicated here.
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