Lake-Allen-Kosciusko County IN Archives Biographies.....Zumbuelte, Mathias 1839 - 
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Author: T. H. Ball (1904)

REV. MATHIAS ZUMBUELTE.

    The clergy of the Roman Catholic church, as a rule, are gentlemen of ripe
scholarship, and are important factors in the civilization of remote districts
as well as founders of great and beneficent works. They are noted for their
persistency, energy and ambition. Rev. Zumbuelte comes of that class of priests.
He is a native of Westphalia, Germany, and was born February 19, 1839, being a
son of Anthony and Elizabeth (Oellinghoff) Zumbuelte. He was from the first of a
literary turn of mind, and the priesthood seemed to him to be his chosen work.
His primary training was begun in the common schools of Germany, and later he
received training under a tutor. At the age of seventeen he entered the
gymnasium, which course regularly required nine years, but in five years he
received his diploma, and then entered the seminary of the old city of Munster,
where he put in three years at his work. The first year's work was in
philosophy, and the last two in theology. When he had completed this course of
study he received a cordial letter from Bishop Leuers, of the Northern Bishopric
of Indiana, who was on a visit to Europe and at that particular time in the city
of Munster. Bishop Leuers advised him to enter the American College of Theology
of the famous University of Munster, which he did in 1864, and accordingly spent
two years in that noted seat of learning. May 26, 1866, he received his
ordination as priest from the hands of Cardinal E. Sterx. He was then fitted to
enter the priesthood in America, and he set sail from Bremen and arrived at Fort
Wayne, Indiana, in October, 1866, and was appointed assistant priest to Rev.
Joseph B. Ferce at St. Vincent's parish at Logansport. He remained there until
January 6, 1868. While there his duties were arduous, as he had a great deal of
mission work to perform, and also visiting the poor, the sick, the distressed
and dying, at all times of the day and night, and during any kind of weather. In
this Father Zumbuelte showed himself to be a man of more than ordinary courage
and industry as his work extended over a large area of country. The next work he
took charge of was as assistant to Rev. D. Duehmig, at Avilla, Noble county,
Indiana, and he was there six months. In July, 1868, he was sent to Leo, Allen
county, Indiana, a small parish of nineteen families. The name of the parish was
St. Mary. There was a small frame building used as church—no home for the
priest, and Father Zumbuelte was forced to live with a farmer for two years. He
remained there two years in all, and while there he erected a home for the
priest. In 1870 he erected St. Michael's church at a cost of thirteen hundred
dollars, and liquidated every dollars indebtedness and paid an additional debt
of seven hundred dollars. In 1871 Father Zumbuelte was sent to St. Vincent de
Paul at Columbia City, Indiana, and while there kept up the property in
excellent repair, the parochial school in session and other important parish
work. In that locality he had two missions to attend to, at Pierceton and Warsaw
in Kosciusko county. There were about seventy-five families in the Columbia City
parish. In September, 1875, he was called to St. Mary's parish at Crown Point,
but remained there only seven months, or until April, 1876, when he concluded to
visit his native land to see his parents and relatives. His father was an old
soldier under the great Napoleon, and was present at the famous battles of
Leipsic, Moscow and other memorable battles of that epoch. He was one of the
cannoniers.

    After spending three months in the land of his birth Father Zumbuelte
returned to his field of labor in Indiana, and was then sent as chaplain of the
college at Rennselaer, where he remained until 1888, and while there he erected
a beautiful brick church costing six thousand dollars. In 1888 he again paid a
visit to his home in Germany, and upon his return he was sent to Reynolds,
Indiana, and besides this charge he had the missions of Medaryville and
Francesville. He was there one year, and then, in October, 1889, he came to St.
Martin's parish in Hanover township, where he has been in active charge to the
present writing in 1904. There are about sixty-five families, a parochial
school, a. nice church building, and an elegant and modern residence erected for
the priest in 1902. The value of the entire parish property is placed at eight
thousand dollars, and not a dollar is standing against it.

    On July 9, 1902, Father Zumbuelte met with a severe loss when fire destroyed
his home and all its contents, including his fine library and all of his wearing
apparel. But with indomitable will he set to work at once and erected a model
residence of modern style of architecture, two stories, and finished in
hard-wood, and containing twelve rooms. It is a beautiful home and a credit to
the township. The parochial school of St. Martin's parish comprises forty-three
pupils.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

ENCYCLOPEDIA
OF
Genealogy and Biography
OF
LAKE COUNTY, INDIANA,
WITH A COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY 
1834—1904

A Record of the Achievements of Its People in the Making of a Commonwealth and
the Founding of a Nation.

REV. T. H. BALL
OF CROWN POINT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ILLUSTRATED
CHICAGO   NEW YORK
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
1904

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