BIO: John George PFUHL, Dauphin County, PA

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Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, 
Containing Sketches of Representative Citizens, and Many of the 
Early Scotch-Irish and German Settlers.  Chambersburg, Pa.: 
J. M. Runk & Company, 1896, pages 276-277.
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  PFUHL, REV. JOHN GEORGE, pastor of St. Michael's German Lutheran 
church, of Harrisburg, Pa., was born in Treffurt, Province of Saxony, 
Kingdom of Prussia, March 30, 1838.  He is a son of the late Christian 
Pfuhl and his wife Charlotte Von Keudel.  The parents of Pastor Pfuhl 
were both natives of Prussia.  They were born in Treffurt, and lived 
there until 1866, when they removed to the Province of West Prussia, 
settling near the town of Culmsee, where the father died October 18, 
1881, and the mother October 28, 1880.  They had eight children, five 
of whom are living:  Christiana, widow of the late Wilhelm Bodenstein; 
Dorothea, wife of Julius Fiedler; Caroline, wife of Hilmer Achilles; 
Augusta, widow of the late Theodore Rausch; and John George.  The last-
named and his nephew, Charles Bodenstein, of Philadelphia, are the only 
members of the family residing in America.
  John George Pfuhl lived with his parents until he reached the age of 
fourteen, receiving his primary education in the common schools of his 
native town.  He also had instruction in Latin, Greek and French under 
a private tutor.  In 1852 he was sent to a neighboring village pastor, 
who fully instructed him in the classics.  With this preparation, he 
was sent to the college at Muehlhausen, where he spent three years.  He 
afterwards entered the college at Halle, and was graduated from this 
institution in 1859. In 1860 he left his native land for America.  Soon 
after his arrival in this country, he entered the Theological Seminary 
of Gettysburg, where he studied for two years.  In 1862 he was licensed 
to preach the gospel and administer the sacraments in the pastorate of 
Steubenville, Ohio.  In May, 1864, he was ordained a minister of the 
German Lutheran Church, and installed as pastor at Steubenville by the 
Pittsburg Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. He was pastor of 
Zion Lutheran church in that city for fourteen years.  In 1876 he was 
elected to the pastorate of St. Michael's Lutheran church in 
Harrisburg.  For twenty years he has held this important pastorate and 
has faithfully discharged its sacred and arduous duties. 
  His first wife was Miss Miranda, daughter of John and Regina (Bauer) 
Miller, of Bridgewater, Beaver county, Pa.  Their marriage took place 
May 10, 1864. They had one son, Charles Augustus, now residing in 
Pittsburgh.  Mrs. Pfuhl died at Steubenville, Ohio, January 22, 1866.  
In his second marriage, which occurred at Baden, Beaver county, 
September 22, 1868, he was united to Sophia Marchand, a daughter of 
Frederick and Caroline (Ehrman) Marchand, born in Offenbach, near 
Frankfort-on-the-Main.  They have had seven children; four died in 
infancy, Otto, George, Johanna and Louisa.  Their living children are 
Sophie Augusta, born August 8, 1875; Marie Dorothy, July 7, 1878; and 
Paul Wilhelm, July 27, 1882.
  Pastor Pfuhl is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Ministerium of 
Pennsylvania, the oldest Lutheran Synod in the United States.