Rev. Peter F. Grabig Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 1020-1021

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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REV. PETER F. GRABIG. St. Stephen's church of Bridgewater, South 
Dakota, was erected in the year 1882. Two years prior to this date, the 
congregation of St. Stephen's was organized by Rev. Father Lerche with 
a membership of about forty families. The growth of the congregation 
was rapid from the first, in fact almost phenomenal, for it has now 
been increased over one hundred per cent. This flourishing pastorate 
was, in the year 1895, placed in charge of Rev. P. F. Grabig, Ph. D., 
to whose life and work we devote this article. 

Reverend Grabig was the youngest child born to John and Katie 
(Schneider) Grabig, on July the 11th, 1871, at Elben, Rhenish province, 
Germany. His father, a staff physician in the German army, was enabled 
to procure for his family of three children the best of educational 
advantages. Henry, the eldest son, followed the profession of his 
father, and is at present holding a position on the staff of physicians 
in the Prussian army. Our subject entered the military school at the 
early age of eight years' and remained there until he had reached the 
age of fifteen years, when he graduated and did actual service in the 
army for one year. At the age of sixteen, he left the military career 
as a second lieutenant and entered the university of Bonn to continue 
the study of philosophy in connection with a course in theology for two 
years. His European education was at last completed by one year in the 
seminary at Fulda, but having not yet reached the required age, he 
could not take Holy Orders. In the year 1891, he came to the United 
States and, at Baltimore, Maryland, and St. Paul, Minnesota, he 
completed his study of pastoral theology and English. On September the 
21st, 1894, the young men was ordained to the priesthood by the Rt. 
Rev. Martin Marty, D. D., then bishop of Sioux Falls. He was first 
given work in and near Sioux Falls, and his experiences in a new 
country and among a class of people with whose habits he was wholly 
unacquainted, would fill a volume. 

When Reverend Grabig arrived at Bridgewater, South Dakota, on February 
23, 1895, he found a little more than the framework of a church, 
without steeple. Here was a field that would prove his ability, and he 
at once set to work with energy to fit the building for worship and not 
only succeeded in putting the church in proper condition, but also in 
winning for himself a high reputation and the respect and esteem of the 
entire congregation. Among the improvements that have been put upon the 
Catholic church building through the instrumentality of the reverend 
gentleman, are a large belfry, a magnificent chime of three bells, a 
pipe organ, three new altars and stained glass windows. The church is 
heated by a furnace and plans are contemplated for a parochial school, 
to be erected near the church. The building will consist of three 
stories, the first floor fitted up for a society hall. 

A mission, in connection with St. Stephen's church, is located at 
Marion Junction, Turner county, South Dakota, and is known as St. 
Mary's church. This mission is entirely German and consists of about 
fifty-five families. This is also in charge of Reverend Grabig and 
services are held there every alternate Sunday.