Rev. Christian Wenz 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 1062-1063

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

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REV. CHRISTIAN WENZ, deceased, was a native of Wurtemburg, Germany, and 
was born September 21, 1823. He passed his last days on his pleasant 
farm on section 18, in Bath township, Brown county, and his wife is now 
quietly passing her declining years amid the same surroundings. 

In youth Mr. Wenz learned the trade of a cabinet maker, which business 
he followed in his native land, and in 1846 he and his brother, 
Christopher, emigrated to the United States, landing at Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania. Christian Wenz worked for some time in that city in a 
bakery and also worked at his trade, and from there went to Galena, 
Illinois, and found occupation at his trade. He joined the German 
Methodist church there in 1848, and after two years entered the 
ministry of the same denomination and four years later was ordained 
elder, from which time he preached the gospel in the German language, 
continuously until 1882. He was sent out to preach as early as 1850, 
and gave thirty-two years of his life to the ministry. In 1853 he was 
stationed in Chicago; 1854 at St. Paul, Minnesota; also later served at 
Dubuque, Iowa; Port Washington, Wisconsin; Wheeling and Blue Island, 
Illinois; East Troy, Wisconsin (twice); Watertown, Wisconsin (twice); 
Galesburg, Iowa; Girard, Iowa; Galena, Illinois; Columbus, Wisconsin 
(thrice); Fond du Lac, Wisconsin; Sheboygan, Beaver Dam, Baraboo, 
Burlington and Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Through failing health he gave 
up preaching in 1882, and in search of a congenial climate went to the 
Dakotas. The appearance of the country, and the climate pleased him and 
in 1882 he brought his wife and family from Wisconsin, where they were 
then residing, and having filed on a relinquishment claim the year 
before, he secured for two hundred and fifty dollars the southeast 
quarter of section 14, in Bath township. He, however, made an exchange 
with his son-in-law, G. W. Hickman, for the northwest quarter of 
section 18, in the same township, and there he made his home until his 
death. He took from St. Paul, Minnesota, a car load of lumber and other 
building material, and erected a frame house, which has since been 
enlarged and improved. He planted a grove covering five acres, of box-
elder, ash, and cottonwood, in the spring of 1883, and it is now in a 
flourishing condition. A good barn, granary, and other outbuildings 
adorn the home farm, and make of it a well improved estate. 

Christian Wenz was married September 29, 1854, to Henrietta Charlotte 
Lossner, daughter of August and Leonore (Fuessel) Lossner, both of whom 
were natives of Germany, who came to America when Mrs. Wenz was 
thirteen years of age, and settled in Sheboygan, Sheboygan county, 
Wisconsin, at which place Mr. and Mrs. Wenz were married. They became 
the parents of eight children, all of whom are living, as follows: 
Lydia, married William Nickman, a Methodist minister living in 
Minnesota, and they have four children: Edwin C., married, engaged in 
mercantile business at Beaver Dam, Wisconsin; Lena married J. M. 
Scharff, a resident of Minnesota, who owns a half section of land in 
Brown county, and they have one daughter; Frank, a harness maker in 
Aberdeen, married, and has four children; William; Titus, married July 
26, 1899. These last two named own in partnership the southeast quarter 
of section 7, in Bath township, Brown county, and in addition manage 
the estate of their mother; Anna J. E. resides at home with the mother; 
Alfred, attending the Dakota University, at Mitchell, South Dakota. 

Christian Wenz died February 8, 1892, and was laid to rest in the 
cemetery at Bath, His funeral was largely attended, as he was held in 
the highest esteem by a large circle of friends and neighbors, who 
deeply mourned his demise. He in life was prominent in all temperance 
work; he himself strictly temperate, he worked for more than forty 
years striving to make others the same. He was earnest and sincere and, 
while naturally modest and unassuming, he was brave in his endeavors to 
do good and serve his Master for the salvation of souls. After taking 
up his residence in Brown county, there being no German church near, he 
joined the English-speaking Methodist Episcopal church. Politically he 
was a Republican, as are also his sons.