Family forums and their Benefits
This Hueslter forum can be among the best on the world wide web with your help. Those of you who are interested and post to the forum are the ones to make it so. Use subjects which are meaningful and let us know the full name, dates of birth and death (year only works) e.g. HUELSTER, Luella Christina 1879-1971 b. St. Paul MN, d. Seattle.
Also, post the gems of information you have collected on the family. Brief exchanges between two people are best made by clicking on the person posting, writing down the email address and sending them an email directly, UNLESS the information you trade back and forth is something which would be of interest to all who visit the forum.
Most of us, unless we find exact lines which match ours, have a tough time staying with more than several generations of book or register style reports. As an example, I'm going to list below my first three generations of known HUELSTER ancestors, beginning with Wilhelm Deiner HUELSTER as generation one, with notes:
Wilhelm Deiner Huelster
The information was taken from a family letter obtained in Fredeburg, Germany, and from "Historical Data...." by Herman A. Block.Also obtained POB, DOB, POD, DOD, from Kathleen Huelster Frazer's 6/16/1994 letter.The information stated that he came to the U.S. from Germany in 1848.
The Journal of Wisconsin Conference 1951 - Evangelical United Brethren, stated, "The father owned a brewery and a general store in Fredeburg which he sold and then with his sons Henry and Frederick, sailed to America in 1847, locating in New York City.The following year, Henry returned to Fredeburg and brought his mother and three youngest brothers to America, joining the rest of the family in New York."
"The grandparents of the five Huelster's had owned one of the three bibles in Fredeburg, a village of 1,200 people.The parents were devout Catholics, went to mass every morning, kept all feast and holy days, and offered their prayers both morning and evening.When the father and two oldest sons sailed for America, the mother hurried to their priest and gave him a substantial sum of money to read mass for the safe arrival of the loved ones in America.Son August was an altar boy at the age of ten in the church at Fredeburg.When he observed the priest frequenting taverns and often being intoxicated, he revolted and refused to serve or attend mass."
HENRY HUELSTER, Son of Wilhelm Huelster
Henry was a minister in the Evangelical United Brethren Church as were all 5 of William Huelster's sons. The family came to the U.S. in 1848 and settled in NYC.In 1850 they relocated to an 80 acre farm at Knowles (near Lomira), Wisconsin and constructed a log house and saw mill.
The book, Wisconsin Conference, authored by Herman Block contains historical data about the Evangelical Association, The Evangelical Church, The Evangelical United Brethren Church (1840-1869).It contains information about all the 5 sons of William Huelster.Excerpts from it are filed in Jim Bishop's Huelster file and the entire book is held by Dr. Richard Winston Bishop, 916 W. Sherwood Dr., Springfield, MO 65810.
The "Journal of Wisconsin Conference 1951 - Evangelical United Brethren" stated, "Henry , born in 1828, was the first of this family to come to Wisconsin (1849).He urged the rest to come, also.Most of them did so in the spring of 1850.He and his brother, August, walked thirty miles to a quarterly meeting at the home of Andrew Held.Both were converted and joined the Evangelical Church.Henry married a daughter of Mr. Held.He entered the ministry at Freeport, Ill. in the spring of 1856, became a charter member of the Wisconsin conference, was assistant secretary two years and secretary two years; served various fields in the Wisconsin conference; served twelve years as Presiding Elder.He was trustee of Northwestern College 1868-1874.In 1892 he was transferred to the Michigan Conference, served a congregation in Grand Rapids tow years and left the Michigan conference in 1894 when he joined the Congregational Church and preached in that denomination thereafter.He had tow sons and two daughters."
FRIEDRICH WILHELM HUELSTER
Information taken from "The Story of the Family of Otto and Anna Steiner Rall", a publication privately printed for the Members of the Family, 1925;Block, Herman A., "Historical Data, Wisconsin Conference, Evangelical Association, The Evangelical Church, The Evangelical United Brethren Church ( 1840-1969); and from family records, among which is a translation of a letter acquired by a family member (not known to me) who visited Germany, "Your letter was given to Mr. Bernhard Creiff, Stadtsekretaer in Ruhe, in Fredeburg, Aschebergstr, who is occupied since many years with family research.He communicated the following:
'Friedrich Wilhelm Huelster, born February 18th 1830 in Fredeburg, went with his parents to America about 1846.His parents, Wilhelm Huelster, called Deiner, and Maria Theresia Schulte were married in Fredeburg Nov. 22nd 1825. Descendants are not known.Cognate with these Huelsters is the merchant Paul Huelster in Siegburg near Bonn.' "
According to Block, "Historical Data...", p.29, August Huelster, (brother of Frederick, Americanized spelling - sic.) was born in Fredeburg, Germany February 10, 1837.His parents, William and Theresa Huelster, brought their five sons to the United States in 1848 and settled in New York City.In 1850 they fled from a great cholera epidemic in New York and moved west to Wisconsin.There they bought an 80 acre farm at Knowles (near Lomira) and constructed a log house and saw mill."
"The Huelsters had always been devout Catholics, but at Knowles, 14-year-old August and his oldest brother Henry broke away from the family tradition.They began attending Protestant meetings at the home of an Evangelical neighbor, Mrs. Jacob Meyer.In the winter of 1851, Rev. C. A. Schnake of Menomonee Falls preached at the Meyer home and announced a Quarterly meeting at Richfield in March.August and Henry walked 30 miles to Richfield to attend the meeting.There they were both converted and formally joined the Evangelical Church.The rest of the family soon followed the example set by August and Henry.(All five sons - Henry, Frederick, August, William, and Anton later became Evangelical ministers.See photo page 28).
Buried at St. Paul Cemetery, St.Paul, MN.
From Journal of Wisconsin Conference 1951 - Evangelical United Brethren, Frederick Huelster entered the ministry in 1859, served 37 years in the Wisconsin Conference, was a successful pastor, and retired because of ill health.Two sons were living when the above was written, Frederick Jr. in Oshkosh, and Arthur in St.Paul, Minnesota.Earl Huelster, a pastor at Princeton, Wisconsin is a grandson.
AUGUST HUELSTER
Henry was a minister in the Evangelical United Brethren Church as were all 5 of William Huelster's sons. The family came to the U.S. in 1848 and settled in NYC.In 1850 they relocated to an 80 acre farm at Knowles (near Lomira), Wisconsin and constructed a log house and saw mill.They had fled N.Y. due to a great cholera epidemic.
August Huelster was the youngest of the five Huelster boys who were all ministers."Historical Data..." by Block, Herman A. has a great deal of information about him.It is in Jim Bishop's Huelster file.
Information from "Journal of Wisconsin Conference 1951 - Evangelical United Brethren" contained the following information:
"He was converted with his brother, Henry, in 1851 at a quarterly meeting at Richfield, having walked the distance of thirty miles from the newly established family home near Lomira.At the age of 17, August was elected exhorter by his class.At the dedication in 1854 of the Oshkosh Mission Church by Rev. J. J. Escher (later Bishop) he decided to enter the ministry which he did the following year at the age of 18 years.His first year was served in the Illinois Conference, second year in Wisconsin, and third year in the Minnesota Conference.
In his first year, he traveled 2,500 miles by horseback, preached 240 times, and 50 persons were converted.His salary was $100, his friend gave him an additional $35 that he might pay a debt of $100 on his new home.
In 1861 he married Emilie Johnig (spelled, "Jahnig" in Block, "Historical Data."They had three sons and one daughter.
In 1864 he was elected Presiding Elder of the Madison District.In the three years in this district, he traveled by horse and buggy 12,000 miles, preached 550 times, baptized 200 children and built six churches.
In 1883, when the Dakota Conference was organized, he was elected its first Presiding Elder.Retired at the age of 71, having served the church 53 years.In his book, "Gnadenwunder," he related at the time he retired, "My strength has not abated.I often preach three times on Sunday and travel 20 miles or more by horse and buggy, but I feel I should retire and maker room for younger men."
WILLIAM HUELSTER
When the father of the Huelster brothers gave the land for the building of the Emmanuel Church near Lomira, Wisconsin, it was William who hauled the lumber 16 miles from Fond du Lac for the church.He was converted and joined the church when he was 13 years old.In 1861 he married Sophia Hesse of Neenah, Wisconsin.They had one son and two daughters.He joined the Wisconsin Conference in 1862, held pastorates in both Wisconsin and Illinois Conferences.
He was elected General 1869-71 and Treasurer 1873-79 of Northwestern College, Plainfield and In Naperville, Ill (now North Central College), Presiding Elder, Shannon District, Ill from 1882-1884, later of Freeport District.While in Wisconsin he built churches in Waukesha and Juda.All the above from Journal of Wisconsin Conference - 1951 - Evangelical United Brethren.
ANTON HUELSTER
From Journal of Wisconsin Conference 1951 - Evangelical United Brethren, sent by Kathleen Huelster Frazer, June 1994,
"Anton attended high school in Racine, Wisconsin, then Northwestern College, Plainfield, Ill.In 1865, he joined the Iowa Conference as assistant to Rev. R. Dubs on Grandview Circuit.In 1867 he was recommended by the Iowa Conference to the Germany Conference.In 1870 he received the title Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Leipzig.Soon thereafter, he returned to America.
Married in 1870 to Caroline Hesse of Neenah.In the fall of 1870, he became Professor of Greek and Latin at Northwestern College.In 1877, when the seminary was established there, he was named Professor of Theology.In the spring of 1880, he resigned both positions because of ill health, and joined the Illinois Conference and served various fields for ten years.
The death of his first wife left him with three minor children.His second marriage in 1882 was to Sophia Voss by whom he also had several children.In 1891 he became affiliated with the German Conference of the Congregational Church.He was the author of several books, among them, "Die Sielenlehre and Christliche Glanbenslehre."For 22 years he was editor of "Kirchenbote."
As you can see, much more than this would put even the most avid researcher to sleep. My opinion and recommendation is to break down lines into groups to post, or send directly as email attachment to those requesting more. Had I posted all 7 generations and included the index, the index alone would have been seven pages.
Please help make this a fabulous forum where we all may learn more about the HUELSTER families.