I get to write another story today in recognition of a person’s bicentennial birthday. This particular birthday boy became a prominent figure in the early history of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. To add to that, his wife was the daughter of another notable personality in the early history of Perry County Lutheranism.

Carl Heinrich Rudolph Lange was born on January 8, 1825, thus making today his 200th birthday. Rudolph was the son of Johann Friedrich Lange. I was unsuccessful in identifying the name of his mother. I found Rudolph’s baptism record on Family Search. This image brought some questions to my mind. It indicates that Rudolph was born on January 8,1825, but his baptism did not occur until April 16, 1839. I have to wonder why he was not baptized as an infant. This record also only includes the name of the father, not the mother. This record comes from a parish in what is called “Racibórz, Silesia, Prussia, Germany” on Family Search.

I do not consider myself to be any sort of expert on European geography. I have to rely on internet map sources to locate unfamiliar places. When I placed the name “Racibórz, Silesia, Prussia, Germany” into Bing Maps, it directed me to a city now located in present-day Poland. If you look at the above baptism record, it looks like it says Rudolph was baptized in Ratibor. I searched for that name and found 2 places with that name in present-day Czechia. If you look at the column that lists where the person was born, it looks like Rudolph was born in Wartenberg. When I searched for that name, I discovered a few cities in Germany by that name. I also learned that there is an area called Wartenberg in the city of Berlin, Germany. The map below shows several of those locations.

Now I am totally confused, but it is not the first time I have felt that way when researching places in Europe.

Rudolph came to America in September of 1846. We find his name on the passenger list for the ship, Caroline. Rudolph is found in a group of men that are called missionaries, pastors, or teachers on that list. I think this is a group of men sent to America by Rev. Johann Konrad William Loehe to minister to the many new German-speaking immigrants in this country.

Once in this country, Rudolph attended the Lutheran seminary located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Then, he moved to Altenburg, Missouri where he studied at Concordia Seminary (the Log Cabin College) which was still located in that town. There were 5 graduates of that seminary when it was in Altenburg, and Rudolph is said to be the 4th graduate, probably graduating in 1848.

In 1848, Rev. Lange became the pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in St. Charles, Missouri, as is shown below in this list of early pastors at that congregation. Rev. Fick was the first pastor at that church, but he was also serving St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in New Melle. That church in New Melle is one of the charter members of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. I’m sure Pastor Fick was instrumental in getting this new church established. Rev. Lange was probably the first pastor called as this congregation’s pastor in 1848.

About a year into his ministry, Rudolph made a trip back to Perry County to get married. Before I display that marriage documentation, let me say a few things about his bride. Her name was Clara Johanna Gruber, who was born on March 21, 1829 in Reust, Germany. Clara was the daughter of Rev. Charles and Pauline (Brem) Gruber. I also was able to locate a baptism record from Germany for Clara. I find it very interesting that one of her sponsors was Rev. Gotthold Heinrich Loeber, who became the first pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg. A map program says that the distance between Reust and Kahla, where Pastor Loeber served in Germany, is 38 miles.

Pastor Gruber was the leader of what is called the Gruber Group that arrived in Perry County in December of 1839. This family made the voyage to America aboard the Johann Georg. We can view the Gruber’s on the passenger list for that ship below. Clara was 10 years old at the time.

The Gruber’s are found in the 1840 census for Perry County, but it gives no specific information about Clara. That leads us up to her marriage.

Rev. Rudolph Lange married Clara Gruber on March 18, 1849. Their wedding took place at Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown, although back in those days, the town was called Paitzdorf. The marriage ceremony was conducted by Clara’s father. We can view this couple’s church marriage record below. This is another document that gives Rudolph’s father’s name as Johann Ferdinand Lange, but no mother’s name. This form also says that Rudolph was a pastor in St. Charles.

There are 2 civil marriage records we can also view. Here is the first.

Next, here is the second one.

Family Search lists 5 children born to this couple. All of them were born in the 1850’s. In the 1850 census, we find Rudolph and Clara with their first baby, Emma. Also included in this entry was Clara’s younger sister, Amalia Gruber. Rudolph is called a clergyman.

In 1850, a new church sanctuary was dedicated at Immanuel Lutheran Church in St. Charles. A picture of that building is shown below. Perhaps Pastor Lange is in the picture.

In 1858, Rev. Lange became a professor at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. In the 1860 census, we find him living in St. Louis with 4 children. Rudolph is called a professor of philosophy and the English language.

In 1861, Rev. Lange became a professor at Concordia College in Fort Wayne, Indiana. That is where we find the Lange’s in the 1870 census.

In this biography of Rev. Lange’s life, it says that in the 1870’s, he served congregations as a pastor in Defiance, Ohio and Chicago, Illinois.

Then, in 1878, Rev. Lange returned to become a professor once again at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. We find the Lange’s living there when the 1880 census was taken. Three remaining daughters were living with Rudolph and Clara.

Rudolph is included in the photo below of faculty members of Concordia Seminary. Rudolph is sitting on the far left.

Rudolph Lange died in 1892 at the age of 67. For some unknown reason, he died in Chicago. However, we find his death recorded in St. Louis which says he died in Chicago.

Clara Lange is found in the 1900 census living in Fort Wayne with her daughter, Elizabeth. She had married August Lange, who was also a Lutheran pastor. And yes, that means Elizabeth’s marriage was a Lange/Lange wedding.

Clara Lange died in Fort Wayne in 1910 at the age of 80. We are able to view her Indiana death certificate.

Both Rudolph and Clara died in other states, but their bodies were brought back to St. Louis to be buried together in the Concordia Cemetery. I will display their gravestone, along with close-up views for what is engraved on that stone for each of them.

Rudolph Lange was once a student in the Log Cabin College in Altenburg, but he did not attend that college when it was located behind my barn. He would have arrived in the later 1840’s after the cabin had been moved to be near the Loeber parsonage. I suppose there were times during those early days that the seminarians became familiar with other local pastors such as Pastor Gruber in Uniontown. We do know that Rudolph got to know Pastor Gruber’s daughter along the way somehow.

I also see that today is the birthday of Dr. J.A.O. Preuss, who was once the President of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. He was born on January 8, 1920, so today would be his 95th birthday.