Luther Alexander Gotwald - Luther's Remarkable Lutheran Family

Luther's Remarkable Lutheran Family

Rev. Gotwald was the son of Daniel and Susannah (Krone) Gotwald, both natives of Pennsylvania and of German ancestry. Rev. Luther Alexander Gotwald was born in York Springs, Adams County, Pennsylvania on January 31, 1833. The elder Rev. Gotwald was a prominent minister of the Lutheran Church and reportedly was "one of the most able and eloquent Lutheran ministers of his time". Daniel Gotwald was born in Manchester Township, York County, Pennsylvania, on December 16, 1793. Daniel's German immigrant parents were Andrew and Mary Magdalene Gottwald. Daniel was christened January 26, 1794 in Quickel's Church, Conewago Township, Pennsylvania. Daniel and Susannah were married on July 22, 1819, in York, Pennsylvania by Rev. Dr. John George Schmucker, the then forty-eight-year-old pastor of Christ Lutheran Church of York, and the father of famous Lutheran theologian and educator, Samuel Simon Schmucker. Daniel lived in York, where he worked as a carpenter, until the birth of his third child. In time, Daniel came to see himself as a very sinful man who was in great peril of "eternal death".

Alarmed and almost bereft of reason by the wretchedness of his mind, he sold his farm, quit his business, bought a small home, placed mother and her little family in it and then, on horseback, started off on a long journey, scarcely knowing or caring whither, only anxious in some way to relieve his mind of the terrible spiritual burden with which it was constantly oppressed. He was absent some months, having journeyed up into New York State, then out into Ohio, then back through Pennsylvania. But his religious convictions still clung to him. Nor could he, for a long time, find the rest he desired. Day and night, as mother has often informed me, did he wrestle and plead with God for mercy. Meeting after meeting, for prayer and religious services, did he attend, but still the burden of sin rested upon his soul. At last, however, he found all, and more than he sought. Near his home, out in a secluded field, was a tree, at the foot of which he had often agonised in prayer for mercy. That was his spiritual birthplace. There his Saviour met him, and spoke peace to his soul. There the burden was removed. There God, through Christ, was reconciled to him and there he received the sweet and blessed assurance of his adoption into the family of God. —

Daniel began preaching on his own, drawing surprisingly large crowds. However, Rev. John George Schmucher approached Daniel and convinced him that he needed a formal education in Lutheranism. For a year and a half, Daniel walked five miles every week through the very thick "Penn's Woods" to York to recite to the elder Rev. Schmucker—no small feat at the time. However, in time, this manner of instruction only whetted his taste for an even better education in the Lutheran ministry. So, he sold his home and moved his family to Gettysburg to begin his full and regular course of theological study in the Lutheran Theological Seminary there as preparation for his work in the ministry. He studied there for two and a half years under the seminary's founder, Rev. Samuel Simon Schmucker, who later said Daniel was "one of the most diligent and successful students that the Seminary ever had." Daniel Gotwald was among the first to graduate from Gettysburg Seminary.

Daniel had two pastorates, one in Adams County and one in Centre County, Pennsylvania. His pastorate in Centre County served sixteen churches, one being over seventy miles away, which required him to be on the road much of the time. Daniel was an ardent abolitionist in his ministry. Moreover, he fervently espoused the cause of temperance, which caused some to accuse him of being a "Methodist". Rev. Luther Gotwald gives this further description of his father's imposing physical characteristics, which undoubtedly served him well in his ministry:

In personal appearance, and physical qualities, my father was remarkable. He was six feet, two inches tall. He was straight as an arrow. His step was quick and firm. His movements were graceful and easy. His hair was raven black, his countenance sedate, almost severe. His complexion was dark. His eye was black and piercing. His lip was firm and expressive of great decision and determination. His whiskers were simply short, “Presbyterian” side whiskers. His dress was always specially neat and precise. He was a model of cleanliness, of industry, of activity, of precision and care in minute things, of honor and noble pride, of economy, and of all the manly graces and qualities which constitute a true Christian hero and gentleman. —

Luther's father always preached in German and never in English. Rev. Luther Gotwald reported, in his own autobiography, as to his father's German language preaching that "As an orator and preacher he possessed great power. His voice was one of remarkable compass and sweetness. His thoughts logical and good, his imagination fine, his gestures graceful and wonderfully expressive, and his manner all earnestness, pathos, fire; his own soul all alive with the truth he was uttering, and his auditors held spell bound and weeping under his moving exhaltations of truth and his powerful appeals." The elder Rev. Gotwald had a fiery temper, which his son, Luther said often caused his father great embarrassment and remorse. However, Luther went on to give this amusing account of the effect of his father's equally fiery eloquence in the pulpit, albeit in German.

Father always preached in German. When he was pastor at Petersburg, an Irishman, named Timmy McLaughlin, regularly attended his preaching, and annually paid $2.50 towards his support. One of the deacons, on one occasion, when Timmy paid over his annual subscription, asked him why it was that, although not able to understand a word of what Father said, he still so faithfully came to hear him, and also helped to support him. Timmy’s reply was, “On faith, and it's worth it all sure just to see that elegant man’s motions." —

Luther's mother, Susannah Krone Gotwald was a devout lady who taught her children her own deep piety and her own stern virtues. His mother could not read English. However, she read her German language bible every day. She often went along with her husband on his ministerial travels, but she always made her home in her native Pennsylvania. Prof. Luther Alexander Gotwald had seven brothers and five sisters. They were Eliza Ana Gotwald who was born March 5. 1820, George Andrew Gotwald who was born May 6, 1821, Sarah Anna Gotwald who was born November 13. 1822, George Andrew Gotwald who was born July 22, 1824. Leah Gotwald who was born January 1, 1826, Daniel Isaac Gotwald, who was born November 21, 1827, Susan Caroline Gotwald who was born in 1830, Luther Alexander Gotwald who was born January 31, 1833, Mary Catherine Gotwald who was born February 10. 1835, Washington Van Buren Gotwald who was born November 10, 1836, Jacob Henry Gotwald who was born October 6, 1838 and William Henry Harrison Gotwald who was born September 2, 1841. Four of their children died in childhood. George Gotwald, died at Liverpool, Pennsylvania at the age of two. Sarah Anna Gotwald died at Liverpool at the age of eleven months. Leah Gotwald died June 7, 1826 at Liverpool October 10, 1823 at the age of six days. Mary Catherine Gotwald died at Aaronsburg on May 20, 1842 at the age of seven.

Luther's father, Rev. Daniel Gotwald died on March 11, 1843 in Aaronsburg after an illness of three months and three days and at the age of forty-nine years, two months and twenty-six days. "The attendance upon his funeral was immense. Three ministers officiated, Rev. Mr. Harris of the Presbyterian Church, Rev. Mr. Eggers of the Lutheran Church, and Rev. Mr. Fisher of the German Reformed Church." He was buried in the Evangelical Lutheran Church yard at Aaronsburg.

Rev. Daniel Gotwald's death left his wife of twenty-five years, Susannah, with their eight surviving children to bring up and with meager financial means to do it. He left her with only a modest home and a few acres of land. Even so, this remarkable lady managed to bring up children who went on to distinguish themselves.

Luther's older sister, Eliza Gotwald, married Rev. Jacob Scherer of Aaronsburg in May 1845, when Luther was eleven years old. Rev. Scherer became the second Lutheran minister in the state of Illinois. Rev. Jacob Scherer was born in Botetourt County, Virginia. He graduated from Pennsylvania College in 1841 as the valedictorian of his class and two years later from Gettysburg Seminary. He served his first pastorate at Indianapolis, Indiana from 1843 until 1845. Rev. Scherer then had ministries at Wabash County, Illinois, at Olney, Illinois and at Shelbyville, Illinois. He, with six other ministers, organized the Lutheran Synod of South West Virginia on September 20, 1841 at St. John's Church, Wythe County, Virginia. Rev. Scherer died near Shelbyville, Illinois, on October 15, 1851 while Luther was living as a guest in his home shortly before he left for Springfield, Ohio to begin his studies at Wittenberg College. Eliza remarried a man with the same name as her later first husband, Jacob Scherer. He was actually a distant relative of her first husband. Perhaps predictably, there was no way this second husband could come up to her first one in Luther's estimation. To begin with, he was a farmer and not a clergyman. Luther describes him as "a kind husband, but a man of little culture and no energy." Eliza died in Hillsboro, Illinois, at the age of 41 on September 25, 1855. Luther said of her, "Eliza was a noble Christian women, a dutiful daughter, a kind sister, an affectionate wife, a loving mother, and a patient and self denying Christian, willing to suffer the loss of all things."

Luther's brother, George Andrew Gotwald, was a practicing physician in Slaterford, Pennsylvania. However, Luther still considered him to be the black sheep of the family. He reports that "For many years he was no Christian." But then, Luther continues with great relief that "when forty one years of age, he professed to give his heart to God, and has ever since lived a consistent Christian life." Luther attributes this great miracle to his "pious mother", who erstwhile prayed every day for forty years for that conversion and her son's resultant salvation. George was married to Miss Lizzie Rolinsen, of New Harmony, Posey County, Indiana, whom Luther pronounced to be "an excellent Christian woman".

Strangely, Luther does not seem to have known much about his older brother, Daniel Isaac Gotwald. He was a printer who died in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1849 when he was 21. Luther says of him that "He was, I think, noble and upright in all his deportment, respectful and happy in his disposition, and a genial favorite among all who knew him. At the time of his death, several of the Cincinnati papers spoke very favorably of him." Luther admits that he does not even know whether Daniel Isaac was a Christian, but continued that "Fervently do I hope that he was, for it is a dreadful thought that any of those we love, and especially one so dear as a Brother, should be called unprepared, from time into eternity, there to suffer forever for the misdeeds of this life."

Rev. Gotwald's brother, Rev. Washington Van Buren Gotwald, was a Lutheran minister in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He attended Pennsylvania College from which he graduated in 1860. He served for one year as Tutor in the Preparatory Department at Gettysburg. He was a member of the Philo Literary Society and of the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity. After a two years’ course in the Theological Seminary, he was ordained by the Pennsylvania Synod at its meeting in 1862 at Reading. He served first for four years as minister at Emmitsburg, Maryland. In 1866, he became the minister of St. John’s Lutheran Church at Lancaster, Pennsylvania. His work in both of these ministries was widely praised. Unfortunately, he died at Lancaster on June 10, 1869. His early death was greatly mourned by his parishioners and colleagues.

Luther's younger brother, Rev. William Henry Harrison Gotwald also became a Lutheran minister. His wife was Annie C. Murray. He attended the public school during the winter and worked on a farm during the summer until he was eighteen years of age. He attended the Aaronsburg Academy and prepared himself for college. He entered Pennsylvania College in 1861, but his education was interrupted by the Civil War. After the Civil War, he re-enrolled in Pennsylvania College and graduated from there in 1866. In the fall of that year, he became principal of the Aaronsburg Academy and continued as its principal for two years. Luther proudly notes that "It was during his Principalship that this Academy had a larger number of students in attendance than at any other time either before or since." Rev. William Henry Harrison Gotwald was ordained in the Lutheran ministry in 1868. His first ministry was at Loganton, Pennsylvania, which had been a part of his father’s last charge. During his career in the Lutheran ministry, he served several churches and held a variety of offices in the Lutheran Church. In April 1873 became pastor to the Lutheran Church at Milton, Pennsylvania and continued as its pastor for nearly fifteen years, when he had to resign due to bronchial troubles. While he was serving as pastor at Milton, he was also President of the Susquehanna Synod for three years and Chairman of the Examining Committee for many years. He served as a member of the Milton School Board for twelve years, being its president for three years. He was the originator and organizer of the Pennsylvania State School Directors’ Association and was its president for three years. He was a delegate to the General Synod and Director of the Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. He served as a Presbyterian minister in Ocala, Florida, where he had gone due to his health. However, he built a Lutheran church at Martin, Florida. He organized the St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Washington, D. C. and served as its pastor until June 1897. He died on March 12, 1921.

Luther's younger brother, Jacob Henry Gotwald, was a respected surgeon, who died heroically at sea close to Charleston, South Carolina at the age of 24 during the Civil War (discussed below).

Susan Crone Gotwald, who survived her husband by 44 years, died in her sleep on July 17, 1881 in Aaronsburg, Centre County, Pennsylvania.

Rev. Gotwald said this of his remarkable mother in his autobiography.

She was, indeed, a true Christian, a faithful wife, an affectionate mother, and, in all respects as pure and gentle and lovely a Christian character as I have ever known. She was a woman of great energy and force and will. She shrank from doing nothing that she felt ought to be done.

When my father died, she was left with eight children, and no means of support, except the house in which she lived, and a few acres of land. But, through her economy and energy, she, in some way, managed, with God’s blessing, to raise us and raise us well. She was a women that, above all other women that I have ever known, and the power of governing children. Her government over us was mild, but very positive and firm. She ruled us more by love than by threats and punishments, and yet, she sometimes did punish, and, when she did, she did so severely. But she never did it in haste or anger. Her plan generally was to take us into “the back room,” and first calmly and tenderly talk to us, and show us our wrong, and how it wounded her, and how such conduct was especially displeasing to God. Generally also she would kneel in prayer with us. And then she would whip us and do it thoroughly. But, I would always much rather take Mother’s whippings, than her talks and prayers and was always glad when the time to whip had come. They hurt me less than her kind and tearful words of previous rebuke, and especially than her prayers. She was a woman of much prayer. She daily maintained family worship, which she always conducted herself in the German language. And she was also often and much engaged in secret prayer, we children frequently over hearing her whilst she was thus engaged. And this, no doubt, was the source of her comfort and strength during all her many years of widowhood, poverty, bereavement and trial of every kind. For God’s promise is “Ask and ye shall receive.”

She was, indeed, a true Christian, a faithful wife, an affectionate mother, and, in all respects as pure and gentle and lovely a Christian character as I have ever known. She was a woman of great energy and force and will. She shrank from doing nothing that she felt ought to be done. —