Rev. Immanuel "Im" Wurster

1825 - 1893  (68 years)

• Name	Immanuel "Im" Wurster
  Prefix	Rev.
  Born	18 Feb 1825	Böblingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany   [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	1852	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  	minister
  Church Membership	1860	Peace Lutheran Church, Breslau, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	Peace Lutheran Church Begun: c.1860 Closed: c.1927 The Lutheran congregation in Breslau is reported to have been organized c.1860 by Pastor Immanuel Wurster of St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Preston, who served there from 1854-1881. Pastor Wurster also organized the Lutheran congregations in Hespeler and Shantz Station at about the same time. A church, which was built in 1885, was located on the south side of Mill Street in Breslau. The building was still there in 1969, in use as a residence.1a 1aAmbrose, Rosemary. Waterloo County Churches A Research Guide to Churches Established Before 1900. Kitchener, Ontario, Canada: Waterloo-Wellington Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society, 1993. [used the kind permission of Rosemary Ambrose 2011]
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/240663879
  Name	Immanuel Wurster
  Occupation	1861	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [5]
  	Minister
  Residence	1861	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [5]
  	Lutheran
  Occupation	1871	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  	Minister
  Occupation	1881	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Minister
  Occupation	1891	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  	Minister
  Residence	1891	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  	Lutheran
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-351088
  Died	24 Apr 1893	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3, 8]
  	Cause: Cause: Cancer of Liver (9 months)
  Buried	Preston Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3, 7]
  Person ID	I351088	Generations
  Last Modified	3 Mar 2025

  
  

  Father	Christian H. Wurster,   b. 1758,   d. 5 Jun 1845  (Age 87 years)
  Mother	Christiana Huttner,   b. CALC 6 Aug 1806,   d. 20 Feb 1879  (Age ~ 72 years)
  Family ID	F251602	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Barbara Carolina "Carolina" Huether,   b. 20 May 1832, , Alsace Lorraine, France ,   d. 27 Sep 1908, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 76 years)
  Married	Dec 1851	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Children	1. Christian Heinrich Wurster,   b. 3 Mar 1858, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   2. Caroline Salome "Carrie" Wurster,   b. CALC 8 Sep 1862, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 23 Dec 1929, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age ~ 67 years)   3. Immanuel John Wurster,   b. 24 Sep 1867, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 14 Feb 1941, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 73 years)   4. Jacob Wurster,   b. CALC 5 Oct 1852, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 28 Sep 1923, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age ~ 70 years)   5. Frederick George Wurster,   b. CALC 11 Nov 1854, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 11 Oct 1918, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age ~ 63 years)   6. Charles Wurster,   b. 1860, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	4 Mar 2025
  Family ID	F250203	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Peace Lutheran Church The Lutheran congregation in Breslau is reported to have been organized c.1860 by Pastor Immanuel Wurster of St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Preston, who served there from 1854-1881. Pastor Wurster also organized the Lutheran congregations in Hespeler and Shantz Station at about the same time. A church, which was built in 1885, was located on the south side of Mill Street in Breslau. The building was still there in 1969, in use as a residence. Waterloo County Churches A Research Guide To Churches Established Before 1900 By Rosemary Ambrose ___________________________________ St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church It is believed that a congregation was formed in the 1850s and that services were held in the Free Church, Bridgeport (built in 1848) prior to 1861 when the congregation's first pastor, the Rev. Jacob Hoelsche (1861-1873), began his ministry. The congregation was regularly organized at that time. Services and Sunday School continued to be held in the Free Church. Rev. Hoelsche was followed by Revs. J.L. Rau (1876-1878) and A.R. Schultz (1878-1882) who were from Elmira, and by Rev. Immanuel Wurster from Preston, 1882-1887. A church was built at 606 Lancaster Street in 1889; consecration of the new building was held on July 22, 1889. The congregation was on the Conestogo-Breslau Circuit at the time. The church was enlarged considerably in 1939 with basement renovations and the construction of an addition to the back of the church. Dedication for this major task was on October 1, 1939. The 80th Anniversary of the founding of the organization of the congregation was celebrated on October 19, 1941 with the dedication of a new entrance to the church. Land on Waterloo Road (now Bridgeport Road) was purchased in 1949, with plans to build a newer and larger church. It was not until May 27, 1956 that a ground-breaking ceremony was held to signal the beginning of construction of the new church. The cornerstone was laid July 15, 1956, and on March 31, 1957 the new church was offically opened and consecrated by Dr. A.G. Jacobi, President of the Canada Synod. Final services had been held in the old church one week before, on March 24, 1957. (The old church building had been advertised for sale on February 9, 1957.) According to Eylands (1945: 92) the church at one time was joined in a parish with St. James in St. Jacobs, and St. Matthew's, Conestogo. Of interest: The hand which was on the steeple of the old church is now on the former Freeport United Church which was relocated in 1962 to Doon Heritage Crossroads. Waterloo County Churches A Research Guide To Churches Established Before 1900 By Rosemary Ambrose _______________________________ St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church A first Lutheran service was held by Rev. Jacob Hoelsche from St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Preston in 1854 in a non-denominational community meeting house located on Cooper Street. Rev. Hoelsche resigned in the same year. Services were held over the following years by various pastors, sometimes those from other denominations. The congregation was formally organized in 1860 by the Rev. Immanuel Wurster, also from Preston, who became the first pastor, serving St. James in a joint Parish with the Preston church. He continued in this capacity for the next twenty-one years, until his resignation on December 1, 1881. Continuing growth of the congregation made necessary a building with more space. A decision was made on July 26, 1866 at a congregational meeting held in the community meeting house to build a church. The congregation met to choose a building plan for the new stone church on July 15, 1867. Rev. Wurster officiated at the laying of the cornerstone for the church on August 25, 1867. The building was completed in October 1868 and dedicated on November 1, 1868. It was a plain structure at first - the wooden spire was added in 1884. The congregation, known at first as St. Jacobs German Lutheran Evangelical Church of Hespeler and Vicinity, was served from Preston until December 4, 1886 when the first pastor, Rev. E. Littwien, was called. At that time, the connection with Preston was severed; the parish then was made up of St. James, and the churches at Shantz Station and Breslau. A parsonage was built on Harvey Street in 1892, to be replaced in 1965 by a new one on Elizabeth Street. In 1912 Hespeler became a parish on its own, and in 1913 English-language services were begun. German services were discontinued entirely in 1934. The Church Hall was built in the newly excavated basement of the church in 1947; dedication services for this major task were held on December 14, 1947. The congregation celebrated the 125th Anniversary of the present church building on Sunday, October 18, 1992. Waterloo County Churches A Research Guide To Churches Established Before 1900 By Rosemary Ambrose _______________________________ St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church The congregation was organized on December 1, 1834 by the Rev. F.W. Bindemann (1834-1838). Worship services were held in homes and barns until the Lutheran Rudel brothers erected a stone building for this purpose at the corner of what is now Queenston Road and Montrose Street. The premises were also made available to other congregations when they were first established in Preston. Land for a Lutheran church was purchased in 1837 and a frame church was built in 1839 on King Street on the site of the present St. Peter's. This fifty foot by forty foot church with its sixty foot tower was Preston's first church, called Christ Church, and was free for the use of all denominations. The building was used until replaced by the present-day stone church. The cornerstone for the new church was laid on August 21, 1887. The old frame church had been relocated before then to a lot on the corner of Queen and Church Streets where the congregation worshipped until the new stone church was ready for consecration in 1889. Weekly evening services in the English language began at that time. A new parsonage was built in 1913 on land behind the church, and renovations and improvements have been made to the interior of the church over the years. A new Christian Education wing was built in 1957 (cornerstone: January 27, 1957) and dedicated in 1958. Pastors who followed F.W. Bindemann were Revs. J. Huettner (1838-1849) who was the first regular pastor, F. Hildebrandt (1849-1850), Jacob Hoelsche (1850-1854), and Rev. Immanuel Wurster who served the congregation from 1854-1881. Rev. Wurster also ministered to St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hespeler. Waterloo County Churches A Research Guide To Churches Established Before 1900 By Rosemary Ambrose ___________________________ Shantz Station Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church As the congregation was not organized until 1860, Lutherans from the area worshipped at the Lutheran Church in Preston from c.1855. Rev. Immanuel Wurster of St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Preston, conducted the first service in Shantz Station on February 5, 1860 in a school about one mile west of the community. Formal organization of the congregation was on March 25, 1860 by Rev. Wurster. A church was built two years later in 1862 on a half acre of land (German Company Tract, part lot 85) donated by John Galt of the Canada Company. There were 58 charter members listed as of 1862. Of interest is the fact that the church once had a steeple. It was demolished in an electrical storm in 1904 and was rebuilt only to be destroyed again in 1930 by lightning. It was not rebuilt after that. In 1885 the congregation split from the Canada Synod and joined the Missouri Synod, only to return to the Canada Synod in the spring of 1891. From 1912-1934 Trinity was served by pastors and students from Waterloo College. Rev. Otto Lincke of the College was pastor from 1912-1919, students preached from 1919-1922, and Rev. Professor Henry L. Henkel also from Waterloo College was pastor from 1922-1934. The congregation was joined in a parish with St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Guelph from 1937-1981, and has been on its own since that association ended in 1981. Pastors who followed Rev. Wurster (1860-1869) were Revs. C.F.A. Kaessmann (February 1869 to October 1869), Hermann Sagehorn (1869-1872), Immanuel Wurster, for the second time (1872-1885), and Peter Andres (1885-1890).. Waterloo County Churches A Research Guide To Churches Established Before 1900 By Rosemary Ambrose ________________________ German Evangelical Lutheran Church A congregation, to be known as the German Evangelical Lutheran Congregation in Strasburg, was formed in 1844 by Rev. Wendlin Schuler. The first church (of logs) was built in 1847 or 1848 just south of the Bleams Road intersection. A cemetery adjacent to the church was first used in 1850. The congregation was formally organized by Rev. Immanuel Wurster in April, 1857. It was part of a Parish with St. James in Mannheim, St. James in New Dundee, St. Matthew's in Plattsville and St. John's in Berlin, as each was established; the congregation later, on April 1, 1893 became affiliated with only St. James, Mannheim. The old church building was dismantled and removed in 1905. Waterloo County Churches A Research Guide To Churches Established Before 1900 By Rosemary Ambrose _________________________ St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church The congregation was founded in 1837 by Rev. F.W. Bindemann, pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Kitchener; early services were held in homes or other suitable meeting places. Property for the first church building was purchased from Jacob C. Snider for 5 shillings (approximately $1.25). The cornerstone was laid in the spring of 1838 and dedication services in the new church at 72 King Street North in Waterloo were held in the fall of the same year. Rev. Bindemann was pastor. He was replaced in 1841 by Rev. Jacob Huettner of Preston who then ministered to both congregations. When the church's first membership list was compiled on October 24, 1841, the congregation numbered sixteen persons. The frame church was destroyed by fire and replaced by a new, larger one in 1883. This, too, was destroyed by fire - on October 31, 1959. The congregation then built a new stone church at a new location on Willow Street, with dedication taking place on October 14, 1962. Early pastors except for Rev. Bindemann (1837-1841), who was asked to resign in 1841, were Revs. J. Huettner (1841-1849), F.A. Peifer, Immanuel Wurster (1851-1855), and Jacob Hoelsche who began his ministry in 1855. Rev. Wurster ministered to St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Preston jointly with St. John's for one year until assuming charge of only Preston in 1855. Waterloo County Churches A Research Guide To Churches Established Before 1900 By Rosemary Ambrose ________________ Death of a Veteran Clergyman, Preston, April 25. - Rev. Immanuel Wurster here yesterday. He was a native of Boblingen, Wurtemburg, Germany, and born Feb. 18, 1825. He was widely known and respected throughout this section, especially among the Germans in Waterloo county. He had charge of the Lutheran, congregations at Preston, Hespeler and Shantz Station for over 30 years, and has lived here nearly 40 years. The Hamilton Spectator, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Wed, Apr 26, 1893 Page 7 _______________ REV. IM. WURSTER. The Rev. Immanuel Wurster, whose death in Preston we announced on Monday, was born on the 18th of February, 1825 in Boeblingen, South Germany. In 1846 he entered the famous missionary Institute at Basle, Switzerland, where he received his theological training and from whence he was sent out to the United States in 1849. After another two years' course of study in the Seminary of Gettysburg, Penn., Mr. Wurster in 1851 was licensed to preach, and on the 19th of June, 1853, he was ordained to the ministry. In June 1851, he was called to take charge of the congregation in Waterloo, where he remained until 1855, when he was called to Preston, where he has remained ever since. For many years he also had charge of the congregations in Hespeler, Shantz, Princeton, Petersburg and other places. About ten years ago he resigned his pastorate in Preston, and Hespeler sometime later, also in Shantz, since which time he has been a faithful assistant to Rev. R. von Pirch, Berlin, at the same time devoting himself to the supply of vacant congregations of the Ev. Lutheran Synod of Canada, to which he belonged. Lately it was noticeable that he was failing very rapidly. Since New Year he was almost entirely confined to his house, suffering, as was correctly diagnosed some time ago by Dr. Lackner, of cancer of the liver. About three weeks ago he came to Berlin for the last time, to take part in the Easter Services at St. Peter's church. Immediately upon his return, dropsy set in, which prostrated him entirely and soon it became evident, that the evening of his life was drawing to a close, and on Monday morning the end came; after a long and useful life, spent in the service of His Divine Master, he fell asleep and entered into eternal rest, reaching the age of 69 years, 2 months and 6 days. In December 1851 he married Miss Carolin Hittner, the daughter of a former pastor of the Preston congregation, who survives him to mourn his loss; he also leaves five sons, a daughter and four grandchildren, to whom we extend our sincere sympathy. Good old Pastor Wurster was very widely known among all classes of our community and wherever he was known he was beloved and respected for his singleness of heart, his true goodness, his sincere piety and great humility. He was ever ready to sacrifice his own comfort in order to serve others and to do good wherever he had an opportunity. Walking in the footsteps of the Great Master he has now reached the end of his earthly pilgrimage; his memory, however, will continue to live among the Lutherans of Canada and when their history is written, future generations will appreciate the work of Rev. Mr. Wurster during the last 40 years of his life. Rarely may the beautiful words of Holy Writ be applied with greater fitness than with regard to good old Pastor Wurster: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Daily Record, Berlin, Ontario, Wed, Apr 26, 1893 Page 1 _____________ Funeral of Rev. Immanuel Wurster, Many hundreds of persons from Preston, Hespeler, Waterloo, Berlin and other places congregated yesterday in Preston, to follow the remains of the late Rev. Mr. Wurster to their last resting place; the funeral cortege was one of the largest ever seen in Preston. Of the many clergymen present, six acted as pall-bearers from the house to the church, where Rev. Mr. Schultz of Elmira, President of the Canada synod, to which the deceased belonged, preached a very impressive and appropriate sermon; amongst the other officiating clergymen, Rev. Mr. Veit, of Tavistock, for many years president of the Canada Synod, described the life and work of "Father Wurster, one of the founders and the oldest members of their body." In tender, affectionate, and pathetic terms he spoke of Mr. Wurster's untiring zeal, his kind genial nature, his simplicity of heart and sincere humility; in deeply affecting words he then enlarged on the self-sacrificing, unselfish devotion, with which the deceased has served his Divine Master; he also referred to his amiable and peaceable disposition, which enabled him to go through life without ever wilfully offending anyone and easily to forgive those that antagonized and persecuted that good old man, who was a model Christian, whose strong faith and exemplary life should be followed by all that knew him. All through his able discourse, Rev. Mr. Veit voiced the unanimous sentiment of the large assemblage, and the eloquent eulogy pronounced by him upon the deceased, will long be remembered by the many hundreds who were privileged to hear it. A number of beautiful anthems were rendered during the service by the Preston church choir, as well as by the mixed choir and Maennerchor of St. Peter's Church of Berlin. Miss Speck and "Mr. Cresswell. Shaw presided alternately at the organ. After the service the large and deeply affected funeral train proceeded to the Preston cemetery, where the deceased was laid to rest, six of the deacons of St. Peter's church, of Berlin, acting as pall-bearers. After a long, useful and exemplary life he has now entered into that rest, "which remaineth to the people of God." Memorial services in honor of Mr. Wurster will be held on Sunday evening, April 30th, in the Lutheran Church, at Hespeler, by Rev. E. Meinhold and in St. Peter's Church, Berlin, by Rev. R. von Pirch: the latter service will be attended by the family of the late Mr. Wurster. The Daily Record, Berlin, Ontario, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada Fri, Apr 28, 1893 Page 1

  
  

• Sources

  [S131] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo Twp. - 1851, Div 3 pg 139. [S105] Census - ON, Waterloo, Preston - 1871, Pg 29. [S239] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Cambridge - Preston CC#6335 Cemetery Internet Link . Hier ruhet in Frieden/ Pastor/ im WURSTER/ geb. 18 Febr. 1825/ in Boblingen Wurtenberg/ Deuschland/ gest. 24 April 1893/ un Alter von/ 68 Jahren 2 Mon./ und 6 Tagr./ Verse/ His wife/ Carolina HUTTNER/ died Sept 27, 1908/ in her 77th year. [S297] Census - ON, Waterloo, Preston - 1881, Page 57. [S1473] Census - ON, Waterloo, Preston - 1861, Div. 2 Page 26. [S2441] Census - ON, Waterloo, Preston - 1891, Section 1 Page 21. [S239] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Cambridge - Preston CC#6335 Cemetery Internet Link . [Footstone] Christian/ [Left Side] Hier Ruhet In Frieden/ Pastor/ Im Wurster/ Geb. 18 Febr. 1825/ In Boblingen Wurtenberg/ Deuschland/ Gest. 24 April 1893/ Un Alter Von/ 68 Jahren 2 Mon./ Und 6 Tagr./ Verse/ His Wife/ Carolina Huttner/ Died Sept 27, 1908/ In Her 77th Year. [S116] Vit - ON - Death Registration. Name:Reed Immanuel Wurster Gender:Male Birth Year:abt 1825 Birth Place:Boblington Wurtemburg, Deu Age at Death:68 Death Date:24 Apr 1893 Death Place:Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 18 Feb 1825 - Böblingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany Married - Dec 1851 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - minister - 1852 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Minister - 1861 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Lutheran - 1861 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Minister - 1871 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Minister - 1881 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Minister - 1891 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Lutheran - 1891 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - Cause: Cause: Cancer of Liver (9 months) - 24 Apr 1893 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - Preston Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth