Rev. Johann Wilhelm Kurtz, one of the earliest Lutheran ministers in the American colonies, was born on 3 February 1732 at Hessen Germany. He was the son of Johann Georg Kurtz and Anna Katharina Bender. He married Regina Wittman, daughter of Christian Wittman and Rosina Barbara on 1 November 1759 (or 1769) at Jonestown, Lancaster, PA. JWK sailed from Rotterdam on the ship Neptune in charge of Capt. Ware, and arrived in Philadelphia on Sept. 30th 1754. Taught in a free school in York, PA in 1756. Also supplied the pulpit there and was an assistant of Rev. Heinrich Melchior Muhlenberg. Well versed in Latin and Hebrew. In 1758 was assiged to Tohickon where he seems to have remained until 1760. October 20, 1760 he was examined by the Lutheran Ministerium. He ws ordained at Lancaster, PA, in May, 1761, and became the adjunct of his brother, Johann Nicholaus in the Tulpehocken parish at Stouchsberg. In 1761 he accepted a call to Earlington (New Holland) and Conestoga, Lancaster County, where he remained until 1769. From 1763 to 1764 he took charge of the parish at Stouchsberg and Bernville. He was pastor at Strasburg, Lancaster County from 1775 to 1779; in 1762 he was pastor at Nordkiel; in 1780 he seems to have been without a congregation, but in 1781 he settled at Lebanon and served there until 1794 when he took up residence in Jonestown.
Rev. Johann Wilhelm Kurtz, one of the earliest Lutheran ministers in the American colonies, was born on 3 February 1732 at Hessen Germany. He was the son of Johann Georg Kurtz and Anna Katharina Bender. He married Regina Wittman, daughter of Christian Wittman and Rosina Barbara on 1 November 1759 (or 1769) at Jonestown, Lancaster, PA. JWK sailed from Rotterdam on the ship Neptune in charge of Capt. Ware, and arrived in Philadelphia on Sept. 30th 1754. Taught in a free school in York, PA in 1756. Also supplied the pulpit there and was an assistant of Rev. Heinrich Melchior Muhlenberg. Well versed in Latin and Hebrew. In 1758 was assiged to Tohickon where he seems to have remained until 1760. October 20, 1760 he was examined by the Lutheran Ministerium. He ws ordained at Lancaster, PA, in May, 1761, and became the adjunct of his brother, Johann Nicholaus in the Tulpehocken parish at Stouchsberg. In 1761 he accepted a call to Earlington (New Holland) and Conestoga, Lancaster County, where he remained until 1769. From 1763 to 1764 he took charge of the parish at Stouchsberg and Bernville. He was pastor at Strasburg, Lancaster County from 1775 to 1779; in 1762 he was pastor at Nordkiel; in 1780 he seems to have been without a congregation, but in 1781 he settled at Lebanon and served there until 1794 when he took up residence in Jonestown.
Inscription
Pastor Zion's Lutheran 1787 - 1792
Family Members
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
