Gustav William Sager was born in Arneckeville, Texas, on 31 July 1898. His parents were Heinrich Christof Sager and Alma Emilie Stahl. In 1900, little Gustav lived with his parents and siblings in Justice Precinct #8, DeWitt, TX. Mr. Heinrich C Sager was a farmer (1). When Gus was growing up, he helped his father with farming (2).
👉 The 1918 Military Registration Draft found Gustav Sager in Seguin, TX, where he was a student at Texas Lutheran College (3). Later, the man continued his studies at Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa.
Gustav William Sager was
🕆 ordained on 26 July 1925. He started his ministerial service at ⛪ St. John's Lutheran Church in Southton, Texas (he worked there until 1932).
On ⚭ 23 July 1926, Rev. Sager married Miss Estell Ida Szillat (born on February 26, 1905, in Brenham, Washington, TX). She was the daughter of Rev. Gustav Ferdinand Szillat and Ms. Ida Schmidt.
Clipping source: Sunday American-Statesman (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 13, No. 52, Ed. 1 Sunday, August 1, 1926, newspaper, August 1, 1926; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1445319/: accessed March 22, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .
Clipping source: Robertson, Ruby. Brenham Banner-Press (Brenham, Tex.), Vol. 43, No. 106, Ed. 1 Monday, August 2, 1926, newspaper, August 2, 1926; Brenham, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1173949/: accessed March 22, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Nancy Carol Roberts Memorial Library.
Rev. Gus Sager and his wife Estella had 3 children.
Before Pastor Sager came to Fredericksburg, he worked at ✝ St. Paul Lutheran Church in Columbus, Texas, then at ✝ St. John's Lutheran Church in Boerne, Texas (from 1929 to 1939), and at ✝ St. John's Lutheran Church in Bartlett, Texas (from 1939 to 1951).
WW2 Military Draft Registration found Rev. Sager in Bartlet, Bell, TX (4).
👉 November 1951 was the month when the parson started his ministry at Zion Lutheran Church in Fredericksburg.
👉 7 September 1952 - Zion's centennial celebrations started (lasted for a month).
👉 26 September - a special pageant "Steadfast in Faith", written by Alfred Crenwelge, was presented at the Fair Grounds.
👉 28 September - a special church service took place (with guest speaker Dean A. C. Streng of Texas Lutheran College, assisting speakers: Rev. F A Bracher, Rev. L G Hannemann, Rev. Raymond W Durst, Rev. R J Weber, Rev. Kurt Hartmann, Rev. O Lindenberg; Robert Klingelhoefer - Congregation president, and Herman Ochs - Grace Lutheran Sanitorium Superintendent).
👉 For Zion's centennial celebrations, Pastor Sager translated into English the booklet written earlier in German by Pastor Bracher. Besides that, he also updated the history notes on Zion LC.
During Rev. Sager's years in Zion:
- the educational annex was completed and dedicated on 20 December 1953,
- additional Bible classes and a youth choir were organized,
- Christian kindergarten worked in the Annex for 2 years,
- the educational courses for church workers were promoted.
- Rev. Gus Sager officiated 105 baptisms, 80 confirmations, 44 weddings, and 74 funerals.
👉 The parson finished his service at Zion in April 1959, when he accepted an appointment for the position of the Superintendent of the Round Rock Trinity Lutheran Homes.
Following that, the man worked as a Visitation Pastor at ✝Faith Lutheran Church in Austin and also supplied ✝ Faith Lutheran Church in McDade, TX, and ✝ St. John Lutheran Church in Jourdanton, TX.
Rev. Gustav William Sager passed on ♦ 28 January 1984, in Tarrant, TX (5). His wife Estella preceded him in death. She died on ♦ 2 August 1984. They were both buried in Bartlett, Bell County, TX.
Clipping source: Tribune-Progress (Bartlett, Tex.), Vol. 97, No. 1, Ed. 1, Thursday, August 12, 1982, newspaper, August 12, 1982; Taylor, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth81550/: accessed March 22, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Bartlett Activities Center and the Historical Society of Bartlett.
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👉 Quite a few family members of Pastor Sager's became ministers as well. Including (among others) his two sons Allan and Wilfred, brother Felix, and his great-uncle Michael.
As for other family members who passed when Rev. G. W. Sager was still alive
♦ 18 Jun 1953 - his father, Henry C. Sager, died in Arneckeville,
♦ 10 Oct 1963 - his mother, Alma Emilie Stahl Sager, passed away,
♦ 5 January 1968 - his sister, Alma L. Sager (born on 15 December 1901), left this world,
Clipping source: The Cuero Record (Cuero, Tex.), Vol. 74, No. 5, Ed. 1 Sunday, January 7, 1968,
newspaper,
January 7, 1968;
Cuero, Texas.
(https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth703401/:
accessed March 23, 2024),
University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu;
crediting Cuero Public Library.
♦ 23 March 1974 - another sister, Frieda Charlotte (born on 20 May 1891), died,
♦ 29 October 1977 - Otto Henry Sager (born on 25 August 1892), Gus's brother passed,
♦ 24 December 1977 - sister, Olga Christine Dorothea (Sager) Nagel (born on 6 November 1894), departed,
♦ 12 May 1978 - brother, Reuben Otto (born on 18 July 1912), passed away.
Sources:
- https://swtsynod.pastperfectonline.com,
- "150 Years of God's Grace 1852-2002", Zion Lutheran Church, Fredericksburg, TX,
- findagrave.com.
1. "United States Census, 1900", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3L5-S7T : Wed Mar 06 15:34:44 UTC 2024), Entry for Henry Sager and Alma Sager, 1900.
2. "United States Census, 1910", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2MQ-QVH : Sun Mar 10 13:42:36 UTC 2024), Entry for H C Sager and Alma Sager, 1910.
3. "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:78D3-DYZM : 25 December 2021), Gus William Sager, 1917-1918.
4. "Texas, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1947", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL3D-RX8T : Sat Mar 16 03:58:49 UTC 2024), Entry for Gustav William Sager and Gus W Sager, 16 February 1942.
5. "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JYTT-G3Y : 10 January 2021), Gus Sager, Jan 1984; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
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