Karl Richard Weiss

Pastor Weiss was mentioned in the previous post. Here is a bit more about the man.

Karl Richard Weiss was born on May 10, 1840, in Bavaria, Germany. His parents were Karl Weiss and Philippina Ertel.
Karl was christened a day later in the Evangelical church in Wörth on Rhein, Erding, Bavaria, Germany (1). 

 

Not much is known about his early years.

From 1868 to 1872, Karl R Weiss studied at St. Chrischona Pilgermission Institute in Basel, Switzerland.
After that, in 1872, the man arrived in Texas.

In January 1873, Rev. Karl Weiss started his service at Zion. Since then, due to his strong Lutheran beliefs and Christian leadership, the congregation grew. The construction of the second parsonage was completed. The plans for the church building reconstruction were created. 

Pastor Weiss preached also at the churches in North Grape Creek and Crabapple. Subsequently, he transformed those two branches of Zion into separate, filial congregations. 

Crabapple Church

During his work at Zion Lutheran Church in Fredericksburg, which lasted until Nov. 1883, Rev. Weiss performed 325 baptisms, 152 confirmations, and 10 wedding ceremonies.

Later, he was called to Martin Luther Evangelical Lutheran Church in Coletoville, Victoria, TX, and then to Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Victoria. 

Luther's translation of the Bible, 1756

 

1896 - Rev. Weiss was the first president of The Old German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Texas.

Pastor Carl Richard Weiss passed in Victoria on July 12, 1917 (2).

 Sources:

"German pioneers in Texas: a brief history of their hardships, struggles and achievements" compiled for the Fredericksburger wochenblatt and Fredericksburg standard by Don H. Biggers, Fredericksburg, TX, Press of the Fredericksburg Publishing Co., 1925;
ELCA Region 4 South Archives: https://swtsynod.pastperfectonline.com;
"150 Years of God's Grace 1852-2002", Zion Lutheran Church, Fredericksburg, TX.
1. "Deutschland, ausgewählte evangelische Kirchenbücher 1500-1971," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPKF-HHK5 : 25 March 2023), Karl Richard Weiß, 11 May 1840; images digitized and records extracted by Ancestry; citing Baptism, Wörth (Ba. Germersheim), Bayern, Deutschland, , German Lutheran Collection, various parishes, Germany.
2. "Texas Death Index, 1903-2000," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VZN5-BYC: 24 May 2014), Karl Wiess, 12 Jul 1917; from "Texas, Death Index, 1903-2000," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: 2006); citing certificate number 20636, Victoria, Texas, Texas Department of Health, State Vital Statistics Unit, Austin.