The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-05-27
VIM. Streissguth, Former
Pastor of German Luther
an Church Passes Away.
SECOND FOUNDER OF CHURCH
Pioneer Lutheran Minister of Wiscon-
sin Served Kenosha Church in Early
Eighties and Was in Charge of the
Building of Property on Union St.

Homes of members of the German
Lutheran Church in Kenosha were sad
dened today when news was received
in the city of the death of the Rev.
William Striessguth of Milwaukee, who
died in that city on Thursday night at
the ripe old age of Lightweight years.
Mr.. Streissguth was one of the two
surviving former pastors of the Ger
man Lutheran Church in Kenosha and
on account of the efforts which he
made for the advancement of the
church in this city he had been held in
high veneration by the members of the
congregation. In the history of the
church in Kenosha, Mr.. Streissguth is
known as "The Second Founder He
came to Kenosha in the maturity of his
powers as minister of the German
Lutheran faith in the fall of 1881. He
found the congregation badly dis
organized and it was his master hand
which drew the scattered cords to-
gether and started one of the strong
est church organizations in Kenosha.
He remained as pastor of the Kenosha
church for five years and in that time
the church on Union street was built
and with it the school house.
IND
a great growth in membership and
when he was called to wider field of
labor he carried with him the respect
and love of all the German Lutherans
of Kenosha. Mr.. Streissguth has been
a familiar figure at celebrations of the
church in Kenosha and at all of these
celebrations ne has been made the lead
ing speaker. His interest in Kenosha
and the Kenosha church never waned
and in the declining years of his life
he made many visits to Kenosha and
kept bright the friendships which
were formed in other years. It is GER
tain that large delegation of the
members of the Kenosha church will
go to Milwaukee on Monday to attend
the funeral services.
The Rev. William Streissguth was
one of the most revered men among
the members of the clergy of the Ger
man Lutheran Church in Wisconsin.
He was a resident of the state for
more than sixty-fve years and nearly
all of his life here had been given to
the work of the church.
Mr.. Streissguth was born in Lair.
grand duchy of Baden, Germany, April
10, 1897. He studied theology at the
University of Basel and other schools.
In 1850 he was ordained to the minis
try at Loerrach, Baden. The same year
he was called to the pastorate of the
colonies of the poor at New Glarus .and
New Billion, Green county, Wis. There
he served for several years as pastor,
physician and administrator of the
colonies.
In 1856 the Rev. Mr.. Streissguth be-
came member of the Evangelical
Lutheran Synod of Wisconsin. He
preached Ill churches in Newton and
Liberty, Manitowoc county; Milwau-
kee, Fond du Las, st. Paul, Mimi, and
Kenosha
In 1858, while on visit to Germany
he married Magdalena Brumder, sister
of the late George Brumder of Milwau-
kee. This was his second marriage,
his first wife having died
Mr.. Streissguth was a frequent con-
tributor to church publications and
was at one time editor of the Familien-
freund. He retired from the pulpit
about twenty-five years ago.
Surviving are his widow, four sons,
Otto, Edward and Herman, Milwau-
kee; Theodore of Arlington, Mimi, and
two daughters, Mrs. c. Ross and Mrs.
Alexander Maerker, Milwaukee. Two
sisters, one living at Lauffen, Switzer-
land, and the other the widow of the
Rev. Mr., Dammann of Milwaukee, and
twenty mine grandchildren also sur
vive. Herman Streissguth, son, is
president of the streissguth- Petran
company in Milwaukee.