On this day in 1927...

Rev. Martin Brueggeman died on April 22, 1927 in Memphis.  He had a Heart Attack the day after Easter.



The Reverend Brueggemann's obituary by E. H. Demetrio reads as follows: "Our dear brother, the Rev. Martin J.
Brueggemann, was born at Cleveland, O., February 3, 1870. There he attended the school of Trinity
Congregation. After his confirmation by the former Pastor J. H. Niemann (President of the Middle District) he
entered Concordia College, Fort Wayne, Ind., and graduated from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Mo., with the
class of 1893. His first charge was Manila, O., where he was ordained and installed. Then he accepted a call to
Fort Dodge, Iowa. Twenty years ago he was called to, and accepted, the pastorate of Trinity Lutheran Church of
Memphis, Tenn., and here he labored with signal blessing and faithfulness. He was elected Visitor of the
Arkansas and West Tennessee Conference District and served in this capacity for eight years.
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On April 10, while attending a board meeting of the church council, he became ill, and upon being taken home,
continued to grow worse. In spite of every attention given him by his family and the attending physicians, he did
not rally. He was then taken to the hospital and there quietly fell asleep on Friday, April 22. From 3:00 P.M.
Saturday afternoon until the time of the burial his body lay in state in his church. The funeral took place on the
afternoon of Sunday, April 24. Rev. R. Kretzschmar, of Saint Louis, President of the Western District, preached
the funeral sermon.. The other Lutheran churches of the city had suspended services, and practically all the
members of the Lutheran churches of Memphis attended the burial of their leader. The Rev. H. Dueker officiated
at the altar, and the Rev. E. H. Demetrio officiated at the grave.
Pastor Brueggemann is survived by his widow, Mrs. Marie Walker Brueggemann, and three sons: The Rev.
Victor Brugge of Gordonville, Mo., Otis Brueggemann, of Cleveland, Miss., and Arnold Brueggemann of
Memphis.
A conscientious and faithful laborer has been called out of our midst and has entered, as we confidently hope, into
the rest in store for the people of God."

Family Picture Friday: Zanesville 1911 with Uncle Martin

This picture was taken 100 years ago.  It was taken in Zanesville outside of their home when Rev. Martin Brueggeman was visiting.  Martin had already moved to Memphis and must have been back in Ohio to visit his brother, Ernst and family.


Selma was really selective when she labeled her pictures.  Sometimes not all the siblings are identified.  In this case, the young lady on the lower right wasn't identified.  In my opinion, she looked a lot Louise but I am not sure.

On this day in 1870...

Johann Martin Brueggemann was born in Cleveland Ohio on this day in 1870.  He was the youngest child of Clamor L.V. Brueggemann and his wife, Maria.  

Sunday Special: Rev. Martin J. Brueggeman

You may have noticed, on Sundays, I am trying to feature our strong Lutheran heritage.  Today's feature is Rev. Johann Martin Brueggeman or how he was known, Martin J. Brueggeman.  He followed his older brother, Ernst August into the Ministry.

I haven't researched much on his early career but his first churches were in Iowa.  His final call was at Trinity Lutheran Church (a Missouri Synod Church) in Memphis, TN.  The Church's website is FANTASTIC.  Below  is the information from their history section:

The rapid changes that Memphis and the rest of the Nation witnessed during America's Gilded Age continued unabated. The cotton industry in Memphis prospered, as did the sale and distribution of hardwood lumber. Memphis' strategic location continued to make it a major center for both railroad and river transportation. The city population continued to swell and municipal limits moved outward. As Memphis grew, so did the church, both in membership and in resources. As Trinity settled into the twentieth century, it called as its eleventh pastor, Martin J. Brueggemann from Fort Dodge, Iowa. Most of Trinity's pastors had been born in Germany and had emigrated to the United States. Pastor Brueggemann would be the last of Trinity's pastors to have this distinction. However, Pastor Brueggemann felt strongly in America as the Great Melting Pot, and felt that Trinity's ridged grasp on its German heritage and "the old ways," would serve as a detriment to Trinity's young people and a hindrance to the spreading of the gospel. It was under Pastor Brueggemann that Trinity made the switch to English. As soon as they became of age, Pastor Brueggemann's three sons changed their last name to Brugge.

The sancuary shortly after the installation of electricity

In the twenty years that Pastor Brueggemann served, a great many other changes took place. An electric trolley appeared on Washington Ave replacing the railroad. Gas lights gave way to electric ones. Trinity purchased an electric organ pump (much to the delight of the young boys of the congregation who previously were expected to crank the hand pump for each service.) A modern, central coal furnace replaced smaller wood stoves. In 1920, the ladies bought a gas oven for the busy kitchen and a Ford automobile was provided for the pastor (cost $866). In 1921, the parsonage was converted to a parish house to accommodate a growing Sunday School and a new parsonage was purchased on North Avalon St., several miles from the church. In 1924, Trinity’s magnificent Moeller pipe organ was installed.

World War I hastened the integration of German-speaking people into American society and Trinity lost much of its ethnic profile. In doing so, it began to experience growth from within the community. A bible class, started by Pastor Brueggemann in 1913, grew remarkably in the twenties. In 1909, with the city expanding, need for a local Lutheran church had arisen in South Memphis. Trinity’s first daughter congregation, The Lutheran Church of the Redeemer,was organized that year by families living in the Third Street and McLemore Avenue area. Some of Trinity’s most active members formed the nucleus of this group. Money was contributed by Trinity (initially and annually) for its support. Another daughter congregation, Immanuel, was formed in 1924 in the Highland Heights area. Again, some of Trinity’s ablest members were involved, and the mother church was supportive in the efforts to establish both a church and a Christian day school—this time, with lessons taught in English.

During the twenties, a rather close association developed among the Lutheran churches in the Mid-South region. Congregations from Little Rock and Memphis often joined in celebrating Mission Festivals, reserving several railway coaches for the group trip either to Little Rock of to Memphis. Pastor Brueggemann led his flock through much change and expansion, and no doubt he rejoiced at the generous blessings of God. He succumbed to a heart attack the day after Easter in 1927.

There is a mis-statement in the narrative.  It states that he was the last German born Pastor,  In fact, he was born in Cleveland to Clamor & Marie in 1870.  It sure sounds like he ushered the Church into the 20th Century,