Where Are The Missing Baptism and Other Church Records for Rev. Jeremiah Schindel?

                Necrology of Rev. Jeremiah Schindel (1807-1870)

Schindel, Jeremiah was the oldest son and child of Rev. J. P. Schindel, Sr.,
and was born in the town of Lebanon, May 15, 1807.  When five years old, he
moved with his parents to Sunbury, Northumberland County, PA, where his father
labored as one of the pioneer Lutheran ministers of Northern Central
Pennsylvania.  He was baptized in infancy by Rev. George Lochman, D.D., then
pastor of Salem Lutheran Church, Lebanon, PA, and confirmed by his father in
Sunbury. He attended the public schools of Sunbury and when seventeen years
old went to Harrisburg to engage in the printing and newspaper business. He
served, as usual, his apprenticeship and had for his associates the late Hon.
Simon Cameron and the Hons. John and William Bigler, respectively the
Governors of California and Pennsylvania. During his employment in this
capacity, his mind was directed to the ministry.  By this time also the Rev.
Dr. Lochman, the preceptor of his father and intimate friend of the family
was living in Harrisburg and was pastor of the Lutheran Church there. He at
once laid the foundation of his course for the ministry. He later abandoned
his calling as printer and completed his studies for the ministry under his
father, in Sunbury. He was licensed to preach by the Ministerium of
Pennsylvania, June 10, 1830, at Lancaster, Rev. J. Miller, D.D., being
President and Rev. J. P. Hecht, Secretary. The following year, 1831, on
June 1, he was ordained by the same Synod, at Harrisburg, Rev. C. R. Demme,
D.D., being President, and his father, Rev. J. P. Schindel, Secretary.  On
May 13, 1828, he was married to Elizabeth A. Masser of Sunbury, who departed
this life in Allentown, PA on January 22, 1892, nearly 87 years old. The
family born to them consisted of nine children, four sons and five daughters,
two sons and three daughters yet living.  One of his sons is in the Lutheran
ministry now over thirty years, and a grandson bearing his name, Jeremiah,
is attending the Lutheran Seminary at Mt. Airy, in Philadelphia, preparing
for the same ministry.

The first charge which the subject of our sketch served consisted of
congregations at Bloomsburg, Mifflinburg, Catawissa, Danville, Mahoning and
Chilisquaque. To these were added Roaring Creek, Briar Creek, Berwick,
Conyngham and other places. He lived with his family part of the time at
Bloomsburg and then at Mifflinburg. Besides the regular congregations, he had
numerous stations and school houses where he preached, mostly during the week.
His pastoral duties required much exposure and compelled him often to drive in
his sulky over mountains, at all hours of the night, with the wolves howling
to the right and to the left of him. He life was constantly in danger. He
served these congregations about seven years, and in 1837, went to Lehigh
County, as the successor of Revs. Doering and Wartman. He lived at first at
Siegersville and later on he moved into the parsonage of Jordan Lutheran
Church, where the family resided until 1861, and then moved to Allentown
where both parents died. The congregations of which he took charge on coming
to Lehigh County were Jordan, Union, Heidelberg, Lowhill, Weisenberg,
Trexlertown, and Lehigh. The Lehigh Church he served but a few years. He also
later served Ziegel, Fogelsville, Macungie, Tripoli, Long Swamp, Frieden's,
near Slatington, Mickley's, Catasauqua, Morganland and Cedar Creek. Of the
last four congregations he was the first pastor and assisted in organizing
them. Some of these congregations he served but a short time and had the
assistance of the young men who prepared under him for the ministry. From
1859 to 1861, the charge was cut down to Jordan, Weisenberg, Morganland and
Cedar Creek. During this time, he served as State Senator, at Harrisburg,
representing Lehigh and Northampton Counties. In 1861, he resigned this
charge and moved to Allentown, and in the fall of the same year, he entered
the U.S. Army, as Chaplain of the 110th Regiment PA Volunteers, serving under
Generals Banks and Shields. He saw a great many hardships during his service
in the Army. At the second battle of Bull Run, while caring for the wounded,
his own son, Captain Jeremiah P. Schindel, whom he had not seen since leaving
for the Army, fell into his hands and required his nursing, having been
wounded by a minnie ball. Eighteen miles, through mud and rain, they had to
walk until they found a place to dress the wound and refresh their wearied
bodies.

In the summer of 1864, he returned home from the Army, and in the latter part
of the year, accepted a call to congregations in Lykens Valley. He preached
his introductory sermon on New Year's Day of 1865. The charge he then served
consisted of St. John's, Elizabethville, Huber's, Miller's, Fetterhoff's,
Pillow and Stone Valley. On Ascension Day, 1865, he preached for the first
time at Gratz, and soon after the congregation united with those already
mentioned. He also occasionally preached at a place called Vera Cruz. He lived
in the old parsonage not far from St. John's Church. He labored in these
congregations until March, 1870. About this time his aged mother died at
Sunbury. Whilst attending her funeral, he was taken ill with asthma and made
the remark that he would be the next to follow his dear mother. His prophecy
came true. After a few weeks of suffering, his oldest daughter, Mrs. Mary
Eisenhart, went to Lykens Valley and tenderly brought him to his home in
Allentown. He lingered there, suffering from asthma and dropsy, until July 2,
1870, when, on Saturday night, he suddenly and peacefully breathed his last.
His last words, to his youngest daughter by his side, were, "It is all right,
my child."  His age was 63 years, 1 month and 17 days. His remains repose in
the family plot in Union Cemetery of Allentown. His life-long friend, the
late Dr. C. W. Schaeffer, wrote of him in "The Lutheran", "A man of commanding
presence, such as is rarely seen, of singular urbanity, endowed with rich
oratorical gifts, of sound faith, of pure heart and of upright life. The
record of his life will show, that his talents were faithfully employed in
the Master's service, and that, as the diligent pastor, indeed the bishop
of extensive charges, he did not live in vain."

                                  J. D. Schindel

                                  Jubilee Memorial Volume, Danville
                                  Conference, Ministerium of PA 1898
                                  pp. 259-262



                 Notes from the Ministerium of Pennsylvania

June, 1860 -  whereas we disapprove of the position of Senator Jeremiah
Schindel uniting the duties of senator and minister according to the
Constitution of the Synod, therefore

RESOLVED: That we earnestly beg him to return wholly to the duties of the
ministry at the earliest possible opportunity. 

(See letter to Henry Martens, Christ Luth Ch, Conyngham, PA - August 20, 1965)

Please contact me if you have information on the whereabouts of Rev. Jeremiah Schindel's
private pastoral records for the circa 1848 time period.

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