Frederick Kohlhepp - Mission Journal Entries - March 1906 (2 of 3)

11 March 1906 - Sunday

Sunday 11 Went to Wimmis after Sunday School and held meeting Bro. Lugenbühl[,] Seever + Sister Seever went with me. We had a fine meeting

[p. 36]

in Wimmis. In evening returned to Dürrenast. Kaufmans came with us. We baptized them after evening meeting. Bro. John M. Kunz baptized them and Bro. Conrad Weber and I Confirmed them on the waters edge.[N3]

12 March 1906 - Monday

Mon. 12th 1906 Went to Wattenwill on buisness; Held Bible Class in evening at Sister Ba[“]ller’s 

13 March 1906 - Tuesday

Returned to Dürrenast Tues. morning. Visited Frau Wolfi on way home. Bro. J. M. Kunz left in afternoon for Solotheren [Solothurn], to preside over that Branch. In the evening Bro. Würsti arrived from Solothurn to take Bro. Kunz’s place in Dürrenast.

14 March 1906 - Wednesday

Wed. 14th Went Trackting in a Village called Hilterfingen.

15 March 1906 - Thursday

Thur. 15th Mar. Bro. Conrad Weber + Wursten and I went to Faulensee

[p. 37]

and visited friend Emil Bishoph rained and was cold + Monday Went to Wimmis

[p. 38]

same day + held Bible Class.

16 March 1906 - Friday

Sat. [Friday] 16 Visited Lügenbuhls in evening.

17 March 1906 - Saturday

Sat. 17th I went to Wattenwill on buisness, about Sister Nussbaums emigration, It was a warm sunshiny day.

18 March 1906 - Sunday

Sun Mar. 18 Held Sunday School & Meetings in Dürrenast.

19 March 1906 - Monday

19th Mar. Stormy stayed at home and wrote letters.[N4]

20 March 1906 - Tuesday

20th Mar. 1906 Tracting in Snow Storm. Received letter from Pres. Mauss to turn the Thun Branch over to Bro. Conrad Weber, and for me to go to Freiberg, Germany.[N5]

21 March 1906 - Wednesday

21st Mar. Went trackting in a little village east of Thun called Schwendi [Heiligenschwendi].

22 March 1906 - Thursday

22nd Mar. Went to Wimmis and held Bible Class.

23 March 1906 - Friday

Returned back to Dürrenast next day. Has been cold and showing all day, I am sick have a very bad cold in my head and on my lungs.

24 March 1906 - Saturday

Saturday 23rd [24th] Sick in bed all day.

25 March 1906 - Sunday

Sunday 25th Mar. Went to Wattenwill and Held meeting Bro. Wursten went with me, bid farewell to the Saints and friends there. Returned home same day and held meeting in the evening Bro. Wursten and I being the speakers. I gave them my fare well address.

NOTES:

[N3] The Church's records for the Thun Branch corroborate this. The baptisms were for Rudolf and Rosa Kaufman. Fred confirmed Rudolf, while Conrad Weber confirmed Rosa.

[N4] None of these letters have been located.

[N5] This letter has not been located.

Frederick Kohlhepp - Missionary Journal Entries - January 1906

1 January 1906 -- Monday

Monday Jan 1st 1906 Visited with Bro. Lugenbühl. In the evening visited Bro. Andregg, we spent a pleasant evening togeather.

2 January 1906 -- Tuesday

Tues. Jan. 2nd 1906 Held Bible Class on Wattenw[i]l.

3 January 1906 - Wednesday

Jan 3rd returned home + wrote letters[N1]

4 January 1906 -- Thursday

Jan. 4th 1906 Wrote letters to Anna [Kramer Schneidt], Amelia [Kohlhepp Piquet], and Ernestine [Clara Kohlhepp] and Minerva [Kohlhepp Teichert].[N2] Went to Wimmis and held Bible Class.

5 January 1906 -- Friday

Jan 5th Returned from Wimmis. Wrote letter home.[N3]

6 January 1906 -- Saturday

Jan 6th 1906 Wrote letters.[N4] visited with Sawers

7 January 1906 -- Sunday

Sunday 7th held Sunday School + 2 meetings visited with Bro. Andregg.

8 January 1906 -- Monday

Mon. 8th Went to Thun in buisness + visited Sawers

9 January 1906 -- Tuesday

9th Tues. Held Bible Class in Wattenw[i]l.

10 January 1906 -- Wednesday

Wed. 10th 1906 Held Bible Class in Dürrenast.

11 January 1906 -- Thursday

Thur. Held Bible Class in Wimmis

12 January 1906 -- Friday

Returned home Friday. Studied and wrote letters.[N5]

13 January 1906 -- Saturday

Saterday  studied + visited

[p. 27]
with the Sawers family in evening.

14 January 1906 -- Sunday

Sunday 14th Went to Wattenwil and held Sacrament Meeting, an old man raised disturbance. He claimed that the women should have their heads covered in meeting[N6], In the evening held Bible Class in Dürrenast.

15 January 1906 -- Monday

Mon 15th Jan Bro. Hrieter[, John M.] Kunz + I went to Thun and got our pictures taken.[N7]

16 January 1906 -- Tuesday

Tues. 16th Studied and visited Frau Wolfli had supper there.

17 January 1906 -- Wednesday

Wed. Visited Sawer family.

18 January 1906 -- Thursday

Thur. Went to Wattenwill got the Zender childrens Trunk to the station + held Bible class in evening

19 January 1906 -- Friday

Frid. Returned to Dürrenast visited Sister Nussbaum + Lugenbühl on way home. Visited Winterbergers in evening.

21 January 1906 -- Sunday

Sun. 21st Meetings in Dürrenast

22 January 1906 -- Monday

Went to Gold[i]will Mon. 22nd Jan 1906 to visit some friends there could not find them. Gold[i]wil lies east from Thun on the mountain

[p. 28]
side. The road goes up through a beautiful forest, The road was covered with snow and it was packed hard, and many children and young men + ladies were coasting from Goldiwill to Thun as the road is quite steep all the way. In evening visited Bro. Ihrmzer.

24 January 1906 -- Wednesday

24th 1906 Bro. [John M.] Kunz + I went up to Wengen from Interlacken visited Von Allmens. The show is deep and it is very cold. We stayed a few hours with the family + their returned to Interlacken. Sister. V. Almen gave me $2.25 for a Song book, to send to her.

25 January 1906 -- Thursday

25th Returned from Interlacken went same day to Wattenwil + held Bible Class. Friday returned home Wattenwill. Borrowed from Jill for fr. 12.60 Paid.[N8]

26 January 1906 -- Friday

Fri. 26th Jan. Went to Thun and got picture.[N9] Visited friends in evening.

27 January 1906 -- Saturday

Sat. 27th Spent day [p. 29] writing letters.[N10]

28 January 1906 -- Sunday

Sun. 28th Jan. Went to Wattenwil and held meeting, Bro. Lugenbühl went along. Zehnder children left home that morning for America. I returned to Dürrenast and held meeting in evening -  The weather has moderated with heavy fog.

29 January 1906 -- Monday

Mon. Jan. 29th Made out monthly reports.

30 January 1906 -- Tuesday

The 30th Surprised my companion by coming home from Thun with my beard shaved off. Have been somewhat under the weather lately with the Influenza. Visited Iringers in the evening.

31 January 1906 -- Wednesday

The 31st Jan. Went trackting in a village south of Thun. Visited two families of Saints in the evening. Received letter from h[o]me, Containing deed for the Riverside property for me to sign before a Notary Public.

[N1] These letters have not been located.

[N2] These letters have not been located. Fred likely wrote in response to the letter he would have received from Tinnie around this time. 

[N3] This letter have not been located.

[N4] These letters have not been located.

[N5] These letters have not been located.

[N6] No doubt referring to Christian tradition of female head covering. This is referenced in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16. Those who have a strict interpretation of the Bible, believing it to be a timeless moral and social code, typically think Paul’s admonition for women to cover their heads is in force today. Others believe Paul’s direction is correct in its historical context, as a means of directing the customs of his time period. A woman’s hair in ancient times was often a symbol of sexuality. If the
hair was let down, it communicated that the female was more sexually pervasive. Compare with the scandalous approach of a woman to Jesus in Luke 7:36-50. The letting down of the woman’s hair in the face of the Pharisee offends him. As a woman’s hair has ceased to share this symbolism today, Paul’s direction is no longer necessary.

[N7] These pictures have not been located.

[N8] Frederick often used his journal to keep track of money borrowed from church members, fellow elders, or kind German and Swiss residents.

[N9] This picture has not been located.

[N10] These letters have not been located.

Frederick Kohlhepp - Missionary Journal Entries - December 1905

1 December 1905 – Friday

Fri. Returned from Wimmis.

2 December 1905 – Saturday

Sat. 2nd Dec. Studied + went to Thun + Visited an ancient castle near Thun. It was very interesting. It is now used for a church. It was built in 1601.[N1]

3 December 1905 – Sunday

Sunday 3rd First day held meeting at Wimmis. Fraulein Toman of Thun was there, and we walked home togeather.

4 December 1905 – Monday

Monday 4th wrote letters home, Went to Thun in evening.[N2]

5 December 1905 – Tuesday

Tue. 5th Held Bible Class in Wimmis.

6 December 1905 – Wednesday

Wed. 6th Held Bible Class in Du[“]rrenast

7 December 1905 – Thursday

Thur. 7th Held Bible Class in Wimmis.

8 December 1905 – Friday

Friday morning visited Bro. Weber who is afflicted with consumption – administered to him, returned home to Durrenast same day.[N3]

9 December 1905 – Saturday

Saturday 9th Wrote letters[.] visited Bro. Luegenbihl stayed over night[N4]

[p. 21]
10 December 1905 – Sunday

came home Sunday 10th and held Sunday school + afternoon + evening meetings in Du[“]rrenast[.]

11 December 1905 – Monday

Monday studied and visited With [Lewers or Tewers or Sewers]

12 December 1905 – Tuesday

Tuesday went to Wattenw[i]l and held Bible class. Returned to Du[“]rrenast Land Yager [landjaeger] stoped us on the way and inquired about our buisness.[N5]

13 December 1905 – Wednesday

Pres. Mauss arrived in the evening Dec. 13th.

14 December 1905 – Thursday

Dec. 14th Held Bible Class in Wimmis. Went same night went to sit up with Bro. Weber who was very low with consumption, he passed away from this life quietly at […] 5 minutes past two.

15 December 1905 – Friday

Fri. 15th Dec. Bro. [John] Spr[i]nger + I washed and layed him out before going back to Thun.[N6]

16 December 1905 – Saturday

Sat. 16th studied.

17 December 1905 – Sunday

Sun. 17 Bro. [John] Spr[i]nger + I went to Wimmis to atend Bro. Weber funeral The Minister of the town said that any sexts could preach their funeral

[p. 22]
sermons in their meeting house but the Mormon’s. So I preached a short sermon in front of the house before going to the cemet[e]ry. There the Minister read the sermon and prayer at the grave after which we all went up to the old stone church, and the minister preached again, his Text was upon the Lords supper from 22 Chapt St. Luke.  Held afternoon Meeting at Roufmans house. After meeting returned to Du[“]rrenast and held evening meeting there.

18 December 1905 – Monday

Mon. 18 Went to Thun on buisness wrote letters,[N7]

19 December 1905 – Tuesday

Tues. 19th studied

20 December 1905 – Wednesday

Wed. 20 Studied + went to Thun on buisness.

21 December 1905 – Thursday

Thur. 21st Held Bible Class in Wimmis.

22 December 1905 – Friday

Friday 22nd We worked at home getting things ready for Christmas

23 December 1905 – Saturday

Sat. 23rd Dec. Went to

[p. 23]
Bern to attend Priesthood Meeting + Conference.  I atten three meetings Sat.  In the forenoon the Elders gave in their reports. We met in the Local hall. President Serge F. Ballif and Jacob Mausse were present. There were twenty two Elders present. I met Bro. Harry Shephard who came over from Utah in the same ship with me, we were so pleased to meet we pretty near fell into each others arms. We had a fine time. The meeting was continued in the after noon. In the evening we met again and had a swill time togeather with Song’s, speeches + recitations.

24 December 1905 – Sunday

Sunday we met in the Hotel DuPont. In Conference. The were three meetings held in the forenoon from ten untill two

[p. 24]
in the afternoon from two untill four. And in the evening from six o’clock untill half past seven. Every Elder had an opportunity to speak. There were some young Elders who just come over, and could not speak german, Pres. [Jacob] Mause had to interpret for them. We had a swell time. Sunday 24th Returned home to Thun on the nine twenty train from Bern.

25 December 1905 – Monday

Dec. 25th We had Christmas doings here in Du[“]rrenast. We had a Christmas tree and a little Theater play in which the children took part.. Presents were also given out. Three oranges a piece and a lebkunchen.[N8]

26 December 1905 – Tuesday

Dec. 26th Went to Wartenw[i]l and held Bible Class. Bro. Gurtsch came

[p. 25]
with me from Bern to visit friends around here.

27 December 1905 – Wednesday

Wed. 27th Received word for me to take charge of Branch. Bro. [John] Springer to go to Solothurn.

28 December 1905 – Thursday

Thur. 28th Went to Wimmis and held Bible Class.

29 December 1905 – Friday

Fri. 29th worked on Branch books, and took sulpher back for the itch and visited with winterbergers.[N9]

30 December 1905 – Saturday

Sat. 31 [30] Bro. John Sprenger left for Solothurn to labor there.

31 December 1905 – Sunday

Sun. 31st Held Meeting at Wattenwyl, In the evening Bro. Kunz Gu[“]rtsch + I went and visited with Familia Tomans. At half past eleven we all went to Thun to see the old year out and the New in. There was sing, and band playing. The streets were crowded there were some dressed like clowns. The whole town was out on the streets.

[p. 26]

NOTES:

[N1] It isn't clear which castle Fred is referring to. The castle in Thun itself, Thun Castle, was built in the 12th century C.E. Oberhofen Castle to the east was built in the 13th century. My suspicion is that he is referring to the Spiez Castle to the south. While built in 993, a "New Castle" was built in the 17th century, with the old castle also receiving extensive expansion in 1600. The "New Castle" did end up being repurposed as a church for a period of time.

[N2] Missing letters.

[N3] This is the first mention of consumption of his mission. Compare this with my notes on consumption in this post (note 3) and this post (note 5).

[N4] Missing letters.

[N5] A term for a mounted country police person. Also, a common name for a kind of sausage today, but definitely not what Fred was referring to. Mormon missionaries were often arrested, banished, and/or imprisoned for encouraging immigration (by encouraging them to gather to Zion), and had
to be careful.

[N6] Speculation here as to Fred contracting consumption from this person. On the flipside, Fred as I noted in other posts met other consumptives too (think of his sister Eda who had died from it, and he'd visited just prior to leaving for Switzerland). Many had. Fred wrote his sister Tinnie (Ernestine) about those suffering from consumption in Switzerland, as evident from the letter where she noted surprise in hearing that consumption was impacting people out there as it was in the United States.

[N7] Missing letters.

[N8] A lebkunchen is a German ginger snap cookie eaten during the holidays.

[N9] Just as it is now, sulfur is used for various skin treatments: today sulfur cream, lotion, ointment, and bar soap are used to treat acne. Sulfur ointment is used to treat seborrheic dermatitis and scabies.

Frederick Kohlhepp - Missisionary Journal Entries - November 1905

1 November 1905 – Wednesday

Wed. 1st Nov. Distributed tract around Du[“]renast and held bible class in the evening in Du[“]renast. [p. 17]

2 November 1905 – Thursday

Thursday Nov. 2nd 1905 Rainy. Held Bible class in Wimmis.

3 November 1905 – Friday

Nov. 3rd Wrote letters and studied.[N1]

4 November 1905 – Saturday

Nov. 4th Studied all day went to Thun in the evening.

5 November 1905 – Sunday

Nov. 5th Held Meeting in Wattinw[i]l. Bro. John Springer held meeting in Wimmis. In the evening we held a meeting in Durenast.

6 November 1905 – Monday

Nov. 6. We went to Wattenw[i]l on business.

7 November 1905 – Tuesday

7th Held Bible Class in Wattenw[i]l.

8 November 1905 – Wednesday

Nov. 8th Bro. [John] Springer and I tracted between Wattenw[i]l and went from there to Thun. It was market day in Thun, and the streets were crowded with people from the country towns. The wares of all kinds are put right on the streets for sale horses cow’s clothes shows in fact everything a person needs.

9 November 1905 – Thursday

9th Went to Wimmis + held Bible Class. [p. 18]

10 November 1905 – Friday

10th Friday came home from Wimmis. Tracted on the way home in a little village west of Dü[r]renast. Reutigen.[N1] The people would not accept our tracts we could only get two persons to take a tract.

11 November 1905 – Saturday

Sat. 11th Nov. Moved into new Local house.

12 November 1905 – Sunday

Sun 12th Nov. held Sunday School, Sacrament + Evening meetings in Dü[r]renast. Also held Priesthood meeting after Sacrament meeting.

13 November 1905 – Monday

13th Wrote letter home[N3], Visited Bro. Andregg in evening we had a very enjoyable time togeather.

14 November 1905 – Tuesday

14th Held Bible Class a Wattenw[i]l.

15 November 1905 – Wednesday

15th Reutrned home Wattenw[i]l, received letter from home.[N4] Wrote to Bro. [John] Schwendeman in Bern to meet me at the Depot.[N4]

18 November 1905 – Saturday

Sat. 18th Arived in Bern all O.K. Met Bro. [John] Schwendiman in the Depot. He left for Arrenan on Sat.[N5] at 12.45 P.M. I remained [p. 19] in Bern and remained untill Monday evening.

19 November 1905 – Sunday

Held afternoon and evening meetings had good meetings and felt a good Spirit.  I made some good friends while there..

20 November 1905 – Monday

Left for Thu[n] at 5.30 P.M Monday 20th

21 November 1905 – Tuesday

Tuesday 21st Held Bible Class at Wattensessf [Wattenwil].

22 November 1905 – Wednesday

Wednesday held Bible class at Du[“]renast

23 November 1905 – Thursday

Thur. at Wimmis. Administered same day to Bro. Weber.

24 November 1905 – Friday

Next day Frid. 24 Went to Re[u]tigen a village between Wimmis + Du[“]renast to administer to an old sister named Kernen who was sick.

25 November 1905 – Saturday

Sat. 25th Stayed at home and studied.

26 November 1905 – Sunday

Sunday 26th. Attended Sunday School and afternoon + evening meetings in Du[“]rrenast. In the evening Bro. Kunze arrived from Meiringen where he had been sent to labor. He found the Saints there divided and scattered.

27 November 1905 – Monday

Monday We went to [p. 20] Thun on buisness.

29 November 1905 – Wednesday

Wednesday helped Bro. [John] Spr[i]nger make out monthly report[.] 29th held Bible Class in evening at Du[“]rrenast.

30 November 1905 – Thursday

Thur. 30th Held Bible Class at Wimmis.

NOTES:

[N1] Missing letter.

[N2] Reutigen is more directly south than west of Durrenast.

[N3] Missing letter.

[N4] John Schwendiman of Sugar City, Utah. A picture of this Elder is amongst Fred's mission papers. I've included both front and back.

According to the church's data, Schwendiman served 3 different missions. The one to the Swiss-German mission was his first.

[N5] Missing letter.

[N6] Arrenan is not a real city. Need to research.

Frederick Kohlhepp - Missionary Journals Entries - October 1905 (3 of 3)

10 October 1905 – Tuesday

Sept. [Oct] 10th Went back to Du[“]renast.

11 October 1905 – Wednesday

Sept [OCT] 11th Wrote letter home in forenoon in afternoon[N10] Bro. [John] Springer and I went tracting, had Gospel conversation with a lady bei Dürenast. Held Bible

[p. 14]
Class in evening.

12 October 1905 - Thursday

Oct. 12 President Maus [Mans] came to visit us and he turned the books of the Durenast Branch of[f] to Bro. John Springer, who will now be the presiding Elder of the Thun Branch. On the Evening we went to [Wimmis] to hold Bible Class stayed overnight at Bro. Millers.[N11]

13 October 1905 – Friday

13th Oct. Bro. [John] Springer and I went to a tow[n] called Wimmis and distributed trac[t]s and held some Gospel conversations with some of the people in the town. In the evening we went to Thun to make some purchases[.]

14 October 1905 - Saturday

next day 14th.

15 October 1905 – Sunday

Sunday 15th held Sunday School and Sacrament meeting in Du[“]renast.

16 October 1905 - Monday

Monday 16th Went to Thun on buisness. Bro. Hirschi left for Liverpool on his journey home.

17 October 1905 - Tuesday

17th. Went to Metlin to hold Bible Class.[N

[p. 15]
18 October 1905 – Wednesday

18th. Tracted on way back from Metlin to Durenast.

19 October 1905 – Thursday

19th Oct. Bro. [John] Springer and I went to Wimmis and held a Bible Class.

20 October 1905 – Friday

20th Went back to Durenast snowed all the forenoon in afternoon we went to Thun and bought us a Petroleum heating stove.[N13]

21 October 1905 – Saturday

21st. Cloud and stormy stayed at home and studied.

22 October 1905 – Sunday

22nd. Oct. Bro. [John] Springer went to Waternvil [Wattenwil] and I went to Wimmis and held Sacrament meetings came home same evening and held meeting in Du[“]renast. I got lost, took the wrong road coming home, and came late to meeting.

23 October 1905 – Monday

23rd Oct. Monday study in forenoon went to Thun on buisness.

24 October 1905 – Tuesday

24th. Bro. [John] Springer and I went to Wattenurgl [Wattenwil] and held Bible Class.

25 October 1905 – Wednesday

25th. Held Bible Class at Du[“]renast.

[p. 16]
26 October 1905 - Thursday

26th held Bible Class at Wimmis. Visited three Saints[.]

27 October 1905 - Friday

Friday distributed tracts.

28 October 1905 – Saturday

Oct 28th 1905. Saturday went to Thun on buisness, Received letter from home Oct. 28th 1905.[N14]

29 October 1905 – Sunday

Sunday Oct. 29th Held Meetings in Durenast.

30 October 1905 – Monday

Oct. 30th  Prest. Jacob Mause [Mans] who was visiting with us left for Langn[au] his head quarters, We spent the day studying, I broke one of my teeth in biteing a piece of bread and had to go to Thun next day Oct. 31st and get it pulled out.[N15] Wrote letter home, also one to father [Johann Friedrich] + Ernestine [Clara Kohlhepp].[N16] The letter I received from home Oct. 28 contained the sad news of my sister Eda’s death. Oct. 29th Studied the Scriptures + went to Thun.

NOTES:

[N10] I unfortunately lack this letter. It would have been great to get some of Fred's early impressions mentioned to his family since he is so brief in his journal entries without much description or feeling.

It could be that this letter is simply this postcard he sent, and started writing 2 nights before. It has a note across the front.

[N11] South of Thun, near Faulensee. 1891 map:

[N12] Metlin is not a real city. I'll need to study surrounding geography to figure out what this likely was.

[N13] I can just imagine these 2 Americans getting adjusted to the realities of an approaching Swiss Winter.

[N14] Missing letter. We get some of its contents from the October 30th entry, which notes that it contained news of his sister Eda's death.

[N15] This mission is going to be very physically demanding on Fred; we have these health incidents, but for a man in his mid-40's traversing in the cold mountains.

[N16] No knowledge of contents of this letter. Likely a communication to his family regarding Eda's death and his condolences.