Eugene & Marianne Emily Grimm-Marriage

Eugene Bessire and Marianne Emily Grimm were married by Wm. B. Rally, minister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church,  on December 29^, 1849, Wayne County, Ohio.  

Source:  Ohio.  Probate Court (Wayne Co). Marriage Records, 1813-1951.  Salt Lake City, UT:  Filmed by the Genealogical Soceity of Utah, 1965, 1994.  Family Histry Library film 425754, marriage records vol. 4A-4B, 1835-1851.

These descriptions give some context to the setting of their religious affiliation and marriage.

Source:  Ben Douglass. History of Wayne County, Ohio, From the Days of the Pioneers and First Settlers to the Present Time. Indianapolis, IN: Robert Douglass, Publisher, 1878.

Evangelical Lutheran Church—The first record of this congregation goes back to 1832, the church being built, however, many years prior to this date, a log house, its site near where the present St. Paul’s church now stands.  The members (about twelve families) were mostly Pennsylvania Germans.  Rev. E. Greenwald took charge in 1832.  In May, 1836, he was succeeded by Rev. J.B. Reck, who was in turn relieved in the summer of 1843 by Rev. Edwin Melsheimer, continuing pastor until October, 1846, when Rev. William B. Rally, pastor of St. Paul’s church, Mt. Eaton, supplied the church pro tempore.  Here the record of the church closes.

St. Paul’s Church—This congregation of the Reformed Lutheran church originally attended the Evangelical  Lutheran.  In the summer of 1842 the new church was built, the pastor, Rev. A.L. W. Begemann, and Rev. David Kammerer officiating at laying its cornerstone.  It was finished in 1846.  In March, 1845, Rev. Robert Kochler became minister of St. Paul’s, servine one year.  Rev. W. B. Rally was his successor, continuing until 1851.  The congregation separated into two, a German and French, the former electing Rev. Johann Ackeret for is pastor, while the latter recalled Rev. Kochler.  The congregations retained their common property, creed and name.  Rev. Ackeret served the German congregation until 1868.  Rev. Philip Decker was his successor.  He resigned in 1876, and was succeeded by the presnt pastor, Rev. H. Nau.

Source:  Wayne County Historical Society (Wooster, Ohio). Wayne County, Ohio burial records. Evansville, Indiana Unigraphic, 1980.  Family History Library book  US/CAN 977.161 V38W 1980, p. 500

The original congregation of St. Paul’s was German Lutheran.  It was founded prior to 1825, at which time the log church was built.  In 1843 they joined in building a church with a congregation of French speaking Swiss people who had come to the area in 1835.  The two congregations used the church on alternate Sundays until 1883, when they became fully united. It is interesting to note that many of the people in both congregations came from the same area in Switzerland and adjacent Germany.  Many of their names are well known today in the Mt. Eaton area.