Reverend Henry Aloysius Knebel

As printed in 1912

REVEREND HENRY ALOYSIUS KNEBEL

Rev. Henry Aloysius Knebel is well known for his activity in behalf of the interests of St. Mary's church, of Tipton, Iowa. He is a native of Sharon township, Johnson county, horn May 12, 187:1, tenth of the thirteen children of Rochus and Elizabeth (Wumbacher) Knebel, now living retired, at Hills. They were emigrants from Germany, and early settlers of Johnson county, coming there about 1850. Their trip across the ocean was made in a sailing vessel, which took thirteen weeks to make the trip. They became highly respected and successful farmers and reared a tine family of children to do them credit, and who remember with pleasure the pleasant life in their childhood home.

To Rochus and Elizabeth Knebel the following children were born: Louis, married Walburger Hise, and they have one son, Charles, who married Mary Dalmage, who have three children, Ambrose, Earl, and Ralph, was the first blacksmith of Hills, Iowa, where he still resides; James, of Richmond, Iowa, married Anna Dautremont, and their children are Winifred and Robert; Mary, who became the wife of Frank Dautremont, and died at her residence at Monticello, Iowa, at the age of forty-nine years, on August 9, 1907, left ten children: Adelbert, Gertrude, Margaret, Clotilde (Mrs. Murphy, who has two sons), Frank, Jr., Lillian, Leona, Leroy, Lorraine, and Verena, the last of whom was about four or five years old when the mother died; Lavina, who married Joseph N. Schnoebelen, a farmer living near Riverside, Washington county, and their thirteen children, who form a part of the congregation of St. Mary's Catholic church at Riverside, are Linus, Hubert, Guy, Stella, Hilda, Louis, Oswald, Bernadette, Verodina, Mello, Percy, Urban, and Rita; John, of Liberty township, a separate sketch of whom will be found in this work; Miss Anna lives with her parents at Hills and looks out for their comfort and welfare; George, a successful farmer of Liberty township, married Mary Hise, a sister of Mrs. Louis Knebel; Frank, formerly a partner of his brother Louis, has a lunch room at Hills, attends St. Joseph's Catholic church, Hills, married Elizabeth Gringer, and they have three children: Zeno, Mary, and Amelia; Amelia, ninth in order of birth, became a member of the order of Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, of St. Rose Convent, LaCrosse, Wisconsin, assumed the name of Sister Mary Amanda, and is at present a teacher in St. Angelns Institute, Carroll, Iowa; Rev. Henry A. is the tenth child, as mentioned above; Joseph Knebel is a prosperous farmer three miles southeast of Riverside, married Catherine Bauer, and they became parents of twins, Loretta and Claretta, the latter of whom is deceased, and two other daughters living, Celeste and Norma; Linus, married Adaline Beatsch, and they became parents of two sons, Clement and Edward, who live on the old farm in Sharon township; the thirteenth and youngest of this large family is William Knebel, who married Nellie Bauer, sister of the wife of his brother Joseph, and they have a daughter, Bertha.

The Knebel family became identified with the best interests of Johnson county and were active in promoting the general welfare and progress. They played an important part in the early history of the region ami all members of this large lam ily are devout members of the Catholic church and are earnest workers in the cause. As shown above, some of them have devoted their lives and energies to the service of the beloved cause, and have done important work in this connection.

Reverend Knebel was raised on the home farm and received his preliminary education in the district schools of Sharon township. At the age of twenty-one he entered St. Ambrose College, Davenport, where he remained six years, four of which were devoted to the classical course and two to the philosophical. One of his tutors was the Reverend R. J. Renihan, the present rector of Oxford, Iowa. In 1900 he entered the famous Kenriek's Seminary at St. Louis, where he took a three year's course in theology, beingordained to the priesthood June 13, 1903, by the Rt. Rev. J. J. Glennon, I). 1>. He received his first appointment from Rt. Rev. Henry Cosgrove, Bishop of Davenport, on July 18, 1893, being made assistant to Rev. J. P. Ryan, rector of St. Mary's church, Davenport, Iowa. He remained in that parish six years and three months. On October 27, 1909, he was appointed regular pastor at St. Mary's church, Tipton, to succeed Rev. Thomas Francis (ialligan, the appointment being made by Bishop Davis, of Davenport, successor to Bishop Cosgrove.

June 18, 1903, was a memorable occasion in the Catholic church at Riverside, Iowa, that being jointly the celebration of Father Knebel 's first mass and the golden wedding anniversary of his aged parents. The wedding anniversary should properly have occurred sooner, but the parents desired to have it occur jointly with the celebration by their son of his first mass as a Catholic priest. The church edifice was filled by the relatives and friends of the young priest and his family, and it is said that the reception and dinner, taken in connection with the religious ceremony, constituted an occasion long to be remembered. It was the first time in eighteen years that the members of the Knebel family had all met together, and these, with the classmates of the young priest, made a memorable company.

In addition to his offices as priest of the important charges of Tipton and Cedar Valley, Father Knebel is a member of the Western Catholic Union and of the Knights of Columbus. While in Davenport, Iowa, he was chaplain of the court of the Knights of Father Matthew. He takes a very active interest in the societies of his church, which are: Rosary and Altar Society, Willing Workers Society and the League of the Sacred Heart. In his religious work he is characterized by great zeal ' accompanied by extreme modesty, insisting that all the glory of his work shall be given directly to Almighty God. His congregation at Tipton consists of forty-live families and that at Cedar Valley of thirty families. Both churches are making marked progress under his vigorous and efficient administration.

As printed in Leading events in Johnson County, Iowa, history (1912). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.