Enjoying marked prestige among the dergy of Southern Illinois, the
subject of this sketch stands out a clear and distinct figure among the
useful men of Richland county, characterized by breadth of wisdom and strong
individuality. Rev. Knauer's achievements but represent the utilization of
innate talent, in directing effort along lines in which mature judgment,
rare discrimination and resourcefulness that hesitates at no opposition, has
caused him to succeed in the accomplishment of much good in his line of
work. Having always led a life along such planes of sobriety, industry and
integrity he has become one of the most influential men in his community
whose interests he has at heart and whose moral, educational and material
development he ever seeks to promulgate, thereby winning and retaining the
undivided esteem of all who know him.
Rev. John Knauer, pastor of
St. James Lutheran church in Claremont township, Richland county, Illinois,
was born April 25, 1873, in Wuerttenberg, Germany, the son of Gottlieb and
Jacobin (Stipe) Knauer; the father died in Germany October 21, 1874, and is
buried in Hohenhaslach place, in the district Yaihingen, having died when
forty-eight years old.
In the year 1887, the subject of this sketch,
then fourteen years old, with his mother and three sisters emigrated to the
United States and settled on a farm in Washington county, Pennsylvania,
where our subject remained with his mother, working on the farm until the
fall of 1895, when he went to Carthage, Missouri, where he took a high
school course under tutorship of an older brother, who had previously come
to the United States, having been accompanied by two other brothers and one
sister. In the fall of 1896 John Knauer entered the Washington-Jefferson
College at W'ashington, Pennsylvania, taking a four years' course, and in
the fall of 1901 he entered the Theological Seminary in Chicago. He made a
splendid record in school and he entered upon his pastorate at Gila charge.
Jasper county, Illinois, after his graduation in the last named school in
the spring of 1904, having begun his pastorate work on May 1, 1904, and on
June 30th following he was married in Wheeling, West Virginia, to Hope
Kenamond, who was born near Washington, Pennsylvania, October 6, 1878. She
is the daughter of Frederick and Elzena (Shipe) Kenamond, both natives of
Pennsylvania, in which state they were married, but later moved to West
Virginia, when Mrs. Knauer was nine years of age. Her parents remained in
that state about four years when the family returned to Pennsylvania,
settling this time near Claysville, where they bought a farm upon which they
lived for three years when they again removed to West Virginia, where Mr.
and Mrs. Kenamond still reside on a farm. They are the parents of five
children, all of whom are still living, the wife of our subject being the
oldest in order of birth.
John Knauer is a member of a family of
eight children, he and a twin sister being the youngest. They are all living
at this writing. The mother of these children is still living on the old
homestead in Washington county. Pennsylvania, near Burgettstown, having
reached the age of seventy-four years.
Rev. and Mrs. Knauer reside
in the parsonage of the Lutheran church in Claremont township, Richland
county, where the subject performs the duties of pastor, also preaches at
Gila and Wheeler, in Jasper county, Illinois.
No children have been
born to Mr. and Mrs. Knauer.
Our subject is making a great success
of his work in this place and he and his estimable wife are held in high
favor by the congregation and all who know them. He and his wife are highly
educated and they are both diligent workers in the cause of the lowly
Nazarene, and they are apparently justly fitted for so responsible work, for
they are broad-minded and ever have the good of their congregation at heart.
Extracted 21 May 2019 by Norma Hass from 1909 Biographical and Reminiscent History of Richland, Clay and Marion Counties, Illinois, pages 467-468.
| Jasper | Crawford | |
| Clay |
 |
Lawrence |
| Wayne | Edwards | Wabash |
