View source for Swartzendruber, Jacob Frederick (1851-1924)

Jacob Frederick Swartzendruber, (1851-1924), an outstanding [[Amish Mennonites|Amish]] leader and editor, was born 17 October 1851, in [[Johnson County (Iowa, USA)|Johnson County]], Iowa, the son of Frederick Schwartzendruber, who had emigrated from [[Waldeck (Germany)|Waldeck]], Germany. He was married to Elizabeth Bender on 31 December 1871, in Somerset County,[[Pennsylvania (USA)| Pennsylvania]]. He became a Christian in his youth, uniting with the Amish Mennonite Church. He was ordained to the ministry in March 1878 and served the[[Lower Deer Creek Mennonite Church (Kalona, Iowa, USA)| Lower Deer Creek ]](also known as the Timber) Church near [[Kalona (Iowa, USA)|Kalona]], Iowa. He was ordained bishop in the same church 4 December 1887, serving until 1915, when the Lower Deer Creek Church united with the [[Western District Amish Mennonite Conference|Western Amish Mennonite Conference]]; then he transferred his membership to the Old Order Amish congregation near Sharon Center in Johnson County. He served one of the districts in this community until his death. He lived for a short time in Lyons County, [[Kansas (USA)|Kansas]], and in [[Oregon (USA)|Oregon]], but most of his life was spent in the community of his birth. He served as editor of the [[Herold der Wahrheit (1912- ) (Periodical)|<em>Herold der Wahrheit</em>]] for two years and as editor of the Junior Department of this paper until his death. Swartzendruber was an ardent sponsor of social purity and zealous Christian living. Many of his sermons were on separation and a positive expression of the Christian life.

His wide knowledge of Scripture together with his alert mind and wealth of information concerning his day made him quite influential throughout the church. In his possession were many writings of historical value, especially those of his grandfather Jacob Schwartzendruber. Among these is a complete schedule of church services, telling where the service was held, who conducted the devotional service, who delivered the sermon, the date and also other important church business, such as discipline administered to members, approaching marriages announced, etc. Most of the above papers are in the Mennonite Church Archives in the [[Goshen College (Goshen, Indiana, USA)|Goshen College]] Library at Goshen, Indiana. Jacob Frederick Swartzendruber died 17 January 1924, and was buried in the Lower Deer Creek Cemetery near Kalona.
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[[Category:Persons]]