Carl and Elisabeth Kegler

Chart II a – I

Adapted from the Kegler Family Chronicle

written by their son Günther Kegler (1894-1986)

Carl Kegler (1860 – 1919)

Born 1860-09-22 in Luckow, Randow County, Western Pomerania,Pastor in Grünewald, Neustettin County,  died 1919-06-15 in Grünewald.

Carl Kegler studied theology in Greifswald, Berlin and Halle. He was a member of the student fraternity “Neo-Borussia”, a color-bearing association with the color band black-white-black-red. The fraternity founded after the Napoleonic Wars adhered to Christian-patriotic ideals and strove for the unity of the German nation. He would talk a lot about his student life, the great challenges, about serious and also lighthearted matters. Soon his children could sing many of student songs by heart, such as Halle on the Saale and many more. His youngest son Bruno was especially receptive for such things and would have loved to study.

In 1891 he was installed as pastor of Grünewald, Neustettin County and stayed in the congregation until his early death. He was the successor of Pastor Nedtwig, who had taken the vacant and larger parish in Gramenz, Neustettin County.

Affiliated with the parish of Grünewald were also the sister congregations (without pastors) Zechendorf and Kowalk and some other smaller churches especially during WW1. The distances were considerable and the congregations could only be reached by horse buggy or bicycle. He was not only a spiritual caregiver with all his strength, but also as a farmer’s son a capable countryman. To the parish also belonged ca. 40 Prussian acres (morgen) of land with a barn, stables, cattle and farm implements, etc. Thus, in the agricultural domain he was able to be helpful  with much advice and supportive action.

For more information I added the text of the eulogy, which a pastor and friend had delivered at Carl’s funeral in 1919. It is in German and can be located at the usual subheading of the P. and G. Klopp Story.

It was not an easy beginning for the pastor’s couple. Until 1901 six children were born. In addition to the already crowded household there were Frau Pastor’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. A.Mass with their two unmarried daughters dwelling under the same roof since 1895. Marie Mass died in 1900, Adof Mass in 1906, Klara Mass in 1908 and Hedwig Mass in 1919. All have been buried in Grünewald. The small village cemetery is now completely overgrown, and gravesites can no longer be recognized. The former Eastern Provinces have become Polish territory. Up to 1900 the household of the pastoral home consisted of twelve persons.

Worth mentioning would also be the fact that Grünewald was a church patronage, a designation for the privileges of the patronage master of the church. The acquisition of these privileges resulted from a donation of a building lot and the funding for the construction of the church. The patronage master had the right to be part of the selection process for filling a pastoral vacancy. The patronage master of the Grünewald parish was Christoff (popularly called the ‘Stoffer’) von Glasenapp at the Grünewald domain. Von Glasenapp originated from an old Pomeranian nobility, just as von Kleist, von Gaudecker and many others.

Elisabeth Kegler (neé Mass) (1868 – 1948)

Born 1868-08-13 in Groß-Krossingen, Obornik County, former Province of Posen (Poznan), died 1948-09-14 in Erfurt after the expulsion from Stolpmünde at her son’s residence. Carl and Elisabeth were married 1891-02-05 in Pniewno-Konopat, Schwetz County, former Province of West Prussia.

What can we say about Frau Pastor – or colloquially called ‘Fru Pastern, Fru Preistern’! We could summarize her description with a ancient Indian proverb:

Where mothers keep watch,

The gods may rest!

Whoever experienced her as mother, grandmother, church mother in the broadest sense, friend, acquaintance, leader of a steadily growing household, und much more, could not say anything better! No matter how often the children brought home friends for the holidays, nothing was too much for her! Amazed and in awe her children are aware of this, her descendants upon hearing stories about her will feel the same! Awareness and silence are in order and are worth more than a thousand words!

Here again, as for her husband Carl, you can read more about her in the eulogy from 1948 in the German section of this blog.