Published: April 20, 2007 10:44 am      

The Rev. Johannes Heinrich Jox — Lutheran minister

The Rev. Jox’s father, Johannes, was born March 26, 1801, and his mother, Anna Elizabeth Emrich, was born Sept. 16, 1805. Both of his parents were from Hess, Darmstadt, Germany.

Rev. Jox was born Dec. 18, 1831, in the same area of Germany. His father was a weaver in the town as was his grandfather.

As a child, Rev. Jox loved books and decidedly did not intend to become a weaver as his father was. He decided to either become a minister or a school teacher.  When Rev. Jox was 21, he received a calling to come to the United States and minister to the growing population of German Lutherans in Wisconsin. He arrived in New York on Aug. 19, 1853, on the steamship, Hanover.

When Johannes arrived in Wisconsin, he was sent to Lutheran Concordia Seminary in Fort Wayne. He finished his studies in Fort Wayne under Rev. Wilhelm Sihler in 1855, and returned to Wisconsin.

Rev. Jox was assigned to the tiny congregation at Maple Grove in Manitowoc County and was ordained on May 20, 1855.

The living conditions in Maple Grove were extremely crude so Rev. Jox complained to the authorities in Milwaukee. The Rev. Lochner suggested that what he needed was to get married and suggested that he marry Augusta Wille. The young couple was married and returned to Maple Grove to live in a crude log cabin. It was a terrible time for them, as Augusta had to carry their child a half-mile to get water from a stream.

Rev. Jox was shot at several times while riding his circuit.

After two years, he transferred to Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kirchhayn, Wis. He was installed there on Oct. 10, 1858. The Jox family remained in Kirchhayn for eight years.

In 1865, Rev. Jox accepted a call to come to St. James Lutheran Church in Logansport. He served the congregation faithfully for 28 years. During those years, he received about $300 per year plus a parish house and many gifts from his parishioners. Many families were unable to give gifts of money but would bring such items as hams, sacks of potatoes and fresh vegetables.

Rev. and Mrs. Jox had eight children: Dorothea Johanna, March 31, 1857; Augusta Wilhelmine Katharina, Aug. 10, 1859; Johannes Carl William, Jan. 15, 1864; Maria Louise Emilie, May 4, 1866; Henrietta Ermestine Lydia, Oct. 25, 1868; Christian Ernst George, Oct. 31,1871; Fredrich Hermann Edward, Oct. 21, 1874; and Heinrich Charles Simon Otto, Dec. 30, 1876.

Rev. Jox died of blood poisoning from a carbuncle on his neck March 21, 1893, and is buried in the Ninth Street Cemetery.

Charlotte Jox, whom many of us knew, was a descendent.

Betty McDonald collected much of this material from old church records, obituaries and interviews. Other items came from the Cass County Historical Society archives.

Richard B. Copeland is president of the Cass County Historical Society and may be reached at recope@verizon.net Betty McDonald collected much of this material from old church records, obituaries and interviews. Other items came from the Cass County Historical Society archives.