Mrs. John Hilgenkamp

Mrs. Hilgenkamp, nee Maehrlein, second wife of John Hilgenkamp died last Saturday morning after a long and severe illness at her home, to which she had returned from the Fremont hospital a little over a week ago where she had undergone a severe operation. She was born at Altdorf, Bavaria, Germany in 1883. In 1904 she came to America and lived at West Point, Neb. until she was married to Mr. Hilgenkamp in 1910. Her age was 33 years, 7 months and 11 days. The funeral with a very large attendance took place last Tuesday at St. Paul’s Lutheran church. In the funeral oration her pastor, Rev. Wolter, said the following:

Text: Psalm 73, v. 24, “Thou shalt guide me with thy council and afterward receive me to glory.”

“If there is anything in this wide world teaching us the entire vanity of everything earthly, it is death. And if we had no true hope of another and better life beyond the grave our earthly life would have to curse the day of our birth. How miserable how undescribably miserable must all the unbelieving be who have no hope of an everlasting life in heaven. To them death is the eternal end of all their imagined happiness.

How different with the true Christian! They firmly believe in an everlasting life thru Christ. They confidently say with Job: “I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and ?ho after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.” And they therefore also know that their entire life is not a blink inevitable doom of fate, not a “mere chance” but that the almighty and all wise God who is eternal love in Christ Jesus, his dear son, has created them, given them body and soul, regenerated and saved them from all their sins and adopted them as his death children thru Christ, their Savior. Therefore they say with the Psalmist: “Thou shalt guide me with thy council.” They look upon their entire life as a guidance according to the council of God their heavenly Father.

Such was the childlike confidence of our departed sister. She too knew that her entire life, the full of cross and misery was not a doom of fate, but her heavenly Father’s guidance according to his council. And she was thankful for every thing she received from God’s hand, even for the severe cross laid upon her, knowing with St. Paul, that “All things work together for good to them that love God.” This is the one sweet comfort for the surviving relatives.

“And the other is this: All who have this comfort can also add with the Psalmist, “And afterward receive me to glory.”

As long as the true Christians dwell in this vale of tears there is very little perceivable of the glory in store for them. Here they are kept under the cross, in the weakness of the sinful flesh and are regarded as fools by the unbelieving world, but afterward, after death they are received by God, received to everlasting glory in heaven. Then it shall be fully revealed what St. Peter says of the true Christians: “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people.” Then they shall inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and enjoy the pleasures and treasures of all everlasting life in the company of God their Savior, and of the holy angels, and of all their loved ones who have departed in faith in Christ.

“This we may firmly hope, is now the blessed portion of our departed sister. She lived and died in sincere faith in Christ who was her only hope and trust and who now received her to his everlasting glory, where she experiences no more suffering no pain nor death, but joys and pleasures at the right hand of God forevermore.

“This too is the sweet consolation for the dear relatives. May God keep them and us all to true faith in Jesus Christ that finally we all may depart in peace and come to everlasting glory.

Note: Marie is buried in God's Acre Cemetery.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~

Find A Grave Memorial#51595267