Fiftieth Session of the Synod, St. Peter's Church, Lexington County, South Carolina, November 5, 1870.
Obituary of Rev. Ambrose Henkel.-Rev. Ambrose Henkel, the fourth son of Rev. Paul and Elizabeth Henkel, was born in Shenandoah County, Virginia, near Solomon's Church, 8 miles northwest of New Market, on the 11th day of July, 1786, and was initiated into the church through the Holy Sacrament of Baptism, in his infancy, and, at a more mature age, entered into full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church, through the ancient and solemn rite of Confirmation.
In 1802 he started, on foot, to Hagerstown, to learn the printing business. After working with Mr. Gruber, of Almanac reputation, and at Reading and in Baltimore, for three or four years, he purchased the bed and irons of a Ramage press and some old type, and, in 1806 established the first printing office in New Market, Virginia. With these old type, and cuts made by himself, he published a pictorial German spelling-book of his own arrangement. In 1807, he commenced the publication of a weekly German paper, called the Virginia and New Market Popular Instructor and Weekly News, which continued for two years-and suspended for want of advertising patronage. The office was, however, continued as a Book and job office by him, until he sold to his brother Solomon, about 1817.
He entered the ministry in the year 1823, and preached his first sermon; in German, in Mt. Calvary (Hawksbill) Church, Page County, Virginia, on the 23d day of November, 1823, from I Corinthians 10 1-12, and continued actively, faithfully, and successfully in the ministry till 1860. He preached his last sermon in Bethlehem Church, Augusta County, Virginia, in the year 1868. He was engaged in the office of the ministry 47 years. His labors in all the departments of his ministerial office, were extensive. He preached 3,995 sermons, of which 402 were funeral discourses; he baptized 1,625 persons, of whom 90 were adults; he confirmed 1,952 persons in the Church, and united in the holy estate of matrimony 400 men and women.
In 1838, under order of the Evangelical Lutheran Tennessee Synod, he prepared and published the Church Hymn-Book, which has now passed into its 4th edition.
In 1833 he was appointed, by the same body, chairman of a committee to prepare a Liturgy or Book of Forms and submit it to the Synod; which was done, and it was approved and published in 1843.
He also aided in the preparation of a purely literal translation of the Augsburg Confession, the Apology, the Smalcald Articles, the Appendix and the Articles of Visitation, which appeared in print in the Christian Book of Concord, in the year 1851.
In the years 1857-8, he prepared a similar translation of the first volume of Luther's Church Postil on the Epistles, as extant in Plochman's edition, which work, after having been carefully compared with the original German, revised, transcribed, and prepared for the press, was issued in serial numbers. He was, perhaps, the oldest practical printer and editor in the State-having edited a newspaper in New Market 62 years before his death.
As a writer and translator, he was noted for the precision and accuracy of his style, rather than ornament. He was a profound thinker, an earnest student, and a forcible speaker.
He was married three times. His first wife was Miss Catharine Hoke, daughter of Frederick Hoke, Esq., of Lincoln County, North Carolina, his second one was Miss Mary Kite, daughter of Mr. Martin Kite, of Page County, Virginia, and his third one was Miss Veronica F. Heyle (Hoyle), daughter of Peter Heyle, Esq., of Lincoln County, North Carolina.
He departed this life on the 6th day of January, 1870, at 1 o'clock, A. M.; aged 83 years, 5 months, and 26 days. He left 6 children, a number of grand-children and great-grand-children.
His funeral services were rendered by Rev. Jacob Killian, in the presence of an unusually large concourse of people, in Emmanuel Church, New Market, Va., near which his body awaits the resurrection.
