Person:Hans Wittrock (1)

Hans Heinrich Theodore Ferdinand Wittrock, Born September 26, 1884, in Egeln, Germany; died in Portland on May 2, 1954. He had just had the service and preached at St. Matthew church when a heart attack ended his life here on earth.

He attended public school in the Mink country school. He then received private tutoring from Rev. C. Mack, pastor at Oregon City, especially in Latin and other languages, and from his father in mathematics and other subjects in order to prepare him for college entrance. At the age of fifteen he went to Capital University, Columbus, Ohio, to continue his schooling. Here he was at first refused admission to the college because of his lack of formal schooling. However, he asked for a chance -- if within a certain time he wasn't at the head of his class scholastically they could enroll him in the preparatory school instead. Not only did he meet that challenge, but later on he even tutored others who could not keep up with the class. He continued on into the seminary, and, at the age of twenty-one, was ordained into the Lutheran ministry at Ritzville, Washington, by his father.

For several years he was traveling missionary in the Big Bend country, serving the scattered Lutherans at Sprague, Prosser, Kennewick, etc., doing his traveling from place to place by train. Later he was called to the Lind-Connell parish where he werved for seventeen years. Fron there he went to Walla Walla and was there for fourteen years; and then to Endicott for another eleven years, until hes semi-retirement in 1948. Even then he continued to serve verious parishes on a temporary basis. The last years were spent in Portland.

He contributed to various theological journals and presented many papers at the conferences and synod meetings. His learned dessertations were always welcomed and accepted. He was awarded a doctors degree from Pacific Lutheran University.

Hans always claimed that the day he landed in New York from Germany in September, 1889, God provided a wife for him at Fond du Lac Eo., Wisconsin.