Reverend Leo M. Gerken

Leo Gerken

Leo Michael Gerken was born on April 5, 1885, on the family homestead east of Dyersville, Iowa, the fifth of seven children born to William and Elizabeth (Sudmeier) Gerken. His siblings were Addie, John, Frank, Henry, Rudy, and Molly. Their mother Elizabeth died when Frank was seven years old, and his father William subsequently married Carolina Wuebbelt, and they had six children, Bill, Laura, Oscar, Thecla, Ludwig, and Oliva.

Leo's education.
Leo received his education in the rural and parochial schools, and after completing his studies at Dyersville, he entered the Jesuit college at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, taking a college course. He then engaged at teaching and taught in the schools at Belleville, Illinois, for four years. He then taught at Rennselaer, Indiana, for a year and then took the principalship of the high school at Ottoville, Ohio, which position he held for four years.

He then attended Dubuque College four years, graduating from that institution with high honors, and later went to Baltimore, Maryland, where he attended St. Mary's Seminary for three years, and then to Washington, D.C., where he completed the course in the Catholic University of that place.

Ordained to Holy Priesthood.
On Thursday, May 29, 1919, Leo Michael Gerken was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood at Baltimore in the Cathedral of the Assumption, Cardinal Gibbons being the consecrator. Father Gerken then went home to Dyersville, arriving on Sunday morning, June 1, in preparation for the reading of his first holy mass.

PRIEST READS HIS FIRST HOLY MASS
REV. FATHER LEO GERKEN RECENTLY ORDAINED TO HOLY PRIESTHOOD.
Banquet and Reception in St. Francis Hall Follows Celebration of First Holy Mass.

Tuesday, June 3, 1919, marked another epoch in the history of St. Francis Xavier Parish at Dyersville, Iowa, when Reverend Father Leo Gerken offered his first holy oblation to Almighty God. Long before the hour, the church was filled with relatives and friends of the young priest.

Promptly at 9:45 o'clock, a procession consisting of the crossbearer, schoolchildren, little girls dressed in white, acolytes, the Dyersville Concert Band, and Reverend Clergy met the newly ordained at the parochial residence and escorted him to St. Francis Church, where he celebrated his first Mass. He was assisted by his brother, Rev. Rudolph Gerken of Abilene, Texas, as deacon, and his cousin, Rev. William Kunkel of Raymond, Iowa, as subdeacon, and Rev. Father Dunkel of Dyersville was master of ceremonies. Father Gervert of Miller City, Ohio, an intimate friend of the newly ordained, preached the sermon. He dwelt largely upon the duties of the priesthood and the many trials a clergyman encounters. Little Miss Iven Willenborg of Adrian, Minnesota, a niece of the young priest, was the bride, and his two nieces, Lorraine and Elizabeth Gerken, were her attendants. Edward Keffeler and Gilbert Schnieders were the acolytes.

Father Gerken was the second son of Mr. and Mrs. William Gerken to enter the vineyard of God. He began preparations for a life dedicated to the services of his Master early in life, and he entered his new field well prepared for the noble work he had undertaken. The happy parents, as well as the newly ordained, received the congratulations of many friends on the happy occasion.

The following Reverend Clergy were present in the sanctuary:
Monsignor G.W. Heer, Dubuque, Ia.
Rev. Dr. Thier, Dubuque College.
Rev. Jos. Klopp, New Hampton, Ia.
Rev. Schroder, Farmington, Ia.
Rev. H. Loosbrock, Petersburg, Ia.
Rev. A. Thole, New Vienna, Ia.
Rev. J.H. Schilmoeller, Worthington, Ia.
Very Rev. Father Warning, Dyersville.
Rev. Father Lorenz, Dyersville.

Reception for Father Gerken.
After the services at the church were over, all repaired to St. Francis Hall, where a sumptuous repast was served to all the relatives and, next, friends, the guests numbering one hundred or more. After the banquet a short program was rendered, as follows:

Welcome Song.....Academy Girls
Piano Duet.....Esther Schnieders and Emaline Gerken
Congratulatory Address.....E. Schnieders
Song "To Arms".....St. Francis Boys' School
Address.....Iven Willenborg

During the time that the banquet was served, music was furnished by Ambrose Schnieders, clarinet; Isabelle Schnieders, cello; Esther Schnieders, violin; and Theresa Mayer, piano accompanist.

Father Gerken was the recipient of many beautiful and costly presents as tokens of esteem. He also received a purse from his brothers and sisters.

Among the relatives present from abroad were Mr. and Mrs. Ben B. Willenborg of Adrian, Minnesota; Mr. and Mrs. Frank Gerken and family of Nashua, Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. Henry Goedken of Bancroft, Iowa; John T. Sudmeier of Minnesota; Frank Sudmeier of Marshfield, Wisconsin; and Professor George Gerken of New Vienna, Iowa.

First Mission Was Oelwein.
Several weeks after reading his first holy mass, Father Gerken was appointed assistant priest at Sacred Heart Church in Oelwein, Iowa, at which place he remained about a year. In 1920 he was transferred to St. John's Church in Independence, Iowa, where he remained nearly two years. His health being poorly, he remained at Waverly for some time, where he took treatments at the hospital. In 1922 Father Gerken came to Dyersville and remained several months, when the bishop transferred him to Cascade, Iowa, where he served as assistant pastor at St. Mary's Church, at which place he was stationed at the time of his demise in 1923.

REV. FATHER LEO GERKEN SUMMONED
PASSED AWAY AT MERCY HOSPITAL, WATERLOO, TUESDAY MORNING
Remains Arrived in Dyersville Tuesday Evening--Funeral Held Friday Morning.

The citizens of Dyersville, Iowa, were stricken with sorrow when the news was received early Tuesday morning of the death of the Reverend Father Leo Gerken. His demise occurred at Mercy Hospital, Waterloo, Iowa, that morning, July 10, 1923, at six o'clock and followed a long period of illness. For several years he had not been in the best of health and was under the care of skilled physicians most of the time. He suffered from diabetes and heart disease. At the same time Father Gerken labored continuously in his field of duty, looking after the welfare of the parishioners at the different places in which he was stationed. A few weeks prior to his death, his health had become very poorly, and he had gone to Waterloo for treatment, and every effort was made to save him, but to no avail as Divine Providence willed otherwise and called him to a better home.

Remains Taken To His Home.
The remains arrived in Dyersville Tuesday evening about six o'clock from Waterloo and were taken to the homestead where he was born east of town. Thursday morning they were taken to St. Francis church, where they lay in state until Friday morning, July 13, when the funeral took place at 9:30 o'clock. The Reverend Father Rudolph Gerken, brother of the deceased, sung the requiem mass and was assisted by the Reverend Father Kunkel, of Raymond, Iowa, cousin of the deceased, as deacon, and the Reverend Father Anthony Gerken, of Pierre, South Dakota, another cousin of the deceased, as subdeacon. He was buried at St. Francis Cemetery in Dyersville.

Besides his mother, the Reverend Father Gerken was survived by the following brothers and sisters: Addie, Mrs. Alois Tegeler, of Nashua; John of Dyersville; Frank of Colby, Wisconsin; Henry of Dyersville; Reverend Rudolph of Ranger, Texas; Molly, Mrs. Ben Willenborg, of Dyersville; Laura, Mrs. Ed Klostermann, of Dyersville; William of New Vienna; Oscar on the homestead; Thecla, Mrs. Clem Bruggeman, of Edgewood; Ludwig on the homestead; and Olivia, at home.

Member of Family of Nine Knights.
The Reverend Father Leo Gerken was the second of the family of nine loyal Knights of Columbus to pass to his reward. A photo of his parents and the eight sons was published in the Dyersville Commercial at the time his father, the late William Gerken, died, which was August 30, 1922.

A Zealous Worker.
Father Gerken, although he did not enjoy the best of health during the time of his priesthood, was a very zealous worker in the vineyard of our Lord, and his many kind deeds in the parishes in which he labored will ever be remembered. Devoted to his work, he endeavored to make his religious duties a pleasure. Father Gerken was always held in high esteem, not only by the members of his own church but by others as well, on account of his truly unselfish life, combining gospel teaching with living a life that was an example of high Christian ideals. His death was felt with keen regret by scores of friends all over the county, and also other parts of the state. Deepest sympathy was extended to those left to mourn his loss.

Sources include, primarily, an account of Reverend Leo Gerken's first Mass as a priest and his obituary from the Dyersville Commercial.

© 2000-2001, 2003 Tom Larson P.O. Box 141 Peosta, IA 52068-0141 http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tdlarson/gerken/william/revleo.htm Last revised May 3, 2003.