Gerhard Family

Rev. William Trautman Gerhard (1809-1886) was born in Tulpehocken Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, December 10, 1809 to Frederick and Magdalena Trautman Gerhard. At about seventeen years of age, he spent a year doing outdoor work for his pastor, Rev. William Hendel, and studying Latin. About 1830 he lived with and studied theology, church history, and Latin under Rev. Frederick A. Herman at Womelsdorf, PA. In 1831 he entered the Theological Seminary then at York, PA. completing his studies in 1834. In 1835 he received a call to the Bern Reformed Church, was licensed by the Free Synod and ordained by the Free Synod at Salem Reformed Church, Philadelphia in 1836. His pastorates included: 1835-1838 Bern Reformed Church, Berks County, along with Swamp and Reamstown Reformed Churches, Lancaster County; 1838-1844 five congregations in the Weissport Charge in Northampton County; 1844-1859 four churches in Durham Charge, Bucks County; 1859-1870 six country congregations in Lancaster County; 1870-1875 St. John's Reformed Church, Lancaster, PA. Pastor Gerhard retired in 1875. He married Elizabeth Seibert in 1835 and together they had eight children including Rev. Darius William Gerhard (1838-1906) and Rev. Calvin Seibert Gerhard (1845-1902). Rev. Darius William Gerhard (1838-1906) was born March 21, 1838 to Rev. William T. and Elizabeth Trautman Gerhard at Mt. Pleasant, Berks County, PA. He attended public school until eighteen years of age when he opened the first subscription school, and first "English" school in Durham, Bucks County, PA. After teaching for one year, in 1857 he entered Allentown Seminary and in 1858 entered Franklin and Marshall College graduating in 1862. He served in the 135th Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, Company E from August 11, 1862 to May 24, 1863 and saw action at Chancellorsville. After being mustered out, Gerhard entered the Theological Seminary at Mercersburg in 1863, graduating in 1866. He was licensed by the Lancaster Classis in May 1866 and ordained by the Mercersburg Classis on June 28, 1866. His pastorates included: 1866-1867 student supply pastor and then pastor of the McConnellsburg, PA. Charge; 1867-1887 New Holland Charge (St. Stephens, New Holland; Zeltenreich; Salem Hellers); 1887-1898 Salem Hellers; Willow Street; Conestoga; 1898-1906 Salem Hellers. Gerhard served as stated Clerk of the Lancaster Classis 1869-1906; President of Eastern Synod 1898; Secretary of the Franklin and Marshall College Alumni Association 1879-1906; President of the Lancaster Bible Society; Director of the Lancaster General Hospital. F & M College conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1904. He was the author of "Fifty Years of Lancaster Classis" (1902) and "The History of the New Holland Charge" (1877) in addition to articles in the "Reformed Church Review", "Messenger", and other church papers and magazines. In 1872 he married Mary C. Geise and together they had five children: Rev. Paul Gerhard, missionary to Japan; Mary E. Gerhard, missionary to Japan; Rev. William S. Gerhard; and two sons who were physicians. Rev. Gerhard's brother, Calvin Seibert Gerhard was a Reformed church minister and his sister, Mary was married to Reformed Church minister, Rev. Daniel Clinton Tobias (1842-1891). Mary Emma Gerhard was born on February 11, 1878 to Rev. Darius William and Mary C. Gerhard at New Holland, PA. She was a graduate of Lancaster High School in 1895 and of the Woman's College (now Hood College) at Frederick, Maryland in 1899. She also studied at the Teacher's College of Columbia University, the Kennedy School of Missions, and Hartford Seminary. She taught three years in the Lancaster County schools and two years at Hood College. On May 17, 1905 she was appointed to teach English at North Japan College (now Tohoku Gakuin) as a missionary of the Reformed Church. She also taught Bible in private classes and at the College. After leaving the mission field in 1941, Miss Gerhard lived in Lancaster, PA. until September 27, 1951 when she moved to Phoebe Home. In 1961, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Tohoku Gakuin, the college flew her to Japan and recognized her contributions to the life of the school during she was honored with the highest civilian award in Japan, the Imperial Decoration of the Order of the Sacred Treasure. Miss Gerhard was an active member of Salem Hellers Reformed Church; member of the Lancaster YWCA; the Inter-racial Council of the Lancaster Council of Church Women. She died December 21, 1963. Paul Lambert Gerhard was born July 4, 1873, in New Holland, PA. to Rev. Darius William Gerhard and Mary Clara (Geise) Gerhard. Graduated from Lancaster High School and Franklin and Marshall College (AB Degree, 1894; AM Degree 1899). Taught for 1 year at New Holland High School. Graduated from Lancaster Theological Seminary, 1902. He married Laura Blanche Ault on October 8, 1902. On October 13, 1896, he was appointed a missionary to Japan, where he taught English Literature and Bible at North Japan College (Tohoku Gakuin) in Sendai, where he also served on the Board of Trustees and as College Treasurer. After retirement in 1939, he served as Assistant Pastor of First E&R Church in Los Angeles and did work among Chinese-American evacuees in the United States relocation centers. He died July 2, 1948. Robert Hassler Gerhard was born June 27, 1904, in Tokyo, Japan, the son of Paul Lambert Gerhard and Laura Blanche (Ault) Gerhard. A graduate of Franklin and Marshall College, 1927 and Ohio State University, 1932. From 1926-1928 he taught English at Ephrata High School and from 1928-1931, he taught English at North Japan College in Sendai. He married Helen I. Weed in 1932 and together they adopted a son Mikio Michael. He resumed his teaching post at North Japan College in 1933, as Assistant Professor of English and Phonetics. In 1938, he studied at University College in London and the University of London, from which he received 1st Class Certificate and won the Laura Soames Prize in Phonetics. Returning to North Japan College, he was Professor of Phonetics and acting chairman of the Department of English. In 1941, he published "Handbook of English and American Sounds." After the outbreak of World War II, he was interned by the Japanese for six months and was repatriated to the United States in 1942. During the war years, he taught Japanese and speech at Ohio State University from which, in 1945, he received a PhD. and became Assistant Professor in the Department of Speech, and conducted seminars on church music. After the war, he returned to Japan to head the Department of Speech at North Japan College, where he remained until called to organize the Language Program at International Christian University in Tokyo. He died April 15, 1963. William Seibert Gerhard was born August 20, 1881 in New Holland, Pennsylvania, to Darius William and Mary Clara (Geise) Gerhard. He graduated from Lancaster High School in 1897, graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in 1903, and from Lancaster Theological Seminary in 1909. Licensed by Lancaster Classis, May 13, 1909 and ordained August 29, 1909. Pastorates: Orangeville Charge, Columbia County, Pennsylvania (August 29, 1909-June 1, 1914); Jefferson Charge, Federick County, Maryland (June 1, 1914-January 1, 1919); East Petersburg, Lancaster County (3 churches, January 1, 1919-December 1, 1923); Freeburg Charge, Columbia County, (6 churches, December 1, 1923-July 15, 1930); Bethel Bear Creek Charge, Mount Pleasant, North Carolina (3 churches, July 15, 1930-June 1, 1941); St. John's Reformed, Middlebrook, Virginia (June 1, 1941-September 1, 1951). While at Mt. Pleasant, NC, he was Professor of Latin and Bible at Mount Pleasant Collegiate Institute. He was active in the work of YMCA, PTA, The Grange, and State Temperance League. He published numerous poems in "The Messenger" and local newspapers and wrote a hymn based on John 15:8. After retirement in 1951, he supplied a number of vacant churches and was appointed Historian of the Lancaster Synod. He married Jessie C. Fleckenstine on June 3, 1912, with whom he had 3 children: Mary Ruth, Sarah Elizabeth, and Darius William. Calvin Seibert Gerhard was born October 3, 1845 near Kintnersville, Pennsylvania, to William Trautman and Elizabeth (Seibert) Gerhard. He graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in 1865, taught 2 years first as Principal of the Fayetteville Academy and subsequently as Principal of Oley Academy. He then entered Lancaster Theological Seminary, graduating in 1870, licensed by Lancaster Classis May 21, 1870 and ordained by East Susquehanna Classis October 4, 1870. His pastorates include: First Reformed Church, Sunbury, Pennsylvania (1870-1879); Trinity Reformed Church, Columbia (1879-1883); St. Stephen's Reformed Church, Reading (1883-1902) which he organized. He published numerous articles in "The Mercersburg Review," "Reformed Quarterly Review," and "Reformed Church Review," as well as "The Messenger." In 1895, he published "Death and the Resurrection." In addition to pastoral duties, he served as a member of the Reading School Board (1885-1888), one of the organizers and first President of the Sunday School Board of the Reformed Church, member of the Board of Home Missions, President of the Eastern Synod (1891), President of General Synod (1899). Franklin and Marshall College granted him the honorary degree Doctor of Divinity in 1891. He was married to Emma Elizabeth Glase, Ocotober 12, 1871, with whom he had Rev. William Glase Gerhard and John M. Gerhard, who both preceeded him in death, and Charles H. and Bruce Gerhard. William Glase Gerhard was born in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, July 17, 1872, to Calvin Seibert and Emma Elizabeth (Glase) Gerhard. He graduated from high school in Reading, Pennsylvania, 1890; Franklin and Marshall College, 1893; Lancaster Theological Seminary, 1897. He was licensed by the Reading Classis, May 17, 1897 and ordained by the Lancaster Classis, May 27, 1897. His pastorates include: Hummelstown Charge (1897-1898); St. John's Reformed, Philadelphia (1898-1901). He died July 22, 1901. He was not married and had no children.