Gottshall, William Shelly (1865-1941)

Christlicher Bundesbote obituary: 1941 Mar 25 p. 11

Birth date: 1865 Jun 23

text of obituary:

Aelt. William S. Gottshall, Sohn von Pred. Moses und Mary Shelly Gottshall, wurde geboren nahe Schwenksville, Pa. am 23 Juni, 1865. Früh im Leben folgte er dem Rufe seines Herrn und ward von seinem Vater getauft und in die Gemeinde aufgenommen. Seine Fähigkeiten und sein Interesse an der Sache Christi führte dazu, daß er als Gehilfe seines Vaters gerufen und schon als er 19 Jahre alt war im November 1884 als Prediger, und als er 21 Jahre alt war als Aeltester ordiniert wurde. Am 22. Sept., 1886 heiratete er Nancy K. von Nieda, Bowmansville, Pa., und es wurden ihnen folgende Kinder geboren: Aaron Elmer, Chevey Chase, D. C. [sic Chevy Chase, Maryland] ; Jennie May Boehr, die am 4. März 1936 starb; Flora Geiger, East Cleveland, Ohio; Paul Herbert, Wilmington, Delaware; und Hannah Alieda, die klein starb. Am 27. Mai, 1939 wurde seine treue Lebensgefährtin von seiner Seite heimgerufen. Da der Jüngling das Bedürfnis für weitere Schulbildung verspürte, besuchte er nach der Volksschule die Perkiomen Vorbereitungsschule, Pennsburg, Pa., dann Ursinus College, Collegeville, Pa., wo er dann graduierte von der Theologischen Abteilung dieser Schule in 1889. Als Pastor hat er im Segen gedient wie folgt: Schwenksville, 1884-1905, welches damals auch Eden, Schwenksville, Bertolets, Pottstown und Boyertown umfaßte; 1905-1909 Allentown-Upper Milford; 1909-1924 übernahm er die Schweizergemeinden bei Bluffton, Ohio, nämlich First Mennonite, und Ebenezer und bei Pandore [sic Pandora] St. Johannes; Von 1923-1930 diente er der Salem Gemeinde bei Freeman, S. Dak., und dann von 1930-1938 diente er der East Swamp Mennonitengemeinde bei Quakertown, Pa., wo er, nachdem seine Gesundheit versagte, zum Ehrenältesten gemacht wurde. In der Konferenzarbeit war der Heimgerufene ausnahmsweise lange Zeit sehr tätig. In der Oestlichen wie auch in der Nördlichen Distirikt [sic Distrikt]-Konferenz hatte er verschiedene Aemter inne, und in der Allgemeinen Konferenz war er drei Jahre Glied der Aeußern Missionsbehörde und dann 42 Jahre (1896-1938) Glied der Behörde für Innere Mission, 12 Jahre als Schreiber, 22 Jahre als Vorsitzer und ein Amt war für ihn auch immer zugleich eine Aufgabe, die er sich redlich bemühte zu lösen. Er war ein packender Redner und Bibelausleger und Gemeinden riefen ihn gerne um erweckliche Versammlungen und Bibelvorträge zu halten. Als er den 3 Gemeinden bei Bluffton, Ohio, diente, gab er auch in 1921 eine kurzgefaßte “Mennonite History” heraus, die er “Hausehold Edition” nannte. Zu diesem Heft von 84 Seiten hat Dr. C. Henry Smith die Vorrede geschrieben. Viele Prediger wurden durch den Heimgerufenen ordiniert. Er predigte in beiden Sprachen und tat es mit Freuden, und schrieb eine gute Hand. Im Herbst 1939 ward er nach dem Heim seiner Tochter, Frau Homer Geiger, East Cleveland, Ohio, gebracht, wo er die zarteste Pflege erhielt bis ihn der Herr früh am 3. März 1941 im Alter von 75 J. 8 M. und 10 Tagen vom Glauben zum Schauen zu sich rief. Bei der Begräbnisfeier am 7. März in der Eden Mennonitenkirche, Schwenksville, Pa., dienten die Prediger A. J. Neuenschwander und Freeman H. Swartz, und die Leiche wurde auf dem Eden Friedhof begraben. “Glückselig sind die Toten, die im Herrn sterben, von nun an! Ja, — so spricht der Geist, — sie sollen ausruhen von ihren Mühen; denn ihre Werke folgen ihnen nach.” Offb. 14, 13.

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1941 Mar 5 p. 5

text of obituary:

LOCAL NEWS

. . .

— Dr. J. R. Thierstein of North Newton, editor of The Mennonite, received a telegram early this week that Rev. Wm. S. Gottshall, widely known minister of the General Conference, died at East Cleveland, Ohio, during the night of March 2 and 3. Rev. Gottshall had been cared for at the home of his daughter in East Cleveland, where he had been seriously ill and almost speechless for many months. He was much in demand as an evangelist and served also in pastorates in Ohio, Pennsylvania and South Dakota. According to the report, burial is to take place in Pennsylvania.

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1941 Mar 12 p. 1

text of obituary:

FUNERAL FOR W. S. GOTTSHALL HELD AT SCHWENKSVILLE MENNONITE CHURCH

Schwenksville, Pa. — Funeral services for the Rev. W. S. Gottshall, widely known Mennonite minister and evangelist, who passed away in Cleveland, Ohio, were held here at the Eden Mennonite church Friday morning, March 7.

Rev. Gottshall died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. H. H. Geiger in Cleveland on March 2.

In 1934 Rev. Gottshall celebrated the fiftieth anniversary in the active ministry, having been ordained to the ministry in 1884. For many years he has served as president and as secretary of the General Conference Home Mission Board.

Gifted with a strong personality and forceful manner of speech, he was much in demand as an evangelist.

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1941 Apr 2 p. 5

text of obituary:

Rev. William Shelly Gottshall, the son of Rev. Moses and Mary Shelly-Gottshall, was born June 23, 1865, near Schwenksville, Pa. Early in life he responded to the call of Christ and was baptized and admitted into the church by his father. His ability and interest in the Cause of Christ, was noted and he was called to assist his father, who in November, 1884, ordained him, at the age of 19, as minister. His leadership being recognized, he was ordained to the Eldership, at the age of twenty-one.

The marriage to Nancy K. von Nieda, Bowmansville, Pa., was an event of September 22, 1886. Into this union the following children were born: Aaron Elmer, Chevy Chase, D. C.; Jennie May Boehr, died March 4, 1936; Flora Geiger, East Cleveland, Ohio; Paul Herbert, Wilmington, Delaware; Hannah Alieda, died in infancy. On May 27, 1939, his faithful life companion was called from his side in death.

Feeling the need of more than a common school education, he attended Perkiomen Preparatory School, Pennsburg, Pa.; Ursinus College, Collegeville, Pa., and Ursinus Theological Department, where he was graduated in 1889.

Pastoral fields: Pastor Schwenks- [sic Schwenksville] Charge, 1884-1905, including Eden, Schwenksville, Bertolets, Pottstown and Boyerton; Allentown-Upper Milford Charge, 1905-1909; Swiss Mennonite Charge, Bluffton, Ohio, consisting of three churches, First Mennonite and Ebenezer, Bluffton, Ohio, and St. John, Pandora, where he labored 1909-1924; Salem Mennonite church, Freeman, South Dakota, 1924-1930. In 1930 he returned to Pennsylvania, locating in Quakertown, where he assumed the leadership of the East Swamp Mennonite church, until 1938 , when he had to lay down the work on account of failing health. Here he was made Pastor Emeritus, until his end.

Conference activities: Rev. Gottshall was an active and efficient man in conference circles. He held various positions in the respective districts where his churches were located. In the General Conference he served a three year term on the Foreign Mission Board. He was elected to the Home Mission Board in 1896, and remained a member for 42 years. For 22 years of this period he served as Chairman and for 12 years as Secretary.

Rev. Gottshall was widely known as a forceful Bible expositor, and frequently churches asked him to deliver series of Bible lectures. Many ministers in the General Conference and especially those in the Home Mission fields, have been ordained by him. A long and fruitful ministry has come to a close, but while health and strength permitted, Brother Gottshall’s chief joy was “preach the unsearchable riches of Christ.”

In the fall of 1939 he was taken to the home of his daughter, Mrs. Homer Geiger, East Cleveland, Ohio, where he was tenderly cared for until the Lord called him home, early in the morning of March 3rd, bringing his age to 75 years, 8 months and 10 days.

“Servant of god, well done!
      Thy glorious warfare’s past,
The battle’s fought, the race is won,
      And thou art crowned at lat.”

Funeral Service, Friday, March 7, 10:30 a.m., Eden Mennonite church, Schwenksville, Pa., Rev. A. J. Neuenschwander and Rev. Freeman H. Swartz, officiating. Interment at Eden burial ground. — (From The Mennonite.)

The Mennonite obituary: 1941 Mar 11 p. 2

text of obituary:

THE REV. W. S. GOTTSHALL GONE HOME

Late Monday morning, March 3, we received the following telegram from 1989 Nellawood, East Cleveland, Ohio: "Father died last night. Funeral in Pennsylvania. Notice later. Signed, Flora Geiger."

This was from Rev. Gottschall's daughter in whose home her ailing father has been taken care of soon after his retirment [sic] from the ministry. Subsequent information was: The funeral was to take place in the Eden Mennonite Church, Schwenksville, Pa., on Friday, march 7, 1941, at 10:30 a. m. Interment in the cemetery near the church. The departed brought his age to 75 years and a little over nine months.

File:Gottshall william shelly 1941.jpg

Rev. Gottshall began to prewch when he was nineteen years old and continued in the profssion until about two years ago, during a peirod of about fifty-five years. he had several charges in Pennsylvania, served the united Swiss churches in and near Bluffton and Pandora, Ohio, twenty-five years; the Salem mennonite Chruch near Freeman, S. D., six years, and lastly, before his retirment [sic], the Swamp Church, Pa., eight years. He held many positions of trust in our conferences; that for instance, on the Home Mission Board of the General Conference for some forty years, as member, treasurer, secretary, and chairman. He was a man of strong congenial personality; an interesting, convincing speaker, and a powerful champion of the cause of His Master Whom he dearly loved and cheerfully served.

No doubt his obituary will be presented for publication.

— T

The Mennonite obituary: 1941 Mar 25 p. 7