John S. Krentz: A Childhood Photo

My grandfather, John Samuel Krentz, was the youngest of eight children born to his father's second wife. John grew up in Reynolds, White County, Indiana, where he attended the German Lutheran school.

John's daughter Marlys has possession of his old German Bible. John was still in his teens when he left Indiana and began his life in North Dakota. He brought this Bible with him. Due to its age, it's in very poor condition now.


A page from this Bible is part of the montage at the top of this post, as is John's class picture from 1903.

German Lutheran School, Reynolds, Indiana - 1903
(click to enlarge)

This class photograph was included (see p. 62-63) in History of St. James Lutheran Church, a book by Harold B. Dodge which was published in Reynolds in 2002. In the rows of boys standing at the back, John is the second child in front of the window on the left. Mr. Dodge identified everyone in the picture:

Front row, left to right: Andrew Rieken, William Werner, John Kilgas, William Quade, Robert Ruemler, Walter Kilgas, Edward Werner, John Ruemler, Clemens Heimlich, Fred Heimlich, Edwin Heimlich.

Second row: Carl Dahling, Clara Schroeder Buss, Ida Dahlenburg Cravens, Carrie Heimlich, Ruth Werner Fritch, Lena Schroeder Hague, Louise Buss Ruemler, Frieda Heimlich, Helen Kraud Spencer, Louise Krueger, Clara Schroeder Dodge Bowen, Elsie Wandrei.

Third row: Dora Hintzman Lemon, Emma Werner, Minnie Schroeder Williams, Sadie Rieken Huge, Erna Lange Westfall, Henrietta Westfall, Hilda Heimlich, Pauline Wiese, Minnie Buss, Emma Straub, Herman Quade.

Fourth row: Walter Heimlich, John Krintz, Emil Zarse, Fred Fastnow, John Quade, Carl Dahlenburg, Herbert Buss, John Fastnow, Louis Heimlich, Albert Werner, Carl Ruemler.

Fifth row: Herman Zarse, Robert Zarse, Albert Westfall, Robert Wiese, Ben Wiese, George Dahlenburg, Fred Erdmann, Herbert Straub.

Teacher: Albert L. R. Sieving. (Mr. Sieving, a graduate of Concordia Teachers College, taught from September 1900 until the summer of 1905.)

(As a point of interest, several of the surnames above appear in our extended family tree.)

My copy of this photo is not the best, as it was made from a scan of the image as it appears in Mr. Dodge's book. I haven't had access to the original photograph. Still, I'm glad to have it. I don't know of any other childhood photos of John.

You're welcome to download a copy of this or any photo appearing in Before My Time. Instructions for downloading appear at the bottom of the page.