Rev. Samuel Kuhn served as minister of Simeon Reformed Church, Gratz, Dauphin County, from 1889 to 1890. Note: His grave marker is pictured above as no photograph of him was available at the time this post was written.
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Rev. Samuel Kuhn, son of John Kuhn and Elizabeth [Gallatin] Kuhn, was born in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, 14 August 1819. His mother died when he was six years old. He spent his childhood and youth working on his father’s farm, and attending public school. At the age of seventeen, he learned the trade of cabinet making. Through the influence of his pastor, Rev. A. H. Kremer, he was induced to prepare for the ministry. In the spring of 1841, he entered Marshall College, but after a short time he was compelled to leave because of a shortage of funds. He then returned to his trade of cabinet making, and continued his studies privately. In 1850, he presented himself for examination as a candidate for the ministry, and was licensed by Mercersburg Classis, at its annual meeting. He was ordained by the Zion Classis on 1 July 1851, and served as pastor of New Bloomfield, Pennsylvania, until December 1862. From there, he accepted a call to Aaronsburg, and served until April 1867. He was pastor of the Hummelstown, Pennsylvania Charge from 1867 until 1 November 1882. From Hummelstown, he came to the Berrysburg Charge, and served until August 1890.
Local record do not say much about his activities in Simeon Congregation. He is listed as a pastor in 1889 and 1890. But a newspaper stated in June 1889 that Simeon was without a pastor. He left no record of baptisms or communions for his year of service at Simeon’s. He did conduct cornerstone service for the new Salem church building in Elizabethville in August 1883. Other records indicate that he was at Peace Church in Berrysburg from 1882 to 1890. And, he sometimes used his cabinet making skills to do work with the church buildings within his charge.
Frequent changes in the charges help influence Rev. Kuhn to resign from this parish. He went to Liverpool, Perry County, Pennsylvania, and pastored that church until his retirement from the active ministry in 1895. After forty-four years in the pastorate, he moved with his family the Elizabethville to spend the remainder of his life. He died there on 27 October 1897 at the age of seventy-eight. At his funeral service, Rev. J. J. Stauffer preached in German and Rev. J. C. Limbach preached in English. Several other ministers also assisted in the service. He is buried at the Maple Grove Cemetery in Elizabethville and the side marker at his grave is pictured above:
FATHER
The Golden Gates Were Open Wide
A Gentle Voice Said “Come”
And Angels From The Other Side
Welcome Our Loved One Home
Rev. Kuhn and Eleanor Maria Cunningham married on 22 March 1843. Several years after she died, he married Margaret Eckert, 13 March 1877. His second wife and four children survived him.
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A brief biography of Rev. Kuhn appeared in a Gratz history published in 1997.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.