Guest post by Bernhard
Henry Weber has a special place in Watch Tower
history. He was a director of the WTBTS from 11 April 1892 until his death on 21
January 1904 (a total of 11 years and 9 months). On Saturday, 6 January 1894 he
succeeded Rose Ball as Vice President of the WTBTS, a position he retained
until his death.
Henry’s German name was Heinrich, and he was born on 3
June 1835 in Klein Seelheim (Hessen), Germany. He married Katherine (Katherina) Schultz (Schutz) in 1866. She lived from Feb.1846-1929.
The couple had eleven children. The names of ten are known:
Mary Weber 1866-1954
William Weber 1869-1935
Elizabeth Weber 1871-1960
Katherine Weber 1873-1960
George B. Weber 1875-1958
Diana Weber 1877-1971
Edith L. Weber 1879-1970
John W. Weber 1882-
?
Walter Franklin Weber 1884-1910
Ralph Enoch Weber 1887-1981
As so often happens with historical research, some of his
children lived until quite recent times, but the opportunity to ask them about
their father’s religious activities is alas, gone.
This article will address his secular history first
and then his association with CTR.
Secular history
Weber was a horticulturist, and most of the material
that follows is taken from The American Carnation – How to Grow It; Illustrated;
by Charles Willis Ward –1903; pp. 273-274.
Henry’s father, John (Johann) Weber, was a farmer who
died at the age of sixty-three. Henry Weber attended Government schools until
he was fourteen years old, when he was apprenticed to a florist, and a few years
thereafter was made foreman of his employer’s gardens and greenhouses. At
nineteen years of age he entered the British Army, serving during the Crimean
War. During his ten years’ service in the British Army he was stationed at
various points in Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
In 1865 he decided to come to America, and with his
brother John, who had preceded him, embarked in general farming and market
gardening, at Mount Savage, Allegheny Co., Maryland. At the end of five years
he sold his interest to his brother, and removed to Cumberland, Maryland, where
he established a general market gardening and florist business. In 1879, he bought a tract of land in Garrett
County, adjoining the town of Oakland, where he established a florist business
specialising in carnations. He became an active member of The American
Carnation Society, The Society of American Florists, and other organizations.
(Another source states that he was Vice President of the American Carnation
Society in 1901).
Shortly after that account was published, Henry died
in 1904. His business, H Weber and Sons Co. was directed after his death by son
William (1869-1935). The Smithsonian Institute has a collection of business
records for the company, which operated up until 1978 when the remaining greenhouses
were torn down.
Bible Student history
According to the funeral discourse given by CTR when
Henry Weber died, his religious background had first been as an active
Episcopalian and Y.M.C.A. worker, before “he was counted of the Lord worthy to
know of Present Truth.”
In ZWT for 1 June 1901 pages 190-191 (reprints page
2828) Edna Mary Hammond of Maryland relates how she came to understand “the
truth.” She writes to CTR:
I was a very small child (10 years) when your publications were first
introduced into our family, through the kindness of Mr Henry Weber, of Oakland,
who was then my brother’s Sunday School teacher, and whose name I cannot
mention without the sincerest gratitude.
Edna Mary Hammond’s details can be found on Find a
Grave. She was born in 1873 and died in 1941. Her younger sister Lulu’s details
(1882-1976) state that she was a Jehovah’s Witness.
So if Edna Mary was born in 1873, we would find Henry
Weber circulating Bible Student publications in 1883. Edna Mary’s letter
specifically singles out Food for Thinking Christians.
Henry’s name first appears in ZWT in 1887. He gave a
donation to assist in the distribution of ARP tracts. From ZWT December 1887
page 8 (reprints page 989).
The March 1889 ZWT page 7 (reprints page 1108) carried
a letter from Henry in which he described his colporteur experiences, selling
109 books in a little over four days, and expressing how he wished he could
give his entire time to “this blessed work.” The letter is prefaced with a comment
from CTR that gives a bit more of his background.
[The following is from
Brother Weber of Maryland. Though a florist and gardener on a large scale, he
is not seeking worldly prominence or wealth, but divine approval and heavenly
riches. To do this he uses his garden, hot-houses, etc., as ways and means for
honoring the Lord by spreading the truth. He is out as much as possible in the
"harvest" field selling DAWN Vol. I. A man of keen business judgment
and good address, he enlists his best endeavors in this highest service-- the
service of God—and we believe is laying up treasure in heaven.--EDITOR.]
ZWT for 15 January 1893, page 31 (omitted in reprints) contains another letter
describing Henry’s experiences and expressing regret that, unlike others, he
can’t give his “entire time to this great work.”
In the special edition of ZWT for 25 April 1894, Henry Weber features
quite prominently. On pages 17-19 he
actively supported CTR in the controversy involving Elmer Bryan and J B Adamson.
Henry personally met with both men, the latter together with CTR, to try and
resolve the problems. It got messy. Adamson wanted to get the Dawn colporteurs
to sell his own publication, using the Old Theology and WTBTS mastheads, but
without informing CTR. He complained about the expense he had already incurred
and Weber offered to compensate him out of his own pocket. Adamson then publicly
accused CTR’s “spokesman” of trying to buy him off. And on it went.
From page 40 onwards, when Elmer Bryan made his list of accusations
against CTR, Henry Weber and M M Tuttle were asked by him to be present when
the charges were put to CTR. They supported CTR on every point in the dispute.
One incidental that came out from the discussion was that it was Henry Weber,
and not CTR, who had used his contacts to organize special railroad rates for
colporteurs, which was not fraud but open and above board.
In ZWT 15 December 1894 page 393 (reprints page 1746) Weber is mentioned
in a list of names of those business people who were current sharing in
part-time colporteur work.
In the 1890s, meetings were held at the Weber home. A letter from Henry
Weber in ZWT 1 May 1895 page 112 (omitted in reprints) said in part:
DEAR BRO. RUSSELL:--At the
request of the Church at Philadelphia, I met with them, after making
arrangements with Bros. Gillis and Jackson to be with the little company at our
house. At 2 P.M. we met to consider the subject of baptism, and at 4 P.M. we
adjourned for this service to a small church building kindly put at our disposal.
Four brethren and six sisters symbolized by water the burial of their wills
into the will of their Redeemer and Lord. Between forty and fifty participated
in the Memorial service, which was preceded by a praise and testimony meeting.
A further letter in ZWT 15 April 1896 page 87 (reprints page 1966) from
Henry Weber spoke of a little company meeting at his house in Oakland to
celebrate the Lord’s last Memorial supper. There were seven partakers. This suggests
that this was quite a small gathering on this occasion.
Henry had a new house built c. 1898 called Seelheim, and it was probably
here that a small convention was held in 1901. J.H. Bohnet attended and sent in
his report as published in ZWT 15 September 1901, page 301 (omitted in
reprints):
Dear Brother Russell:--To my
mind the Oakland convention is the best I ever attended, due perhaps in some
degree to the fact that it was in the country, amid nature's surroundings,
God's own handiwork, instead of being in a city; and again, due largely to the fact
that it was at Bro. Weber's home. We have much to be thankful for to the family
who did so well by us all, and to the Lord be the praise for his "goodness
and mercy (which) shall follow us all the days of our life." I cannot find
words to express my gratitude in having been privileged to assemble with those
of like precious faith on this blessed occasion…… Your brother in hope, J. A.
Bohnet,--Washington.
A letter from A N Pierson in ZWT 15 October 1901, page 335 (reprints
page 2897) to Henry Weber was published with Pierson’s permission, in which he
thanked Weber for his hospitality at this same gathering.
“I...ask you to extend my
thanks to dear Mrs Weber and the girls for all their work of labor and love,
also to the boys that were kept so busy.”
Pierson met CTR at the Weber home. He would later briefly become another
WTBTS Vice President. Like Weber he ran a horticultural business.
Henry Weber’s house – built c. 1898
Henry died in early 1904, and CTR travelled to his home to conduct the
funeral service. The funeral report was in ZWT 1 February 1904 page 36
(reprints page 3314):
The report read (in part):
ENTERED INTO HIS REST.
PILGRIM Brother Henry Weber
has passed beyond the vail, to be forever with the Lord. We rejoice on his
behalf. He finished his earthly course on Thursday, January 21st, at 2.15 p.m.,
at his home --Oakland, Md.--and was buried on Saturday, the 23rd. A large
gathering, composed of his family, friends and neighbors, was addressed by the
Editor of this journal....Brother Weber left a very interesting family--his
wife and one of his sons being confessors of the Lord and his Truth. For the
remainder of the family we have strong hopes that the good influence of the
father's character in daily life may be still stronger with them since his
death – drawing them also to full consecration to the same Savior and his
"reasonable service."
Henry was buried in the Weber Family Cemetery, Oakland, Garrett County,
Maryland, USA. His wife, Katherine, was laid to rest beside him 25 years later.
The cemetery is still in use for Weber descendants.
This photograph from the Weber family cemetery shows
the headstone for Katherine Weber nearest the camera. It is most likely that
Henry’s stone is the one next to her.
(Some additional material researched by Jerome)
"On Saturday, 6 January 1894 he succeeded Rose Ball as Vice President of the WTBTS, a position he retained until his death" -
ReplyDelete"C. T. Russell (President), Henry Weber (Vice President), Maria F. Russell (secretary-treasurer), W.C. McMillan, J.B. Adamson, Simon O. Blunden, Rose J. Ball." (The Watchtower, special edition, April 25, 1894 p. 56).
Is there any confirmation that Rose Ball was the vice president?
F. Zydek wrote that in 1893 the vice-president was Charlie, Rose Ball's brother (p. 154, Polish edition). But B. Schulz wrote that he died in 1889.
ReplyDeleteCharles Ball certainly died in 1889. To see his death certificate, newspaper notice of death and also his grave marker, see this post:
ReplyDeletehttps://jeromehistory.blogspot.com/2020/06/rose-and-charles-ball_4.html
Zydek's book is very inaccurate in places. I may reprint my review of it at some time.
Any confirmation that Rose Ball was the vice president? Not that can currently be shared, alas. However, your comment gives the reference that shows she was a Society director at one time.
ReplyDelete