Guide to the Diaries of the Rev. Frederick H. Krecker
Prepared by Randy Porges, Student Assistant and L. Dale Patterson,
Archivist.
United Methodist Archives and History Center
General
Commission on Archives and History, Madison, New Jersey
12/4/2006
Overview of Records
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| Record Creator: |
Krecker, Frederick H. |
| Title: |
Diaries of the Rev. Frederick H.
Krecker |
| Dates: |
1838-
1888 |
| Extent: |
0.5 cubic feet |
| Resource ID:
|
gcah.ms.4632 |
Biographical Note
The subject was the
third child of John Philip Krecker and Margaret (Dischinger) Krecker. He was born on May 31, 1816
in Philadelphia. Krecker was married twice, first to Isabella Weidenoyer (1819-1876), and then to
Salina Schultz for the last six years of his life. He fathered seven children, five of whom
survived to adulthood.
Rev. Krecker's life work was as an itinerant pastor who was converted
into the Evangelical belief around the age of sixteen. He began preaching in 1837 in both German
and English, continuing for almost fifty years mostly in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania.. His
personal diaries mention his travels in service to his church in the following towns: Bethlehem;
1850-52, Fairville; 1866, Hazelton; 1875, Orwigsburgh; 1887-89. All were in eastern Pennsylvania.
He was deceased on Dec. 27, 1889 and buried in Cressona, Pennsylvania. "Hallelulah" was the last
word he uttered.
Scope Note
The diaries of the Reverend
Frederick Krecker cover a span of almost fifty years (1838-1886). There are twenty-five (25)
individual volumes. The reveal in a very personal manner the lifetime experiences of an itinerant
evangelical preacher in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley. Among the topics discussed are the
conversion numbers of prospective new members to his congregations; a highly detailed record of
the seasonal weather paterns; a recounting of the challenges in traveling from one samll town to
another on very basic roads in the worst of weather conditions, as well as a heartfelt description
of the uttler loneliness he must cope with in his service to God.
The earliest volumes in
these journals were written in German, but Krecker switched to English when his wife, Isabella,
complained to him that she could not read German, their native language, well enough to
comprehend his writings. The English use started in the sixth volume in 1848.
The diaries
of Krecker record the ordinary work of an itinerant preacher who pastors to his congregations and
the experiences of life in mid 19th century Pennsylvania in a way not too dissimilar to many of
his contemporaries.
Arrangement
Materials have been arranged in the following manner.
The diaries are arranged
by date.
Preferred Citation
When citing material
from this collection please use the following format: Direct reference to the item or its file
folder, Diaries of the Reverend Frederick Krecker, United Methodist Church Archives - GCAH,
Madison, New Jersey. Do not make use of the item's call number as that is not a stable
descriptor
Access Restrictions
There are no
access restrictions regarding these papers
Restrictions on Use
Detailed use
restrictions relating to our collections can be requested from the office of the archivist at the
General Commission on Archives and History. Photocopying is handled by the staff and may be
limited in certain instances. Before using any material for publication from this collection a
formal request for permission to publish is expected and required.
Related Material
See "The Years of
My Parents" by the Rev. Frederick H. Krecker (1843-1883). He was their son and a missionary to
Japan. This paper is part of the Archival Reference Collection.
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Subject Terms |
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Subject Names - Corporate |
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Evangelical
Association of North America |
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Subject Topics |
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Church meetings |
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Circuit riders |
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Civil War |
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Immigrants |
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Ministry |
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Pastoral Care. |
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Clergy |
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Subject Geographic |
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Pennsylvania. |
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Genre |
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Diaries. |
| Call Number |
Folder Title |
Date(s) |
| 1602-2-1:
1 |
Diary 6/16/1838-12/23/1839 volume 2 (German) |
1838-1839 |
| 1602-2-1:
2 |
Diary 12/24/1839-2/17/1842 volume 3 (German) |
1839-1842 |
| 1602-2-1:
3 |
Diary 2/28/1842-10/23/1845 volume 4 (German) |
1842-1845 |
| 1602-2-1:
4 |
Diary 10/24/1845-8/9/1848 volume 5 (German) |
1845-1848 |
| 1602-2-1:
5 |
Diary 8/10/1848-1/12/1852 volume 6 |
1848-1852 |
| 1602-2-1:
6 |
Diary 1/12/1852-3/31/1856 volume 7 |
1852-1856 |
| 1602-2-2:
1 |
Diary 4/4/1856-10/18/1862 volume 8 |
1856-1862 |
| 1602-2-2:
2 |
Diary 11/1/1862-9/16/1863 volume 9 |
1862-1863 |
| 1602-2-2:
3 |
Diary 1/1/1863-12/22/1863 volume 10 |
1863 |
| 1602-2-2:
4 |
Diary 1/1/1864-12/31/1864 volume 11 |
1864 |
| 1602-2-2:
5 |
Diary 1/1/1868-12/3/1868 volume 12 |
1868 |
| 1602-2-2:
6 |
Diary 1/1/1874-12/31/1874 volume 13 |
1874 |
| 1602-2-2:
7 |
Diary 1/1/1875-12/31/1875 volume 14 |
1875 |
| 1602-2-3:
1 |
Diary 1/1/1876-12/31/1876 volume 15 |
1876 |
| 1602-2-3:
2 |
Diary 1/1/1877-12/31/1877 volume 16 |
1877 |
| 1602-2-3:
3 |
Diary 1/1/1878-12/31/1878 volume 17 |
1878 |
| 1602-2-3:
4 |
Diary 1/1/1880-12/31/1880 volume 18 |
1880 |
| 1602-2-3:
5 |
Diary 1/19/1882-12/31/1882 volume 20 |
1882 |
| 1602-2-3:
6 |
Diary 1/1/1883-12/31/1883 volume 21 |
1883 |
| 1602-2-3:
7 |
Diary 1/19/1881-12/31/1881 volume 19 |
1881 |
| 1602-2-3:
8 |
Diary 1/1/1884-12/31/1884 volume 22 |
1884 |
| 1602-2-4:
1 |
Diary 2/19/1885-12/31/1885 volume 23 |
1885 |
| 1602-2-4:
2 |
Diary 1/1/1886-2/10/1886 volume 24 |
1886 |
| 1602-2-4:
3 |
Diary 2/26/1886-4/7/1888 volume 25 |
1886-1888 |
