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Eleventh
Generation
96. Rev.
Polycarp Cyprian "PC" HENKEL9 was
born on 20 Aug 1820 in Lincoln County, North Carolina50,51,52,53,54 and
died on 29 Sep 1889 in Conover, Catawba County, North
Carolina.50,55 He
was buried in St. Peter's Lutheran Church Cemetery,
Catawba County, North Carolina.
His obituary appeared as follows:56
Obituary of Rev. Polycarp C. Henkel, D. D.-On the 20th of
August, 1820, was born the oldest son of Rev. David and
Catharine Henkel, in Lincoln County, North Carolina. That
son was the Rev. Polycarp C. Henkel, D. D., who is a
descendant of a long line of distinguished Lutheran
ministers. He inherited very great physical and mental
powers from both his parents.
He was early dedicated to God in Holy Baptism, and was
received into full communion with the Evangelical
Lutheran Church with St. Peter's congregation, Catawba
County, North Carolina, having been catechised by Rev.
Daniel Moser and confirmed by Rev. Adam Miller. On the
5th day of September, 1843, He was married to Rebecca
Fox, of Randolph County, North Carolina, daughter of
David Fox. The issues of this union were two sons and one
daughter. The youngest son preceded his father into the
spirit world. The other son, Hon. David S. Henkel, of New
Market, Virginia, and Mrs. Catharine C. Lail, of Conover,
North Carolina, and his aged widow, survive him, to mourn
their loss.
He died at his late residence in Conover, North Carolina,
on the 26th of September, 1889, after a few days of
intense suffering, at the age of 69 years, 1 month, and 6
days, and was buried at St. Peter's Church, Catawba
County. North Carolina, September 28, 1889. Rev. J. M.
Smith preached the funeral from 2 Tim. 4: 6-8, in the
presence of hundreds of people who came from far and
near. He was followed in brief, appropriate addresses, by
the pall-bearers, Revs. Yoder, Schaid, Koiner, Bernheim,
Little, and Rudisill.
Dr. P. C. Henkel was an extraordinary man, and unique in
his character. He has been so long and so favorably known
in this country, that anything like an attempt at a
sketch of his life, would seem useless; yet we offer
these few lines as a tribute of respect to his memory. As
a husband and father, he was kind and devoted to his wife
and children, anxious for their welfare, both temporal
and spiritual, and supplied them with both precept and
example.
As a neighbor and citizen, he was kind and obliging,
always ready to do a favor, if it were in his power,
frequently disobliging himself and family to oblige
others.
Intellectually, he was a powerful man. He was an original
thinker and a fine logician. He would clinch every
argument, and in debate and controversy was a formidable
antagonist. He would consider well, make up his opinion
deliberately, and when once made up, was very decided. He
was immovable from an opinion which was the result of
long and careful consideration. He would never, for any
consideration, go back on his word. His word was as
sacred to him as a most solemn oath. In his manners he
was humble and unassuming. Humility was manifest in all
his intercourses with his fellow man. Integrity was also
a salient point in his character. He was rigidly honest
and truthful.
As a minister, he was a power. His style of preaching was
expository, plain, and forciful. He entered the
ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the
Tennessee Synod in 1843, having been ordained in Green
County, Tennessee. He preached for forty-six years
without interruption, and wholly in the Tennessee Synod,
except a few years, while in the State of Missouri, where
he led in the organization of the English District of
the Missouri Synod. He labored exceedingly hard in the
vineyard of the Lord. At one time he had pastoral charge
of fifteen congregations. He did an immense amount of
missionary work, traveled thousands of miles, in cold and
heat, and rain and storm, in obedience to the call of the
Master to this work. He never shirked from duty, but was
always punctual, and ready to speak the word of
encouragement to the weak, the word of comfort to the
sorrowing, the word of life to those seeking a knowledge
of the way of life. He was an uncompromising antagonist
of error, and boldly and fearlessly denounced it wherever
he met with it.
As a theologian, he was very profound. His range of study
was broad, and his investigations were intense and
searching, and descended into the very depths of
theological problems, perhaps as far as human mind could
go. His chief text-books were the Bible and the
Confessions of the Lutheran Church. On Dogmatic Theology
he was an acknowledged authority, in the Lutheran Church
in the South, at least.
As a writer, he showed the same originality of character
as in other fields. His ideas were original, and his
style bold and vigorous. His writings are not numerous,
but the treatment of the subjects he handled is
exhaustive. It is to be regretted that he could not
devote more of his time to writing, and thus transmit to
generations to come, the results of his deep researches
in theology.
His influence in all the relations in which we have
mentioned him, as husband and father, as neighbor and
citizen, as a man and as a preacher, and as a theological
writer, was very great. In the Lutheran Church of the
South, he was, perhaps, the greatest man in its history.
He labored hard and made great sacrifices to establish
our school, Concordia College, for the Tennessee Synod,
in which the Word of God should be recognized as a factor
in education, and in which the Bible and Luther's
Catechism should be taught daily. His influence is felt
far beyond the limits of his own Synod, even throughout
the whole Southern Church. He was in the midst of his
earnest labors, both writing and preaching, to raise the
Lutheran Church of the South to a higher plain of
doctrine and practice, when the Master called him to his
reward. Thus ended his work. A good and great man has
fallen.
His biography, as provided by History of the
Evangelical Lutheran Tennessee Synod 55 reads,
as follows:
Date/Place of Birth: August 20. 1820; Lincoln
County, N.C.
Parents: The Reverend David Henkel and Catharine
(Heyle/Hoyle) Henkel. A grandson of the Reverend Paul
Henkel. and older brother of the Reverend Socrates
Henkel.
Spouse/Marriage Date: Rebecca (Fox) Henkel; 1843
in Randolph County, N.C.
Children: The Honorable David S., Catharine C.
(Lail).
Education: Received a D.D. degree.
Ordination: Ordained Deacon 1843 and Pastor 1846
by Tennessee Synod.
Calls: Christ's, Stanley, 1846; Daniel's, Lincoln
County, 1847-55; Friendship, Alexander County. 1847-61;
St. Paul, Newton, 1849-69; St. Stephen, Hickory, 1849-64.
1865-73, 1877-89; Mt. Olive. Hickory, 1889; St. Martin,
Iredell County. 1876-81; Philadelphia, Granite Falls,
1878; St. John, Catawba County, 1843-ff.; Mt. Pleasant,
Watauga County,1880, 1883, 1885. In Missouri, 1870-77
(conflict with some preceding dates), helped to organize
English District of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod;
transferred to it in 1873. Returned to Tennessee Synod
1877 to serve again in North Carolina. Other: One
of founders of Concordia College, Conover, in 1878 and
its President until resigning in 1885 due to failing
health. Secretary 1858, and President 1878, Tennessee
Synod. On Committee to Prepare a Plan for Missionary Work
in Confederate States Army, 1863; on Committee to Submit
a Form for Public Licensing of Men for the Ministry,
1865; on Joint Committee (North Carolina and Tennessee
Synods) to Submit Policy to Prevent Conflicts in Work of
the two Synods, 1882. Note: There is a question as
to whether his proper name was Cyprian Polycarp rather
than Polycarp Cyprian, since he was known universally as
"PC." According to David Henkel's diary the
name was Cyprian Polycarp with "PC." standing
for Poly Carp. There is some confusion because Henkel's
signatures and even his tombstone is inscribed
"PC."
Date of Death/Burial Location: September 26,
1889; St. Peter Church, Catawba County, N.C.
The Reverend P.C. Henkel and his wife, Rebecca, lie
buried at St. Peter's Lutheran Church (Catawba Co.) also
Eleanora Henkel Little Null, Rev. P.C.'s sister. Brother
Cicero Henkel is buried at St. John's Lutheran Church
with his wife, Mary Elnora Little (d/o Jacob Little who
married Elizabeth Bostian).55
Rev. Polycarp Cyprian "PC" HENKEL and
Rebecca FOX were married on 5 Sep 1843. Rebecca
FOX (daughter of David S. FOX and Elizabeth VON
MORETZ) was born on 6 Mar 1819 in Randolph County, North
Carolina.50,51,52,57,58 She
died on 19 Jul 1902 in Catawba County, North Carolina and
was buried in St. Peter's Lutheran Church Cemetery.50 They
had the following children:
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