First Generation

1. Anthony HENKEL¹ was born about 1500 in Germany. The Henkel family line, which includes so many prominent Lutheran ministers, can be traced back to the time of the Reformation and Martin Luther. Count Conrad Henkel von Donnersmarck was a contemporary of many of the sixteenth century reformers. The first Henkel known to have come to America was a pastor, often called "The Pioneer", who arrived in 1717. For more than a century, through some unexplained confusion, "The Pioneer" was supposed to have been named Gerhart. According to the History of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America by Jacobs, one Gerhart Henkel served as pastor of the church at Falkner's Swamp, Pa., prior to 1726. He also preached at St. Michael's Church, Germantown, and probably in Madison Co., Va., before 1720. However, more recent discoveries indicate that "The Pioneer" was really Anthony Jacob Henkel rather than Gerhart. The last will and testament of Anthony Jacob Henkel, found some fifty years ago, names Gerhart Anthony as "my oldest son"; and other mortuary records support this assumption. Another son of Anthony Jacob Henkel was John Justus. He and his wife Christine and their family moved to Rowan Co., N. C., at an early date. In 1760, he left North Carolina and, after several removals, finally located in Pendleton Co., Va., where he died in 1794. His son Jacob had five sons who became Lutheran ministers: John, Joseph, Benjamin, Isaac and Paul. Only Paul, the progenitor of a long line of distinguished Lutheran churchmen, was connected with the work of the North Carolina and Tennessee Synods; and sketches of Henkels found in this volume are limited to his descendants. This group is recognized as having rendered an invaluable service to the Lutheran Church in this country through undeviating support of the historic Lutheran Confessions.

Anthony HENKEL was married to a yet unknown wife and probably had several children.
This line is followed through an individual thought to be: