OBITUARY
Pastor Arthur Paul John Ansorge, the eldest son and child of Pastor John M. Ansorge and his wife, Gertrude Heinke Ansorge, was born April 20, 1908, at Manning, Iowa. This grandson of one of the pioneer Lutheran missionaries in Iowa (his grandfather, B. J. Ansorge, having been pastor at Fort Dodge and Ocheyedan) was baptized at Manning, and it was here that he received his elementary schooling. After his confirmation on Palm Sunday, 1921, he attended the Manning high school for one year and then enrolled in Concordia College, St. Paul, Minn., to prepare for the holy ministry.
The president of his class, he was graduated from this school in 1928. Entering Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo., in the fall of that same year, he continued his ministerial studies and was graduated from this school of the prophets on June 1, 1932. The young ministerial student interrupted his studies during the 1930-31 term to do supply work at Trinity Congregation, Fort Dodge. Prior to his ordination he assisted the pastors at Old Trinity in St. Louis, Trinity Church in Des Moines, and Trinity Congregation near Marcus. There-upon he accepted the call of St. Paul's Congregation near Oakland, Iowa, and was ordained and installed there on April 11, 1937. He served here faithfully for four years and then was called to St. Paul's Congregation of Emmetsburg, where he labored until his untimely departure on Sept. 6, 1949. For several years he served our district as editor of the Iowa District west edition of the LUTHERAN WITNESS.
On July 6, 1939, Pastor Ansorge was united in holy wedlock with Miss Selma Mueller, daughter of Teacher Emeritus and Mrs. E. A. Mueller, of Council Bluffs. This union was blessed with two sons, Charles and Billy.
Survivors, besides his family and parents, include the three brothers, Pastor Karl Ansorge of Porkers Prairie, Minn.; Pastor Max Ansorge of Spirit Lake; Mr. James Ansorge of Des Moines; and the sister, Miss Luella Ansorge of Omaha.
Rev. A. Ansorge, 41, Died in Hospital At
Emmetsburg Tuesday.
September 8, 1949 Manning Monitor
The Rev. Arthur Ansorge, 41, son of Mr. and Mrs. Johann M. (Gertrude) Ansorge of Manning, passed away Tuesday afternoon September 6 in the hospital at Emmetsburg where he had been taken three hours before. Reverend Ansorge had been in ill health for some time.
Word of his passing came as a shock to Manning acquaintances, many of whom did not know the Lutheran minister had been ill.
His parents left here for Emmetsburg Tuesday evening.
Attended School Here
Born in Manning, the Reverend Ansorge attended school here nine years and
enrolled in preparatory high school at St. Paul where he graduated. He then
entered theological seminary at St. Louis, Missouri. After being ordained, his
first church was at Oakland. He was stationed in several other places before
going to Emmetsburg.
Besides his parents, Reverend Ansorge is survived by his wife and two sons: three brothers, the Rev. Carl Ansorge of Slayton, Minnesota; the Rev. Max Ansorge of Spirit Lake; and James of Des Moines; and a sister, Luella, of Omaha.
Funeral services will be held at Emmetsburg Friday morning at 10 a.m. with burial in a Council Bluffs cemetery at 5 p.m. that afternoon.