Today was Fast and Testimony Meeting in my ward and near the end of the meeting it was all I could do to keep from laughing out loud. A little 8 year old girl walked up to the pulpit and said with an air of sincerity in her voice, "I want to bury my testimony...."
I thought I would share some information about George Adam Linnebach, father of my Grandpa Joe Bush (Arthur Phillip Linnebach) and Grandma's (Lois Fae Linnebach) grandpa. What a great man!!! He was born in 1873 in Heidelberg, Germany. His father was a farmer and part-time employee for the railroad. In his teens he went to school to become a machinist. Several years later he went into the army for two years, something that was required of all young men. While serving he became friends with Heinrich Kirschenlohr. When they both got out of the service, George went to visit Heinrich who was not home. Instead, he met Heinrich's sister, Anna. It was love at first sight. They were married in 1899. They began a family which totaled four children by 1907. A year after their wedding, George and Anna met missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and were soon baptised. They became active members of the Karlsruh Branch. At that time in church history, new converts were encouraged to join the Saints in Salt Lake City. George and his family heeded to call, sold all they had and left for America in 1907, arriving at Ellis Island on 23 April 1907. Grandpa Joe Bush was 7 years old at the time. Three days later they arrived in Salt Lake City. None of them spoke English. No job. No place to live. But the one thing that George did have was faith. He knew he was heeding the admonition of the Lord's prophet and that the Lord would take care of him. To make a long story short, the Lord provided.
Below is part of George Adam Linnebach's autobiography:
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MY LIFE'S RECORD
(written, typed and edited by George Adam
Linnebach) ..... (Copied from his typed record)
l, George Adam Linnebach, was born on the 30th day of August 1873 in Muckenloch, (Heidelberg), Baden Germany. My parents were George Heinrich Linnebach and Johann Marie Vorholser Linnebach, of the same place. I was reared, in this small village and went to the Public school for seven years.
As my parents made their living through farming, I helped them after school and during the summer. My father also worked for the railroad.
When I was 13 years old, my parents moved to Neckargemund and it was here that t graduated from the Public School. For the next three years from April 1888 to April 1891 , I went to Heidelberg to learn a trade as machinist. During this time I also went to business school. After that I worked and traveled all over Germany until 1895 when I had to go into the German army for two years. I would like to mention that during this period from .1891 to 1895, l was kind of wild- - loved to drink, smoke, have a good time, etc. The two years in the army did. me a lot of good and I became a fine young man.
After my release from the army, I worked again at the same job where I worked, before army duty in Meckerheim. One Sunday afternoon I decided to visit a friend of mine, Heinrich Kirschenlohr, who was with me in the army. He lived in Hoffenheim, about a forty minute walk from where I worked. After I arrived in this little town I noticed three good looking girls standing in front of the second house so I asked them if they knew where my friend lived. lt happened that two of these girls a were the sisters of my friend. They told me that their brother was in another town, so we talked for a while and we talked for a while and then I left to my home.
I liked the Sisters of my friend very much so I decided to visit him again. This time he was home and so were his sisters who invited me to stay for dinner and we had a good time. They accompanied me a little ways on my homeward walk which we all enjoyed. I held Anna's hand and pressed it hard at parting and looked into her eyes. Yes, this was the girl who later became my beloved wife.
During my second year in the army, I made an application for a job with the railroad. ln the spring of 1898 I received word from them that employment was available for me at Karlaruhe and I was glad for this opportunity, but I didn't want to be so far away (fifty miles) from my girl who was now my sweetheart. Hovever, her father was glad as he hoped that this separation would keep Anna from marrying me. Her mother died at childbirth September 9, 1897, leaving an infant brother Adolph, and Anna being the oldest girl, took care of her father's household and the baby. Of course we wrote letters and I visited her occasionally, and we were married in the Lutheran Church May 30, 1899. We loved each other, and worked together to establish a home. I had a steady job with the railroad as a locomotive fireman, which I liked. lt was our desire to fulfill the Lord's commandment to be fruitful and to multiply the earth so we were very happy when on the 3rd of April 1900, our first child, a son, Arthur, was born.
The year 1900 was a blessed one for us as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ came to our door my wife was at home and when these two missionaries told her that they were from Salt Luke City, her mind immediately went back to her school days and a geography lesson about Utah and the Great Salt Lake. Her school teacher told her that a God-- fearing people lived, near this great lake, that they had built a beautiful city in the desert. She invited them in and they talked about the restoration of the Gospel, and when I returned home from work she told me about them and the wonderful news of our Heavenly Father speaking to the Prophet Joseph Smith.
We invited the missionaries often to our home for dinner, followed by Gospel discussions and we had a blessed time together. As the Lord says that His sheep will hear His voice, we hearkened and were baptized on the 1sth day of October 1900 by Elder Fred Pfost. lt was a hard test for me to live the Word of wisdom as I liked, tobacco and beer and, wine. With the help of the Lord I was able to quit tobacco entirely but I did drink a glass of beer or wine once in awhile. I lost 15 pounds after I quit drinking but was blessed with greater strength and health and could do my work better. Of course persecution came after we joined the church and our friends turned into enemies but, the Lord blessed us with wisdom so that we could defend ourselves and bear our testimony and we never regretted that we had joined the true church. On the 12th of June 1901 , our second child was born and we gave her the name of Karoline Elise.
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Will include the second half of his autobiograph next week. Also, it is because of George and Anna Linnebach that we open presents on Christmas Eve.
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| George Adam Linnebach |
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| George Adam Linnebach Military Unit |
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| Ellis Island Record (a similar certificate exists for the whole family) |
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| The Chemitz, the ship that brought them to America |
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