Always searching for more information about George Conrad
and his life and I discovered this portrait was taken in the photograph studio
of Moritz Emil Vollenweider (d. 1899) and his son, Emil Vollenweider
(1849-1921), at Postgasse 68 in the city of Bern on 24 December 1884. A
conference of the missionaries serving in the Swiss-German Mission of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) convened in the Hotel
Emmentalerhof in Bern on 20 December 1884 under the leadership of European
Mision President John Henry Smith (1848-1911), a member of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles (since 1880).
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George Conrad Naegle second row third man to the right. |
On that same day, David Kunz wrote in his diary: “[… on the
morning of December 20th,] walked [from Niederstocken] to Thun. Got on the
train to Bern. My brother, John, joined me at the station at Thun. As we
arrived in Bern [at the mission office at] 36 Postgasse, we found Apostle John
Henry Smith and several of the Elders there. At 5 P.M. a Priesthood meeting was
appointed where all the elders that were present were called upon to speak
their feelings. Afterwards Apostle Smith spoke to us for about two hours and
gave us some extra good council and told us how to go on and fulfill our
duties.
It was really a time of rejoicing for the elders to meet
again and hear words spoken by one of the Twelve Apostles. I and three more of
the Elders went to Brother [John] Teuscher’s to sleep. John Kunz III’s account
of that day is somewhat similar: “[…] took train to Bern and there the first
Thing we knew met President John Henry Smith one of the twelve Apostels, being
then President over the European Mission. And we all had a good blessed time
for in the same evning Dec. 20 we had a Priesthood Meeting in the English
Languge and all spocke in turns and President Smith give us most exellent
Instructions so that we thought we should never forget them it lasted until 11
p.m.”
Three sessions were held on Sunday, December 21, 1884, at 10
a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. On Monday, the 22nd, general sessions were held at 10
a.m. and 2 p.m.; a conference of the Relief Society was held at 7:30 p.m. that
same evening. John Kunz commented that “The whole of the Conference was a
decided Success, we received lots of good Teachings and the Spirit of God was
there, we all felt to rejoice and to thank God for his Mercy and Blessings.” In
his diary entry on Tuesday, John Kunz wrote: “Dec. 23 was spent in having a Jolly
time counseled all the Time by John Henry. In the Evning we gathered in the
Capacity of a Sonday School Meeting around a nice Christmus tree full of nice
Gifts for the little ones. They done so remarkably well that President Smith
give each of the Boys who Prayed by opening and dismissing a franc, or twenty
cents in U.S. Moneys worth.” On Wednesday, Christmas Eve day, David Kunz
commented: “Had our breakfast there [in the Hotel Emmentalerhof] in the morning
and went down to [the mission office at] 36 Postgasse. About 11 A.M. all the
elders, 14 in number, and Apostle John H. Smith went to Vollenweider’s Gallery
to have our likeness’ taken all in one picture.
As all 15 of us were placed, we were taken once and Mr.
Vollenweider told us to remain in our places. We did so for to be taken again,
but before it could be taken again I fainted and fell to the floor. The
brethren lifted me up and after a few minutes I came to my senses again and was
placed on a chair among the others and our picture was taken. I spent the rest
of that day in the office, also that night I stayed there.” John’s account of
the experience is similar: “Dec. 24 was resolved by all of the Elders from Zion
15 to have each a Group Picture of all of the 15. We contracted and as we where
about to be taken David my Brother fainted a dead faint, we doubted whether he
would come again, but finely he got so we could take them, but later Experience
learned us they where a failure. David I transported to the Officce and got
Sister [Bertha Kunz] Pluess to care for him and went according to apointment in
the Emmenthaler Hof to a Christmus Dinner where 14 of us had a good Time with
an American Plum Pudding, allthough I missed my Brother very much and returned
sooner and found him a great deal improved.
On Christmas day, December 25th, John Kunz III wrote: “a
good many of the Brethren left to their diferent fields of Labor and here I
must state that my Brother David was appointed President of Central Swiss
Conference and myself as such of the Bern conference.” He continued: “Dec. 26,
1884 left Bern and also took leave of my Brother who was told to stay untill
more improoved in his health, this Occasion was a new trial and a hard one to
me, but as I had resolved to Labor and do whatever the Servants of God placed
over me, would advise and apoint me to do, I left all though cryeing and
praying, changing untill my head and eyes requested some stop about it.” This
photograph is the second shot. Front row, left to right: David Kunz
(1855-1916), Assistant Mission Secretary Louis Frederick Moench Sr.
(1846-1916), European Mission President John Henry Smith (1848-1911),
Swiss-German Mission President Frederick William Schoenfeld II (1831-1918),
Mission Secretary Joseph Albert Smith (1844-1926), Thomas Biesinger (1844-1931)
and Conrad Vaterlaus III (1835-1917); back row, left to right: Gottlieb Hirschi
(1837-1900), Gottfried Fuhriman (1859-1920), George Conrad Naegle (1860-1935),
John Kunz III (1844-1918), Jacob Hafen (1836-1917), Jacob Arnold Bigler
(1849-1916), Francis (Fred) Marion Lyman Jr. (1863-1957) and John Rudolf
Boshard (1856-1928). Information and
Identification by Paul-Anthon Nielson kupan@bluewin.ch
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