Family Koenig

Henry, born in 1877, died in 1959.

He was a bachelor and lived alone in Faculty Lane House 1 from 1930 to [year?].

From a website about LCMS history:

Henry Andrew Koenig was born in Hanover, Germany (d. 11 August 1959, Seward, Nebraska). He graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary (Springfield, Illinois) in 1906 and served as a pastor in Williamsburg (1906–1913) and Webster City, Iowa (1913–1923). He was a professor at Concordia Teachers' College (Seward, Nebraska) from 1923 to 1948, when he retired but continued on modified service until 1958. He gave the school the Henry A. Koenig Art Collection and hundreds of library books. He served as archivist of the Southern Nebraska District and helped organize its Walther League. In 1953 he was awarded an honorary Litt.D. degree.

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My father, Robert Sylwester, who attended Concordia College during 1945-49 remembers that Professor Koenig ("King") still lived in this house during that period. Professor "King" taught art history and appreciation, and he invited his students to visit his house, which was decorated with so many art pictures that they covered all the walls and tables.

Faculty Lane House 1

Postal Address: 276 Faculty Lane.

After the house was moved to remote Columbia Avenue, the post address was initially Rural Route 1 (RR 1) and then 1610 North Columbia Avenue.

This house was built in 1895 for $3,000.00. The original location is in the area of the Weller Hall. The house was moved to its Faculty Lane location in the early 1920s to make space for Weller Hall, which was built in 1924.

It was occupied by the family of George Weller from 1895 to 1930.

It was occupied by the family of Henry Koenig from 1930 to 1942 (or possibly 1945).

It was occupied by the family of Reinhold Griesse from [year?] to [year?].

It was occupied by the family of Paul Surburg from [year?] to [year?].

It was occupied by the family of Robert Sylwester from 1960 to 1968.

The house was moved to 1610 North Columbia Avenue in July 1964 to make room for the construction of the Music Building. The Robert Sylwesters moved the house and continued living in it at the new location until 1968.

It was occupied by the family of William Heinicke from 1968 to 1971.

It was occupied by the family of William Couch from 1971 to [year?].

It has been occupied by the family of Marvin Bergman from [year?] to the present.

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As you looked at the house from Faculty Lane, the house's front porch was on the right (east) side and the garage was on the left (west) side.

Along the east side of the property there was a row of high bushes. The bushes were very tall, and they were spaced loosely, so a person could walk through them.

Trees in the yard grew a pod that looked like a very long string bean.

Beyond the bushes was a parking lot with a gravel surface. The parking lot extended to the street, and across the street was the athletic building.

Behind the house there was a grass lawn. Part of the lawn was occupied by clothes lines. Beyond the lawn there was a large, vegetable garden that extended to the next street.

Dan Schwich remembers that there were grape vines between the first and second houses.