Now I am going to ask you to draw on your imagination and let your thoughts wander with mine back to the year 1837, or thereabouts. We are looking in on a family with five children, who at that time are living in the fastness of a little town in Bavaria. For some reason or ether the father has decided that the young Republic across the big pond, which was born some sixty years before, would be a better place to bring up his family.

Having decided upon such a venture, the next problem was that of transportation.  And this was a problem such as we today can hardly realize. There were many miles to be covered from that home to the coast, where sailing vessel was to be boarded for America, and it was finally decided that the sturdy old farm wagon and the reliable team of horses could be depended upon to got them through. How many days they journeyed in this fashion we do not know, but just a short distance from the coast tragedy stalked along the road.

The youngest of the family, a girl of about six years of age, was severely injured by falling beneath the wagon and having the heavy wheels pass over her tiny body. Now the family was in a dilemma, for all arrangements had been made for that journey across the ocean and it was too late to turn back. Fortunately a Catholic institution of healing was found nearby and little Caroline (for such was her name) was entrusted to the care of the Nuns while the rest of the family continued their sorrowful journey to the far-away land that was to be their home.

Some two years later Caroline, having recovered from her injury, made the trip to America with some relatives and re-joined her family at Cincinnati.  While still quite young, Caroline was converted. Upon telling of her experience she was commended by her Grandmother, but was-cautioned not to become "one of those Methodists".  At the ago of 17 she married and just few months later she, with her husband, Peter, enrolled as one of the Founders of Salem Church. She remained a staunch supporter of the Church until her tragic death in 1897.

Some of you, no doubt, know to whom I refer. This person was none other than Caroline Knoop, the mother of Miss Louise Knoop and her sisters and the grandmother of Miss Ruth Knoop, who are still members of Salem.

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