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ADELAIDE – A German
Reform minister who moved
to Idaho to spread God’s
word also wound up homesteading,
ranching, teaching,
and delivering the mail in the
former Adelaide.
Charles Henry Riedesel
and his wife Elise Marie Zipf
Riedesel originally moved to
American Falls from Indiana
to preach. With numerous
Germans descending on
Idaho, the German Reform
Church urged Charles to go
west. The church assigned
him to churches throughout
the west.
The couple’s story is told
in the book “Blossoms On
The Thistle” that details their
ministry and was written by
their son Gerhard A. Riedesel.
In 1913, the Riedesels
moved to American Falls
where, shortly after, Charles
became a preacher and
received $1,000 a year for his
efforts.
“He was the only clergyman
of the German Reformed
Church in all of Montana,
Wyoming and Idaho. He
was assigned to the Portland,
Oregon Classis (group of
churches) which included the
churches of Washington and
Oregon,” wrote Gerhard.
By that time the Riedesel
family included four children,
and Charles and Elise
needed larger living accommodations.
They took Uncle
Sam up on his offer of free
land in Kimama hoping that
farming would help supple-
ment the family’s income.
Charles’ focus remained with
his church work, and his
farming entailed only basic
homesteading requirements
to “prove up” the property.
Eventually Charlie found
that the $1,000 a year paycheck
didn’t cover the costs
of a family and a new home.
While waiting for his farm to
become productive, he taught
at the Adelaide School.
Charles’ new job paid him
$60 a month or $540 a year.
The fi rst year Charles taught
20 students – including four
of his own children.
The additional workload
didn’t interfere with Charles’
preaching throughout the
region. He commuted back
and forth via train.
“The triple job of being
a pastor, teaching a 40 pupil
school and keeping up on the
chores and manifold jobs of a
homestead, kept Charlie and
his family busy,” Gerhard
wrote.
While teaching school
Charles, taught youth the
German language. That came
to a screeching halt as World
War I raged in Europe.
“Anything even remotely
associated with things German
was suspect. Charlie
was directed to discontinue
the German instruction. This
he was glad to do although he
regretted the reason for the
order,” Gerhard wrote.
By 1917, a jack rabbit
infestation devastated much
of the Riedesels’ and their
fellow homesteaders’ crops.
Thanks to his wife’s inheritance,
Charles purchased an
abandoned homestead and
became the owner of 1000
acres of land he hoped to irrigate.
By 1927, Charles also
started a ranch to breed pure-
Weekly News Journal Thursday, January 12, 2012 15
From ministry to homesteading
By Lisa Dayley
Weekly News Journal
Charles and Elise Riedesel
bred Hampshire sheep.
While his farming continued,
it soon became evident
that irrigation wouldn’t be
possible, and Charlie disposed
of his ranch and farming
equipment. He kept his
homestead and once again
continued focusing on his
church work. In the meantime,
bankrupt homesteaders
left Adelaide for greener
pastures, and Charles found
himself commuting to various
communities to preach to
former Adelaide residents.
“This was a diffi cult
arrangement, but he carried
on,” Gerhard wrote.
Checks from his ministry
were often late, and Charlie
looked for an additional
source of revenue. He turned
to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
“He got a new textbook
in surveying and
prepared himself
for a new job by
long hours by
lamplight working
out surveying
problems,”
his son wrote.
The job didn’t
pan out, and
again Charles
looked for work.
This time the
U.S. Post Offi ce
hired him to
deliver the mail
along a rural
route. Charlie
bought a 1914
Model Ford
Touring Car and
drove 40 miles
every Monday,
Wednesday and
Friday delivering
the mail.
As homesteaders
began again
Courtesy Photo
Charles Riedesel relied on both horse and buggy and horse power to take him to his
various Reformed German Churches. Riedesel served at such churches throughout
the Pacific Northwest.
Courtesy Photo
Charles Henry Riedesel and his wife Elise Marie Zipf
Riedesel moved to Kimama at the first of the 20th
Century where they homesteaded. Charles also worked
as a teacher, mail man and sheep rancher and was one
of the few homesteaders to maintain their property
through the 1930s.
Courtesy Photo
Charles and Elise Riedesel homesteaded in Kimama and
managed to hold on to their property for two decades
while fellow homesteaders succumbed to everything
from drought to jack rabbits. Charles had several
jobs and that helped him maintain his homestead and
provide for his six children.
to leave in droves, the post
offi ce eliminated Charles’
mail route.
Charlie returned to teaching
at Kimama School. Elsie
found work at the local general
store where she managed
both the store and the post
offi ce. Yet, continuing on
the homestead became problematic
as the couple’s 1,000
acres proved worthless with
no irrigation. Ministry opportunities
dried up as well, but
when the couple thought all
was lost, an offer to minister
in Ohio presented itself.
Of the 330 homesteaders
who farmed in Kimama,
only a few remained by 1930,
and that included Charles and
Elise. They later sold their
property and continued ministering
where needed. Elise
died in 1949, but Charlie
continued working as a minister
at the age of 77. The following
year Charles retired
and spent his remaining years
living with his children. He
died on Nov. 6, 1960.
“And so comes to an end
the account of the lives of
Charlie and Elise Riedesel of
the thorns and thistles as well
as the blossoms and rewards
of their long career of service
in the Christian ministry.
Though their earthly accumulations
were few, there is
no way of assessing the good
effects of their lives, precepts
and examples on the ones
who were privileged to know
them,” Gerhard wrote.
Gerhard’s book may be
viewed at the Minidoka
County Museum located at
99 East Baseline Road.
Courtesy Photo
The Reverend Charlie Riedesel is shown
here with four of his six children. Shown
here with their father are Gerhard,
Miriam, Norman and Dorothy. Charlie
also served as his children’s teacher at
the Adelaide School .