Brother Adam was born in Boettingen, Diocese of Trier, Germany, August 16, 1836. He made his profession as a lay brother at St. Benedict’s Abbey December 8, 1873. With the exception of a few years as sacristan at St. John’s Church, Burlington, Iowa, Brother Adam’s religious life was spent at the Abbey. A gentle and cheerful disposition, humility and readiness to do favors made brother Adam an ideal confrere. He always had a smile and a pleasant word of greeting. A diligent use of his spare time made him one of the best-read members of the community. Brother Adam was remembered as one of the most characteristic and lovable figures of old St. Benedict’s.

His working monastic life was spent on the abbey farms. For 13 years he was a truck driver and beginning in 1947 began raising crops and tending cattle. His last job was that of a carpenter’s helper. He was devoted to the monastic horarium and was always eager to serve as many Masses as possible!

To say that Brother Leo was a colorful character is an understatement. A favorite expression was, “Judas, that’s embarrassing.” This expression, no doubt, was used when in an attempt to dynamite a stump he caused the stump to fly high and come down on a set of power lines thus knocking out the electricity on the whole college campus. Brother Leo drove a favorite, well-worn Jeep from the abbey to the farm. He loved a party and never missed Haustus.

Father Charles taught commercial courses at the college and was procurator of the Abbey 1888-1890. In 1890 he was appointed pastor of St. Benedict’s Parish, Atchison, and was characterized by the Daily Globe as “probably the most popular priest the church ever had. His work among the sick during the smallpox epidemic of 1894 and at other times will be recalled and was revered by people regardless of religious conviction.”

In 1898 he was director of the college and the following year Abbot Innocent appointed him pastor at Sts. Peter and Paul, Seneca, Kan. He also organized St. Bede Parish, Kelly, Kan. He was very solicitous in helping the young farmers to find good places in both parishes.

Brother Agatho Meyer was born in Germany April 9, 1859, in Wessingen, Wuerttenberg, Germany, and died on his birthday in St. Margaret’s Hospital, Kansas City, Kan., of intestinal influenza in 1924. He became a lay brother at St. Vincent Archabbey and made his first vows there in 1890 and final vows in 1885. He was sent to the priory at St. Mary’s, Pa., but from there came to St. Benedict’s Abbey where he worked at the College Farm, was baker for the monastery and the college and a truck gardener supplying vegetables for the Abbey and the College. He was said the have enjoyed good health for a man of his age. He attributed his health to a “love of the outer air.”

John was drafted into the United States Army in 1942 and served in a construction battalion in New Guinea and the Philippines. Once while operating a bulldozer he was shot at. Upon his return from the Army he went to work with his father. He entered St. Benedict’s Abbey and made first vows June 13, 1954. For 20 years he worked at poultry and egg production and later as a gardener with Brother Anthony Vorwerk, novices, Father Placidus Keiffer and others. Once he Father Anthony Reilman partnered up with Wilson Meat Company in an attempt to raise confined chickens. The attempt was short lived.

Brother Francis was a quiet man but could make himself known. He loved working in the outdoors and was beloved by his confreres. His fellow workers dedicated Mutter Rest Haven, a small grove behind the abbey, in his honor.

Cletus Fangman was born in Seneca, Kan., March 7, 1924. The George Fangman family lived along Highway 178, a few miles south of St. Mary’s Church, St. Benedict, Kan. The area became known as “Wildcat” because of the creek there was so named for the abundance of those animals around it. The Fangman family farmed on land near their home and Cletus graduated from the St. Mary’s Grade and High Schools. Cletus came to St. Benedict’s College, entered the community as Frater Wilfred, professed first vows as a member of the Abbey August 15, 1944, and was ordained December 17, 1949. While a cleric he was the Abbey infirmarian, and a prodigious farm worker as were his confreres, Edwin, Alphonse and Hilary.

Father Benedict was born in Chicago October 30, 1874. His mother was Gertrude Wolf, sister of Abbot Innocent Wolf and of Father Ferdinand. He came to St. Benedict’s at the age of 9 and actually made his First Communion here. He holds the record of continuous attendance on campus that extended from 1884-1999—from elementary school to theology. He made first vows July 11, 1893, and was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Fink June 21, 1899.

Father Bree returned to Atchison in 1951 to enter the community. He took the name Roy, and made first vows January 6, 1952. He did graduate work in history at both Stanford University and St. Louis University. He taught briefly at Maur Hill and from 1953 until his death he taught at St. Benedict’s College.

Father Roy brought a variety of talents and his own character to the Abbey community and enriched it.

Bonaventure was an excellent retreat master and was in great demand. He spoke very, very, very slowly. When he told a story he kept his audience on the edge of their seats craning their necks. He once mentioned that a leak in the room above caused water to drip… drip… drip… on a new breviary of Msgr. Francis Kelly in Leavenworth. One waited for each drip to hit the leather cover while attempting to control laughter all the while.

After an initial three years assignment as an associate pastor at Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, Seneca, Kansas, in 1955 Father Kieran entered the educational apostolates of the Abbey, serving alternatively as teacher, administrator and chaplain at Lillis High School, Kansas City, Missouri, Maur Hill School, St. Benedict’s College and Benedictine College. This period of his life lasted for twenty years. During this time Fr. Kieran turned his efforts, with the blessing of Abbot Thomas, to the social needs of the Atchison community as he strove to work with the various faith communities and the underserved in Atchison. In 1975 Father Kieran joined three other monks who were sent to Brazil by Abbot Brendan Downey. Thus began his thirty-five years as a beloved monk and missionary in that country. He engaged successively in the ministries of St. Joseph Priory, assistance to Bishop Matthias Schmidt, OSB in his diocese of Rui Barbosa, Bahia, then returning to the priory as religious superior and later as business manager.

From 1960 to 1979, Father Michael was religion teacher and principal at Hayden High School, Topeka, and for his faithful and distinguished service throughout his life, Benedictine College conferred upon him the Kansas Monk Award in 1981. After 28 years as a diocesan priest, he entered St. Benedict’s Abbey, professing vows on September 15, 1984.

In the early 1990s, Father Michael was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, yet served faithfully and valiantly as Prior from 1993 to 2002, while also serving as Novice Master and Junior Master beginning in 1996.

Father Timothy Luber was born in Washington, D.C., October 22, 1842, and came to Atchison as a cleric probably from St. Vincent, in 1863, during the Civil War. He was professed in 1859, again, very likely at St. Vincent. He did his philosophy and theology at St. Benedict’s College and was ordained priest at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Leavenworth, June 24,1865.

From 1865-1871 he was pastor at St. Patrick’s, Atchison, County, taught at St. Benedict’s College, and was pastor at St. Benedict’s, Atchison, 1885-90. In 1890 he was made the first Benedictine Pastor of St. John’s Burlington, Iowa, which parish the abbey had taken over from the Jesuits. He died March 29, 1901, at Mercy Hospital, Burlington.

The glowing account of his funeral and the kind words of the homilies both in German and English spoke very highly of Father Timothy. He was also Prior-pro tem of the Abbey from December 15, 1870 to August 19, 1871.

Brother Walter was a tall person, probably topping out at 6’4”. His room on ground floor was too small so he took out the wall to the next small room to make one that was comfortable for him. He built himself an extra long bed as well. His heart was as large as his body was tall.

Abbot Martin Veth appointed Father John to the staff of Maur Hill High School in 1935 and he remained there until 1958. There he was teacher, librarian, vice-principal, and director of Camp St. Maur, 1944-48. He served at Maur Hill 23 years and his students knew him as a very good and fair teacher, ever relentless in demanding book reports. Father John had received a masters in library science from the University of Denver in 1943.

Father Charles was born in Kelly, Kan., and in due time came to Atchison for his high school and college education. He professed monastic vows July 2, 1926, after finishing the novitiate at St. Vincent Archabbey. He was ordained May 30, 1931, and began a teaching career in business when he finished a masters in accounting from the University of Illinois in 1933. He then began the department of business administration at St. Benedict’s College. Later he taught one year at the newly created Benedictine College. During his teaching career he was college treasurer, later worked as a Development Officer and Director of Alumni relations. Father Charles edited the Catholic Business Education Review and was ever interested in politics as he organized both the Young Republicans and Young Democrats on campus.

Until 1921 Raymond taught commercial courses at the college having taken training in St. Louis and Kansas City. When he left St. Benedict’s College he undertook a series of pastoral assignments at St. Benedict’s, Atchison, Ss. Peter and Paul, Seneca, St. Benedict’s Kansas City, KS, and later at St. Louis, Good Intent. He retuned to the abbey in 1940 where he doctored his diabetes. Father Raymond never lost his interest in the community and was a popular confessor to many on Friday Nights. On entering his room it was not uncommon to find several red bandanas drying on the radiator. He loved his snuff, as did many of the early monks.

A truly gifted man, if not a genius, Homer Heim was born in Rural Leavenworth Coounty, Kan., July 11, 1923. This date is, of course, the Feast of St. Benedict. Homer breezed through Hund School in Leavenworth County with the reputation if knowing more than the teacher in the one room school. He attended high school at Immaculata, the Catholic High School in Leavenworth. Again, the courses were of little challenge and he finished in three years all his credits and so he spent his senior year taking courses of his choice.

He was at Seneca 1882, and from 1883-1886 he ministered to Catholics in Marak, Everest, Reserve, and later built the church at Hiawatha. It was during this time that the normally timid Father Ferdinand made a statement against the temperance movement in Kansas. As purported in Father Peter Beckman’s Kansas Monks, when Father Ferdinand heard that the temperance people in Hiawatha intended “‘to catch the Catholics selling beer at their Picnic near Everest on the 4th of July and to make an example of them for breaking the law,’ he let it be known that he would bring a couple of kegs of beer to treat his friends and that the men of the parish would do the same.”

Father Gerald taught for seven years at Maur Hill School and from 1950-1983 taught at St. Benedict’s College and Benedictine College. He was librarian at Benedictine College from 1977-1980, and later was assistant at St. Benedict’s Parish, Atchison. Amid all this activity Abbot Thomas Hartman chose Gerald as Prior of the community from 1964-1971. Father Gerald was a generous and warm-hearted monk ready to work for the good of the community and of anyone who asked his help.

Brother Marko was intensely interested in politics and was a Republican through and through. It seemed that the Democrats fell into the category of “Bolsheviki,” which he denounced at every opportunity. He loved the radio and each recreation after lunch he would press his ear to the speaker and hug it. With glee to break the news he would announce the latest tragedy to the novices who did not have access to such worldly equipment.

He could laugh while passing on the most somber news. Often he would end a conversation with, “I don’t know about you fellas, but I’d do dat different.”