Näher und näher, Fest an dein Herz

Translator: William Horn

Horn, William. (Germany, May 1, 1839--April 27, 1917). Evangelical. Come to United States in 1855, settled in Wisconsin. Licensed in 1861, ordained elder 1866, presiding elder 1871, bishop 1891. Editor of various Evangelical German-language publications, including Das Evangelische Magazin and Christliche Kinderfreund. Editor of German weekly of the Evangelical Association, 1883, Christliche Botschafter. Editor of Evangelisches Gesangbuch, 1877, for which he supplied a number of hymns. His most famous hymn was "Pure and free from all corruption." He wrote 24 hymns in all, and has been called one of the greatest of the German writers in America. Translated many English hymns into German. Retired as bishop in 1915. --Robert S. Wilson,… Go to person page >

Author: Mrs. C. H. Morris

Lelia (Mrs. C.H.) Morris (1862-1929) was born in Pennsville, Morgan County, Ohio. When her family moved to Malta on the Muskingum River she and her sister and mother had a millinery shop in McConnelsville. She and her husband Charles H. Morris were active in the Methodist Episcopal Church and at the camp meetings in Sebring and Mt. Vernon. She wrote hymns as she did her housework. Although she became blind at age 52 she continued to write hymns on a 28-foot long blackboard that her family had built for her. She is said to have written 1000 texts and many tunes including "Sweeter as the years go by." Mary Louise VanDyke Go to person page >