Englebert was rejected for army service because of selling in his neck glands. It couldn’t have been too bad since he lived to 89. Englebert came to America around 1878. He settled in Columbus, Nebraska, probably because some of the Fransican priests from Aachen came to the United States to avouid religious persecution in Germany at the time and settled in Columbus. There were many Germans in Columbus, and since there was no hotel in the young town, Engelbert lived a the monastery with the monks.113

The first of the Gier family to venture into the new world. He first settled in Columbus, Nebraska, probably because he knew Franciscan priests from Germany who had moved to Columbus. He was the architect and builder of St. Marys Cathedral at Mount Angel, Oregon.

Jean Marie Gier-Knight - Feb 27, 2004
    My great Grandfather Englebert Gier was the first in his family to come to America. After being here awhile he went back to Germany and told his brothers and his Mother that they were all going to America. Englebert's Dad had already died, all that was left was his Mother, Gertrude, and his brothers, Lambert, Henry,Aloys, John and Emil. Gertrude did not want to leave Germany but the brothers said she was not staying behind. Lambert had served in the German Army. Englebert seemed to be the boss. So they all came to America. Since Gertrude did not want to come she refused to learn English. She spoke German until the day she died.

Jean Marie Gier-Knight - Feb 27, 2004
    The Giers were builders. They started a business in Missouri. They built altars and churches. Englebert taught his baby brother Emil, how to wood carve. They built Catholic Churches and Altars from Missouri to Oregon. Englebert had fallen so many times that he had become crippled. The last church built by the Giers was in Mt Angel Oregon. It is very beatiful work. Leo Gier, built a church for his sister in Oregon. She lived in a town that had no Catholic Chruch, so Leo Built her one. Leo built his homes and the home I grew up in, in Silverton Oregon.     128

In putting this narrative together from several sources, I have copied freely from Emil Gier's account and some letters and notes from my great-aunt Mary (Gier) Clark. Where necessary, the narrative has been changed from first person to third person. Much of the text is their writings entirely. If any credit is due, it is certainly theirs, not mine. John L Gier

Jakob Engelbert Gier was the second son born to Christian and Gertrude Gier of Schmithoff, Germany.  Although his elder brother, John Lambert was inducted into the Prussian army under the compulsory  military service act, Engelbert was excused because glands in his neck swelled occasionally. Christian Gier fell ill in 1869. The burden of caring for the family business fell to John Lambert and Jakob Engelbert. John L. was excused from military service for a year, but then served with the Prussian First Army from 1870 to 1873 in Alsace-Lorraine. Christian Gier died in 1870. With their father passed away and John Lambert off to war,  Engelbert was the eldest son at home and head of the Gier family.

In 1876, at age 25, Englebert left the family circle and made his way to Columbus, Nebraska.  (The Union Pacific Railroad had reached Columbus, Nebraska by May of 1866.) Once there he contacted the Franciscan priests who had settled there from Germany.  There were a great number of German immigrants in Columbus, Nebraska at that time and the town was so new, there was no hotel or other temporary lodging. So Engelbert stayed at the Franciscan monastery. He lived at the monastery until John Lambert Gier (my great-grandfather) and family and Henry Edward Gier, the second group of Giers arrived in America in May of 1879. 

With the arrival of his two brothers, Engelbert moved from the monastery and set up housekeeping with them in a three room house. The three of them did general carpentry around Columbus and the surrounding area. They built several small country churches near Columbus which were served by the Franciscans.

While working on a high ladder inside the sanctuary of the Franciscan church at Columbus, Engelbert fell backward to the floor as the ladder broke. Both arms were broken at the wrists, and several teeth were knocked out. A local doctor treated him. When the arms had healed, the hands were almost wholly stiff.

Engelbert and Henry then went to Saint Louis, where Engelbert was under treatment of a surgeon and had both hands rebroken. When healed, his hands were again flexible, but naturally much weakened. At Saint Louis he worked with the Franciscan Brother Adrian, a great church architect, draftsman, and altar builder. From Saint Louis Engelbert and Henry went to Chillicothe, Mo., and there started an altar-building establishment under the name of E. & H. Gier, Altar Builders. E & H built altars which were shipped by rail to churches all over the Midwest.

In December, 1881, mother and the rest of the family, Aloys, John, and Emil  arrived in Chillicothe. Aloys and John worked for the firm, while Emil, under tutorship of Engelbert, began to try his hand at carving.

Months before Christmas and again before Easter orders for church work were plentiful. This gave them employment for seven or more months of the year.  During the first few years, work during the summer slacked down. To fill the gap, E. & H. built churches; for instance:

* a transept to the Franciscan  church in  Chillicothe
* a  church  in Clyde, Mo.
* a church in St. Thomas, Mo.

So five of the Gier brothers, (John Lambert remained in Nebraska)  worked together with some outside help.  Engelbert  superintended. Soon plenty of orders came for year-around work. E. & H. then bought an entire (vacant) city block of 300 x 300 feet, erected a large shop. By the time the firm had been in existence about eight years from ten to twelve workingmen were permanently busy in the establishment.

By and by, work came in faster than the brothers could manage it in the then customary 10-hour working day. Men could not be picked off the street for this type of work, so it meant two hours of overtime after supper. This always went on from about three months before Christmas until after Easter. It was a great strain on all of us shop workers, and especially on Engelbert and Henry. Engelbert's health was wrecked, and he had a sick-spell to the point of death. Henry, for good measure, got painter's colic. That meant, quit all shop work, and quit for good ... or at least for years.

On To Texas  

Engelbert, Henry, and Emil decided on Rhineland, Texas as they heard the climate there was healthy. In February, 1896, Henry went to Rhineland, picked out three farms adjoining, and they each bought the farm as Henry had picked it. Emil Gier describes life in Rhineland in some detail in his account. 

Engelbert and Emil moved to Rhineland first to get things settled (July, 1896).  Upon arrival in Rhineland, Engelbert and Emil set up housekeeping in a 10' X 12' shack. They put in crops and started building houses, barns and other buildings on their respective farms. Brother Henry followed shortly with their mother and his wife and two children.

As church services were being held in the Colony house, it was soon proposed that a proper church should be built. 

Giers Build Church

In the year 1899-1900 the -new church was built.  Engelbert made the plans. Engelbert, Henry, and Emil did nearly all the carpenter work, George Alteper, a very early settler who had done car shop work in Saint Louis, also helped. During the following winter and spring, Englebert and Emil, (Engelbert directing), built the altar for the church, in Engelbert's house; then also the communion rail. The confessional he built later on. All the church furnishing was made of cypress, a very nice wood to work. By selecting suitable pieces, even fine carving can be done in that wood. Left uncarved, and varnished, it likewise looks quite good. The parish priest and the Rhinelander's were well pleased with the work.

Rhineland, Texas and vicinity, and in fact all the prairie counties, had heavy crops in 1904-05-06. Wheat and oats for the coming 1907 season were looking fine. It seemed as if all Texas had gone Knox-county wild. Farm prices boomed up to $25 and even $30 an acre. Engelbert and Emil found such prices too tempting. They sold their farms. 

Engelbert sold his land in late November and left for Oregon. About the middle of December Emil sold his.

Engelbert and his son-in-law Joe Homer had made a trip to Oregon in January of that same year, and had become acquainted with Mount Angel and vicinity. He corresponded with land agents there and bought a 160-acre farm 3.5 miles from Mount Angel, and so had a new home before he moved away from Texas. Engelbert and family moved away about the middle of November (1906). Mother Gertrude went with them, for en route she wanted to stop and visit her son Henry, until Emil would come. Brother Henry's wife had died in November of that year. Henry  was living on a 40-acre farm 1.5 miles from Grants Pass, Missouri.

Engelbert stayed on at Mount Angel, and we built a few more altars. Then his daughter Bertha's husband, a printer, secured a better job and they moved to Salem. Engelbert went with them.

Years later, the Benedictine Sisters in Cottonwood, Idaho, had him draw plans for a new convent, school, hospital, and chapel. Together these buildings had a value of over a half a million dollars. The work kept Engelbert busy two years or more.

On May 31, 1923, mother died and he came to Mount Angel for her funeral. When the Idaho job was finished, and he was back in Salem, he made plans for a few smaller churches. At the age of 86, he drafted plans for the new Sublimity Church. The building was to be smaller, but otherwise similar to that at Mount Angel. I looked at these plans, and saw that all the fine lines were made without shaking and quivering. Just as sharp and accurate as he had made them years ago.

In his later years Engelbert lived with his daughter Bertha (Lamberta) and her husband, Joe Prange in Salem, Oregon. 

In his later days at Salem he had met with two more accidents. Once he was thrown down by two large dogs fighting with each other, and once he was run into by an automobile.  Even after this he could still slowly walk, but was constantly under a doctor's care.

His end came in March, 1942.  He was buried alongside his wife in Saint Mary's graveyard at Mount Angel. Six boys, all grandchildren, were pall bearers.  by: Emil Gier, 1945 111