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Gnadenfrei Luthern Church Cemetery at Marananga

Marananga is a locality in South Australia. It was known as Gnadenfrei after a town in Silesia before 1918 when names of “enemy origin” were changed to sound less German.

The Gnadenfrei Lutheran Church was established, then a German school was established in 1879. The school’s name was changed to Marananga in 1918,  which is now also the name of the locality. Gnadenfrei means ‘grace’ and ‘freedom’.  Marananga means “My hands” in the Aboriginal language of the Overland Corner tribe.

St Michael’s Lutheran Church evolved from settlements moved further out of Langmeil )now part of Tanunda). The Church was established in 1855. Gottlob, a foundation member, together with his sons Gottfried and August Arnold were part of the congregation on 29 September 1873 when the present church was dedicated.

 

  1. Johann Gottlieb Arnold

 

Born: 12 June 1820 at Neundorf, Silesia

Died: 14 November 1884 at Gnadenfrei, SA

First child of matriarch Elisabeth Arnold, he married Christiane Bachmann in October 1850 in Silesia. They arrived in Adelaide with their young family in 1867. Gottlieb purchased land in Gnadenfrei that passed to his eldest son Carl Friedrich.

Johanne Christiane Arnold (nee Bachman) Born: 11 November 1825 in Silesia Died: 4 May 1911 at Gnadenfrei, SA Christiane and Gottlieb’s four children were born in Silesia. They made a hazardous journey to Adelaide arriving on the ‘Wandrahm’ on 2 April 1867.

Johanne

Christiane Arnold (nee Bachman)

Born: 11 November 1825 in Silesia

Died: 4 May 1911 at Gnadenfrei, SA

Christiane and Gottlieb’s four children were born in Silesia. They made a hazardous journey to Adelaide arriving on the ‘Wandrahm’ on 2 April 1867.

Carl Friedrich Arnold 

Born: 16 October 1850 at Lowenberg in Silesia

Died: 20 May 1940 at Marananga, SA

Johanna Luise Bertha Arnold (nee Boehn)

Born: 22 August 1857 at Bethany, SA

Died: 10 January 1932 at Marananga SA

Eldest child of Gottlieb and Christiane, at the age of sixteen Carl travelled to Adelaide with his parents in 1867. He married Bertha in 1867 and worked on the family property at Marananga. He would read sermons in German on Sunday afternoons and was trustee of the St Michael’s Lutheran Church.

They had ten children

 

1.1.9 Carl Bernhard Arnold

Born: 12 March 1896 at Gnadenfrei, SA

Died: 13 February 1923 at Gnadenfrei, SA

Ninth child of Carl Friedrich and Bertha, Carl married Meta Minge on 27 May 1920 and their son Ronald was born in 1921. Tragically Carl died in 1923.