Many (if not most) American Lutherans have heard the name of C. F. W. Walther, the iconic and indefatigable founder of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. But how much (if anything) do we know about his wife, Emilie?

Christina Emilie Buenger Walther was an intrepid immigrant, a loving wife and mother, and a faithful “Lutheran lady” from her birth in 1811 to her death in 1887 at the age of 73. She endured a dangerous ocean crossing as a young adult, braved the hardships of the wilderness as a single woman, survived a brutal cholera epidemic as a pregnant mother, and partnered with her husband as he worked to lay the firm foundation for an American church body built solidly on the Word of God and the Lutheran Confessions.

Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm may be the Walther everyone knows, but this Story Time with Sarah episode is all about Emilie.

To learn more about Emilie Walther and the early history of the LCMS, start by checking out the Concordia Historical Institute website, the Lutheran Heritage Center and Museum blog, and Warren Schmidt’s book Mama Buenger: Mother of a Synod.

Show Correction: The original Log Cabin is still in Altenburg, Missouri. A replica sits on the campus of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis.

Connect with the Lutheran ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and follow Sarah (@mrsbaseballpants), Rachel (@rachbomberger), Erin (@erin.alter), and Bri (@grrrzevske) on Instagram.