Introduction

Biography

Henry was the son of Chris­tian S. Bloss­er and Ca­ther­ine Thut, and hus­band of Em­ma Ca­ther­ine Mot­ter (or Mat­ter) (mar­ried Ju­ly 1885).

He at­tend­ed pub­lic schools, and at age 18, like his fa­ther and two old­er brothers, he be­gan to teach.

The next year, he en­tered the Ohio Nor­mal Uni­ver­si­ty at Ada, Oh­io. Af­ter some in­ter­mis­sions of teach­ing, he gra­du­at­ed in 1886, hav­ing made mu­sic a pro­mi­nent stu­dy.

He was bap­tized and joined the Re­formed Church in the spring of 1885.

In 1892, he be­came a teach­er of Eng­lish and ma­the­ma­tics at the Col­lege of North­ern Il­li­nois, and be­gan pre­par­ing for the min­is­try.

He was or­dained and in­stalled in his first pas­tor­ate at Or­ange­ville, Il­li­nois, June 27, 1895. He lat­er served pas­tor­ates in For­res­ton, Il­li­nois, and Shel­by, Orr­ville, and (start­ing in 1919) Bluff­ton, Ohio.