January 11, 1942
Father Albert Weikmann
Father Weikmann was born in Grosskuchen, Wurttemberg, Germany on February 10, 1850. After completing his early education in Germany, he came to the United States and entered St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in September of 1867. Although Kansas was a vicariate under the jurisdiction of Bishop Miege, S.J., Coadjutor Bishop Fink, who later became ordinary of the Diocese of Leavenworth, ordained him on August 27, 1872. When Father Weikmann came to Kansas it was mission territory and he got to know the old missionaries like Father De Smet and Father Ponziglione. His first parish was Irish Creek and he later served at Hanover, Shawnee Town, Rock Creek, Humboldt, Ellinwood, and Halstead. “He used to cover limitless stretches on horseback. Dugout farm homes were as much as 50 miles apart…there were no churches in the outlying districts of his parish. He said Mass in box cars, dugouts, sod houses, stores, warehouses, depots and tents.” (The Advance Register, Jan. 16, 1942) In 1927 he retired to a house on west Maple in Wichita. On August 23, 1941 he entered Wichita Hospital and died on January 11, 1942 at 92 years of age. Bishop Winkelmann celebrated his Requiem Mass at the cathedral on January 16, 1942 and burial was at Calvary Cemetery in Wichita.