Francis J. Uplegger Photographs

Franz John Theo Uplegger (more commonly known as Francis J. Uplegger) was born in Rostock, Germany on October 29, 1867. He emigrated to the United States in August of 1886 and settled in St. Louis, Missouri. He studied at the Concordia Seminary, but was not granted a Doctorate of Divinity until 1957. Uplegger was naturalized in 1895. In 1891, he became pastor of the St. John's congregation (Wisconsin Synod) in Hermansfort, Wisconsin. He went on to hold posts in Denmark and Germany and served as director of the Lutheran high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin upon returning to the United States. In 1919 Uplegger followed his son (also a Lutheran pastor) to San Carlos, Arizona (then known as Rice) to establish a mission to the San Carlos Apache, where he remained for the rest of his life.

When Uplegger arrived in Arizona he was already familiar with German, English, Norwegian, French, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. He learned the Apache language while at the mission and wrote a four-volume Apache-English dictionary. His works include Apache translations of most of the Lutheran catechism, creed, liturgy, and much of the Bible. Uplegger also assisted the San Carlos Apache in writing their constitution in 1930-1931. This document was later used as a model by many other tribes. Known fondly as Old Man Missionary, Uplegger was officially adopted into the San Carlos tribe in 1961. He died on the reservation on June 13, 1964.

Uplegger married Emma Plass (1866-1925) on August 20, 1891 in Dodge County, Wisconsin. They had four children, Alfred Martin Johannes (1892-1984), Johanna (Uplegger) Rosin (1896-1983), Gertrude E. (1898-1991), and Dorothea (Uplegger) Behn (1902-1986).