From The Dubois County Daily Herald
Monday, July 1, 1957

Stone Cross Is The Result Of Vow Made At Sea

The stone votive cross standing in the church yard of St. Joseph’s just south of the church has an interesting history.  

On March 25, 1847, eleven families emigrated from the town of Pfaffenweiler, Baden, Germany, and came to the United States via Rotterdam and Havre, landing at New Orleans.

Prominent among these were the Eckerts, Becks, Kieffers, Schmidts, Ecks, Schubles and George Bauman, a sculptor.

The voyage was a perilous one and during the first week of its progress the weather was so hazardous that it seemed as though the ship would go down with its crew and passengers.

At the height of the storm, Mr. Bauman made a vow to erect a cross near the church built; or to be built, by the congregation with which he might make his future home.

Following his arrival at Jasper and with the pecuniary aid of a Mr. Heim of Tell City, Frank Beck and Joseph Gramelspacher, he fashioned a stone cross.   During a storm in the 1930’s, this cross was struck by lightning and destroyed.   It was replaced, however, by a duplicate which now stands where the original one was.