Felix Neff
Encyclopedia
Felix Neff Swiss Protestant divine and philanthropist, was born at Geneva
. Originally a sergeant of artillery
, he decided in 1819 to devote himself entirely to evangelistic work. He was ordained to the ministry in 1822, and soon afterwards settled in the valley of Freissinières
, where he labored in the manner of J. F. Oberlin, being at one and the same time pastor, schoolmaster, engineer and agriculturist. He was so successful that he changed the character of the district and its inhabitants. In 1827, worn out by his labors, he was obliged to return to his native place, where he died two years later.
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
. Originally a sergeant of artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
, he decided in 1819 to devote himself entirely to evangelistic work. He was ordained to the ministry in 1822, and soon afterwards settled in the valley of Freissinières
Freissinières
Freissinières is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France.-Geography:Freissinières lies in a valley which is the watershed of the Biaisse, which flows into the Durance between La Roche-de-Rame and Saint-Crépin....
, where he labored in the manner of J. F. Oberlin, being at one and the same time pastor, schoolmaster, engineer and agriculturist. He was so successful that he changed the character of the district and its inhabitants. In 1827, worn out by his labors, he was obliged to return to his native place, where he died two years later.