Conrad Herbert Gesner (August 30, 1901 - September 1, 1993) was bishop of the

Episcopal Diocese of South Dakota The Episcopal Diocese of South Dakota is a diocese of the Episcopal Church with jurisdiction over the state of South Dakota. History The diocese was created in 1871 at the Missionary District of Niobrara. It adopted the name Missionary Distric ...

from 1953 until his retirement in 1970.

Early life and education

Gesner was born on August 30, 1901, in

Detroit Lakes, Minnesota Detroit Lakes is a city in the State of Minnesota and the county seat of Becker County. The population was 9,869 at the 2020 census. Its unofficial population during summer months is much higher, estimated by citizens to peak at 13,000 midsum ...

, to the Reverend Anthon Temple Gesner and Blanche Louise Pinniger. He was educated at Ridgefield School in

Ridgefield, Connecticut Ridgefield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York ...

. He then studied at

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

from where he graduated with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

in 1923, and was awarded a

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ran ...

in 1945. He also graduated with a

Bachelor of Divinity In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity or Baccalaureate in Divinity (BD or BDiv; la, Baccalaureus Divinitatis) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology ...

from the

General Theological Seminary The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church (GTS) is an Episcopal seminary in New York City. Founded in 1817, GTS is the oldest seminary of the Episcopal Church and the longest continuously operating Seminary in the Anglican Communi ...

in 1927, and earned a

Doctor of Sacred Theology The Doctor of Sacred Theology ( la, Sacrae Theologiae Doctor, abbreviated STD), also sometimes known as Professor of Sacred Theology (, abbreviated STP), is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Catholic Church, ...

in 1946.

Ordained ministry

Gesner was ordained deacon in April 1927 and priest in November 1927 by Bishop Hugh L. Burleson of South Dakota. He married Betty Merrell on June 23, 1927, and together had three children. Gesner served as Canon Missioner at Calvary Cathedral in

Sioux Falls, South Dakota Sioux Falls () is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 130th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County and also extends into Lincoln County to the south, which continues up ...

between 1927 and 1929, rector of Trinity Church in

Pierre, South Dakota Pierre ( ; lkt, Čhúŋkaške, lit=fort) is the capital city of South Dakota, United States, and the seat of Hughes County. The population was 14,091 at the 2020 census, making it the second-least populous US state capital after Montpelier, ...

between 1929 and 1933, and then as rector of the Church of St John the Evangelist in

Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississip ...

between 1933 and 1945.

Bishop

Gesner was elected Coadjutor Bishop of South Dakota by the House of Bishops on May 2, 1945, and consecrated on May 2, 1945. He succeeded as Missionary Bishop of the District of South Dakota on January 1, 1954. He retired in 1970 and served as assistant bishop in Western Massachusetts and Connecticut. Gesner died on September 1, 1993, at McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls."People"
''Episcopal News Service'', October 7, 1993. Retrieved on March 15, 2021.

References

1901 births 1993 deaths 20th-century American Episcopalians People from Detroit Lakes, Minnesota General Theological Seminary alumni Episcopal bishops of South Dakota 20th-century American clergy {{US-Anglican-bishop-stub