Born: March 18, 1823, Graceham, Maryland.
Died: June 20, 1904, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Buried: Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Of Moravian roots, Joseph was the son of John Seiss and Eliza Schuler, and husband of Elizabeth Susan Barnitz.
He studied for the ministry at Gettysburg College and Seminary, Pennsylvania, and was ordained a Lutheran pastor in 1848.
After serving congregations in Virginia and Maryland, he moved to St. John’s Lutheran Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1874, he became pastor of the Church of the Holy Communion in Philadelphia.
He also served as president of the Pennsylvania Ministerium and the General Council.