Today’s story had too many little interesting tidbits in it that couldn’t be ignored.  It’s a story I just had to write.  It all started with the birth of Claus Heinrich Brueckner on August 22, 1878.  Actually, it also starts with the birth of Katharina Brueckner on the same date.  These two were twins.  Their parents were Heinrich and Marie (Imbusch) Brueckner.  Here are their baptism records from Salem Lutheran Church in Farrar, Missouri.

Sadly, Katharina lived only a little more than a year, dying in September of 1879.  Here is her death record.

Ten years after the birth of the first set of Brueckner twins, there was another set born on April 6, 1888.  At least, a set of twins was almost born.  In this case one of the twins was stillborn.  We have this baptism record for Herman Brueckner in the Salem, Farrar church books.

The stillborn is listed in the death records at Salem.

Please look at these two records, both out of the Salem church books from 1888.  To me, it is obvious that each was written by a different person, and I wonder why.

As if that isn’t enough, Marie Brueckner gave birth to another set of twins in between the other sets of twins.  In 1885, twin sons were born.  One died the same day he was born, and the other died before the age of two.  There were also other children born into this Brueckner family, but I will focus today’s story on the two brothers, Henry and Herman, who were both twins, but not twins, if you know what I mean.

We find both Henry and Herman still living with their parents in Farrar in the 1900 census.

It is after the 1900 census that we see a change of scenery for both Henry and Herman.  I find it interesting that they both move away from Farrar, but they both move to the same place.  Before 1910, they are both living in Niagara, North Dakota.  The first record we have of that move was this marriage license for Henry in 1907.  Henry married Amedia Strassburg of Niagara.

This record shows both Henry and his bride as being from Niagara, North Dakota.  A family history I found says that this couple was actually married on Reformation Day, October 31, 1907, two weeks after they applied for this marriage license.

Amedia was the daughter of Paul and Mary (Krueger) Strassburg of Niagara.  I found this photo of Amedia along with three of her siblings.

We also have this wedding photo of Henry and Amedia.

I must take a little side trip before moving on with the Brueckners.  I don’t have much documentation for this, but I am almost certain that Rev. George Dietrich Hilpert was the pastor of St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Niagara at the time of Henry’s wedding.  Pastor Hilpert’s story was written in the post titled, A Zschoch-ing Wedding.  This photo of Rev. Hilpert was included in that post in which he was wearing a coat very fitting for his life in North Dakota.

That post also included this photo of the church and parsonage in Niagara.

In the course of researching this congregation, I discovered that they recently celebrated their 120th anniversary in 2014, and for that celebration they put together this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=139&v=URmYPxUHatI

The video is 30 minutes long.  I encourage you to watch the first few minutes of it.  You will see some photographs of their first church building and get a feel for what it must have been like in Niagara in those days.

After Henry was married in 1907, we find him in this 1910 census for Niagara.

Henry and Amedia had one child at this time.  You will see that Henry’s brother, Herman, is also living in their household.  In addition, there is an orphan living with them by the name of Frank Newman.

In 1916, Herman married Amedia’s younger sister, Hulda Strassburg.  She is the one at the bottom of the siblings photo shown earlier.  By that time, Rev. Hilpert had taken a call to Illmo, Missouri, so he would not have performed the marriage ceremony for Herman and Hulda.  Here is the marriage license for this couple.

Here is the wedding photo of Herman and Hulda.

After this marriage we find an interesting entry in the 1920 census from Niagara.

Henry’s family is at the top; Herman’s family is at the bottom.  Amedia and Hulda’s parents are in the middle.  You may notice that Frank Newman is still living with Henry’s family, but he is called a hired man.

The 1930 census continues to show Henry and Herman still living near each other in Niagara.

The only two people shown in this image to be born in Missouri are Henry and Herman.  The 1940 census is shown below.  We finally see that Henry and Herman are no longer living near each other.  Henry is living in Carlsborg, Washington.

This location is also shown on Henry’s World War II draft card.

I find it very interesting that Henry uses Dick Brueckner from Menfro, Missouri as the person who will always know his address.  I am not sure where Dick fits into the family, though.

Henry died in 1959; Amedia died in 1979.  They are buried together in the Sequim View Cemetery in Washington.  This is their gravestone.

When Herman filled out his World War II draft card, he was still in Niagara.

Herman and Hulda remained in Niagara after Henry’s family moved away.  Herman died not long after he filled out his WWII draft card.  He died in 1943.  Hulda died in 1986.  Herman is buried in the St. Andrew’s Lutheran Cemetery in Niagara.  I am not sure where Hulda is buried.  Here is Herman’s gravestone.

This story just amazed me.  What are the chances that two Brueckner brothers from Perry County, Missouri would marry two Strassburg sisters from Grand Forks County, North Dakota?

Just one more quick note.  Back in my early days of working with a youth group in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, I had two youngsters in that group by the name of Strassburg.  And they were twins.