I have previously written stories that have told the tale of Lutherans marrying Catholics in Perry County. Today’s story will be another similar story, but it goes one step farther. I think every story in the past has been about a German Lutheran marrying a German Catholic. Today, you will hear the story of a German Lutheran marrying a French Catholic. We will begin with the Catholic family.
Claude Narcisse Petot arrived in America on March 5, 1857 aboard the F.W. Brune. He came alone and was just 16 years old at the time. Here we find him on the passenger list of the F.W. Brune.
Narcisse married Mary Duxin on January 3, 1860 in Perry County, Missouri. That would make today their 160th anniversary, but, believe it or not, this marriage date was not the reason I stumbled upon this story. Below is the marriage record for this wedding.
On September 28, 1861, this couple had their first child, a daughter named Mary Philomine Petot. In March of 1862, Narcisse enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War. It appears that he did not complete his military service until 1865. Indeed, it was not until 1866 before the next child was born into this Petot family. There are several records that document his Civil War service. Here is a later pension record indicating his time in the military.
This document, along with several others, state that Narcisse was a bugler in a cavalry unit. Next, we see his service noted on the 1890 Veterans Schedules for Bois Brule Township.
A rather blurred photograph was taken later in his life of Narcisse holding a bugle.
Another photograph taken later in his life was one showing Narcisse with several other Civil War veterans. Then this photo was published in the Perryville Republican-Monitor many years later. I will show the photo first, followed by the caption that showed up in the later newspaper. Narcisse is standing in the back on the right.
Narcisse was a member of the Catholic church. When he died in 1906, he was buried in the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cemetery (also called the Belgique Catholic Cemetery). Here is his gravestone.
Below you will find an interesting obituary for Narcisse.
That Catholic church was built in the 1890’s in the bottomland between Menfro, Missouri and Chester, Illinois. Here is a gallery of photos of that church. They are clickable.
The Petot family can be found in the 1870 census where Philomine was 8 years old. You can see that both Philomine’s father and mother were born in France.
We find Philomine once again in the 1880 census, this time in the Bois Brule Township.
Now let’s take some time to look at Philomine’s future husband, John George Schroeder. He was born on February 1, 1854, the son of John Conrad and Barbara (Wagner) Schroeder. We find a record of him in the book we have from the Peace Lutheran Church, Friedenberg congregation. It says he attended the school at that congregation. It is reported that he was born in the vicinity of Longtown. We find him in the 1860 census for the Bois Brule Township. He was 6 years old.
Next, we find John in the 1870 census for the Cinque Hommes Township as a 16 year-old.
The last census in which we find John as a single man was taken in 1880. This time, he was in the Salem Township.
On January 3, 1882, John Schroeder married Philomine Petot. So, Philomine and her parents had the same anniversary date. As was the case for many Lutheran/Catholic marriages in those days, they were married by a Justice of the Peace. We have their marriage license.
One year after this couple was married, the Cross Congregation Lutheran Church began. It was part of the Ohio Synod. When the Schroeder couple began having children, they were baptized at that church. Seven out of their eight children were baptized there. That church was only in operation from 1883-1898.
A 1915 land map shows the John Schroeder property in the red box. The Cross Congregation was probably located where you see the blue circle.
It’s quite a small photo, but here is a photo of John and Philomine Schroeder.
The 1900 census for this family is almost unreadable, but here is the one for 1910.
Later in the 1900’s, a photograph was taken of some of John and Philomine’s children.
In 1928, John died at the age of 74. Here is his death certificate.
John was buried in the cemetery of Cross Congregation. It is sometimes called Holy Cross Cemetery or Dry Fork Cemetery. Here is his gravestone.
I found a few photographs of that cemetery.
Philomine Schroeder died in 1936 at the age of 75. Here is her death certificate.
Philomine was buried in the St. James Catholic Cemetery in Crosstown, Missouri.
It appears that the bugler’s daughter, despite marrying a German Lutheran, remained faithful to her Roman Catholic faith.
