I am getting old and cannot remember why this is the case, but while I was researching today’s story, I discovered that our collection of images already had several files which I needed for this post.  I looked and looked through our blog’s archives to see if I had already written a post about today’s characters.  It just simply is not there.  Not only that, but the images we have in our collection have not been uploaded onto our website’s media files to be used for a blog.  The only thing I can figure is that there was a time when I started gathering items in order to write a story, but never got around to actually doing it.  So, you’re getting this story today.

Theodosius Arthur Frentzel was born on March 22, 1876.  Theodosius was the son of Carl Arthur and Emma (Telle) Frentzel and baptized at Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown.  Here is an image of his baptism record.

In those notorious 1880 census records for Union Township that were lost for so many years, we find Theodosius in his first census.  He was 4 years old and had only one other sibling, the baby, Gotthilf.

Before we can view Theo in his next census, he got married to his first wife, Emma Bingenheimer.  She was the daughter of Johann Phillip and Wilhelmine (Dickmann) Bingenheimer.  Our German Family Tree does not contain any clues as to where Emma was baptized.  In 1878, before we find Emma in a census, her father died.  We find the Bingenheimer family in the same lost census for Union Township.  Emma was 6 years old.

You can see that Emma was just one of many daughters in this family.  The only son, William, who is shown as being a farmer at the age of 17, must have had his hands full keeping all of those women cared for.  And whereas Theodosius was the eldest child in his family, his wife, Emma Bingenheimer, was the baby of her family.

On July 3, 1898, Theodosius Frentzel married Emma Bingenheimer at Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown.  The church record for that wedding is shown here.

We are also able to view this couple’s marriage license.

According to our German Family Tree, this couple had 2 children, a boy and a girl.  We find Theo and Emma in the 1900 census.  Their son had been born in January and is included here as a baby.  This couple was living with Emma’s widowed mother and her brother, Henry Dickmann.

Emma’s death is somewhat of a mystery, but we know she must have died sometime between the 1900 and 1910 censuses.  We also know that Theo married again in 1910.  However, there is no church record and no gravestone to be found for Emma Frentzel.

Theodosius Frentzel married Bertha Gentsch on January 16, 1910 at Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown.  Bertha was the daughter of Friedrich and Sophia (Metzner) Gentsch.  She was born on February 27, 1874 and baptized at Grace Lutheran.  Below is the baptism record for Bertha.

Here is the church record for the Frentzel/Gentsch wedding in 1910.

We also have the marriage license for this wedding.

In 1918, Theodosius had his World War I draft registration completed.

When the plat maps were made in 1915, they showed the farm of T.A. Frentzel.

Theo and Bertha had 3 children of their own, two girls and a boy.  They were all born by the time the 1920 census was produced.

Next, we can view the Frentzel’s in the 1930 census.  I included Theo’s parents, who were listed just above his entry.

Finally, the 1940 census shows what was left of this family.

Theodosius A. Frentzel did not have to complete a World War II draft card in 1942, but his son, Theodosius J. Frentzel did.  The form below has plenty of Theodosius’s on it.

Bertha Frentzel died in 1948 at the age of 74.  Here is her death certificate.

Theodosius A. Frentzel died in 1951 at the age of 75.  His death certificate says he had cancer of the liver and the colon.

Both Theodosius and Bertha Frentzel are buried in the Grace Lutheran Cemetery in Uniontown. I wish I knew where Emma Frentzel was buried.

Before finishing up, I have to share this photograph of the Uniontown Band.  Theo was part of this band.  The members are identified in the photo, but Theo’s name is right on the bass drum, making it difficult to read.  Theo is the 5th person from the left, standing in the back.  I think he is probably holding a trumpet under his arm.

I am fascinated by these community bands that had members like Theo who was a farmer all his life.

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Just a few more extra tidbits today:

First, Trinity, Altenburg used the gallery of our museum to live stream their worship service this morning.  If you’re interested, you may watch the service here.  (I do not know how long this link will last.)

Second, I took a photo of the big hole we now have behind our museum.  Progress is being made on our building expansion.