The starting point for today’s story is a wedding that took place 105 years ago.  Otto Weber married Ida Perr on May 24, 1915 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells, Missouri.  I am relieved because I will not have to type out surnames like Zwickelhuber or Haberfellner.  I actually have fairly short names to work with.

I am going to start with the bride.  Ida Perr was born on December 9, 1894, the daughter of Joseph and Maria (Kraml) Perr.  Ida was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells.  Below is her baptism record.

There were 13 children born into the Joseph Perr family, and Ida was #11.  Only one of the 13 children died as a child.  The Perr’s had a family photograph taken which I will display here.  There are 10 children in the photo, so I suspect that Ida is the baby in her mother’s lap.  The last two children were girls and I do not see any young girls in the picture.

Ida Perr can be found in the 1900 census for Shawnee Township where we see 11 children in the household.

Ida can once again be found in the 1910 census as a 15 year-old.

Next, we will discuss the early years of the groom.  Otto Weber was born on October 27, 1891, the son of Herman and Wilhelmine (Hoffmann) Weber.  He was the 2nd of 5 children in that Weber family.  Otto was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altenburg.  Below is his baptism record in two images.

We can also view a photo of the Weber family that was taken when Otto was quite young.  It was probably taken around 1894.  The girl on her mother’s lap was born in February of 1894.  Otto is the boy standing in front of his father.

When the 1900 census was taken, all 5 of the Weber children had been born, but the boy born in 1895 had died in 1897.  Otto was 8 years old in this entry.  The family spills over into a second page.

Another Weber family photo was taken, according to my reckoning, sometime between this census and the next one taken in 1910.  Otto is standing in the back on the right.

The 1910 census shows Otto as an 18 year-old.

Two other photos were taken of Otto.  I am not sure whether they were taken before or after his wedding.

This leads us up to the Weber/Perr marriage that took place on this date in 1915.  We have the church record for this marriage.

We can also view this couple’s marriage license.

I can display the wedding photograph for this couple.

After marrying Ida at Immanuel Lutheran in Cape Girardeau County, Otto brought his new wife across the Apple Creek into Perry County where she joined him as a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altenburg.  They also took up residence north of Altenburg in the area known as The Ridge.  In 1917,  Otto had his World War I draft registration completed.

Our German Family Tree list 5 children born to Otto and Ida.  Two of them were born before the 1920 census.

We can also view Otto and Ida in the 1930 and 1940 censuses.

There was a stillborn child in 1935, but then their final child was born in 1937, almost 15 years after their previous son, Leo, was born.  They would also finally have their first daughter.

Otto had his World War II draft card completed in 1942.

A photo was taken of Otto Weber at a later time in his life.

Otto Weber died in 1964 at the age of 72.  We can view his death certificate.

Ida Weber died in 1982 at the age of 87.  She died too recently to view her death certificate, but we do have an obituary to view.

Otto and Ida Weber are both buried in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Altenburg.

 

Otto was a farmer on The Ridge for his whole life.  He had a son who ran a store on his property…The Weber Store.  That would be a story for another day.