Amalie Lina Haertling is today’s birthday girl.  She was born on June 14, 1882, the daughter of Herman and Sophia (Koenig) Haertling.  Here are photos of Lina’s parents.

Lina was the 8th of 10 children in her family.  She was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells, Missouri.  Below is her baptism record.

Because Lina was born not long after the 1880 census, we do not see her in a census until she is 18 years old in 1900.  I have to display that entry with two images because it spills over two pages.

Lina had a brother who had the same first name as her father, Herman.  The census above calls him a clergyman.  I do not think he had a congregation in 1900.  Although I am unfamiliar with his whole career, I do know that Rev. Herman Haertling was the pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Jacob, Illinois from 1904-1924.  Here is a photo of Lina’s brother.

Lina’s future husband would be Friedrich (Fred) Bremer.  He was born on February 16, 1883 and baptized at Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna.  Below is his baptism record.

Fred was the son of Klaus Heinrich and Margaretha (Meyer) Bremer.  There is a Claus von Bremer on a Baltimore passenger list for a ship that arrived in 1874.  I am able to only show an index for that record.

This is probably the correct person for a few reasons, one being the fact that his age is correct.  Another is the fact that when Fred shows up in his first census in 1900, his father is called Klaus von Bremer.  After this, the “von” no longer shows up.  Fred was 17 years old at the time.

On November 1, 1906, Fred Bremer married Lina Haertling at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells.  When you look at the marriage license below, you will see that the pastor who is listed on the form was Lina’s brother, Rev. G.H. Haertling, who must have come back across the Mississippi River from Jacob, Illinois to perform the wedding.

We can also view the church record for this wedding.

Our German Family Tree indicates that between 1907 and 1915, Fred and Lina had three sons.  They were the three “E’s”, Erwin, Elmer, and Edwin.  All three of them were baptized at Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna.  We find the Bremer household in the 1910 census for Brazeau Township.  At that time, they had just their first son, but Fred’s father, Henry was also living in their household.  Fred’s mother had died in 1903.

Fred Bremer had his World War I draft registration completed in 1918.

The 1920 census shows all three of the Bremer sons.  Henry Bremer is also still part of the household.  Fred was a farmer all his life.

The 1915 plat maps show Fred Bremer’s farm located not far from Frohna right along what is now called Highway A.

On March 11, 1922, Lina Bremer died at the early age of 39.  Her death record in the Concordia church books say she died of stomach problems.   We can also view her death certificate, and it mentions the complication of a tubular pregnancy.

Fred Bremer would not remain a widower for very long.  On April Fool’s Day of 1923, he married Lydia Gerharter.  Lydia was born on May 21, 1900, so she was about 17 years younger than Fred.  She was the daughter of Karl and Amelia (Landgraf) Gerharter.  She was baptized at Immanuel, New Wells.  Here is her baptism record from that congregation.

Lydia was the baby of the Gerharter family.  She was the 11 and last child.  Lydia’s older sister, Ida Gerharter married Arno Haertling in 1908.  Arno was Lina Haertling’s brother, so Fred Bremer married his first wife’s sister-in-law.  Fred’s second marriage took place at Concordia, Frohna.  Below is the marriage license for this wedding.

One child was born to Fred and Lydia.  A son named Willis Bremer was born in 1923.  Willis would be the father of our museum’s secretary, Carolyn (Bremer) Schmidt.  We see Fred and Lydia as a couple for the first time in the 1930 census.

The last census we can view is the 1940 census.

Fred Bremer also had to have a World War II draft card completed in 1942.

On July 26, 1942, the same year that the above draft card was completed, Fred died at the age of 59.  We can take a look at his death certificate.

Lydia Bremer died in 1976 at the age of 76.  She died too recently for us to view her death certificate.  Fred and both of his wives are buried in the Concordia Lutheran Cemetery in Frohna.

Fred and his two wives, Lina and Lydia, produced four men who were potentially able to carry the Bremer surname into the next generation.  However, it looks as if two of the four boys never married.