Friedrich Joseph Arthur Preusser is today’s birthday boy. He was born on January 25, 1882, the son of Gustav and Anna (Jahn) Preusser. Today would have been his 139th birthday. He went by the name of Arthur during his lifetime. Arthur was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg, Missouri. Below is an image of his baptism record from that congregation’s records.
Because we cannot view the 1890 census, it is not until the 1900 census in which we can find Arthur Preusser, and by then, he was 17 years old. He was farming with his father.
Next, we find the Preusser household in the 1910 census for the same location. Arthur was 28 years-old and still working with his father on the Preusser farm.
Now, we will turn our attention to the early life of Arthur’s future wife. Her name was Anna Sarah Doering, who was born on April 9, 1885. Anna was the daughter of Heinrich and Emilie (Petzoldt) Doering. Like her future husband, Anna was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg, Missouri. Her baptism record is displayed below.
Anna can be found in the 1900 census for Brazeau Township when she was 15 years old and called a servant. Her father was a farmer. The first 4 children born into this Doering family were girls, Anna being the 4th.
As was the case with many young ladies from Perry County in the early 1900’s, Anna found work as a servant in St. Louis. We find her in the entry below for St. Louis where she was living in the household of Frederick Blanke, an 88 year-old man, who, along with his son, were said to be clerks in a tea-coffee house. Anna was 25 years old at the time.
On occasion, a young woman like Anna would find a spouse in St. Louis and remain there, but in most cases, I think you find them returning to their homes in Perry County to find their spouses and later raise their families here. That is what happened with Anna Doering.
On October 21, 1917, Arthur Preusser married Anna Doering at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg. Below is the civil marriage license for this couple.
We can also view the church record for this wedding from the books of Trinity Lutheran Church.
According to our German Family Tree, this couple had just 3 children, and only one of them lived to adulthood. That was their son, Albert, who was born in 1919. In the 1920 census, we find this small family with their young son. They were living in the household of Arthur’s parents. Arthur’s father was called a retired farmer, so Arthur was doing most of the work on the farm.
I found a parcel of land in the plat maps for Altenburg in 1915 for an Aug. Preusser. That would have been Arthur Preusser’s uncle. So, I am not sure where the Arthur Preusser farm was located.
Arthur Preusser had his World War I draft registration completed in 1918.
I find it amazing that during the 1920’s, Arthur and Anna had two more children born into their family with amazing similarities. In both 1923 and 1924, sons were born on January 16th and died on January 21st, only days after being born. What are the chances of two babies being born on the same day in consecutive years and also dying on the same day?
Next, we find Arthur and Anna and their son, Albert, in the 1930 census.
The last census we can view for this couple was the one taken in 1940. At that time, their son, Albert, was 20 years old and helping his father on the farm.
Arthur had his World War II draft card completed in 1942 when he was 60 years old.
Anna Preusser died in 1956 at the age of 71. Her death certificate states that she died at the Perry County Memorial Hospital in Perryville.
Arthur Preusser died in 1974 at the age of 92. He died too recently for us to view his death certificate. Arthur and Ann Preusser are buried together in the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Altenburg, Missouri.
Today’s story tells of a couple that spent their whole lives in the Altenburg area. The church records for them are all found in the books of Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg. I find it interesting that all three of the names of the members of this Preusser family began with the letter “A”.
