Herman Gottfried August Braeuner was born on February 7, 1872, making him today’s birthday boy. He would have been 149 years old today. I will attempt to tell his story in this post. Herman was the son of Herman and Caroline (Winter) Braeuner. We have this photo of Herman and Caroline.

A post was written about this Braeuner/Winter couple titled, Winter Comes to the Braeuner Home. Although today’s Herman Braeuner and his father shared the name Herman, they were technically not a case of Herman, Sr. and Herman, Jr. because they did not share the same middle names. Today’s birthday boy was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg, Missouri. I will display his baptism record here.

Herman can be found in his first census in 1880 at the age of 8.

Herman’s father died in 1897, so he does not show up in the 1900 census. In that census entry, we find Caroline Braeuner with two remaining sons, Herman and Charles, both in their 20’s and still single. Herman is described as being a farmer.

It was just after this census was taken that Herman got married, so let’s take a look at his bride. Her name was Elizabeth Margarethe Karoline Leine. Elizabeth was born on December 29, 1873, the daughter of August and Louise (Martin) Leine. I was unable to find a baptism record for Elizabeth, although I know she would later be confirmed at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells, Missouri.

Elizabeth can be found in her first census in 1880 at the age of 6. Her family was living in the Shawnee Township of Cape Girardeau County. Her father is called a laborer.

Elizabeth’s mother died in 1897, so when the 1900 census was taken, we find her father living with two remaining daughters, Elizabeth and Sarah.

Herman Braeuner married Elizabeth Leine on July 26, 1900 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells. Below is the church record for this wedding.

We can also take a look at the marriage license for this couple.

According to our German Family Tree, there were 8 children born to this couple. The first one has his baptism record in the books of Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg, but when St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Wittenberg was established in 1903, the Braeuner’s were among the first members of that congregation. The remainder of their children were baptized at St. Paul’s. This couple can be found in their first census together in 1910. Four of their children are found in this entry.

When the 1915 plat maps were produced, we find a parcel of land farmed by Herman Brauener located on The Ridge not far from Wittenberg.

The Braeuner household is found in the 1920 census with 7 children.

Next, we find the Braeuner family in the 1930 census. The household included 5 children, a daughter-in-law, and a grandson.

The last census we can view for Herman and Elizabeth was the one taken in 1940. The household included three unmarried sons.

Elizabeth Braeuner died in 1947 at the age of 73. Below is an image of her death certificate.

Herman Braeuner died in 1959 at the age of 87. Like his wife’s certificate, his was signed by Dr. Theodore Fischer of Altenburg.

Herman and Elizabeth are each buried in the St. Paul’s Lutheran Cemetery in Wittenberg, Missouri.

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Herman and Elizabeth Leine are yet another example of a couple that was made up of a Brazeau Township resident and one that came from Shawnee Township. Although they did not live in the town of Wittenberg, that river town seemed to have plenty of couples that fit this mold. At the time frame of my two books, Wittenberg ’03 and Wittenberg ’04, these two were a young couple just getting started at raising their family. I’m sure there were many Sundays on which you could enter the sanctuary of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church built in 1920 and find a pew filled with Braeuner’s.