I have previously written stories about people with the surname, Sandler. I did a search on our website and found 8 different posts that referred to people with that name. Two similar names show up in today’s post…Sandlin and Saddler. I did a similar search on these two names. I found no results for the name Sandlin. For the name, Saddler, I found plenty of results, but they all referred to a person who made saddles, and none of them referred to a surname with that spelling. Sandler, Sandlin, and Saddler are spelled and pronounced so similarly that I have to be really careful making sure I type the right name today. I hope my fingers type the correct words.

Elia Edward Sandlin was born on March 3, 1890, so he is today’s birthday boy. Elia was the son of William and Mary (Saddler) Sandlin. I am pretty certain that the members of the Sandlin family were Baptists and members of a Baptist church in in the vicinity of Crosstown, Missouri, possibly Pleasant Grove Baptist. If so, Elia would not have been baptized as a baby but when he was an older child. We certainly do not have his baptism record in our German Family Tree. The first census in which we find Elia is the one taken in 1900 at the age of 10. This is the Salem Township census that is so difficult to read. Although I did not display it, Elia’s father was called a day laborer.

When the 1910 census was taken, we find Elia still living with his parents. At the age of 20, Elia is called a farm laborer, and his father was a farmer. I included a neighbor by the name of Benjamin Saddler. Elia would marry a Saddler, but not from that family. However, it is interesting to note that Benjamin Saddler’s wife had the maiden name of Sandlin. So, today’s story is not the only one involving a Sandlin/Saddler couple.

Now, we will take a look at the early life of Elia’s future wife. Her name was Christina Sophie Bohnert, who was born on December 28, 1893. Her parents were Ferdinand and Barbara (Hahn) Bohnert, who had been married at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg. Christina was child #6 in a family of 6 children. The first 5 children appear to have been baptized at Peace Lutheran. However, when Christina was born, she was baptized at Cross Congregation, a short-lived church located between Longtown and Friedenberg. A transcription of her baptism record is shown below.

In the 1900 census for the Central Township of Perry County, we find Christina at the age of 6. Her father was a farmer.

A photograph was taken of the sisters Elizabeth and Christina Bohnert which is shown below. This must have been taken before 1906 because that is when Elizabeth reportedly died.

When Christina was confirmed in 1907, that event took place at Zion Lutheran Church in Longtown.

We find Christina once again in the 1910 census at the age of 16. This time, her family is found living in the Salem Township, and her father had a different occupation. He was the proprietor of a flour mill.

On September 28, 1915, Elia Sandlin married Christina Bohnert. The marriage license indicates that this marriage was conducted by the probate judge, Adolph Schmidt, who was a native of Altenburg. I think the fact that this was not a church wedding was due to the fact that Elia was a Baptist and Christina was a Lutheran. The pastors may not have been willing to perform the wedding.

I located a wedding photograph of Elia and Christina which includes another couple standing behind them who were probably part of the wedding party..

Elia had his World War I draft registration completed in 1917or 1918. It stated that he was a farmer with a wife and child. His address is given as Crosstown.

Our German Family Tree lists 4 children born to this couple, and all of them were baptized at Zion Lutheran Church in Crosstown. Three of them show up on this list.

One of their died at the age of 8 months. We find this Sandlin couple in the 1920 census with 2 children, and Elia was laborer for the railroad. I included the household of Martin Bohnert, who was Christina’s older brother. That brother was called a miller at a flouring mill.

Next, we find the Sandlin household in the 1930 census with 3 children. Elia was called a section hand for the railroad. Once again, we see Ben Saddler and his wife living nearby.

The last census we can view for this family was the one taken in 1940. Elia had the same occupation, and again, we see Ben Saddler nearby.

Elia had his World War II draft card completed in 1942. It said he was an employee of the Frisco Railroad.

Elia Sandlin died in 1946 at the age of 55. His death certificate states that he died at the Frisco Employees Hospital in St. Louis.

The Frisco Hospital was one which provided medical care for people working for the Frisco Railroad. A photo of that hospital is shown here.

Elia Sandlin was buried in the Bethlehem Baptist Cemetery in Crosstown, a church that had its beginnnings in 1907.

Christina Sandlin would not die until 1987 when she was 93 years old, one day before she would have turned 94. We cannot view her death certificate. Christina was buried in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Crosstown.

I didn’t look into it carefully, but the Bohnert name started as what could be called a “Catholic name” around here. I discovered today that Sandlin was a “Baptist name”. I have no proof, but I think that Saddler was also a Baptist name. I do know that Benjamin Saddler (spelled with one “d” on his gravestone) was buried in the Bethlehem Baptist Cemetery. Add to that the fact that Christina was a Lutheran. This story includes three different Christian denominations. I do not often write posts on this blog like that.