Albert Hoehn’s Bio

On this date 169 years ago, a baby by the name of Albert Hoehn was born. Albert, born on June 25, 1852, was the son of Michael and Anna (Bergmann) Hoehn. He was baptized at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg, Missouri. Albert is found in his first census at the age of 7 in 1860 living in the Cinque Hommes Township.

1860 census – Cinque Hommes Township, MO

Albert was a teenager when the 1870 census was taken. He was working on his father’s farm.

1870 census – Cinque Hommes Township, MO

I will now take a look at the early life of Albert’s first wife, Margaretha Barbara Rauh. She was born on September 4, 1859, the daughter of Johann and Elizabeth (Baer) Rauh. She was also baptized at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg. Margaretha was the baby in her family of 10 children. I did not find her in the 1860 census, but in the one taken in 1870, she was living in the Cinque Hommes Township at the age of 10. Her grandmother was living in their household, and it appears that Margaretha was named after her.

1870 census – Cinque Hommes Township, MO

Albert Hoehn married Margaretha Rauh on October 18, 1877. Below is the civil marriage record for this couple. Rev. Holtermann is shown as the pastor, so we know this marriage took place at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg.

Hoehn/Rauh marriage record – Perry County, MO

Our German Family Tree lists 4 children born to this couple. Then, in June of 1886, Margaretha died. We can take a look at a death record for this event that states the cause of death as a malarial congestion of the brain.

Margaretha Hoehn death record – Perry County, MO

The above death record says that Margaret was buried in the Friedens cemetery, but no record of her is found on Findagrave.com for her grave site.

Albert married a second time. His second wife was Kunigunda Fassold who was born on April 14, 1857, the daughter of Andreas and Gertrude (Hafner) Fassold. Kunigunda comes from the German words for “tribe” and “war”, leading to the meaning of “fighter for her clan”. We find Kunigunda in the 1860 census, only she is called Julia.

1860 census – Cinque Hommes Township, MO

At this point in my research, I ran into a mystery. Our German Family Tree lists two marriages for Kunigunda Fassold. It says she married Johann Wagner in 1874. I even found a Perry County marriage record for this Wagner/Fassold wedding along with several other couples that were married at about that time in 1874. The pastor, Rev. Voigt, was serving Peace, Friedenberg at the time.

Wagner/Fassold marriage record – Perry County, MO

There is even a baptism record for a baby born to this couple, Katherine Wagner, in the books of Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna. The mother’s name is definitely given the maiden name of Kunigunda Fassold.

Katherine Wagner baptism record – Concordia, Frohna, MO

At this point, let me also show a Kunigunda Fassold in the 1880 census. There is no evidence that she was married.

1880 census – Salem Township, MO

However, there is a death record for Johann Wagner found in the books of the Cross Congregation near Longtown, Missouri. It says he died in November of 1887.

Johann Wagner death record – Cross Congregation, Longtown, MO

Here is the mystery. Albert Hoehn married Kunigunda Fassold on January 23, 1887. That marriage record is displayed below. Another problem arises. This record says her name was Katherine Fassold, not Kunigunda.

Hoehn/Fassold marriage record – Perry County, MO

There are considerable other documents that state that Albert’s second wife was called Kunigunda. So, I had a problem. I came up with two possible explanations for this situation where a Kunigunda Fassold married Albert Hoehn before her first husband died. 1. Kunigunda divorced her first husband. 2. There were two Kunigunda Fassold’s. But what are the chances that there were two women who had the same, rather unusual, name of Kunigunda Fassold. As it turns out, there indeed were two women who shared this name, and our German Family Tree does not have it all correct. Take a look at this information that we have for a Kunigunda Fassold that was born on July 23, 1852. It also says Kunigunda was the daughter of Albert and Margaret (Bergmann) Fassold.

The GFT also contains this information about another Kunigunde. This Kunigunde was born on April 14, 1857 and listed as the 3rd child of Andreas and Gertrude (Hafner) Fassold.

I am once again going to have to tell Lynn Degenhardt he has another correction to make in our GFT. That document is constantly being made better as we discover its mistakes.

Let me put one more nail in the coffin of proof that Albert Hoehn did not marry a woman who had been married to a Johann Wagner. There is a gravesite in the Peace Lutheran Cemetery for Kunigunda Wagner.

Kunigunda Wagner gravestone – Peace, Friedenberg, MO

Let’s return to the Albert Hoehn bio. There are some interesting entries for two Bienlein children in the Friedenberg Remembrances book that state that these two Biehlein children were indentured servants in the Albert Hoehn household in 1890.

Louis and Lydia Bienlein info – Friedenberg book

The next census in which we find the Hoehn household is the one taken in 1900. Several more Hoehn children were born with Kunigunda as the mother. Altogether, it looks like Albert fathered 9 children with his two wives.

1900 census – Central Township, MO

We find the Hoehn household in the 1910 census.

1910 census – Central Township, MO

The 1915 plat maps for Perry County show the Albert Hoehn farm not far from Perryville.

Albert Hoehn land map – 1915

The 1920 census is the last one in which we find Albert Hoehn. This time, he was listed as living in Perryville.

1920 census – Perryville, MO

Albert Hoehn died in 1928 at the age of 75. His death certificate is shown here.

Albert Hoehn death certificate

Kunigunda is found in the 1930 census living with her daughter, Emma, who had married Armin Schamburg.

1930 census – Perryville, MO

Kunigunda Hoehn died in 1934 at the age of 77. We can also look at her death certificate.

Kunigunde Hoehn death certificate

Albert and Kunigunde Hoehn were buried in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Perryville.

Albert and Kunigunda Hoehn gravestone – Immanuel, Perryville, MO

I’m going to include a gallery of photos that I found that pertain to this Albert Hoehn story.

In closing, let me point out that Albert Hoehn is an ancestor of our friend, Clayton Erdmann, who, by all rights, should have written this post. I hope I got it all correct.


2 thoughts on “Albert Hoehn’s Bio

  1. This evening, I continued my search for reference to the death of Adam Hoehn Jr., wife of Albert’s oldest sister, Louisa Charlotte Hoehn. I was unsuccessful but did see an obituary for Albert’s first wife, Margaretha, on page 3 of the Fri 25 Jun 1886 edition of The Perry County Sun:

    “Mrs. Margaretha, wife of Albert Hoehn, residing 3½ miles east of Perryville, died at her residence last Friday, after only a few days sickness. Mrs. Hoehn was the youngest daughter of John Raub, Sr., and at the time of her death was 26 years and 9 months of age. The bereaved family sustained an irreparable loss in the death of Margaretha, who was a kind mother and devoted wife. She was married to her surviving husband eight years. In her death, four small children are deprived of a motherly care. Besides her husband and children, she leaves two brothers, four sisters and her parents. The funeral took place last Saturday when the remains, followed by a large funeral cortege of sorrowing friends, were laid to rest at Friedens-Gemeinde cemetery. May she rest in peace.”

    While the obituary appears to be off by one on the date of death, it corroborates the burial place listed in the death record you cited above. Perhaps the writer was thinking of her burial date instead.

    https://www.newspapers.com/image/688026254/

  2. I was recently searching through the pages of The Perryville Weekly Union for some other news about a Hoehn ancestor. I noticed a local correspondent mentioned Albert in the Fri 24 Feb 1882 edition (Page 3):

    “A dancing party was in order at the residence of Albert Hoehn, three miles northeast of Perryville, last Tuesday night.”

    It sounds like the young family knew how to have a good time: party on a week night.

    https://www.newspapers.com/image/687691953/

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