Today, you will read an Emanuel story. You will also read an Immanuel story. I suppose I could have titled this post as Emanuel from Immanuel. The special event that occurred on this date was the marriage of Emanuel Thurm and Ernestine Stueve that took place on August 14, 1890, making today their 131st wedding anniversary. It turns out that this story also involves two sisters getting married in a double wedding.

I will begin by looking at the early life of the groom, Martin Emanuel Thurm, who was born on January 22, 1865. He was called Emanuel throughout his life. Emanuel was the son of Traugott and Johanna (Fuelle) Thurm. His baptism record says he was the 11th child born into this family, but our German Family Tree lists him as #9. That is because two children born to his parents were born and died in Germany that are not recorded in any church books in Perry County. Emanuel’s baptism record is found in the books of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altenburg. His parents were charter members of that congregation.

Emanuel is found in his first census in 1870 at the age of 6, although I figure he was only 5. His father was a farmer. One other Thurm child was born in 1867, but died in 1869, so she is not included in this entry.

Next, we find Emanuel in the 1880 census. Included in this entry is an adopted girl by the name of Clara Hamilton.

Emanuel got married before the next census, so I will discuss the early life of his bride. Her name was Elisabeth Ernestine Stueve who was born on June 26, 1869. Her parents were Herman and Marie (Reese) Stueve. Ernestine was also baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altenburg. Her baptism record is shown below.

Ernestine was very young when she shows up in her first census in 1870. She was 1 year old, and her father was a tailor. Herman Stueve had a household full of females.

Both of Ernestine’s parents died in the 1870’s. So, when the 1876 Missouri state census rolls around, Margaret, Mary, and Ernestine Stueve were living in the household of Claus Stueve, their uncle. Ernestine is mistakenly called Christina on this entry. What is interesting is that right below the Stueve’s, you see the family that includes her future husband, Emanuel Thurm.

The 1880 census shows the same members of the Stueve household, but the Thurm’s are not found nearby.

That leads us up to the double wedding that took place on August 14, 1890 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altenburg. This was another case, like yesterday’s story, in which the father had died before his daughters’ weddings. Only in this case, both parents had already died before this event. Emanuel Thurm married Ernestine Stueve, and Heinrich Pilz married Ernsestine’s sister, Maria Stueve. Here are the church marriage records for this double wedding. I have to display this in two images.

We can also take a look at Emanuel and Ernestine’s marriage license.

The German Family Tree lists 4 children born to this couple. One of them died at a young age. When the 1900 census was taken, we find this Thurm household. The youngest child, Hilda, was the last one born into this family.

At some time along the way, Ernestine had her photo taken along with two of her sisters, Katherine and Maria. Ernestine was the youngest of the three. These three are unidentified. I’ll let you guess which one is Ernestine.

In 1910, we find this Thurm household. Emanuel was always listed as a farmer.

Many of the members of Immanuel Lutheran Church could be found living on the western side of Altenburg where that church is located and on The Ridge north of Altenburg. However, we also find an enclave of Immanuel members living east of town along the road to Wittenberg. The 1915 plat maps show the property belonging to E. Thurm along that road.

Because Emanuel and Ernestine lived so long, we find each of them in census records all the way up to 1940. Next year, the 1950 census will be released to the public, and when it is, we should still find these two in that census as well. Here is their entry from the 1920 census. By this time, their daughter, Frieda, had married Rudolph Schade, and that couple was living with them.

Next, we find the Thurm’s in the 1930 census. Emanuel no longer has an occupation listed. His son-in-law, Rudolph Schade, was a section man for the railroad.

The last census we can view is the one taken in 1940.

In 1950, Emanuel and Ernestine celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary, and they had a family photo taken. Perhaps it is their farmhouse that is shown in the background.

Ernestine Thurm died in 1954 at the age of 85. Her death certificate is shown here.

We can also take a look at the obituary for Ernestine.

Emanuel Thurm died in 1959 at the age of 94. Mrs. Rudolph Schade, their daughter, Frieda, is the informant on both of the Thurm death certificates.

Emanuel and Ernestine Thurm are buried in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Altenburg.

I called this pair the E.T.’s (extra-terrestrials) in the title, but the only way they qualify for that title is their initials. These two never ventured far. They are one of those rare couples who were each born, baptized, confirmed, married, and buried at the same congregation.