Once again, I have to be really careful today because two boys who carried the same name through life were born just one year apart from one another, one born in 1876 and one born in 1877. These two went by the name of Martin Schuessler, and they happened to be first cousins. One of these boys was Martin Benjamin Schuessler, and the other was Martin Herman Schuessler. I will call the main character in today’s post Martin H.

Actually, Martin was this boy’s middle name according to his baptism record. Herman Martin Schuessler was born on September 1, 1876 making today his 145th birthday. Martin H. was the son of Henry and Catherine (Baum) Schuessler. Martin H. was baptized at Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna. An image of his baptism record from that congregation’s books is displayed below.

Martin H. is found in his first census in 1880 when he was 3 years old. His father was a farmer.

Martin H. was not living with his parents when we find him in the 1900 census. In fact, he wasn’t even living in Missouri. We find him living in his brother, Theodore’s, household in the Fountain Bluff Township just across the river in Jackson County, Illinois. Martin H. was farming with his brother.

Next, we will take a quick look at Martin H.’s first wife, Sarah Mathilda Wirth. She was born on February 8, 1882, the daughter of Peter and Emilie (Magwitz) Wirth. Sarah was baptized at Salem Lutheran Church in Farrar. Pictured here is her baptism record.

The only census record in which we find Sarah as a single person was the one taken in 1900.

Martin H. Schuessler and Sarah Wirth were married on November 13, 1904. These two were married at Salem Lutheran Church in Farrar. We can look at the church record for their wedding below.

The marriage license for this couple is shown here.

Martin H. and Sarah had one daughter, Erna. However, Sarah died in 1908 at the age of 26 of consumption, which was another name for tuberculosis. That left Martin H. as a widower with a very young child. He is found living with his mother-in-law, who by this time was a widow herself, and Erna in the 1910 census.

Later in 1910, Martin H. married again. Let’s take a look at his second wife, Hedwig Mathilde Emilie Mangels. Hedwig was born on August 10, 1891, the last child of Herman and Katherine (Katt) Mangels. Hedwig was baptized at Salem Lutheran Church in Farrar. Her baptism record is pictured here.

Hedwig is found in the 1900 census when she was 8 years of age. Her father was a farmer.

Next, we find Hedwig in the 1910 census during the same year that she married Martin H. Schuessler.

Martin H. Schuessler married Hedwig Mangels on September 18, 1910. This marriage also took place at Salem, Farrar. The church record for this wedding is pictured here.

We can also view their marriage license.

A wedding photograph for this couple is shown below.

The 1915 plat maps for Perry County show a piece of property owned by A. Wirth, and I think this may have been the land farmed by Martin H. I think this was owned by the mother of his first wife.

In 1917 or 1918, Martin H. Schuessler had his World War I draft registration completed. His address is given as Menfro, Missouri.

This couple has 9 children listed in our German Family Tree, and only one of them was a girl. They were all baptized at Salem, Farrar. When the 1920 census was taken, we find the following Schuessler household. Three sons are listed.

Next, we find the Schuessler family in the 1930 census. Martin H. was a farmer all his life.

The last census in which we find this Schuessler household was the one taken in 1940. Seven sons along with their only daughter, Lucille, were included in this household. It looks as if Martin H. has plenty of helpers on his farm.

Martin H. Schuessler died in 1962 at the age of 85. Here is his death certificate.

Hedwig Schuessler died in 1977 at the age of 85, too recently to view a death certificate. Martin H. and Hedwig Schuessler are both buried in the Salem Lutheran Cemetery in Farrar.

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A few years back, I attended the funeral of Lucille (Schuessler) Schlichting, that only girl born to Martin H. and Hedwig Schuessler. Also, Wayne Schuessler, who has written as a guest blogger for us, could call Martin H. and Hedwig, Grandpa and Grandma. As you can imagine with all those Schuessler boys in that family, the surname Schuessler was passed along to many children around here over the years.