If I have it figured correctly, Teacher J.F.F. Winter, was the first person in the Winter family I will discuss today to arrive in Perry County. Teacher Winter is famous for being the first teacher at Trinity Lutheran School in Altenburg, and he never married, so there were no Winter descendants coming from him. However, he was followed by two of his brothers that arrived in this country in 1854. Those two brothers made the voyage aboard the ship, Alfred, along with another passenger that was headed to Altenburg, Missouri named August Meineke.

As it turns out, you could make an argument that there was a group of Winter descendants that we could call the Altenburg Winters and another group we could call the Frohna Winters. However, the main character in today’s story could be called a Wittenberg Winter.

The farmer on the above passenger list, August Winter, would get married to Marie Mangelsdorf in 1865. That couple would have their first child in 1866. They named that child Ferdinand August Winter, who was born on January 31, 1866. August was baptized at Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna. August’s parents could be described as Frohna Winters. We can view August’s baptism record below.

August is found in his first census in 1870 at the age of 4. His father, who also went by the name, August, was a wagon maker at this time.

Next, we find August in the 1880 census as a teenager. He was called a farm laborer.

We will now turn our attention to August’s future bride. Her name was Maria Louisa Arensburg, who was born on November 23, 1868, making today her 153rd birthday. Mary was the daughter of August and Margaretha (Staufenberg) Arensburg. She was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altenburg. Her baptism record from that congregation’s books is pictured here.

Mary can be found in her first census in 1870 at the age of 1. Her family was living in Wittenberg, and her father was a cooper.

Next, we find Mary in the 1880 census at the age of 12. Her father was then called an engineer. He likely worked at Joseph Weinhold’s flour mill in Wittenberg.

August Winter married Mary Arensburg on October 13, 1889. We can view a marriage license for this couple, but our German Family Tree does not indicate that a church record for this wedding is found in any local church books. However, this license lists Rev. Zschoche as the pastor.

It’s just a wild guess, but here is what I think may have happened. Mary lived in Wittenberg, where church services were held, and those services were usually conducted by the pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg. However, since August was from Concordia, Frohna, perhaps this couple asked Rev. Zschoche, Concordia’s pastor, to perform their marriage ceremony at the church/school building in Wittenberg. Most of the Wittenberg records were documented in the Trinity, Altenburg books. Rev. Zschoche may not have felt it necessary to record this wedding in his Concordia, Frohna books, so no church record was written down.

Another result of this marriage, in my opinion, is that August Winter relocated to the area around Wittenberg. He is found living in that area when the 1900 census was taken, and he is called a farmer.

Our German Family Tree lists 6 children born into this Winter family. The first five have their baptism records included in the Trinity, Altenburg books. A few of these children died rather young. The above census shows the first 3 children. The 5th child, born in 1902, died of cholera in 1903, and that death record was one of the first death records found in the books of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Wittenberg that was established earlier in 1903. However, that congregation did not yet have a cemetery. The last Winter child was baptized at St. Paul’s.

When the 1910 census was taken, we find the Winter household shown here. Based on his neighbors, he was living in Wittenberg. Right next to his family was the church’s pastor, Rev. Klein. This time, August is called a flour packer at the flour mill. That had to be Joseph Weinhold’s mill. Perhaps August’s father-in-law helped him get that job.

In 1914, we find August Winter included in a photograph showing the church officers of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. August is sporting a rather impressive mustache in this photo.

Next, we find the Winter family in the 1920 census. This time, August is called the 2nd miller at the flour mill.

It must have been around this time that a crew from the flour mill had their picture taken standing on the porch of what had once been the Lueders Store. Otto Lueders, who had once operated that store, is shown on the left side of this photo. August is the 4th man from the right, once again sporting an impressive mustache.

Another photo was taken later in the 1920’s. It shows Mary Winter holding her granddaughter, Pearline Lungwitz. Her daughter, Bertha Winter, had married Otto Lungwitz in 1916. Pearline was born in 1925. The photo was taken at the time of a flood in Wittenberg.

The 1930 census for the Winter family is pictured below. August no longer had an occupation, and the only child left in his household was his youngest son, Hugo.

The last census in which we find August and Mary was the one taken in 1940. August and Mary were living in the household of their son, Hugo, who was the postmaster at the time.

August Winter died in 1942 at the age of 76. His death certificate says that his usual occupation was as a miller.

An obituary for August was published in the Perry County Republican.

Mary Winter died in 1949 at the age of 80. Her death certificate is displayed below.

August and Mary Winter are buried in the St. Paul’s Lutheran Cemetery in Wittenberg.

August and Mary Winter could have been included in my Wittenberg ’03 and ’04 books, but I felt it necessary to keep the list of characters somewhat limited. I’m sure these two would have made interesting characters had I chosen to use them. I’m guessing my dad, when he was growing up in Wittenberg, knew August as an older man who was a member of his church and could tell some interesting stories.