The birthday of Mary Klemp led me to some names that have never shown up on this blog before. It’s one thing that we have a new surname that causes me to create a new folder in our digital file of surnames. It is even less likely that we run across a first name that has never been used. One of today’s characters provides us with both a new first name and a new surname…Isadore Weinkein. Before we get to him, let’s take a look at the girl who has a birthday today.

Maria Albertine Klemp was born on January 7, 1881, making today her 141st birthday. Mary was the daughter of William and Margaret (Schneider) Klemp. Mary was the baby of her family, the 12th child in a family of 12. The Friedenberg Remembrances book says that her father was one of the founding members of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville in 1866. The first 6 children were baptized at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg, and the last 6, including Mary, were baptized at Immanuel, Perryville. We can view a transcription of her baptism record. I find it interesting that Maria had not just one, but two sponsors who were named Maria.

Mary does not show up in a census we can view until 1900, and by that time, her father had died, so we find her living in her mother’s household. She was 19 years old. Right below that household, you will find that of Mary’s older brother, who had married Mary Lorberg. So, there are two Mary Klemp’s in this image.

Mary would get married not too long after this, so let’s take a look at the man named Isadore Weinkein. He was born on September 28, 1880, the son of Peter and Onaseme (Marachal) Weinkein. As you can imagine, the first name of Onaseme and the surname, Marachal, are also brand new names to this blog. Onaseme had French roots, whereas Peter had German roots. I located a photograph of Isadore’s parents.

I suspect that Isadore was baptized as a Catholic. We find him in the 1900 census at the age of 19. His father was a farmer.

Isadore Weinkein married Mary Klemp on July 21, 1903. The marriage license shown below indicates that this couple was married by a Catholic priest in Perryville.

Our German Family Tree lists 5 children born to this couple, but only one of them has a Lutheran baptism record. However, a later census lists 6 children. We find this couple in the 1910 census with 3 children. Isadore was a farmer.

When the 1915 plat maps were produced for Perry County, we find the Isadore Weinkein farm located near the village of Highland, which is south of Perryville and west of Longtown. Nowadays, it is also west of Interstate 55.

The last of the Weinkein children was born in 1917, and we find the baptism record for that daughter in the books of Zion Lutheran Church in Longtown. Perhaps this marks the time when the Weinkein’s had both become Lutherans.

In 1918, Isadore had his World War I draft registration completed.

The Weinkein’s can be found in the 1920 census with all 6 children.

Next, we find Isadore and Mary in the 1930 census. Both of them were 49 years old at the time.

The last census we are able to view is the one taken in 1940. A few of the Weinkein children were working in the shoe factory in Perryville.

Isadore was required to complete a World War II draft card despite being 61 years old.

Mary Weinkein died in 1963 at the age of 82. I’m thinking that someone who heard the name, Schneider, thought they heard Snyder, explaining that name being given as the maiden name of Mary’s mother.

Isadore Weinkein died in 1967 at the age of 86. His death certificate says he died at St. Francis Hospital in Cape Girardeau.

Isadore and Mary Weinkein are buried together in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Perryville.

This blog has been in existence almost 6 years now. After that much time and over 1900 posts, today is the first day that the names, Isadore, Weinkein, Onaseme, and Marechal, have appeared. Our file called GFT Images, which as a result of a new folder added today, now contains 711 folders, most of which are surname folders. That file has over 19,000 images and its size is creeping up on 10GB. So, it is a rare day when we find 4 names that get added to that file on the same day.