The first character we will examine today would be celebrating his 125th birthday (or was it his 126th? or the 127th). His name was Edmund Paul Hoehn, who was born on January 16, 1897…maybe. There is some debate about the year of his birth which I will discuss as we go along. His parents were John and Emma (Mueller) Hoehn. I found this photo of Edmund’s parents.

Edmund was baptized at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg, so we cannot view his original baptism record. Edmund is found in his first census in 1900. This entry says he was 5 years old and born in January of 1895. His father was a farmer.

Next, we find Edmund in the 1910 census at the age of 14. According to our German Family Tree, Edmund was child #4 out of 9 total children born to this family. The first two children born to the Hoehn’s was a set of twins who did not live long, so Edmund became the second oldest child in his family.

A photograph was taken of the John Hoehn family at about this time. Edmund is standing in the back leaning on the porch pillar.

In 1917, Edmund had his World War I draft registration completed. This document says Edmund was born on January 16, 1896. It also states that, even though his home address was Menfro, Missouri, he was working as a farmer for Frank Perso in Brookings, South Dakota.

Edmund did spend time as a soldier in World War I, and even spent over a year overseas. Below is a document showing his military service. This document says Edmund was born on January 16, 1895.

Edmund is back living in Perry County when the 1920 census was taken. He was working on his father’s farm at the age of 23.

Next, we will take a look at the woman who would become Edmund’s first wife. Her name was Alma Johanna Koenig, who was born on August 3, 1907. Her parents were Oscar and Bertha (Buettner) Koenig. Alma was child #5 in this family, and the last one. Alma was baptized at Salem Lutheran Church in Farrar. We can take a look at her baptism record.

Alma is found in the 1910 census at the age of 2. Her father was a farmer.

Alma was 12 years old when the 1920 census was taken.

Edmund Hoehn married Alma Koenig on December 27, 1925 at Salem Lutheran Church in Farrar. The church marriage record says that Edmund was a farmer from Point Rest. This looks like another one of those marriages where the couple’s wedding took place soon after the Advent season was over.

We can also take a look at the marriage license for this couple. This document also states that Edmund was from Point Rest.

This couple had just one child, a son named Glennon Hoehn, but that child was born and died on the same day. There are no records of his baptism or death in the books of Trinity Lutheran Church in Point Rest, but Glennon was buried in the Point Rest cemetery.

The 1930 census shows just Edmund and Alma living in the Bois Brule Township.

When the 1940 census was taken, this pair was living in the Central Township. Edmund was still a farmer.

Alma Koenig died in 1953 at the age of 46. Her death certificate says she died at the Osteopathic Hospital in Cape Girardeau.

Now, we will be taken in an entirely different direction. In 1956, Edmund married Aileen (Schindler) Weinkein. Aileen was born on April 1, 1912, the oldest child of Hubert and Ida (Mertz) Schindler. I can display a photo of Aileen’s parents. All indications are that the Schindler’s were Catholics, so we don’t find Aileen’s baptism record in our German Family Tree.

Aileen is seen in this photo taken of several Schindler children. It is not hard to pick out the oldest child in this photo.

I am going to skip ahead to Aileen’s first wedding. She married Melvin Roy Weinkein on April 12, 1941. Melvin was the son of a couple whose story was told not long ago called, New Names – Isadore and Weinkein. You can see from the marriage license that this was a Catholic wedding.

Here is a wedding photo of Melvin and Aileen along with Aileen’s parents.

It does not appear that this couple had any children. Then, Melvin died in 1953 at the age of 47. His death certificate includes appendicitis as one cause of death.

That leads us up to the second marriage of both Edmund Hoehn and Aileen Weinkein. That wedding took place on October 11, 1956. The marriage license has evidence that this was another Catholic wedding.

The photo below is said to be one showing Edmund and Aileen as newlyweds.

Edmund died in 1969 at the age of 73. His death certificate says he died at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. This document also gives Edmund’s birthday as January 16, 1896.

Aileen Hoehn died in 1992 at the age of 79. What I find interesting is that when Edmund and Aileen were buried, they were each buried with their first spouse. Here is the gravestone for Edmund and Alma Hoehn found in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Perryville. His gravestone gives Edmund’s birthday as January 16, 1897.

Next, here is the gravestone for Melvin and Aileen Weinkein found in the St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Highland.

Now that all is said and done, I will let you decide if Edmund was alive today, whether he would be blowing out 125, 126, or 127 candles. At least we know today is his birthday.