When I place the two surnames, Bergmann and Weinrich, in the search box for this website, 5 previous blog posts are displayed. One of those posts tells of double Bergmann-Weinrich weddings that took place on the same day in 1856. After today’s post, you should find 6 posts showing up in those search results. Today’s story will tell of another Weinrich-Bergmann marriage that took place on today’s date. I will begin with the groom.

Johann Ferdinand Weinrich was born on November 5, 1862, the son of Henry and Margaret (Bergmann) Weinrich. So, Ferdinand was a son born to one of the Weinrich/Bergmann pairs that were married in 1856. This boy was baptized at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg, so we cannot view his baptism record. Those records were destroyed in a fire. There is a summary of Ferdinand’s life in the Friedenberg Remembrances book.

The first time we see Ferdinand in a census was in 1870 when he was 7 years old. His father was a farmer in the Cinque Hommes Township.

Ferdinand was a teenager when the 1880 census was taken. This Weinrich family was made up of plenty of boys and only a few girls.

If you look at both of the above census records, Ferdinand has a older sister named Caroline. Our German Family Tree has her listed as a younger sister. The Friedenberg Remembrances book says she was born n 1866, but all other sources say she was born in 1860. In my opinion, I think she should be listed as an older sister in GFT.

Now, we will turn our attention to the woman who would become Ferdinand’s wife. Her name was Anna Sophia Bergmann, who was born on February 26, 1859. Two days ago, she would have been celebrating her 163rd birthday. Sophia was the daughter of John and Sophia (Poehner) Bergmann. Like her future husband, she was baptized at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg. The information for her in the Friedenberg book is pictured here.

Sophia is found in the 1860 census as a youngster living in St. Mary. She is said to be 2 years old, but I think she was younger.

This Bergmann family is found living in the Cinque Hommes Township when the 1870 census was taken. The Friedenberg book says that Sophia’s father was one of the founding members of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville in 1866.

The final census in which we find Sophia as being single was the one we have from 1880. Her father had died in 1873, so her mother, also named Sophia, was the head of the household. Her mother is even said to be farming, but she also had two teenage sons who were working on the farm.

Ferdinand Weinrich married Sophia Bergmann on February 28, 1886 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville. That makes today their 136th wedding anniversary. When I was searching for a story that took place on February 28, 1886, I had to scroll past several baptisms that took place on that day, so I figured that was a Sunday during that year. I checked it out, and I was right. The record of this marriage found in a binder we have for Immanuel, Perryville is pictured below.

A marriage license for this pair can also be viewed.

Our German Family Tree says there were 4 sons born to this couple. One of them died before his first birthday. We have to wait until the 1900 census was taken to view this family in such a document. All three of the sons are listed. Ferdinand was a farmer in the Central Township.

Next, we find this family in the 1910 census. Their 3 sons were still single and living with their parents.

The last census in which we find Ferdinand Weinrich is the one taken in 1920. Ferdinand and Sophia had an empty nest.

Ferdinand died in 1929 at the age of 66. His death certificate gives liver cancer as the cause of death.

An obituary for Ferdinand was published in the Perry County Republican. The date of his wedding in this article disagrees with other records.

The 1930 census shows Sophia living in Perryville all by herself.

Sophia Weinrich died in 1934 at the age of 75. We can also view her death certificate.

Sophia’s obituary also appeared in the Perry County Republican.

Ferdinand and Sophia Weinrich are buried together in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Perryville.

When you look at stories that include names such as Mueller, Schmidt, and Stueve, that have so many separate “clans”, you can expect situations like that in today’s story, where a character has a spouse and a mother with the same surname. Certainly, the Bergmann name can be included in such a list.