Maybe in English communities, you can talk about “Keeping Up with the Jones’s”, but from our German community comes a story of “Kipping Up with the Meyer’s and the Lohmann’s”. We begin with a birthday girl.

Augusta Maria Magdalena Meyer was born on October 2, 1897, so she would be celebrating a special 125th birthday today. Augusta was the daughter of Johann and Anna Maria (Miesner) Meyer. A previous post was written about Augusta’s parents titled, Miesner/Meier to Meyer/Miesner. Augusta was baptized at Salem Lutheran Church in Farrar. An image of her baptism record from that congregation’s books is shown here.

Like so many other entries from the Salem Township 1900 census pages, the first census in which Augusta appears is very difficult to read. I enlarged it to make it more readable. To do so, you cannot see her father’s occupation. I can tell you that he was a farmer. Augusta was just 2 years old. She was the 3rd of 9 children listed in our German Family Tree for this Meyer couple.

Next, we find Augusta in the 1910 census still living in the Salem Township of Perry County. She was 12 years old at that time.

Augusta would get confirmed in 1911. Then, in 1920, which was the same year as her marriage, she is found living in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. She was a servant in the Charles Himmelberger family.

We will now turn our attention to the man who would become Augusta’s husband. His name was Theodore Friedrich August Kipping, who was born on August 5, 1894. Theodore was the son of Louis and Wilhelmine (Feuerhahn) Kipping. The photograph shown below of the Louis Kipping family was likely taken in the early part of 1894. The caption says Theodore would be born later that year. This is one of those old photos in which all the people in it are wearing very dark clothing.

I found some evidence that the Kipping family was living in the Tilset area, so they were likely baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Tilset. Our research library does not have any records from that congregation. Theodore shows up in the 1900 census living in the Hubble Township of Cape Girardeau County. Theodore was 5 years old at that time. It is very difficult to read his father’s occupation. I think it says merchant, but it may say farmer. Theodore’s mother had died in 1897, so she is not included in this entry.

Next, we find Theodore in the 1910 census at the age of 15. This time, you can definitely tell that his father was a farmer.

I do not know exactly when the photo below was taken, but I think it may have been taken around this time in Theodore’s life. Theodore is standing in the back on the far right.

Although I was unable to find Theodore’s World War I draft registration form, I do know that he participated in that war. Perhaps he enlisted before a draft was established. In 1919, he was returning from France aboard the ship, Amphlon, after serving overseas.

The Kipping family moved before the 1920 census was taken. We find them living in Cape Girardeau where Theodore was a salesman at a grocery store, and his father was an agent selling fire insurance.

On Reformation Day in 1920, which happened to be a Sunday, Theodore Kipping married Augusta Meyer. The church marriage record for this couple is found in the books of Trinity Lutheran Church in Egypt Mills, Missouri, which is located not far from Cape Girardeau. It had me puzzled for a little while as to why this wedding took place there. I had this feeling that I had written a story including a Kipping before. I was right. In the post, Panhandle Pete of Perryville, which told the story about Rev. A.M. Lohmann, you find that Pastor Lohmann had married Theodore’s sister, Hulda Kipping, in 1909. (Hulda is second from the left in the middle row in the previously shown photo). After spending some time in Texas and earning the nickname “Panhandle Pete”, Rev. Lohmann was the pastor of Trinity Lutheran, Egypt Mills in 1920. So, it appears that Theodore and Augusta chose to be married by Theodore’s sister’s husband, who was a nearby pastor. The church record from that congregation’s binder that we have in our research library is shown below. It says Augusta was from Farrar.

We can also view this pair’s marriage license.

Based on later census entries and family histories on Ancestry.com, I think Theodore and Augusta had 2 children. When the 1930 census was taken, we see the following Kipping household. They were living in Cape Girardeau where Theodore was a salesman for the Union Biscuit Company. That company was headquartered in St. Louis. Both of their children are included in their household.

Here is a photo of a Union Biscuit Company container.

Next, we find the Kipping’s in the 1940 census. They were still living in Cape Girardeau, and Theodore was still a salesman.

Before the 1950 census was taken, Theodore and Augusta had moved to St. Louis. They were each in their 50’s, and Theodore was a salesman of cotton textiles.

Theodore Kipping died in 1963 at the age of 69. His death certificate says he was a traveling salesman for a linen supply company.

Augusta Kipping died in 1971 at the age of 74. We can also view her death certificate.

Because of Theodore’s military service during World War I, both he and his wife qualified to be buried in the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis.

Now, I hope you are also Kipping Up with the Meyer’s and the Lohmann’s.