I have written a few previous posts about an Engelhart family that lived in the area near Pocahontas. It was a very large family, one that apparently got together for several family reunions. The story today will be about the firstborn child in that family. She and two brothers were born in Austria before coming to America with her parents in 1875.

Theresa Engelhart was born on October 16, 1868, so today would be her 154th birthday. Theresa was the daughter of Joseph and Theresa (Gumpelmeier) Engelhart. It looks as if she was named after her mother. She and her family came to this country aboard the ship, Oder. We can see them on that ship’s passenger list below. Theresa was said to be 6 years old.

Theresa is found in her first American census in 1880. Her family was living in the Shawnee Township near Pocahontas. Theresa was listed as being 10 years old, but if she was born in 1868, she would have been at least 11. Her father was a farmer.

Theresa would get married before we can view another census, so let’s take a look at the man she would marry. His name is a new one to show up on this blog. His name was Martin Traugott Pickl, who was born on November 19, 1864, although his death certificate says he was born on that date in 1865. Traugott was the son of Martin Traugot, Sr. and Mary (Wimer) Pickl. Some documents call him Martin, but it looks like the Engelhart family called him Traugott, so that is the name that I will use. A later census entry says that Traugott’s father came to this country in 1855. I should have been able to find Traugott in the 1870 census, but was unsuccessful in my search. The 1880 census shows Traugott at the age of 15 and working on his father’s farm in the Shawnee Township.

Traugott Pickl married Theresa Engelhart on May 12, 1895 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Pocahontas. The marriage license for this couple is pictured here.

I am able to display the wedding photo of Traugott and Theresa.

I was unable to find the Pickl’s in the 1900 census. In 1904, there was an Engelhart family reunion in Pocahontas. Theresa and Traugott are pointed out in the photo by red arrows.

We find the Pickl’s in the 1910 census where Traugott was listed as a farmer. There was a 2 year-old girl named Hilda in this household that was described as an adopted child.

Traugott Pickl died in 1914 not long before his 50th or 49th birthday depending on which birth year you choose. We can take a look at his death certificate.

The records we have from St. John’s Lutheran Church say that he was buried in their cemetery, but there is no entry for him on Findagrave.com.

Theresa would get married again before the next census was taken. Her second husband had a surname that is another new one for this blog. His name was Anton Bacher. We have had a few articles about Bracher’s, but none about Bacher’s. Anton was born on November 21, 1857 in Germany or Austria or Hungary. I was unable to find the names of his parents. It appears that he came to America in the 1880’s. Our German Family Tree says Anton was married to Josepha Leiter, and this couple had one child, a boy named Frank, born in 1884 and baptized at St. John’s, Pocahontas. This census says Anton was married, but Josepha is not listed as his wife. Another older daughter, Johanna, is also in the household.

There must have been a death or divorce because Anton got married again in 1903 to Marie Pauline Hoehl. We can take a look at that marriage license.

That couple had twin sons in 1907 that were born and died on the same day. Another son named Aron was born in 1908. That leads us up to the 1910 census where we find the Bacher household shown below.

Then, Pauline died in 1915, leaving Anton as a widow. That leads us up to the wedding of Anton Bracher and Theresa Pickl that took place on June 11, 1916. We can also view the marriage license for this pair.

No new children came from this couple. A year after they were married, there was another Engelhart reunion held in 1917 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Theresa’s parents. The caption will help you find Theresa and Anton. Hilda Pickl is in this photo also.

The 1920 census shows the Bacher household with their son, Aron, and Hilda Pickl, who is called a step-daughter. Anton was a farmer.

Next, we find the Bacher family in the 1930 census. Just their son was living with them.

The last census I located for the Bacher’s was the one taken in 1940. Anton, at the age of 83, was no longer a farmer. Their single son, Aron, was still living in this household, and he was farming.

At a later time in her life, Theresa had this photo taken.

Theresa Bacher died in 1951 at the age of 83. Her death certificate says she was living in Friedheim, and that is where she also died.

Anton Bacher died in 1957 at the age of 99. His death certificate says he died in Jackson.

There are 3 Bacher grave sites in the St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery in Pocahontas, Pauline, Anton’s previous wife, Anton, and Theresa. For some reason, Theresa’s gravestone says she was born in 1869, not 1868.

A lot of changes took place in the lives of these Engelhart’s, Pickl’s, and Bacher’s, but one thing stayed the same. All of those events took place in the northern part of Cape Girardeau County, and most of it around Pocahontas.