My father’s sister, Lorna Schmidt, married Oscar Schlimpert. Thus, I always called them Uncle Ossie and Aunt Lorna. I wrote a previous post about that couple titled, Uncle Ossie – Aunt Lorna. That marriage began the Schlimpert branch of my personal family tree. Today, I will discuss the marriage of another Schlimpert who married a Schmidt quite a few years before the wedding of Uncle Ossie and Aunt Lorna.

This story begins with a special birthday. Martin Joseph Schlimpert was born on November 3, 1847, making today his 175th birthday. Martin was the son of Johann Traugott and Maria Rosina (Poppitz) Schlimpert. His baptism record is found in the books of Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg. That record states that Martin was baptized at his home. The baptism record from that congregation’s books is shown below.

We find Martin in his first census in 1850 at the age of 3. His father was a farmer in the Brazeau Township. I found this census entry to be surprising. This particular census page is full of surnames that I know were residents of what was called the Seelitz community…Schlimpert, Kuehnert, Poppitz, and Darnstaedt. The surprising fact was that it also included a Schmidt household. As it turns out, Martin’s wife would be born into that David Schmidt family found just above the Schlimpert household. I have always considered the David Schmidt family to be a Frohna set of Schmidt’s. Perhaps there was a short time that they spent in Seelitz.

Next, we find Martin in the 1860 census at the age of 12. Martin is the only one in this entry that is listed with the same name that was used in the previous census. His father is called Jno. D., not Traugott. His mother is called Rosina this time, not Mary. His older sister is called Rosina W. instead of Wilhelmina. All of these changes are explained by looking at the first and middle names of these people.

Martin is found in one more census before his marriage. The 1870 census finds him living in the Emanuel Seibel household and working as a wagon maker. Emanuel Seibel was a blacksmith in Frohna. Emanuel’s story was told in the post, Emanuel Seibel’s Grass Roots. Wagon making and blacksmithing go hand in hand. Wagon making requires the skills of working with iron and working with wood.

Now, we will turn our attention to the woman who would become Martin’s bride. Her name was Christiane Wilhelmine Schmidt, who was born on March 4, 1856. Wilhelmine was the daughter of David and Christiane (Hecht) Schmidt. She was baptized at Concordia Lutheran Church, so it appears that her family was living in Frohna by this time. Below is an image of Wilhelmine’s baptism record.

Wilhelmine is found in the 1860 census at the age of 4. Her father was a farmer.

Next, we find Wilhelmine in the 1870 census. She is called Minnie in this entry.

Martin Schlimpert married Wilhelmine Schmidt on January 22, 1874. Their wedding likely took place at Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna. Later in 1874, Concordia dedicated their new church building which is still used today. It was the time when Rev. J.F. Koestering was pastor in both Altenburg and Frohna. He is also the pastor whose marriage records are missing for a while, so I cannot display a church record here. However, I am able to display two civil records of that marriage. Both of these records indicate that Rev. Koestering performed the wedding.

The next document has to be displayed in 2 images.

The German Family Tree lists 7 children born to Martin and Wilhelmine. All of those children were baptized at Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna. We find the Schlimpert family in the 1880 census. By this time, they had 2 children. Martin is once again called a wagon maker.

Since we cannot view the 1890 census, the 1900 census is the next one I can display for the Schlimpert family. Five children were in the household at that time. This time, Martin is called a farmer in the Union Township.

The last census in which we find Martin Schlimpert was the one taken in 1910.

Martin Schlimpert died in 1918 at the age of 70. His death certificate can be viewed here.

Wilhelmine is found in two more census entries after her husband’s death. In 1920, we find her living in the Joseph Dreyer household. Joseph Dreyer had married Anna Schmidt, Wilhelmine’s daughter.

Once again, in 1930, Wilhelmine is still living in the Dreyer household.

Wilhelmine Schlimpert died in 1934 at the age of 78. We can also view her death certificate. For some unknown reason, her date of birth is given on this form as February 24th, not March 4th.

Martin and Wilhelmine Schlimpert are each buried in the Concordia Lutheran Cemetery in Frohna. Wilhelmina’s gravestone also has the birth date of February 24th, even though her church death record once again states that she was born on March 4th.

My Aunt Lorna and Uncle Ossie Schlimpert lived in Seelitz, where the original Schlimpert immigrants settled. Today’s couple made up of a Schlimpert and a Schmidt could be referred to as the Frohna Schlimpert’s.