Back in 2018, we published a story about a man named Walther Theodosius Weinhold titled, Named After His Grandmother? Walther was the son of one of the Weinhold brothers who operated the Frohna Mill, so he qualified to be called a “Miller Weinhold”. Walther was born in 1891. Today you will be reading about a man named Walter Weinhold, who was born just 6 years after Walther. Since Walther was often called Walter, this contributes to plenty of potential confusion. Since today’s Walter was the son of a farmer, he qualifies to be called a “Dirt Weinhold”. I’m going to begin discussing Walter’s life, but it is the woman who he would marry that is today’s birthday girl. We will get to her later.

Walter Ernst Weinhold was born on March 10, 1897, the son of Phillip and Martha (Bock) Weinhold. A post was written about Walter’s parents titled, Bock Wein…………..hold. According to our German Family Tree, Walter was the first of 13 children born to Phillip and Martha. He was baptized at Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna. We can take a look at an image of his baptism record from that church’s books. Even this document looks like Walter’s name was written as Waltha, with an “h”.

Walter can be found in his first census in 1900 at the age of 4, although I think he was only 3. His grandmother, Amalia, was the head of the household, and Walter is called a grandson. His father was a farmer in the Union Township.

Next, we find Walter at the age of 13. You can see that the Weinhold family had gotten considerably larger. I placed the entry for the Katt family listed right below the Weinhold’s because that surname will soon enter this story.

Walter had a World War I draft registration completed in 1918. This form was filed in Perry County, but it says Walter appeared before the local draft board in Cheyenne County, Nebraska. Walter’s employer was Oscar Mueller, a farmer in Potter, Nebraska and also a Perry County native from Frohna.

Walter did get inducted into the military during that war. His World War I military record shown below indicates he was not sent overseas.

We can also see evidence that Walter once again enlisted in the military in 1922 for additional service to his country.

I found several articles in the Perry County Republican that stated Walter would be traveling to Nebraska to do seasonal farming work during this time of his life. Below is one of those articles that was published in 1928.

I expect that Walter’s travel back and forth to Nebraska around 1920 is the reason I was unable to find him in the 1920 census. I did find his younger brother, Charles, living with a Hilpert family in Cheyenne County, Nebraska in 1920, so Walter was not the only Weinhold to do some farming in Nebraska. The Hilpert’s were also originally from Frohna.

Now, we will take a look at today’s birthday girl. Her name was Ella Mathilde Katt, who was born on December 14, 1896. That means today is Ella’s 126th birthday. Ella was the daughter of Barthold and Anna (Sticht) Katt. She was child #7 out of 9 in this Katt family. Ella was also baptized at Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna. We can also view her baptism record below.

Ella is found in the 1900 census at the age of 3. Her father was a farmer in the Union Township.

Next, we find Ella in the 1910 census as a teenager. This is the entry that was shown as part of Walter’s 1910 census shown earlier.

It was also in 1910 that both Walter and Ella were confirmed. This is the second day in a row in which I have written stories about the bride and groom being in the same confirmation class. That also meant that these two were in the same class while going to Concordia Lutheran School over the years. That also means that they each had Teachers Welp and Wukasch during their times in that school. In this image below of the 1910 confirmation class from Concordia, I have highlighted the names of Walter and Ella. As was the case in yesterday’s post, the pastor listed the boys before listing the girls.

Ella is found in one more census before her marriage. She was no longer living with her parents. She was living with her older brother, Otto, who was also a farmer in the Union Township.

Walter Weinhold married Ella Katt on March 31, 1929 at Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna. Unfortunately, the marriage records we have in our museum from that congregation only go up to 1922, so I cannot display this couple’s church record. However, I can picture their marriage license.

An article was published in the Perry County Republican describing the Weinhold/Katt wedding. It indicates that this event took place at the Katt residenece.

The German Family Tree lists 3 children born to Walter and Ella. The first child was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Point Rest, and the other 2 were baptized at Concordia, Frohna. In the 1930 census, we find Walter and Ella living in the Bois Brule Township before they had any children. Their first son would be born later that year.

The 1940 census lists all 3 of the Weinhold children. Walter was still a farmer in the Bois Brule Township.

The Weinhold’s relocated before the 1950 census. We find them living in the Brazeau Township where Walter is still farming. Even Ella is listed as helping on Walter’s farm.

Ella Weinhold died in 1984 at the age of 87; Walter Weinhold died in 1987 at the age of 90. Each of them is buried in the Concordia Lutheran Cemetery in Frohna.

It was Dorothy Weinhold, who has volunteered as a docent at our museum for quite a few years, that introduced me to the term, “Dirt Weinhold’s”. She could call today’s couple her in-laws because she married Walter and Ella’s son, Robert.