Earlier this month, I wrote a post about a Noennig couple…Arthur and Amanda. That post was titled, Arthur and Amanda – The Noennig’s. Today, I will tell the story of another Noennig…Martin Noennig. Arthur Noennig would have called today’s character, Uncle Martin.
Martin Gottfried Noennig was born on June 28, 1850, the son of Gottfried and Johanna (Poppitz) Noennig. Martin’s parents were each part of the Gesellschaft in 1839, and each came to America aboard the Copernicus. Not long after their arrival, they were married in June of 1840. Perhaps this couple’s romance began on the Copernicus. Those two began having children in 1842, and eventually had 9 of them. Martin was child #5 in that family. He was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg. His baptism record from that congregation’s books is shown here.

Martin was born early enough in 1850 to appear in that year’s census. Martin’s age is given as 4 months in this entry. His father was a farmer in the Brazeau Township.

Next, we find Martin in the 1860 census when he was 10 years old. At this time, there were 7 Noennig children in the household.

The last census in which we find Martin as a single man was the one taken in 1870. At the age of 20, Martin was helping his father on his farm.

Now, we will turn our attention to the woman who would become Martin’s bride. Her name was Pauline Josephine Froebel, who was born on February 10, 1857. Pauline was the daughter of Valentine and Christiane (Seidler) Froebel. She was baptized at Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna. We can take a look at her baptism record below.

There were 7 children born to this Froebel couple, and all of them were girls, so this branch of Froebel’s will not carry their surname to the next generation. The first census in which we find Pauline was the one taken in 1860 when she was 3 years old. Her father was a farmer in the Brazeau Township. Two young men, Louis Gerler and Peter Stueve, were helping Pauline’s father on his farm.

Pauline’s father died in 1868, leaving her mother as a widow. In the 1870 census, we find a bunch of females. Pauline was in the household with her widowed mother and 4 younger sisters. This must have been a difficult time for the Froebel’s. One must wonder what their source of income might have been.

Let me point out at this time that Pauline’s mother, Christiane, would get married again in 1880. Her second husband was Rev. J.A.F.W. Mueller, who had been the first graduate of Concordia Seminary in Altenburg. In 1880, Rev. Mueller was the pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Chester, Illinois. His first wife had died in 1877, so he was also a widower when he married Christiane Froebel.
Martin Noennig married Pauline Froebel on April 18, 1877, so today would be this couple’s 146th wedding anniversary. Martin and Pauline were married at Pauline’s church, Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna. The church record for this wedding is pictured here.

I almost did not find this civil marriage license because Martin’s surname was butchered on this form. Ancestry.com translates his name as Gartin Knoch. This form also says this couple was married on October 18, 1877, not April 18th.

Our German Family Tree lists 5 children born to Martin and Pauline. When the 1880 census was taken, we find them with just their first child, a boy who was also named Martin. One of Pauline’s sisters was included in their household, along with a young laborer named Henry Foster, who was likely helping on Martin’s farm.

It would not be until 1900 that we can view another census for the Noennig’s. Just 3 children remained in their household.

At this point, let me tell you that this couple’s oldest child, Martin Gottfried Noennig, had become a medical doctor and had a practice in Perryville in 1900. However, in 1901, he died at the very young age of 22. He is buried in the Concordia Lutheran Cemetery in Frohna.

The 1910 census shows Martin and Pauline in their 50’s with 2 remaining children in their 20’s. A servant by the name of Dora Starzinger was living in their household.

The plat maps for Perry County in 1915 shows the Martin Noennig farm located north of Altenburg along what is now Highway Y. Near Martin’s farm is that of Gottfried Noennig, his younger brother.

Both Martin and Pauline Noennig died in the 1920’s. Pauline died in 1923 at the age of 66. Breast cancer is given as the cause of death on her death certificate shown below.

Martin Noennig died in 1927 at the age of 77. The maiden name of his mother is given on this form as Froebel. That was his wife’s maiden name, not his mother’s.

Both Martin and Pauline Noennig are buried in the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Altenburg.


Before I conclude this post, let me say that after I publish this story, I am going to take some time to add some additional photos to a story that I wrote just a matter of days ago titled, Hope in the Resurrection. Two individuals have sent me photos that pertain to that story. If you are interested in seeing those photos, I encourage you to revisit that blog post. It might just take me a little bit of time to make those additions.
Sister of Pauline is Clara Froebel bn 1861 Brazesu to valentin and christine Seidler Froebel. They married Oct 1853 Perry co Mo. christine Seidler bn 1834 to Gottlieb Seidler and Elisabeth Genzsch. Clara married Henry johan John Gross son of Conrad Gross and Julianne katherine Diehlmann. Clara Froebel Gross and Henry ( a blacksmith ) married 1883 and had children; Conrad 1884, Lydia Joanna 1885, Arthur henry 1890-1927, Martin Gerhard 1893,Olga l 1897, Paul theodore 1897,Hugo 1899-1901. Clara died about 1900 burial unknown. He 2nd married Kathryn Joanna Michael in 1903. She was daughter of rev ernst moritz Michael and Barbara marguretha Her Michael of Erie co NY. Henry and Katherine moved to Pittsburgh and had children: Walter Samuel , Edwin, Esther Maria, Arnold, Albert, Frieda, Gerhardt , Esther Irene. Clara Froebel Gross mother was Christine Seidler who when Valentin died she married Rev JFW Mueller and lived at Randolph co Chester Illinois. Parents Conrad Gross 1822-1888 and Julianne katherine Diehlmann married in Germany and lived also at Randolph co Illinois. Their children were Conrad Julius 1849, Rosette Juliann 1852 Hartenberger, Benjamin jacob Louis 1854-1940 Marie Bracher, Katherine Maria 1857-1945 John Martin Mueller , and *!Henry JJ Gross Valentin Froebel 1819-1868 married Christine Seidler (-834-1908) in Oct 1953 Perry co Mo. children ; Wilhelmina Ottile 1854-1857, Pauline josophine 1857-1923 mrd Martin G Noenning 1877. , Magdalena Marie Schmidt /857-1932, Clara Julianne 1863-1900 Henry JJ Gross , Johanna Marie martha 1865-1873, Lena sara 1868-1935 John F Voight (Detroit michigan). Barbara Marguretha Her Michael was first child of Rev John Her 1821 Klingzen Germany 1905 Ft wsyne ind. And Katherine Phalzgraff 1823 Erlanbach Germany 1881 kingsville Md. they came 1852 to Mansfield Ohio. Pastor yhroughout a Ohio and NY and baltimore MD retired to Ft wayne indiana. Living children of 12 barbara Her Michael , Maria katherine Eliza Her/ rev Charles Carl Gross 1836-1902, Adelinda elisaHer / Herman Leitz ,’wilhelmina Johanna Her 1861 Ashland Ohio – Albert otto Borchmann Omaha Nebr, rev John Frederick Samuel Her 1868 to Adele Festner of Omaha Nebr. end of Froebel