I must admit that when I found a potential story for today that involved a bride and groom named Klaus and Lohmann, I immediately thought that I would have to go to the books of Salem Lutheran Church in Farrar to get some images of documents. That is not the case. Instead, I discovered that it was going to be the books of Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim where I would have to look for records. Then, after perusing that congregation’s records, I was only able to find one record that pertained to this couple.

Our German Family Tree includes a record for a girl, Ada Karolina “Addie” Klaus, who was born on April 20, 1898. What attracted me to this tale was the fact that Addie would be celebrating her 125th birthday today. Addie was the daughter of Louis and Friederike (Oehl) Klaus. Since our GFT does not yet contain the records of Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim even though we have images of that congregation’s records in our research library, that document does not index a baptism record for Addie. After looking in those records, I did succeed at finding a baptism record for her. That record is displayed below.

Addie was apparently part of a very large family. According to a family tree on Ancestry.com, her father had 8 children with his first wife, Wilhelmina Bertha Dickmann, and after her death, he married Friedrike Oehl. That couple had 9 additional children, including Addie. We find Addie in the 1900 census at the age of 2. She was the youngest child in the household at that time, even though some more children would be born later. Addie’s father was a farmer in the Apple Creek Township. You can see that Addie’s father was considerably older than his second wife.

Next, we find Addie in the 1910 census. The Klaus household still had 11 children in it, and 8 of them were girls, including Addie at the age of 12.

Now, let’s take a look at the man who would become Addie’s husband. His name was Oscar Herman Lohmann, who was born on January 2, 1894. Oscar was the son of Anton and Matilda (Kaiser) Lohmann. Our German Family Tree documents this Lohmann family, but not because they have Lutheran church records associated with them. At the beginning of this Lohmann family in the GFT, the following information is given about Oscar’s grandfather and his descendants.

MATHIAS LOHMANN FAMILY: This family is likely not related to the other Lohmann families of East Perry Co MO. Members of the family were primarily from Friedheim MO, Apple Creek MO and Highland MO

Many of the death records for people in that Lohmann family indicate that they were buried in local Catholic cemeteries, so evidence points to this family being Catholics, not Lutherans. It is my guess that, if we had access to the records of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Apple Creek, we would find a baptism record for Oscar Lohmann. Oscar is found in the 1900 census at the age of 5. His father was a farmer in the Apple Creek Township.

Next, we find Oscar in the 1910 census. At the age of 16, he was helping on his father’s farm.

Oscar Lohmann married Addie Klaus on November 27, 1916. The marriage license for this couple, which is shown below, says that this wedding took place at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, which is located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. This form says both Oscar and Addie were from Friedheim.

The German Family Tree lists 6 children born to Oscar and Addie. A few of them have records mentioned from the Trinity, Friedheim church books, but none of them are baptism records. Shortly after their marriage, Oscar had a World War I draft registration completed. This documents says Oscar was a farm laborer working for a Mr. Tacke in Arnsberg, which is located not far from Friedheim. Mr. Tacke was also the registrar for this draft registration. This form was completed on June 5, 1917, and the first Lohmann child was born not long after that on July 30th.

When the 1920 census was taken, the Lohmann’s were living in Cape Girardeau where Oscar was called a garage mechanic. One child was in their household.

In the 1930 census, we find the Lohmann’s living in Perryville with Oscar having the same occupation he had while in Cape Girardeau. There were 5 children in the household.

We find Oscar and Addie back living where they had been born and raised…in the Apple Creek Township…when the 1940 census was taken. Oscar was back to being a farmer.

The last census we are able to view is the one taken in 1950. Oscar was called a gravel loader for a road company.

Oscar Lohmann died in 1975 at the age of 81. An obituary for him was printed in a local newspaper. This article states that Oscar died at the Deal Nursing Home in Jackson, and that Rev. Mueller from Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim conducted his funeral service.

Addie Lohmann died in 1984 at the age of 86. We can also look at an obituary for her that appeared in a local newspaper. This article says she died at the Jackson Manor in Jackson. It also states that Addie was a lifelong member of Trinity, Friedheim.

Both of the above obituaries spell the surname of these two people with just one “n” at the end of Lohmann. Perhaps this couple had decided to eliminate one of the “n’s” in their name at some point in time. Both Oscar and Addie are buried in the Cape County Memorial Park in Cape Girardeau. Each of their gravestones also has Lohman spelled with just one “n”.

Upon seeing the names of Lohmann and Klaus, I did not expect this story to turn out the way it did, but I did find it interesting.