The record I found in our German Family Tree that inspired today’s tale is one for a marriage that took place in New Wells on May 7th. However, before I get to that event, I will begin with the birth of a baby in Altenburg several years before.

Amalia Maria Hoffmann was born on September 12, 1867, the daughter of Charles and Mary (Mueller) Hoffmann. Her mother was named Mary, and this child would also go by that name. She was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg. She must have been one of the last babies to be baptized in Trinity’s 1845 church. Their new church would be dedicated a month later. We can take a look at her baptism record from that congregation’s books below.

Mary is found in her first census in 1870 at the age of 3. For some unknown reason, her father is not given an occupation in this entry. The family was living in Altenburg.

During the next decade, the Hoffmann’s moved their family to the Shawnee Township in northern Cape Girardeau County. That family became members of Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells. In the 1880 census, we find Mary at the age of 13. She would get confirmed at Immanuel, New Wells in 1881.

Now, we will turn our attention to the man who would become Mary’s first husband. His name was Ferdinand Dietrich Winter, who was born on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1861. Ferdinand was the son of Christian and Caroline (Polzig) Winter. He was child #4 in a family of 9 children born to his parents. Not all of those children lived beyond childhood. Ferdinand, like Mary, was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg. An image of Ferdinand’s baptism record is pictured here.

Ferdinand appears in the 1870 census at the age of 9. His father was a shoemaker in Altenburg. His father’s name looks like Christine instead of Christian.

The 1880 census lists Ferdinand as being 20 years old, but I think he was still a teenager at the time. He was working on his father’s farm. His father’s occupation is given as shoemaker and farmer. This time their census entry is included in the pages of the Union Township.

That brings us up to the wedding that took place on this day. Ferdinand Winter married Mary Hoffmann on May 7, 1885. That means today would be the 138th wedding anniversary for this couple. This wedding took place at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells. We can view the church record for that event.

The marriage license for Ferdinand and Mary is displayed below.

It appears that one child may have been born to Ferdinand and Mary prior to this marriage. Our German Family Tree lists 7 children born to this couple, and the first one was born in 1884. There are 2 missing baptism records for some of the early children born into this family. Another one of the early children was baptized at Trinity, Altenburg. However, beginning with their 4th child, the baptisms took place at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altenburg. In the 1900 census, we find the Winter’s living in Altenburg where Ferdinand was a farmer. There were 5 children in their family. I have highlighted the name of Henry Schulenburg in this image. He will become part of this story later.

Ferdinand Winter died in 1901 at the age of 40. He is buried in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Altenburg.

Now, the name of Henry Schulenburg will enter the picture. He became Mary’s second husband, so let’s take a look at his early life. Johann Heinrich Theodor Schulenburg was born on October 1, 1876. That means he was about 9 years younger than his future bride. Henry was the son of Carl Dietrich and Anna (Hindmann) Schulenburg. Although Henry’s baptism record is found in the books of Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg, census entries say that he was born in Illinois. He was likely one of the babies born near Jacob, Illinois and either was brought to Altenburg for a baptism or the pastor from Altenburg went to Illinois to baptize him while assisting with the establishment of Christ Lutheran Church in Jacob.

When the 1880 census was compiled, we find Henry (although he is called John) living in Altenburg with his mother, Julie, who was married to Friedrich Rogalski. His father had died in Jacob, Illinois in 1878, and his mother had remarried and moved across the river to Altenburg. Henry was just 3 years old.

Henry Schulenburg married Mary Winter on January 23, 1903. That marriage took place at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg. We can view the church record for that wedding below.

Our German Family Tree shows 3 children born and baptized at Trinity, Altenburg. The last one was born in 1909. Then the Schulenburg/Winter household moved to St. Louis before the 1910 census was taken. Henry was a driver for a dairy wagon. In a previous post that was connected to this family, another descendant worked for the Pevely Dairy in St. Louis. That post was titled, Pevely Dairyman’s Six E’s.

Another move was made by this couple during the next decade. In the 1920 census, we find them living in the Boone Township of Franklin County, Missouri. They were living near towns like Herman and New Haven. It appears that another child was born to this couple in the 1910’s. This image does not show it, but Henry was called a farmer.

Henry must have died sometime during the 1920’s, but I was unable to discover exactly when. When the 1930 census was taken, we find the widow, Mary Schulenburg, living in St. Louis with her daughter, Olga, who had married Edgar Purvis.

My best guess is that Mary Schulenburg died sometime in the 1930’s. I was unable to find any documentation for her death, and I could not find any burial information about either Henry or Mary Schulenburg.

Since a marriage took place on this date in the spring of 1885 that involved a Winter, we wish a Happy Anniversary to Ferdinand and Mary…the spring Winter bride and groom.