The surname, Schubert, has shown up on my radar several times lately. A few days ago, it was mentioned that a Schubert family that was part of the 1839 immigration included a girl whose surname was actually Rothe. Also, recently I almost wrote again about the Schubert orphans, relatives of Rev. C.F.W. Walther, who were also part of the Gesellschaft. The Schubert that I will write about today did not arrive on the scene until the 1890’s, more than 50 years after the original immigrants. This Schubert managed to find a Bergmann wife who could trace her family’s history back to their arrival in America in 1840. To make this story more meaningful to me is the fact that a descendant from today’s Schubert family ended up marrying my cousin.

Irma Louise Emma Bergmann is today’s birthday girl, and she has one of those special birthdays. Irma was born on May 15, 1898, making today her 125th birthday. Irma was the daughter of Ferdinand and Emma (Rauh) Bergmann. Before I go on, let me inform you that one has to be careful when looking at men who have the name Ferdinand Bergmann. Several previous posts have told stories about men with that name. Irma’s father might have been named after his grandfather, Ferdinand Bergmann, who came to this country aboard the ship, Plato, in 1840. The image below shows that Bergmann family on that ship’s passenger list.

Irma’s father is not listed as one of the charter members of Zion Lutheran Church in Longtown, but he and his wife must have become members of that congregation not long after that church was established in 1897. That is where Irma was baptized. Her baptism record from Zion’s books is displayed below. She was the 10th baptism to take place there.

Sadly, Irma did not get much chance to know her mother. She died in early 1900 when Irma was not even 2 years old. When we find Irma in the 1900 census, she was 2 years old, and her father was a widower. He was a farmer in the Union Township.

In the above entry, there was an 18 year-old servant named Mathilde Fassold living in the Bergmann household. In 1901, Ferdinand would marry Louise Fassold. I did not try hard, but I did not find out if Mathilde and Louise were related. I know they were not siblings. I certainly can understand Ferdinand’s need to have a female in his household to help him raise two very young children while also farming. More children would be born to Irma’s father and her stepmother, Louise. In addition, Louise had been previously married to Oliver Thorpe, and that couple had a few children. So, when the 1910 census was taken, we find a considerably larger household.

In 1912, Irma was confirmed at Zion, Longtown. Irma would get married before the next census, so we will now take a look at the man who would become her husband. His name was Max Richard Schubert, who was born on January 11, 1892 in Schweikershain, Germany. A map shown here gives the location of that town in Germany.

Max was a very young child when his parents, Gustav and Amalie (Lehmann) Schubert, decided to relocate in the United States. In June of 1893, they left Germany aboard the ship, Augusta Victoria. We find the Schubert’s on the passenger list that was compiled when they left Hamburg. Max was shown as being 2 years old.

In the 1900 census, the Schubert family was living in the Whitewater Township in Bollinger County. His father was a farmer.

Ten years later, we find Max still living in the same location at the age of 18.

Prior to their marriage, we find Max and Irma mentioned in an article found in the Perry County Republican in October of 1915. Fred Rauh was previously married to a Bergmann, so that might be why Irma was the bridesmaid. Max was Lena Schubert’s brother. I cannot help but think that this event may have been the beginning of today’s Schubert/Bergmann romance.

Max Schubert married Irma Bergmann on September 3, 1916. Their wedding took place at Zion Lutheran Church in Longtown. The church record for this wedding is pictured here.

The marriage license for this couple can also be viewed.

An article also appeared in the Perry County Republican describing this wedding.

The above article states that this Schubert couple took over the Ferdinand Bergmann farm because they had moved to Perryville. Max had his World War I draft registration completed not long after this wedding in 1917. Max is given a Biehle address.

One child was born to the Schubert’s in 1918. That child was baptized at Zion, Longtown. We then find this small family in the 1920 census.

The second of this couple’s 2 children was born in 1921, a boy named Walter. We see the Schubert family in the 1930 census entry shown below. This time, they were living in the Cinque Hommes Township.

In the 1940 census, we see a similar entry with the same individuals just being 10 years older. Walter, as a teenager, was able to help his father on the farm.

The last census in which we find Max and Irma was the one taken in 1950. Right below Max and Irma, you see the Walter Schubert household. Walter had married Vivian Schamburg on Christmas day in 1946.

Max Schubert died in 1972 at the age of 80. We are able to view his death certificate which gives cardiac failure as his cause of death.

Irma Schubert died in 1989 at the age of 90, too recently to view her death certificate. Max and Irma are buried together in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Longtown.

If you look at the 1950 census entry shown earlier, you will see a 3 year-old boy named Richard, the son of Walter and Vivian Schubert. Richard would grow up and get married to my cousin, Audrey Schlimpert. That qualifies Richard to be my cousin-in-law.