A baby girl was born 130 years ago in the Shawnee Township of northern Cape Girardeau County. There is a bit of a debate about whether she was born on August 27th or August 28th, but there is more evidence of an August 27th date of birth. Bertha Agnes Ruehling, as you can calculate from what I have already written, was born on August 27, 1893, the daughter of Frank and Wilhelmina (Edlinger) Ruehling. Bertha was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells. Her baptism record is the only place where I noticed an August 28th birthday.

Bertha is found in the 1900 census at the age of 6. Her father was a farmer in the Shawnee Township.

When Bertha was confirmed in 1907, her record for that event is found in the books of Zion Lutheran Church in Pocahontas. I did not get a photo of that record, but it says that her birthday was August 27. 1893. In the 1910 census, Bertha was a teenager.

The last census in which we find Bertha as a single woman was the one taken in 1920. She was called a servant in a house.

Now, we will take a look at the early life of the man who would become Bertha’s husband. His name was Ernest Wilhelm Gottlieb Fleischer, who was born on October 8, 1887. Ernest was the son of Ludwig (Lewis) and Caroline (Hintz) Fleischer. If we could see the records of Zion Lutheran Church in Prairie City, Missouri, we would likely find the baptism record for Ernest.

I need to add a little background to this story. The Fleischer family was actually part of the Gesellschaft that settled in Perry County in 1839. For while, the Fleischer’s lived in Altenburg. Ernest’s father, Ludwig was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg. However, after the Civil War, his family moved to Bates County, Missouri where they were involved in the establishment of Zion Lutheran Church in Prairie City. A post was written about Ernest’s parents titled, Some Fleischer’s Flee.

Bertha’s Ruehling ancestors arrived in America in the 1850’s and also settled in Altenburg. Later, some Ruehling’s, including Bertha’s father, Frank, migrated to the Shawnee Township in Cape Girardeau County. That is likely where Frank became acquainted with his second wife, Wilhelmina Edlinger. That leads me to mention another previous post, Likely Leimer Link? That story discussed a couple that was made up of a groom from Prairie City and bride from Pocahontas. The Leimer name is one that is found in both Pocahontas and Prairie City. In addition, we find the Edlinger name in both of those locations. So, when a child from a Ruehling/Edlinger family manages to find her husband in Bates County, I do not find it surprising.

Ernest Fleisher is found in the 1900 census at the age of 12. His father was a farmer in the Rockville Township in Bates County.

In the previous post about Ernest’s parents, I displayed this plat map of the Lewis Fleischer farm.

In the 1910 census, we find the 22 year-old Ernest working on his father’s farm.

Ernest had his World War I draft registration completed in 1917. His address is given as Rockville, which is very near Prairie City.

When the 1920 census was compiled, we find Ernest as still being single and living with his parents at the age of 32.

Ernest Fleischer traveled to Pocahontas, Missouri to marry Bertha Ruehling on April 17, 1922. Their wedding took place at Zion Lutheran Church in Pocahontas. We can take a look at this couple’s church marriage record here. As pointed out earlier, this was not the first marriage between a Prairie City man and a Pocahontas woman.

This pair’s Missouri marriage license can also be viewed.

This couple had 2 children, both of which are found in the 1930 census. The Fliescher’s were living in the Hudson Township, also in Bates County. Ernest was a farmer. Also included in their household was the 19 year-old Otto Ruehling, who was Bertha’s nephew. Later, Otto would marry a Fleischer woman, so Ernest and Bertha were not the only Fleischer/Ruehling couple in Bates County, except in that case, it was the Ruehling who traveled to Prairie City from Pocahontas to get married, not the other way around.

In the 1940 census, we find Ernest and Bertha, along with their children, Raymond and Olga.

In 1942, Ernest had his World War II draft card completed.

The last census we can view is the 1950 one. Just their daughter, Olga, was still living with her parents.

Bertha Fleischer died in 1954 at the age of 60. Her death certificate below says she died as a patient in a hospital in Appleton City, which was just down the road from Hudson.

Ernest Fleischer died in 1965 at the age of 77. We can also view his death certificate.

Bertha and Ernest Fleischer are each buried in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Prairie City. You can see that on both Bertha’s death certificate and her gravestone that her birthday is given as August 27, 1893.

I happen to think that it is quite likely that Bertha’s 130th birthday should be celebrated today, not tomorrow. I also think that the connection between Prairie City and Pocahontas is quite fascinating. I wonder if I will discover any other events in the future that tie these two small Missouri towns together.