Today, I will tell the story of Johann Heinrich Meinz, who, as near as I can tell, was the first person to settle in East Perry County with that surname. John arrived in America in 1881, traveling to this country aboard the ship, Habsburg. A passenger list for that ship includes a person named Heinrich Meinz, who I think is today’s main character.

John Meinz was born on November 9, 1855 in Germany. That birth year fits the age of 26 for the person on the ship, Habsburg. John was the son of Heinrich Conrad and Catherina (Meyer) Meinz. Since he did not come to this country until after the 1880 census was taken, we do not find him in a census entry as a single man. Now, we will take a look at the woman who would become John’s first wife.

Maria Hollmann was born on September 25, 1849, the daughter of Heinrich and Maria (Oetjen) Hollmann. She was born in Scheeßel, Germany, and I am able to display her baptism record.

I do not have documentation for this, but there is indication that Maria came to this country in 1868. Then, on April 26, 1870, she married Peter Weinberg at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells. We can take a look at the church marriage record for these two, but it basically just gives their names and the date of the wedding.

There is also a civil marriage record for this event from Cape Girardeau County.

Our German Family Tree lists 2 children born to Peter and Maria. I found the Weinberg’s in the 1876 Missouri state census living in Cape Girardeau County. However, I failed to find them in the 1880 census.

Then, in 1881, Peter Weinberg died, leaving Maria as a widow. Not long after that, we find Maria getting married to John Meinz on August 16, 1883. That marriage was conducted by a justice of the peace, so we do not find a church record for it. We can only look at a Missouri marriage license, which points out that it was Charles Weber who was the justice of the peace.

The German Family Tree lists 3 children born to John and Maria. All 3 of them were boys who were baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg. In September of 1887, a boy named Martin Meinz was born. About 3 weeks later, Maria died, followed by the death of the baby, Martin, just a matter of days after that. The death records for both Maria and Martin are found right next to each other in the Perry County records.

The above record says that Maria was buried in Altenburg. There is no entry for her on Findagrave.com. I went to the cemetery this morning to look for her gravestone. There is a rather large empty spot where Maria should be buried.

That means we do not see John and Maria in a census entry together. So, now we will take a look at the woman who would become John’s 2nd wife.

Sophia Kerstner was born on October 6, 1863, so she is today’s birthday girl. She would be celebrating her 160th birthday today. Sophia was the daughter of Johann and Sophia (Nienstedt) Kerstner. She was born in Germany and then came to America aboard the ship, Ems, in 1884.

John Meinz married Sophia Kerstner on November 8, 1888, the day before John’s 33rd birthday. The wedding took place at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg. The church record is displayed here.

A Missouri marriage license for this couple can also be viewed.

John and Sophia had 3 more children according to our GFT. Their last child, a girl born in 1896, died as a baby. The 1900 census shown a Meinz household with 3 sons. The oldest, Fritz, was a son by John’s first marriage. John was a farmer in the Brazeau Township.

Next, we find the Meinz household in the 1910 census. Just their youngest son, Martin, was living in the household. John Meinz had a son named Martin by his 1st wife, but he was the child whose death record was shown earlier. John and Sophia decided to name another baby, Martin, when he was born in 1891.

The plat maps produced in 1915 show the farm owned by John Meinz located near Altenburg.

In the 1920 census, we find not only the John Meinz household, but right above his, we find that of their son, Alfred Meinz, and his family.

John and Sophia Mienz were still alive in 1930, but I was unable to find them in a census. John Meinz died in 1937 at the age of 82. His death certificate says he died in the Brazeau Township.

Sophia Meinz was still alive in 1940, and she is found living by herself in the Brazeau Township. Her entry is found on the bottom of a census page. The first entry on the next page is that of Alfred Meinz, her son, so she was likely still living on her farm place.

Sophia Meinz died in 1945 at the age of 81. Her death certificate says she died as a patient at the Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau.

John and Sophia Meinz are each buried in the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Altenburg.

Mainly because Alfred Meinz had 11 children, our German Family Tree shows quite a few descendants coming from the Pioneer Meinz, John, and his 2 wives. My late friend, Charley Bohnert, was Alfred’s grandson, and I have every reason to believe that Charley farmed the property once owned by John Meinz.