In several previous posts about characters from New Wells, I have mentioned a “neighborhood” made up of residents with the names of Koch, Koenig, and Haertling. You are about to read another one. It is a story that begins with a different surname, one that appeared in a recent post about Johann Meinz. The birthday girl for today’s story was a Wienberg. Before I get any farther, let me confess that I have been using the Weinberg spelling of this name. I now have found enough documents that support the spelling with “ie”, not “ei”.

Maria Anna Wienberg was born on October 9, 1877, the daughter of Peter and Maria (Hollmann) Wienberg. Maria Anna was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells. Her baptism record is displayed below.

Maria Anna’s parents were discussed in the recent post, Pioneer Perry County Meinz. In that post, I mentioned that the only census entry I located for that couple was the Missouri state census taken in 1876, a year before Maria Anna was born. I once again searched the Shawnee Township 1880 census pages for the Wienberg’s, and this time I succeeded. Their name is written as Winbar. Mary was the only child in the family, and Peter was a farmer.

Maria’s father, Peter, died in 1881. Then her mother married again to Johann Meinz. There must have been a time when Maria lived in the Brazeau Township in Perry County because her confirmation record is found in the books of Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg.

Maria Wienberg would get married before the 1900 census, so we will now look at the man who would become her husband. His name was Martin Herman Koch, who was born on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1869. Martin was the son of Gottfried and Mary (Haertling) Koch. That means Martin’s parents were a couple made up of two of the names found in the Koch-Koening-Haertling neighborhood. Martin was also baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells. We can take a look at his baptism record from that congregation’s books.

Martin is found as a 1 year old child in the 1870 census. His father was a farmer in the Shawnee Township.

Next, we find Martin in the 1880 census at the age of 11. His father had died shortly after the 1870 census was taken, and his mother had then married Friedrich Jahn. This household included 6 Jahn children, all girls, along with Martin Koch and an adopted girl named Mary Burn(sp?).

That would be the last census in which we find Martin as a single man. Somehow, Maria Wienberg, who was likely living near Altenburg, managed to carry on a courtship with a young man from across the Apple Creek in New Wells. I don’t know the details about how that happened. On October 25, 1894, Martin Koch married Maria Wienberg at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells. We can take a look at the church record for this event.

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

Our German Family Tree lists 7 children born to Martin and Maria. All of them were baptized at Immanuel, New Wells. When the 1900 census was taken, there were 3 children in their family. I did not show it in this image, but I can tell you that this census page also includes other Koch’s, in addition to Koenig’s and Haertling’s. Maria had officially joined that New Wells Neighborhood where her husband was a farmer.

The 1910 census lists 4 children in the Koch household.

Next, we find the Koch’s in the 1920 census. Three more children had been born to the Koch’s in the previous decade.

That would be the last census in which we find Martin. He died in 1921 at the age of 52. His death certificate is pictured here.

The widow, Maria Koch, is found in the 1930 census living with several of her children. Maria is called a farmer, and her son Gottfried, was a farm laborer.

By the time of the 1940 census, Maria was called the head of the household and was living with her son, Erwin and his wife.

The last census we can view is the one taken in 1950. This time, Erwin is called the head of the household.

Maria Koch died in 1956 at the age of 79. We can also view her death certificate.

Both Martin and Maria Koch are buried in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in New Wells. I find it interesting that Martin’s gravestone is in German, and Maria’s is in English. It is mainly between the two World Wars that this area made the transition from German to English.

For a long time, there are Shawnee Township census years in which we find pages that include all three of the names, Koch, Koenig, and Haertling. Today’s tale gives evidence that a Wienberg, because of her marriage to a Koch, became a member of this notable neighborhood.