I will describe the life of a girl with a Reformation Day birthday today. Sarah Hedwig Frentzel was born on October 31, 1893, so today would be the 130th birthday for Hedwig, often called Hattie. She was the daughter of Victor and Pauline (Telle) Frentzel. The Frentzel and Telle surnames are common ones found in the books of Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown. That is indeed where you find the baptism record for Hedwig. What is amazing in that during the year, 1893, there are 3 different baptism records in that church’s books for children born to Frentzel and Telle parents. Two of them are girls that have the name, Sarah. Not far above Hedwig’s record from that congregation’s books is that of Gottfried Frentzel, who also had a Telle and Frentzel for parents.

On the previous page, you find the record of Sarah Magdalena Frentzel whose parents were yet another Frentzel/Telle pair.

Hedwig is found in her first census when she was 6. Her father was a farmer in the Union Township.

Hedwig was not included in her parents’ household when the 1910 census was taken, and I was unsuccessful in my search for her in that year’s census. Since she would get married before the 1920 census, we will now take a look at the man who would become Hedwig’s first husband. His name was Ludwig William Herbert Klaus, who was born on March 30, 1891. Herbert was the son of Henry and Anna (Arning) Klaus. His baptism record is found in the books of Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim.

Herbert is found in the 1900 census at the age of 9. His father was a farmer in the Apple Creek Township.

Prior to the 1910 census, the Klaus family relocated to Farrar where Herbert’s father was involved in operating the Klaus Store. The Klaus household is found in the census entry shown below.

I located this article printed in the Perry County Republican from January of 1914. It indicates that Herbert was teaching in the Arnsberg school, which is located in the Apple Creek Township.

The above article might explain how Herbert may have gotten to know Hedwig. I am thinking that while he was teaching in Arnsberg, he may have attended Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown. It was later in 1914 that Herbert Klaus would marry Hedwig Frentzel on December 27, 1914. This may have been one of those weddings that had to be planned for after the Advent/Christmas church season. These two were married at Grace, Uniontown. The church record for this occasion is displayed here.

We can also take a look at the Missouri marriage license for this couple, although this one is quite difficult to read.

Our German Family Tree lists 6 children born to the Klaus/Frentzel couple. In 1917, Herbert had his World War I draft registration completed. It states that he was working as a cashier at the Appleton Bank and had a wife and a child. He is given an Old Appleton address.

The 1920 census shows the Klaus household with 2 children. We see that Herbert is once again called a bank cashier.

Four more children were added to this family in the 1920’s, the last being born in early 1929. However, in November of that year, Herbert died at the age of 38. His obituary was published in the Perry County Republican. You may have to click the images below to be able to read them.

We can also look at the death certificate for Herbert.

Herbert is buried in the Grace Lutheran Cemetery in Uniontown.

In the 1930 census, we find Hedwig as a widow with all 6 of her children.

Hedwig was not a widow very long. She found a man who was a widower living in the Uniontown area. On the last day of 1930, December 31st, Hedwig Klaus married Immanuel Hecht at Grace, Uniontown. Since I have already written a post about Immanuel’s life titled, Hecht Hardships, I am not going to go into detail about his early life. The church marriage record for Hedwig and Immanuel is shown here.

Their Missouri marriage license is shown below.

One more child was born to this couple in 1932. When the 1940 census was taken, we find the Hecht household with 3 Klaus children and 1 Hecht child. Immanuel was a painter.

We can view the Hecht household in one more census, the one taken in 1950. One Klaus and one Hecht child remained in their household.

Immanuel Hecht died in 1963 at the age of 78. Below is an image of his death certificate.

Hedwig Hecht died in 1967 at the age of 74. We can also view her death certificate.

Immanuel and Hedwig Hecht are each buried in the Grace Lutheran Cemetery in Uniontown.

Now you know the story of Hedwig and her two husbands. It is one that is centered mostly in and around Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown, with stops in Friedheim and Farrar. Through it all, the major characters remained members of Lutheran churches that would be celebrating the 506th anniversary of the day when Martin Lutheran nailed the 95 theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany.