The birthday of Michael George Springer is the jumping off point for today’s tale. He would be celebrating his 175th birthday today because he was born on November 15, 1848. However, before I move on with Michael’s story, let me backtrack to his parents, Peter and Magdalena (Hoehn) Springer. Those two were married in Germany in 1838 and immigrated to America in 1847 aboard the ship, Titcomb. The passenger list for that ship does not list all the Springer’s together. I will display the portion that shows Peter Springer and a son, George.

I am going to go off on a tangent here. At our recent immigration conference, I had the opportunity to chat with another one of our presenters, Steve Richardet. He mentioned to me that he noticed in one of my fairly recent blog posts that the Springer’s were passengers on the same ship as his Richardet ancestors. Indeed, on the previous page of the Titcomb passenger list, you will find a few Richardet’s. The Richardet name is a prominent one in Perry County to this day, but we do not find them in our German Family Tree because the Richardet’s are primarily Catholic.

Back to Michael Springer. He was baptized at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg, so I am unable to display an image of his baptism record. He is found in his first census in 1850 at the age of 2. His father was a farmer in the Brazeau Township.

Next, we find Michael in the 1860 census. This time, it says the Springer’s were living in the Cinque Hommes Township. Perhaps this does not indicate a move on their part, but a change in the boundaries of the townships.

Michael is found in one more census before he was married. The 1870 census entry indicates that Michael, at the age of 20 (which does not seem right), was working on his father’s farm.

Now, we need to take a look at the early life of the woman who would become Michael’s wife. Her name was Elizabeth Margaret Hoehn, who was born on December 30, 1854. Elizabeth was the daughter of Michael and Anna (Bergmann) Hoehn. Like Michael, Elizabeth was baptized at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg. Elizabeth is found in the 1860 census at the age of 5. Her father was a farmer in the Cinque Hommes Township.

The last census in which we find Elizabeth unmarried is the one taken in 1870. She was a teenager at that time.

Michael Springer married Elizabeth Hoehn on November 12, 1874, not long before Michael’s 26th birthday, at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg. Yes, that means that Michael’s mother was a Hoehn, and his bride was a Hoehn. However, they were almost certainly not from the same Hoehn clan. I cannot display a church marriage record, but I can show an image of this couple’s Perry County marriage record. This document includes several couples who got married at about that time by the same pastor, Rev. Voigt.

The German Family Tree lists 4 children born to this pair. The 1880 census shows 3 children in their family. Also included in their household was a nephew named John Ochs. Michael was a farmer in the Central Township.

We have to wait until 1900 before we can see the Springer’s in another census. The last child in this family was born in 1893, 15 years after their previous child was born. Just 3 children are found in the 1900 census entry for this family.

Next, we find Michael and Elizabeth with an empty nest in the 1910 census. Michael’s occupation is listed as “own income”, which seems to be a term used in old censuses to describe retirement.

I found two parcels of land that have the name Michael Springer in the plat maps produced in 1915.

The last census in which we find Elizabeth Springer is the one taken in 1920. Michael was 71 and Elizabeth was 65 years old. Michael again had no occupation. Perhaps a few of this couple’s children were operating two separate farms that were still owned by their father, which would explain why we see 2 parcels of land in Michael’s name that are not right next to each other.

Elizabeth Springer died in 1925 at the age of 70. A cerebral hemorrhage caused her death.

Michael is found in the 1930 census at the age of 82. His single, 52 year-old daughter, Caroline, was living with him and likely caring for her elderly, widowed father.

Michael was still alive in 1940, but I was unable to find him or his daughter, Caroline, in that year’s census. Michael Springer died in 1941 at the age of 93. He is given a Longtown address on his death certificate below.

Michael and Elizabeth Springer are buried together in the Peace Lutheran Cemetery in Friedenberg.

My new friend, Steve Richardet, and I may have to spend some time trying to determine why a German Lutheran and a French Catholic were found on the same ship that arrived in 1847, and both managed to settle in Perry County. Did they both know while they were aboard the ship that they each intended to become residents of this county? This pair of surnames on the same ship does certainly make one come up with some interesting questions that may never be answered.