Born in Illinois. Baptized in Missouri. Died in Illinois. That is part of the story of Henry Stueve, today’s birthday boy. Henry John Stueve was born on November 27, 1893, so today marks his 130th birthday. Henry was the son of Peter and Mary (Engert) Stueve. Peter and Mary’s lives began in Perry County, and their marriage included a bit of a mess. Their lives were described in the post, It Begins with a Scandal. Our friend, Diane Anderson, who is one of our experts on the Stueve family, somehow managed to locate a birth record for Henry and shared it on Ancestry.com. It states tha he was born in the Fountain Bluff Township in Jackson County, Illinois.

The Stueve family took Henry across the rive to have him baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altenburg. Despite being born in November of 1893, Henry’s baptism did not take place until March 13, 1894. An image of his baptism record is pictured here.

Henry is found in his first census in 1900 at the age of 5, although I think he was at least 6 years old. His father was a farmer in the Degognia Township.

Henry was confirmed at Christ Lutheran Church in Jacob, Illinois in 1908. Then we find him in the 1910 census at the age of 16. His mother had died in 1904, so we see that his widowed father was raising a family of 5 children at this time.

In 1917, Henry had his World War I draft registration completed. It said that Herman Kranawetter employed him as a farm laborer. His birthday is given here as November 28th, not November 27th, but I figure that was a mistake.

Henry was called into military service during that war. An application for a military headstone that was completed after Henry’s death gives some details about his service.

We find an interesting situation when the 1920 census was taken. Henry was still a farm hand, but this time we see him in the William Korando household in the Fountain Bluff Township at the age 25. Also in this household was the 20 year-old, Goldia Korando. Goldia would later become Henry’s wife.

Goldia Christina Korando was born on January 14, 1899, the daughter of William and Amanda (Mifflin) Korando. There is a record in the Christ, Jacob records indicating when Goldia was baptized, but there is no actual baptism record for her in that congregation’s books. Goldie was not even one year old when the 1900 census was taken. Her father was a farmer in the Fountain Bluff Township. Two young farmhands were helping Goldia’s father on his farm.

In 1910, we find Goldia at the age of 11. Once again, there were 2 hired hands living in the Korando household.

That leads us up to the census that was shown earlier that included both Henry Stueve and Goldia Korando. These two were married on March 18, 1924. I was unable to find documentation for this wedding. This pair had 3 children who were all baptized at Christ Lutheran Church in Jacob. When the 1930 census was taken, we find the Stueve’s with 2 children. In their household was Edward Stueve who worked as a farm laborer. If I have it figured correctly, Edward was Henry’s cousin. Also in the household was a 67 year-old man who was called a landlord.

I was unable to find the Stueve’s in the 1940 census, but since we find them in the 1950 census still farming in the Degognia Township I figure that is where they were still living in 1940. Also, Henry’s World War II draft card completed in 1942 says that he was farming for himself and was given a Cora, Illinois address. Cora is located in the Degognia Township.

The 1950 census is the last one we can view. Henry and Goldia were living with just their youngest child, who had been born after the 1930 census. Henry was still farming.

Later in their lives, Henry and Goldia moved to Waterloo, Illinois to be closer to some family members. That is reportedly where each of them died.

Henry Stueve died in 1979 at the age of 85. Goldia died in 1993 at the age of 94. These two are buried together in the Evergreen Cemetery in Chester, Illinois. Their gravesite also contains a plaque in remembrance of Henry’s World War I military service.

Now that you have read the story of Henry Stueve, I guess you could call it one of those in which a farm hand runs off with the farmer’s daughter. But in this case, he didn’t run far. He went back to living in the same township in which he was born and raised, which was not far from the Korando farm.