Ida Rosina Leimbach is today’s birthday girl. Having been born on November 28, 1898, she would be celebrating her 125th birthday today. There are two large Leimbach clans in this area, one which could be called the Ridge Leimbach’s and one which could be called the Shawnee Township Leimbach’s. A while back, one of our guest bloggers, Faron Bartons, wrote a post which connected these two Leimbach clans, but you have to go back to Germany to find the connection. Ida was a Shawnee Township Leimbach, the daughter of August and Caroline (Mirly) Leimbach. She was baptized at Zion Lutheran Church in Pocahontas. Her baptism record from that congregation’s books is shown here.

Ida shows up in her first census in 1900 at the age of 1. She was child #6 out of 9 in the Leimbach family according to our German Family Tree. Her father was a farmer in the Shawnee Township. Her family’s entry spills over two census pages.

Next, we find Ida in the 1910 census. Three more children had been born into this family during the previous decade. Ida was 11 years old at the time.

The last census in which we find Ida as a single woman was the one taken in 1920.

Ida was part of a rather large family, but nothing compared to the one of her future husband. We have discussed his family on this blog on several occasions, including one post written just about a week ago. Walter Paul Meyr was born on December 15, 1895, the son of Gustav and Clara Louise (Scholl) Meyr. This is the Meyr family in which Gustav had 5 children by his first wife, including Walter, and then had 12 more with his second wife, Pauline Perr. Walter was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells. An image of his baptism record is pictured below. Interestingly, Walter was the 3rd child to be baptized at that congregation in 1895 with the surname, Meyr. The other two had mothers whose maiden name was Mirly, Ida Leimbach’s mother’s maiden name.

Walter is found in the 1900 census at the age of 4. This census was taken during the year that Walter’s mother died, so we find his father as a widower in this entry. His father was a farmer in the Shawnee Township.

Gustav Meyr married again in 1901, and his family continued to grow. In the 1910 census, Walter was 16 years old and working on his father’s farm.

Walter had his World War I draft registration completed in 1917. This document says Walter was employed on the Charles Starzinger farm.

Walter did get called into military service during that war. His military record below gives information about his service, but it looks as if he was not sent overseas.

After the war, we find Walter still living with his father, his stepmother, and a whole bunch of siblings and half-siblings. There were 14 children in the household in this entry.

Walter Meyr married Ida Leimbach on May 29, 1921 at Zion Lutheran Church in Pocahontas. The church record for this wedding is shown here. Walter’s brother, Arthur Meyr, was part of the wedding party. It was his story that was written just recently.

We can also view this couple’s Missouri marriage license..

Walter and Ida had 2 children, a boy and a girl. In the 1930 census, we find both of those children. Walter was still farming.

It was also in 1930 that Cape Girardeau County produced a set of plat maps. We find the Walter Meyr farm located south of New Wells. His farm was also right next to that of his father’s.

Next, we find the Meyr’s in the 1940 census. His son, at the age of 18, was helping Walter on the farm.

Walter had to have a World War II draft card completed in 1942.

One last census entry for the Meyr’s can be viewed. The 1950 census displays the same members of the household, just with everyone being 10 years older.

Walter Meyr died in 1985; Ida Meyr died in 1988. Both of them died at the age of 89. They died too recently to view their death certificates. I suspect that Walter and Ida moved to the Gordonville area later in their lives because they are each buried in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery in that town. Walter’s military service is honored on his gravestone.

When I hear the name Walter Meyr spoken, I think of the Dr. Walter Maier who was the first speaker of The Lutheran Hour. In my mother’s younger years, she was one of the secretaries in the office of Dr. Meier. What I find interesting is the fact that today’s character, Walter Meyr, had the middle name of Paul. Dr. Meier has a rather famous son, Paul Meier, who is a notable author and speaker.