George William Saupe would be celebrating his 125th birthday today. He was born on December 4, 1898, the son of Adolph and Lina (Lindner) Saupe. George was the middle of 3 sons born to this Saupe couple. George was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells. An image of his baptism record from that congregation’s books is shown here.

George is found in his first census in 1900 at the age of 1. His father was a farm laborer in the Shawnee Township.

Next, we find George in the 1910 census at the age of 11. All 3 of the Saupe sons are included in that year’s census entry.

This Saupe family must have become members of the new Lutheran congregation in Shawneetown when it was established in 1909. George was confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Shawneetown in 1912. All 3 of the Saupe boys ended up spending most of their lives in other states. A previous post was written about George’s older brother, Fred, titled Murphysboro Saupe’s. Fred spent some time in South Dakota before getting married and settling down in Murphysboro, Illinois. George’s younger brother, Otto, ended up living most of his life in Utah. As for George, he moved to South Dakota before he had his World War I draft registration completed in 1918. Both George and Fred were living in Stratford, South Dakota according to each of their World War I draft registrations. George was still given a Shawneetown address, but he was employed by Adolph Schley in a threshing business in South Dakota.

George returned home to Missouri for a short while. We find him back living with his parents when the 1920 census was taken. At the age of 21, he is not given an occupation.

The next record I was able to find for George was a marriage record from Wahpeton, North Dakota. Let’s take a look at the woman who would become George’s first wife. Her name was Mary Christine Kern, who was born on November 11, 1901. Mary was the daughter of Joseph and Adelina (Frebel) Kern. Mary is found in the 1910 census living in Hawkinson, North Dakota. She was 8 years old at the time, and her father was a blacksmith.

When Mary was fairly young, a photo was taken of the Kern children. Mary is the second girl from the left.

Mary’s mother died in 1913, and her father remarried. I was unable to find Mary in the 1920 census. Then on June 30, 1924, George Saupe married Mary Kern. Their North Dakota marriage record states that they were married in Wahpeton, North Dakota. This form also says that George was from St. Paul, Minnesota.

As near as I can tell, George and Mary had just one child, a girl named Helen born in 1927. The 1930 census shows the Saupe’s living in the Liberty Grove Township in Richland County, North Dakota. Included in their household was a 21 year-old woman named Esther Haase, who was a public school teacher.

I found this photo of George and Mary. It is not a very clear photo, but it is the only one I found that includes George.

Mary Saupe died in 1933 at the age of 31, leaving George as a widower. Mary is buried in the Catholic Cemetery in Lidgerwood, North Dakota.

George married again in 1935. His second wife was Velma Edith Kadoun, who was born on April 10, 1915. Velma is found in the 1920 census at the age of 4. Her family was living in the Dexter Township, which is located in the same county in which George lived. Velma’s father was a farmer.

In the 1930 census, Velma was a teenager. Her family was then living in the Grant Township in the same county.

George Saupe married Velma Kadoun on May 29, 1935. Despite the fact that George and Velma were from the same county in North Dakota, they were married in Marshall County in South Dakota. That county was not that far from Richland County in North Dakota, but I have no idea why these two were married in a different state.

This couple had one child, a son named Conrad, who was born in 1937. In the 1940 census, we see Helen, George’s daughter from his first marriage, and Conrad, his son from his second marriage. George was still a farmer in the Liberty Grove Township.

The last census we can view for the Saupe’s is the one taken in 1950. This time, the Saupe’s were living in the Garborg Township, yet another one found in Richland County. Just Conrad remained in their household.

George Saupe died in 1983 at the age of 84; Velma Saupe died in 2008 he age of 92. It looks as if these two moved to the state of Washington later in their lives. That is where their son, Conrad, had settled. George and Velma are buried together in the Shelton Memorial Park in Shelton, Washington.

The Saupe family that originated near Shawneetown, Missouri ended up settling all over the country. Even the parents of the 3 Saupe boys ended up across the river in Jackson County, Illinois. I must wonder if the parents of these boys ever got to spend much time with their children after they moved to other states. We Adolph and Lina able to travel to those other states to visit them, or were their sons able to travel to visit their parents? I also must wonder if the grandchildren of Adolph and Lina Saupe got to spend much time with Grandma and Grandpa.