A baby girl was born in Wittenberg 125 years ago. Her name was Olida Sarah Lungwitz. She was born on December 9, 1898, the daughter of Paul and Mary (Boehme) Lungwitz. Olida was born before St. Paul’s Lutheran Church was established in Wittenberg in 1903, so her baptism record is found in the books of Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg. Having said that, it is quite likely that she was baptized in the church/school building located in Wittenberg that was later used by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. We can take a look at Olida’s baptism record pictured below.

Olida is found in the 1900 census at the age of 1. Her father was a farmer, probably near Wittenberg.

The Lungwitz family made a move during the next decade. When the 1910 census was taken, they were living in the Fountain Bluff Township across the Mississippi River in Jackson County, Illinois.

Olida was confirmed at Christ Lutheran Church in Jacob, Illinois in 1912. Her confirmation class from that congregation’s books is displayed here.

The Lungwitz family did not remain in Illinois for long. They migrated back across the river to Wittenberg again before the 1920 census. Her father was simply called a laborer. Olida was 21 years old.

Now, we will turn our attention to the man who would become Olida’s husband. His name was Ray S. Murray, who was born on June 13, 1904. Ray was the son of Cornelius and Mary “Mollie” (Sherrill) Murray. When you track the Murray family back, you discover that Ray’s great grandfather was born in Missouri in 1801, long before the German Lutherans arrived in Perry County. That was even before the state of Missouri had been admitted to the Union in 1821. His great grandfather, Joseph Murray, is buried in the York Chapel Cemetery near Longtown. Ray is found in his first census in 1910 at the age of 5. His father was a farmer in the Union Township.

Ray was too young to be required to complete a World War I draft registration. We find him once again living in the Union Township when the 1920 census was taken. Ray was a teenager at the time.

I failed miserably at finding a date for the marriage of Ray Murray and Olida Lungwitz nor any documentation for it. What I do know is that their first of 2 children was born in 1924. That son was baptized at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Wittenberg. That seems to indicate that the Murray’s had settled in Wittenberg after their wedding. Next, we find this small family with both of their children in the 1930 census living in Wittenberg. Ray was a boatman for a government boat.

I would add at this point that in 1930, Olida’s brother, Otto Lungwitz, was the operator of a ferry from Wittenberg to Illinois. That means both Otto and his brother-in-law, Ray Murray, were involved with work on the Mississippi River operating out of Wittenberg.

The Murray children, Donald and Violet, attended St. Paul’s Lutheran School in Wittenberg. They can both be found in the class picture shown here. Dan is #19 and Violet is #10 in this picture which is said to have been taken in 1938.

In the 1940 census, we discover that both Ray and Olida were employed. Ray was called a motor boat operator for the war department, and Olida was called a clerk at the post office. It is also said that Olida was at one time the postmistress in Wittenberg.

The post office building that was in use in Wittenberg in 1940 is shown below. The building just to the left of this building has been described as Ray Murray’s car shed.

Ray Murray had his World War II draft card completed in 1942. It states that Ray was employed by U.S. Engineers.

At some point in time, the photograph below was taken of Ray Murray. It has all the looks of being taken on the riverbank in Wittenberg with the Mississippi River in the background.

In 1942, Otto (also called Nick) Lungwitz bought the home in Wittenberg that once belonged to Joseph Weinhold. He turned it into a bar called Nick’s Place. A photo shown below was taken of members of the Lungwitz family in front of that building. Ray and Olida and their family are found in the photo. The caption will help you identify them.

The last census we can view is the one taken in 1950. Ray is called a push boat operator. That sounds to me like a towboat pushing barges up and down the river.

Ray Murray died in 1965 at the age of 61. His death certificate indicates that he was living in Frohna at the time of his death.

Olida Murray died in 1989 at the age of 90. A Social Security document says that she died in St. Louis. Ray and Olida Murray are buried together in the Brazeau Presbyterian Cemetery in Brazeau.

There was a time when Ray and Olida Murray must have been well-known residents of the town of Wittenberg when it was still a relatively thriving community in East Perry County.

Today is also a day to remember the founding of Concordia Seminary. The Log Cabin College in Altenburg opened for it first day of school on December 9, 1839. Today marks the 184th anniversary of this institution. I walked out to the monument behind my barn this morning to take the photo below. It was 55 degrees when I took the photo, but it could easily have been much colder than that when the Log Cabin College opened.