One of the dilemmas I faced today was how to spell the main character’s surname. I found at least 3 different spellings…Gierenger, Gerringer, and Geringer. In a Gierenger family book that we have in our research library, it says that the change from Gierenger to Geringer took place in about 1935. Today’s character apparently used the last spelling. We even find the name spelled as Geringer on his gravestone, so that will be the spelling I use in this post.

Ferdinand Geringer was born on November 22, 1873, so this past November, he would have celebrated his 150th birthday. Ferdinand often went by the name, Ferd, so I will also use that spelling of his first name for most of this post. Ferd was the son of Marcus and Barbara (Huber) Geringer. A record found in the records of Zion Lutheran Church in Longtown states that Ferd was baptized at the Catholic church in Biehle. That would have been St. Maurus Catholic Church. Ferd is found in the 1880 census at the age of 7. His father was a farmer in the Cinque Hommes Township.

Marcus Geringer gathered his family for a photograph, probably not long after his wife died in 1893. Ferd is the 3rd person from the left in the back row. There are names on the photograph for all of the people, but they are a little hard to read.

Ferd would get married before the next census we can view in 1900, so we will now take a look at the woman who would become his bride. Her name was Julia Marie Sittner, who was born on December 14, 1878. That makes her today’s birthday girl and qualifies her to be celebrating her 145th birthday today. Julia was the daughter of Charles August and Wilhelmine (Mehner) Sittner. She was the last of 11 children in the Sittner family. It appears that all of the Sittner children were baptized at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg, so we cannot view Julia’s baptism record. Julia is found in the 1880 census at the age of 1. Her father was a farmer in the Cinque Hommes Township.

The photo shown below was previously displayed in a post titled, Two Succumb to the Flu. It shows Julia on the right with Bertha Grossheider on the left.

Ferd Geringer married Julia Sittner on November 14, 1899 at Zion Lutheran Church in Longtown. We can take a look at this couple’s church marriage record below.

The Missouri marriage license for this pair is pictured here.

Not long after this wedding took place, Ferd Geringer was confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in Longtown. At the age of 27, he would not have been the age of a normal confirmand. His confirmation record indicates he was the only one confirmed on March 11, 1900. This document is where we see that Ferd was baptized in Biehle.

In the 1900 census, we find Ferd and Julia as newlyweds who had yet to have children. Ferd was a farmer.

The German Family Tree lists 4 children born to Ferd and Julia, 3 girls and 1 boy. All of them were baptized at Zion, Longtown. In the 1910 census, the Geringer’s were still living in the Cinque Hommes Township where Ferd was also still farming.

I mentioned the Gieringer family binder earlier. In that binder, the first page gives a bit of information along with a photo of the original Geringer farm place. You can see two spellings of their surname on this page.

Here is an enlarged image of the farm place in Biehle. I know this photo was taken before Ferd’s father died in 1917. I also think that the couple on the right in the photo may be Ferd and Julia.

In 1918, Ferd had his World War I draft registration completed.

In the 1920 census, we find the Geringer’s living in the Saline Township with just their son living with them.

The last census in which we find Ferd was the one taken in 1930. This time, Ferd and Julia were living in the Bois Brule Township with their son, Walter, and a daughter, Wilhelmine.

Ferd died in 1934 at the age of 60. His death certificate shown below says he was 61, but I think this is a miscalculation.

I was not able to find Julia in the 1940 census, but in the 1950 census, at the age of 71, she was living and working in the General Protestant Children’s Home in St. Louis as a cook. That was a home for orphans.

Julia Geringer died in 1966 at the age of 87. Her death certificate says she died at the Overland Restorium in the St. Louis area.

Ferdinand and Julia Geringer are buried together in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Longtown.

Most of the Geringer’s in Perry County are Catholics. It appears that Julia was the person who influenced her husband to become one of the only Lutheran Geringer’s.