I have previously written stories on this blog that included the names August Leimbach and Ella Koenig. This blog will tell the tale of a pair of individuals with those names who actually married each other. It begins with a birthday girl.

Ella Christine Koenig was born on January 7, 1899, so today would be her 125th birthday. Ella was the daughter of Alvin and Elizabeth (Diefenbach) Koenig. In a previous post about Alvin, Alwin (Or Is It Alvin) Koenig, it told of the fact that Ella was a child from Alvin’s second marriage to Elizabeth. Ella was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells. We can take a look at an image of her baptism record below.

Ella was just an infant when she shows up in the 1900 census. Her father was a farmer in the Shawnee Township. I will add at this point that this Koenig family was part of the area near New Wells that I have referred to as the “Koch, Koenig, Haertling Neighborhood”.  For many census years, those surnames can be found on the same page, indicating that they lived near one another. If you look at the names of Ella’s sponsors in her baptism record, you will see all 3 of those names.

The only other census entry in which we find Ella prior to her marriage is the one taken in 1910. She was 11 years old at the time. She would get confirmed at Immanuel, New Wells 2 years later in 1912.

In both of these census entries above, we find a young man by the name Henry Diefenbach living in this household. In each entry, he is called a stepson. This is a bit of a mystery. Based on information shown in the previously mentioned blog, Elizabeth’s maiden name was definitely Diefenbach. About the only scenario that seems reasonable in which a woman named Diefenbach would have a son that carried that surname would be if that child was one born out of wedlock. I suppose such a child would qualify to be called Alvin’s stepson.

Now, we will turn our attention to the man who would become Ella’s husband. His name was August Richard Leimbach, who was born on September 8, 1896. August was the son of August and Caroline (Mirly) Leimbach. He was baptized at Zion Lutheran Church in Pocahontas. His baptism record from that congregation’s books is pictured here.

August is found in the 1900 census at the age of 3. His father was a farmer in the Shawnee Township.

In the 1910 census, August was 14 years old. The year before this entry, August was confirmed at Zion, Pocahontas.

August had his World War I draft registration completed in 1918. It gives him a New Wells address and says that he was working on the farm of John Meyer. Perhaps while he was working on this farm in New Wells, August attended the church in New Wells and became acquainted with Ella Koenig.

August was drafted into service during that war. A record of his military service is shown here. It looks as if he never was sent overseas to get involved in combat.

On another record for his service shown below, it says he was discharged from the military in December of 1918.

It was not long after World War I that August Leimbach married Ella Koenig at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells. They were married on February 23, 1919. The church record for this event is shown here.

We can also take a look at the Missouri marriage license for this couple.

Our German Family Tree lists 4 children born to this pair. All of them were baptized at Immanuel, New Wells. When the 1920 census was taken, we find evidence that August had moved into the “Koch, Koenig, Haertling Neighborhood”. They were living with Ella’s widowed father and had just one very young child. August was helping on Alvin Koenig’s farm.

Next, we find the Leimbach’s in the 1930 census. This time, August was the head of the household. His father-in-law, Alvin, was still living with them, along with a young Wallmann man who was helping on the farm.

That same year, plat maps were produced for Cape Girardeau County. A parcel of land was still in the hands of Alvin Koenig. I have every reason to believe that this was the farm on which the Leimbach’s lived. You can see that it is in the New Wells vicinity.

The 1940 census for the Leimbach’s looks as if it was not filled in completely. The rest of this census page has all the boxes completed, but not the Leimbach entry. Alvin Koenig had died in February of that year, so we do not see him here.

August had his World War II draft card completed in 1942. 

We can view one more census that includes August and Ella, the one taken in 1950. August’s son, Milton, was helping him on the farm.

August Leimbach died in 1972 at the age of 75. A church record and his death certificate shown below say he died of a tractor accident.

Ella did some paperwork to acquire a military headstone for her husband. The application form shown here gives some more details about his World War I experience.

Ella Leimbach died in 1982 at the age of 83, too recently to view her death certificate. Both August and Ella are buried in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in New Wells.

His marriage to Ella Koenig led August Leimbach, farm boy from Pocahontas, to enter the “Koch, Koenig, Haertling Neighborhood” near New Wells. He would remain in that neighborhood throughout the rest of his life.