This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to talk with Chuck (Charles) Groh at our church. The name, Charles Groh is a fairly common one to be found in the Groh family tree. The first Charles Groh in Altenburg was instrumental in the building of our present-day sanctuary at Trinity Lutheran Church. That Charles Groh had a son named Charles who migrated to Alva, Oklahoma and was involved in building the sanctuary for Zion Lutheran Church in Alva. It is that Charles Groh who was the father of today’s birthday girl.

Anna Maria Groh was born on January 23, 1895, making today her 129th birthday. Anna Maria, who mostly went by the name, Anna, was the daughter of Charles and Louise (Rauh) Groh. The first few children of this couple were baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg, but beginning with their 3rd child born in 1892, the children were baptized at Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna. Anna’s baptism record shown below is from that congregation’s books.

The only census in which we find Anna living in Missouri is the one taken in 1900. She was 5 years old, and her father was a carpenter in the Brazeau Township, probably in Frohna.

Based on the ages of the people in the photo below, I think it was taken in Frohna. The caption directs you to which one is Anna.

Anna’s older sister, Susanna, was confirmed at Concordia, Frohna in 1907, but when Anna was confirmed a year later in 1908, her confirmation record is found in the books of Zion Lutheran Church in Alva, Oklahoma. That documents a very tiny window of time when the Groh family migrated to Oklahoma. An image of that confirmation record is pictured here.

The 1910 census shows Anna at the age of 15. Her father was then a carpenter in Alva, Oklahoma. You can see that all the members of this Groh household were born in Missouri. Her mother had died in 1909, so we do not see her in this entry.

Anna’s father died in 1913, so when the 1920 census was taken, we find her living with her maternal grandmother, Mary Rauh. Anna was called a dressmaker. 

The above census entry was submitted in January of 1920. Anna would not be single long after that. She was married in February. so let’s take a look at the man she would marry. His name was Alexander Herman Wagner, who was born on August 17, 1894. In a collection of documents found on Ancestry.com, U.S., American Historical Society of Germans from Russia Obituaries, 1899-2012, we find this history of Alexander’s father, Henry Wagner. In this article, it says the Wagner family had immigrated to this county in 1891, spent some time in Kansas, and then began homesteading near Alva, Oklahoma, in 1894, the year that Alexander was born. It also includes the fact that Henry’s wife’s maiden name was Anna Marie Wollman.

Alexander is found in the 1900 census at the age of 5. His father was a farmer in the Driftwood Township in Woods County, Oklahoma, which is located a bit north of Alva.

In a plat map produced in 1906, we find the Henry Wagner farm in that vicinity. Several other Wagner names are found on this map, but I could not find a family connection with any of them to Henry. That doesn’t mean there was no family relationship, just that I could not find one.

In the 1910 census, we find Alexander at the age of 16. The Wagner family was made up of 5 older sons and two young daughters.

Alexander had his World War I draft registration completed in 1917. It said he was a farmer near Capron, Oklahoma, a small village north of Alva.

Alexander did get called into military service during that war. A later application for a military headstone gives some details about his service.

Like was the case with Anna, Alexander’s 1920 census entry is dated as being submitted in January, so he was still single in the entry below. He was no longer living with his parents. Alexander was called the head of his household which included 2 of his younger brothers. They were farming together.

Alexander Wagner married Anna Groh on February 11, 1920 at Zion Lutheran Church in Alva. Since we have the records of Zion in our research library thanks to the work of our friend, Dale Kirmse, I am able to show you that marriage record.

I am also able to show an application for an Oklahoma marriage license for this couple.

I can show this wedding photo of Alexander and Anna. I must admit that I wonder if Anna made her own wedding dress.

This couple remained childless throughout their lives. When the 1930 census was taken, we find this pair living in the Fritzlen Township, which is also located in Woods County not far from Alva. Alexander was still farming.

Next, we find the Wagner’s in the 1940 census. Alexander and Anna were in their 40’s.

Anna’s Groh siblings had this photo taken when they were all older in age. Once again, the caption helps identify which one is Anna.

Alexander had his World War II draft card completed in 1942. It gives him a rural Alva address.

The last census we can view is the one taken in 1950. 

Alexander Wagner died in 1966 at the age of 71. I have not found a way to look at Oklahoma death certificates, but I am able to show you his death record from the Zion, Alva books. It states that he died of a heart attack.

Anna Wagner did not die until 1992 when she was 97 years old. I am also able to display her church death record. It gives no cause of death, but one has to assume that she simply died of old age.

Alexander and Anna Wagner are buried together in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Alva. In addition to this couple’s gravestone, I will show Alexander’s military headstone.

At some point in time, Anna had another photo taken. It once again begs the question. Did Anna make the dress she’s wearing?