Four years ago, I wrote a post on Valentine’s Day titled Valentines Day Story: Flowers, Jewelry, and Her Mountain Man. That post told the story of Flora Ochs, who was born on Valentine’s Day. Flora had a twin brother, and in that post I suggested that I might write the story of her twin brother, Ernst, the next year. I did not fulfill that prophecy, but I will do so today. It actually is better that I tell Ernst’s story this year because those twins would be celebrating a special birthday today, their 125th.

Ernst Johann Theodore Ochs was born on February 14, 1899, the son of Henry and Josephine (Rauh) Ochs. Back in 2016, our friend, Clayton Erdmann, wrote a post on this blog about Henry and Josephine titled, Junior, Judge, and Representative. The twin Ochs children were baptized at Peace Lutheran Church, so I am unable to display their baptism records. Ernst and Flora were just infants when they are found in the 1900 census. You can see that they were part of a rather large Ochs family. Their father was a farmer in the Central Township.

The photo below of the Henry Ochs family was supposedly taken around 1906. I think Flora is standing in front next to her mother, and Ernst is standing on the right next to his father.

Next, we find Ernst in the 1910 census at the age of 11. His mother died in 1907, so she is not found in this entry. Two more Ochs children had been born in the previous decade prior to his mother’s death. Those 2 youngest are included in the above photo.

In 1912, Ernst was confirmed, but his confirmation record is found in the books of Zion Lutheran Church in Longtown. There were many more than usual confirmations at that congregation that year, and quite a few of them said the confirmand was from Friedenberg, not Longtown. I think that is because there was a pastoral vacancy at Peace, Friedenberg at the time.

When the 1915 Perry County plat maps were produced, we find the Henry Ochs farm in the vicinity of where you would find Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg.

Ernst had his World War I draft registration completed in 1918. He is given a Menfro address.

Ernst is still found as a single man in the 1920 census. He was working on his father’s farm.

Now, we will take a look at the woman who would become Ernst’s wife. Her name was Irma Luvere Dambach, who was born on September 12, 1897. Irma was the daughter of Edward and Louisa (Bailey) Dambach. Yes, I admit to having stated that the Valentine birthday boy found “Luv”-ere when he found his bride. It does not appear that Irma grew up as a Lutheran because the Friedenberg Remembrances book states that she got confirmed as an adult after she was married. She is found in her first census in 1900 at the age of 2. Her father was a farm laborer in the Central Township.

The Dambach’s moved to Scott County at some time during the next decade. We find them living in the Kelso Township in the 1910 census, where Irma’s father is called a stationary engineer. Irma was 12 years old.

I found an article in the Friedenberg Remembrances book that added a few facts to this story. First of all, there is this little paragraph that says Irma and her younger sister, Myrtle lived on a farm near Friedenberg from 1913-1920’s.

Another paragraph in that book gives some information about Ernst Ochs courting Irma.

I was unable to locate a marriage date for Ernst and Irma. Ernst was still single in the 1920 census, and their first child was born in 1921, so the wedding likely took place in the interim. Plus, the Friedenberg Remembrances book says they were married in 1920. Our German Family Tree lists 2 children born to this couple. We find this Ochs family in the 1930 census with their 2 children. Ernst was a farmer in the Central Township. Irma’s mother was also living in their household.

Probably sometime in the 1930’s, a photo was taken of Henry Ochs and his adult children. I will let you decide which two are the twins, Flora and Ernst.

The Ochs household is next found in the 1940 census. It contained the same names as were found in the 1930 census. Their son, Robert, was helping Ernst on his farm. Their daughter, Naomi, was working at the shoe factory in Perryville.

The last census entry that the public can view is the one taken in 1950. Ernst and Irma had moved from the farm into Perryville. Ernst was doing concrete work for a lumber company. Their daughter had married John Trapp, and that young family was living with Ernst and Irma. 

Irma Ochs died in 1968 at the age of 71. She died of cancer while a patient at the Perry County Memorial Hospital. 

Ernst Ochs died in 1982 at the age of 83, too recently to view his death certificate. Ernst and Irma are buried together in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Perryville.

Now you know the story of today’s Valentine sweethearts, complete with a special 125th birthday celebration for a pair of Ochs twins. I urge all of you who have sweethearts to make sure that you make them feel special today. And while you are at it, don’t forget that today is also Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten season.

I will leave you today with this photo of me and my sweetheart. She is so special to me.