You will be reading another story about a child of Ernest Yamnitz today. I find Ernest Yamnitz to be a fascinating character, and his story has previously been told on this blog. He did not get married until he was 28 years old, and still managed to marry twice and father 13 children who lived to adulthood. And each of his wives were teenagers when he married them. The man who will be highlighted today was the first child of the second wife. He managed to get married 3 times, the first of which was a teenager when he married her, and she died as a teenager.

Henry Ernest Johann Yamnitz was born on April 17, 1883. As said before, his father was Ernest Yamnitz. His mother was Mary Brickhaus. Henry is found in his first census entry in 1900 at the age of 17. None of the Yamnitz children were given occupations in this entry, but I have to think the older boys like Henry were helping on their father’s farm in the Union Township of Bollinger County.

Henry married his first wife, probably sometime around 1909, so we will take a quick look at who she was. Her name was Mary Ettie Henneke, who was born on March 16, 1891. She is our birthday girl, celebrating her 133rd birthday today. She was the daughter of Frederick and Mary (Layton) Henneke. Mary Ettie is found in just one census before she was married. In the 1900 census, the Henneke’s were living in the St. Marys Township of Perry County. Yount is located in that township. She was 9 years old and her father is called a merchant.

I was unable to find a marriage record for Henry and Mary Ettie, but they had a child named Leonard born on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1909 who was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville. The 1910 census shows that this small family was living in the St. Marys Township where Henry was a farmer.

That census entry was submitted on May 5th of that year, and then Mary Ettie Yamnitz died on May 20, 1910. She was just 19 years old at the time of her death, and her death certificate below says she died of tuberculosis.

Also, in 1910, we find Henry Yamnitz’s name on a membership list in a rather new Lutheran church located in Lixville, Missouri, which is near Yount.

Mary Etta’s death left Henry as a widower with a very young child. Leonard, their child, appears to have been raised by his Yamnitz grandparents. He is found in their census entry in the 1920 census. Henry, on the other hand, married twice before the 1920 census. First, he married Cora Mae Calvird in 1911. She was born on January 26, 1892, the daughter of Thomas and Fannie (Bates) Calvird. She spent her childhood in the Randolph Township of St. Francois County, Missouri.

Henry Yamnitz married Cora Mae Calvird on October 2, 1911. We can look at this couple’s Missouri marriage license below. A probate judge performed this wedding.

I can also display this marriage certificate for this couple.

This marriage did not last long at all. In February of 1912, Henry put the following notice in the Perry County Republican.

One must conclude that this couple would get officially divorced shortly thereafter. There is a person whose name was Clarence Torbert, who was born in 1912. A document says his parents were Henry and Cora Yamnitz. That one makes me scratch my head. If you pursue the later history of Cora, you will discover that she married two more times after this.

On September 1, 1917, Henry got married again. His 3rd wife had the maiden name of Rosa May Taylor, who was born on May 19, 1890. Rosa was the daughter of James and Jane (Nifong) Taylor. She is found in the 1900 census living in the St. Marys Township at the age of 9. Her father was a farmer.

Rosa was found again in the 1910 census living with her parents, but then on May 31, 1910, she married Otto Gardner.

This is another marriage that did not last long because Otto Gardner died in 1913. That leads us up to Henry Yamnitz’s marriage to Rosa in 1917, and it also explains why their marriage license calls his 3rd bride, Rosa Gardner.

In 1918, Henry had his WWI draft registration completed. It gives him a Yount address.

The 1915 plat maps show an H.E. Yamnitz parcel of land located not far west of Perryville. There are other Yamnitz farms to be found on the image below.

When the 1920 census was taken, we find just Henry and Rosa living in the St. Marys Township with no children.

It is possible that the photograph of the Ernest Yamnitz family below was taken at about this time. His father is included, and he died in 1923. Henry is the one standing farthest back from his sister who is sitting on the right in front.

Next, we find Henry and Rosa in the 1930 census. There is no evidence that this pair had any children.

The 1940 census once again just lists Henry and Rosa. Just below their entry you will find that of Henry’s younger brother, Gustav Yamnitz.

The last census we can view is the one taken in 1950. It looks like Henry, in his 60’s, was no longer farming.

Henry Yamnitz died in 1962 at the age of 78. His death certificate is displayed below.

Rosa Yamnitz died in 1964 at the age of 73. We can also view her death certificate.

Henry and Rosa Yamnitz are buried together in the Yount Community Cemetery in Yount.

Henry Yamnitz, as you can see from the family photo above, was part of a large family. I assume that more Yamnitz stories from that family will show up on this blog in the future.