Robert Eduard Preusser is today’s birthday boy. He fits the mold of being a person who was born and raised in Perry County, only to spend most of his life elsewhere. In the case of Robert, he lived most of his life in Texas. Robert was born on March 19, 1884, so today would be his 140th birthday. He was the son of Gustav and Anna (Jahn) Preusser and baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg. An image of his baptism record from that congregation’s books is displayed here.

Robert was 15 years old when the 1900 census was taken. He was a farm laborer, helping his father with his farm in the Brazeau Township.

Robert would have been about 25 years old when the 1910 census was taken, so he was definitely old enough to be no longer living with his parents. Indeed, he was no longer included in his parents’ census entry. However, I was unsuccessful at finding Robert in that year’s census. I suspect that he may have moved to Texas by that time.

Robert was married in 1917, so we will now look at the woman who would become his bride. Her name was Alice Fern Ormerod, who was born on July 26, 1884. Alice was the daughter of John and Jessie (Bell) Ormerod. The Ormerod’s must have lived in Wyoming for a while, because that is where Alice was born. Yet, when Alice is found in her first census in 1900 at the age of 5., her family was living in Galveston, Texas. The occupation given for her father was produce.

Then, when the 1910 census was taken, the Olmerod’s were living near Houston, Texas. Alice was 15 years old, and this time it said her father was a machinist at a shop.

Robert Preusser married Alice Ormerod on April 25, 1917 in Houston. A Texas marriage record is shown below.

I need to take a time-out from Robert and Alice’s story. According to the marriage record shown above, the pastor who performed this wedding was Rev. J.W. Behnken, the pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Houston. Pastor Behnken would become the President of the Texas District in the 1920’s, and then in the 1930’s, he was elected President of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Dr. Behnken was the Synod’s President when I was growing up as a boy in St. Louis.

Robert had his World War I draft registration completed in 1918. It gives Robert a Houston address and says he was a shoe salesman for the Hammersmith Shoe Company.

Robert and Alice had their only child, a son named Robert Ormerod Preusser, in 1919, so when the 1920 census was taken we find this small family in a household that included a few of Alice’s siblings and a boarder. Robert was a shoe salesman. Please note that Alice was born in Wyoming, an older brother was born in Kansas, and a younger sister was born in Texas. The Ormerod family did some moving around over the years.

Next, we find the Preusser’s in the 1930 census. This time, the household just consisted of Robert, Alice, and their son, Robert. Robert had the same job.

In the 1940 census, we find the same members listed. Robert was a clerk in the tool industry.

Robert had his World War II draft card completed in 1942. It says that Robert’s employer was the Hughes Tool Company in Houston. I believe that this tool company was owned by the famous Howard Hughes.

The last census the public can view is the one taken in 1950. In that year’s entry, Robert, at the age of 66, had no occupation.

Robert Preusser died in 1954 at the age of 70; Alice Preusser died in 1981 at the age of 86. These two are each buried in the Rosewood Cemetery in Houston.

Robert and Alice’s son apparently had a rather illustrious career according to this article shown below. He became a professor at both the University of Houston and M.I.T.

It is not every day that I get to tell a story that connects us to a President of the LCMS, Dr. John Behnken, a famous businessman, Howard Hughes, and a professor at M.I.T. And it all started 140 years ago in the little village of Altenburg.

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Just a few other notes.

• The counter on our website indicates that we are now 20 days away from the upcoming total solar eclipse.
• Our museum’s website is about 2500 views away from totaling one million views.