The highlighted couple for today’s post would be celebrating their 125th anniversary today. If I have it figured correctly, this marriage brought together a German Lutheran from Zion Lutheran Church in Longtown and a Methodist from York Chapel located just outside of Longtown. I will begin with the groom.
August Frederick Mehner was born on October 28, 1875, the son of Frederick and Elisabeth (Hillemann) Mehner. Early in his life, August’s family was living in the Apple Creek Township, and we find his baptism record in the books of Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. An image of that baptism record is displayed here.
August is found in his first census in 1880, and it would turn out to be the only one in which we find him before he was married. At that time, he was 5 years old, and his father was a farmer in the Apple Creek Township.
There is evidence found in the Friedenberg Remembrances book that says this Mehner family became members of Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg by 1881, so this family must have moved to Perry County shortly after the above census was taken.
Now, we will take a look at the woman who would become August’s wife. Her name was Julia Lettie Farrar, who was born on March 9, 1881. Lettie was the daughter of Albertus and Artillie (Yarbrough) Farrar. My guess is that Lettie was baptized at York Chapel in Longtown, but we do not have access to that congregation’s records. York Chapel Cemetery is where Lettie’s parents are buried. Since Lettie was born after the 1880 census, and because we cannot view the 1890 census, we do not find Lettie in a census until 1900. By that time, she was married.
In a later set of plat maps, you can see how close the Mehner and Farrar farms were to each other. You can see that they were neighbors. Zion Lutheran is found in Longtown Village, and York Chapel is the church indicated on the map just to the west of the Mehner and Farrar farms.
August Mehner married Lettie Farrar on March 23, 1899. This couple was married at the brand new Lutheran Church in Longtown. Their wedding was just the 4th marriage record to be found in the Zion Lutheran Church books.
We can also view this couple’s Missouri marriage license.
According to our German Family Tree, this couple had just two children, both boys. Both of them were baptized at Zion Lutheran, Longtown. However, neither one of them had been born prior to the 1900 census, so we see just the newlyweds in that year’s census. August was a farmer in the Union Township.
By the time of the 1910 census, we find the Mehner’s with their 2 boys, Oscar and Lonnie.
In 1918, August had his World War I draft registration completed. He is given a Menfro address, which means he got his mail delivered from the post office in Menfro.
The 1920 census shows the same family members. August and Lettie would remain on their Longtown farm the rest of their lives.
The 1930 census entry for the Mehner’s spills over two census pages. Oscar had gotten married to Sophia Bohnert in 1927, and that young couple was part of August and Lettie’s household.
Apparently, August Mehner was a farmer who dealt with livestock. Over the years, the local newspapers had plenty of articles offering his horses, mules, and cows for sale. Below is such an ad from the Perry County Republican published in 1938.
Lettie Mehner died in 1934 at the age of 53. Her death certificate is pictured here. I admit that I do not understand what the causes of death that are mentioned mean. You can also see that Lettie was buried at the York Chapel Cemetery.
An obituary for Lettie was published in the Perry County Republican. It says her funeral was held at the M.E church, which is York Chapel.
August is found in the 1940 census as a widower. At the age of 64, he was no longer called a farmer. His son, Oscar, is called the farmer.
The last census we can view is the one taken in 1950. August was still living with Oscar and Sophia.
August Mehner died in 1961 at the age of 86. We can view his death certificate below.
August is buried together with his wife, Lettie, in the York Chapel Cemetery in Longtown.
August’s church death record is found in the books of Zion Lutheran Church in Longtown. It appears that he remained a member of that congregation during his life. Perhaps his wife remained a member at the Methodist church. I suspect that because Lettie died at such an early age, she was buried in her church’s cemetery. When August died, he apparently wanted to be buried with this wife instead of the Zion Lutheran Cemetery.