Johannes Otto Theodore Lohmann was born on April 26, 1899 in Farrar, Missouri. That qualifies him to not only be this post’s birthday boy, but he would also be celebrating his special 125th birthday today. This boy went by the name of John. He was the son of Joachim and Gesche (Soehl) Lohmann and baptized at Salem Lutheran Church in Farrar. We can take a look at an image of his baptism record from that church’s books below.

John is found in the 1900 census at the age of 1. His family was living in the Salem Township, so we have to once again look at a census entry that is very difficult to decipher. John’s father was a farmer.

In the 1910 census, we find John at the age of 11. He was likely a student at Salem Lutheran School in Farrar at that time.

When the plat maps for Perry County were produced in 1915, we find the Lohmann farm located not far from Farrar. I think the parcel of land identified by Joachim Lehmann was another piece of land farmed by Joachim Lohmann. I also think this is where John operated his farm after his marriage.

John had his World War I draft registration completed in 1918. It says he was working on his father’s farm.

Now, we will turn our attention to the woman who would become Mrs. Lohmann. Her name was Emma Margaretha Weibrecht, who was born on December 9, 1900. This girl would go by the name Emma. She was the daughter of Henry and Catherine (Ermer) Weibrecht. Emma had one older sibling, and that daughter was baptized at Salem, Farrar. Emma was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville, but she was the only child in her family to be baptized at that congregation. The subsequent Weibrecht children were all baptized at Zion Lutheran Church in Crosstown. A transcription of Emma’s baptism record from Immanuel, Perryville is displayed here.

Emma is found in her first census in 1910 at the age of 9. Her father was a farmer in the Salem Township.

The above census entry would be the only one in which we find Emma as a single person. John Lohmann married Emma Weibrecht on September 19, 1919 at Zion Lutheran Church in Crosstown. A transcription of this couple’s church marriage record is shown below.

We are also able to view this couple’s Missouri marriage license. Both this form and the church record above state that John was from Farrar, and Emma was from Crosstown.

John and Emma had 5 children who are listed in our German Family Tree, but 2 of them died during their childhood years. We see just John and Emma listed in the 1920 census because they had yet to have any children at that point.

Next, we find the Lohmann’s in the 1930 census with 5 children. This would be the only census entry in which we find the 2 youngest Lohmann children.

Iva Lee Lohmann died in 1933 as a result of complications with an abscessed tooth. Milford Lohmann died in 1937 as a result of pneumonia. Their oldest daughter, Amanda, got married in 1938, so, in the 1940 census, we see the Lohmann’s with just 2 remaining children in their household.

John had his World War II draft card completed in 1942. He is given a Menfro address on this form.

The last census the public is currently allowed to view is the one taken in 1950. Just their son, Willard, remained in their household. John and Willard were doing the farming.

John Lohmann died in 1985 at the age of 86; Emma Lohmann died a year later in 1986 at the age of 85. These two are buried in the Salem Lutheran Cemetery in Farrar.

The Lohmann surname is certainly a common one that has been found in Perry County for a long, long time. Today’s Lohmann couple is one of many that could be found in the farmland surrounding the town of Farrar. Others have been found in other Perry County locations. The Lohmann name has not died out. There are plenty Lohmann’s who still live in this area, and many of them are children. This gives us the hope that this surname will continue to survive into the generations to come.