I have already written a bunch of stories about Perry County natives who moved to St. Louis to spend most of their remaining lives there. In some cases, a man or a woman leaves for St. Louis prior to their marriage and finds their spouse in St. Louis. My father was such a person. There are other stories in which a couple is married in Perry County and then moves to St. Louis. Today’s tale is such a story.

We begin with the birthday girl. Barbara Louise Bergmann was born on June 2, 1870, making today her 154th birthday. Barbara was the daughter of Ferdinand and Anna (Bergmann) Bergmann. Yes, Barbara parents were both Bergmann’s, and I will add that the Bergmann families in Perry County had a propensity for naming one of their daughters, Barbara. I think Barbara is more common amongst Bavarian Germans. Barbara was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville. I am able to display a transposed version of her baptism record.

Barbara barely snuck into the 1870 census. She is called 1/12 (one month) old in that year’s entry. Her father was a farmer in the Cinque Hommes Township.

The only other census in which we find Barbara single was the one taken in 1880. This time, the Bergmann’s were living in the Central Township. In both of the censuses I have shown, there is a woman named Eva Grumpp and her son named John. Eva’s maiden name was Bergmann, but I am unable to determine whether she might have been related to either Barbara’s mother or her father.

Now, we will turn our attention to the man who would become Barbara’s husband. His name was August Ross, who was born on December 29, 1862. August was the son of John and Gertrude (Distle) Ross. When August’s parents arrived in America in October of 1853, his mother must have been quite pregnant because she gave birth to her first child in November of that year. I suspect that child was born and baptized before the Ross’s settled in Perry County. The Ross’s had 9 children in all, and all of the rest of them have their baptism records in the books of Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna, with the exception of August. I have every reason to believe that he was baptized at that church, but his baptism record is not to be found. Concordia was without a pastor that year and was being served by Pastor Beyer from Altenburg. Below is the page on which August’s baptism record should be found. You can see a variety of handwriting styles in this image. Interestingly, August’s father, Johann Ross was a sponsor for Maria Martha Koenig, who was baptized in November of 1862.

August is found in his first census entry in 1870 at the age of 8. This entry is a bit confusing. There was an August Ross who was 4 years old, but that was Heinrich August Ross. I cannot even determine what is written for the 8 year-old Ross child, but I certainly believe it is the August that I am writing about today. There is one record I found that said August’s middle initial was “W”, but this name does not look like it begins with a “W”. It appears to begin with “Au”.

Next, we find August in the 1880 census as a teenager. I had to find him in those lost pages of the Union Township. His father was farming, and August is called a laborer.

August Ross married Barbara Bergmann on November 19, 1893 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville. Below is the church’s record for that event.

We can also view this couple’s Missouri marriage license.

Our German Family Tree lists 2 children born to August and Barbara. They were each baptized at Immanuel, Perryville. In the 1900 census, the Ross’s are found with one child. August was called a day laborer in Perryville.

The second child was born in 1901, but at some point after that child was baptized, the Ross’s moved to St. Louis. That is where we find them in the 1910 census. August was a laborer for the street rail road. That means he was working with street cars. Wilma Martin was living with them, and she was called a niece.

In the 1920 census, August was called a car repairer for the street railway. Both daughters were still living with their parents.

The 1930 census indicates that the Ross’s had an empty nest. August had changed occupations. He was called a salesman for a fruit store.

The last census in which we find August was the one taken in 1940. Even though it was just the two of them, August was listed on the bottom of one census page, and Barbara is at the top of the next page. August had no occupation at the age of 77.

The above census entry was submitted in April of 1940, and August died in May at the age of 77. His death certificate indicates that prostate problems caused his death.

Barbara Ross is found in the 1950 census living with her daughter, Elsie in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Barbara Ross died in 1954 at the age of 84. She died in Minnesota, so I am unable to display a death certificate. August and Barbara Ross are buried togerther in the St. Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in St. Louis.

Many Perry County natives must have thought there were better employment opportunities in a big city like St. Louis. Of course, there may have been other factors which contributed to such a decision to move away from Perry County. One thing we do know. When Perry County natives moved to St. Louis, there were plenty of Lutheran churches to join.