A German Lutheran surname appeared in Perry County in the 1840’s and became a rather prominent one. That surname is Wirth. I will attempt to tell the story of the Wirth man who I believe was the first one to show up here, and will also discuss his two wives. I have already written several posts about this original Wirth’s children, but now I will tell the tale of the parents.

Peter Wirth was born on August 16, 1811 in Bavaria, Germany. He was the son of Heinrich and Catharina (Leikem) Wirth. When Peter was in his 20’s, it appears that he had been courting a girl by the name of Margaretha Bergmann, who had been born on February 12, 1812. She was the daughter of Johann and Brigitta (Schwarz) Bergmann. I believe several children from this Bergmann family ended up in Perry County. Peter Wirth and Margaretha Bergmann came to the United States on the same ship, the Plato, which arrived in August of 1840. We have discussed on this blog in the past that sometimes young couples would find it easier to get married in America than it was in Germany. That looks to be the case with Peter and Margaretha. In fact, this passenger list indicates that they came to this country with a young child named Anna Mary Bergmann.

Peter Wirth married Margaretha Bergmann on November 24, 1840. I am able to display two images of Perry County records for this wedding. The first one below says that they were married by a minister with name of Frederick Pecker. I am not familiar with that pastor.

Here is a second version documenting that wedding.

This couple had one child born in America, Margarethe Wirth, whose baptism record is found in the books of Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown. Rev. Carl Gruber baptized this baby. Pastor Gruber often traveled to perform baptisms elsewhere when needed, and this baptism may have been one of those because the Wirth’s were not living near Uniontown.

Peter and Margaretha were not married long. Margaretha died in 1848 at the age of 34. I am not aware of where she was buried. The date of her death is recorded in the Friedenberg Remembrances book. Peter would get married again. His second wife was Anna Adler, who is today’s birthday girl. She was born on June 6, 1822, so today is her 202nd birthday. Anna was the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Peters) Adler. It appears as if Anna was born in Switzerland, and she also came to America around 1840. Anna married Andrew Newberry on August 18, 1842. I am also able to display 2 Perry County documents for that marriage.

Like the one above, this next one states that a justice named Osborn Walker performed the marriage.

Andrew and Anna had one child, a boy named Thomas Jefferson Newberry, whose story was told in the post, Thomas Jefferson’s Ancestors. This marriage also did not last long. Andrew died in 1848 at the age of 31.

The widower, Peter Wirth, married the widow, Anna Newberry, on May 25, 1848. The Perry County marrige record below says they were married by Rev. Wolf. He was the pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg.

Here is a second document for that wedding.

Our German Family Tree list 6 children born to Peter and Anna, all of which were baptized at Peace, Friedenberg. We never see either Peter nor Anna in a census with their first spouses. The first census each one of them is found was the one taken in 1850 after they had each married a second time. Peter was a farmer in the Cinque Hommes Township. They had 2 Wirth children and 1 Newberry child.

In the 1860 census, there were 7 children in the Wirth household. Thomas Newberry was helping his stepfather with the farming. Included in the list of children was another Peter, named after his father.

Next, we find the Wirth’s in the 1870 census. Four children remained in their household. Peter, Jr. and Henry were helping with the farming.

In the 1880 census, we find the Wirth’s living in the Union Township. It would turn out to be the last one in which we find Peter, Sr.

Peter Wirth died in 1883 at the age of 71, leaving Anna as a widow. She was still alive when the next census we can view was taken in 1900. Anna was living with her son, George Wirth, and his family. George was a house carpenter.

The last census in which we find Anna was the one taken in 1910. She was 87 years old and still living in George’s household.

Anna died a year later in 1911 at the age of 88. Missouri death certificates began to be recorded in 1910, so we can view the one for Anna below. It says she was born in Germany, but most of her census entries say she was born in Switzerland.

Peter Wirth was buried in the Peace Lutheran Cemetery in Friedenberg, but Anna was buried in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Longtown.

At some point of time in their lives, Peter and Anna had these pictures taken.

Although two children were born to these two in their first marriages, most of the Wirth children were born to this pair, and the Wirth family tree grew quite large. Many folks around here, even if they do not carry the name, Wirth, can say that Peter and Anna were their ancestors.