It helps to understand today’s title if you know that the surname, Perr, is pronounced exactly like the word “pair”. First of all, a few days ago, in a story about another Perr, Fred and Katie – New Wells Ruehling’s, I predicted that I would tell another story from the large Perr family in New Wells. I just didn’t know at the time that it would be just a matter of days before I was presented with another one. This post will tell the story of a marriage between a Perr and a Hoffmann. It is not the first one of these Perr/Hoffmann pairs. Another post, William and Nora – The Hoffmann’s, highlighted a Hoffman groom and a Perr bride. Today you get the story of a Perr groom and a Hoffmann bride, and yes, they were siblings from a Hoffmann family marrying siblings from a Perr family.

We begin with today’s birthday girl. Esther Ottilie Hoffman was born on June 11, 1892, making today her 132nd birthday. Esther was the daughter of Julius and Wilhelmine (Mirly) Hoffmann. She was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells. Her baptism record from that congregation’s books is shown here.

When Esther was just about to celebrate her 8th birthday, her mother died in childbirth, so when we see Esther in the 1900 census, her father was a widower. That child born in 1900 also died right away. Esther was 8 years old in this entry, and her family was living in the Shawnee Township.

Esther’s father married again in 1904, and he married his first wife’s sister, Matilda Mirly, and more children would be born to that couple. When we find Esther in the 1910 census, there were 5 Hoffmann children in the household. Esther was the oldest child in this family. Perhaps Esther was old enough to remember calling her Aunt Matilda before she was called her stepmother.

Two months before her own marriage, Esther was part of the wedding party for Ernst Stueve and Ida Weber. She is standing in the back on the far left in this photo.

Now, we need to look at the man who would become Esther’s husband. His name was Ernst Christian Perr, who was born on August 10, 1883. He was the son of Joseph and Mary (Kraml) Perr. Ernst was also baptized at Immanuel, New Wells, and his baptism record is displayed below.

Ernst was already a teenager when he is found in his first census in 1900. His father was a farmer in the Shawnee Township. You can see that Ernst was a member of that large Perr household from which several highlighted characters from previous posts have come.

I will once again show this photograph of this Perr family that was taken about a year or two before the 1900 census. Since Ernst was the 3rd oldest boy, my best guess is the he is in the middle row on the far right.

In the 1910 census, Ernst was the oldest child remaining in this family. He and his father were called farmers, and a few younger brothers were called farm laborers.

Ernst Perr married Esther Hoffmann on June 1, 1914 at Immanuel Church in New Wells. The church marriage record for this event is shown here.

I am also able to display 2 different versions of this pair’s marriage license. Here is the verson of a Missouri marriage license that appears often on this blog.

Here is a license that is more like a certificate.

According to our German Family Tree, this couple had 4 children, all of which were baptized at Immanuel, New Wells. What makes this family particularly unique is the fact the Ernst and Esther named all of their children with names that begin with the letter “E”. In 1918, Ernst had his World War I draft registration completed. He was given a Neely’s Landing address, which basically means that is where the post office was located that delivered his mail.

When the 1920 census was taken, the Perr’s had 3 daughters, Edna, Elda, and Elsie. Ernst was a farmer in the Shawnee Township.

The 1930 census adds their son, Elton to the family. I have included several other Perr households that must have made up a “Perr Neighborhood”.

That neighborhood is illustrated by this 1930 plat map.

Esther Perr died in 1936 at the age of 43. Her death certificate below indicates that heart problems, along with a pregancy, caused her death.

Ernst is found in the 1940 census as a widower. Just Elsie and Elton remained in his household.

The last census the public may view is the one taken in 1950. Elton was still living with his father. Elsie, who had married Norval Dunn, was in this household along with a daughter, but Norval is not included. Yet, Elsie is called married in this entry.

Ernst Perr died in 1969 at the age of 85. His death certificate says he was living at La Croix Manor in Cape Girardeau at the time of his death.

Ernst and Esther Perr are each buried in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in New Wells.

Now, you know another story from the large Perr family. I guess I am getting closer to completing stories written about children in this family, but I am also sure that I haven’t done them all. The story of Ernst and Esther is one of those that qualifies as one in which the husband and wife were born, baptized, confirmed, married, raised a family, died, and were buried while being members of the same Lutheran church.

I knew a family when I taught in Memphis in which the wife had a name beginning with “K”. That couple named all 4 of their children with names beginning with “K”. This story reminded me of that family.