There are plenty of Bohnert’s living in Perry County. Many of them are Catholics. Many of them are Lutherans. You will read the story today that describes one situation that helps explain this outcome. It is not the first such story. It may not be the last.
Andreas Bohnert was born on April 28, 1860, the son of Casper and Elizabeth (Hurst) Bohnert. I discovered in a Bohnert book that we have in our research library that Andrew was baptized at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Apple Creek. He is found already in the 1860 census as a baby. As you can see in this entry, this Bohnert family was already quite large before the arrival of Andrew on the scene.
The 1870 census presents us with a mystery. We find the Casper Bohnert family still living in the same location, but several young children, including Andrew, are not listed in the Bohnert census entry. I think they were just missed by the census taker.
Next, we find Andrew in the 1880 census at the age of 19. It says he was farming, along with several other older brothers. His father had died in 1876. The Union Township was formed in the 1870’s, and that is where we find the Bohnert’s living.
Now, we will take a look at the woman who would become Andrew’s first bride. Her name was Maria Helena Leible, who was born on March 3, 1869. Mary was the daughter of Vincent and Helena (Riehl) Leible. Like Andrew, she was likely baptized at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. We find the Leible household living in the Cinque Hommes Township in the 1870 census. Her father was a farmer. Mary was just one year old and also part of a rather large family.
Mary was 11 years old when the 1880 census was enumerated. Her family was also living in the newly-formed Union Township. Five more Leible children had been born in the 1870’s.
Andrew Bohnert married Mary Leible on May 10, 1886. We can take a look at the Missouri marriage license for this couple. This document says that this wedding took place at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Apple Creek.
I am also able to display a more certificate-like license for this pair.
This Bohnert/Leible marriage was not a first. In fact, there were 4 members of the Bohnert family who married 4 members of this Leible family. One can better understand how this happened when you look at the 1860 census once again. The Bohnert household is found right above the Leible household.
This couple had 5 children, including a set of twin boys born in 1887, who have been included in a previous post on this blog. Then, Mary Bohnert died in 1896 at the age of 26. I am not aware of the cause of her death. Mary was buried in the St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery in Apple Creek.
Andrew would marry again prior to the 1900 census, so we will now look at the woman who would become his second wife. Anna Katharina Christiana Muench was born on June 14, 1874, and her birthday is the reason I am writing this story today. It would be the special 150th birthday for Anna. She was the daughter of Conrad and Anna (Lindner) Muench. Anna was baptized at Salem Lutheran Church in Farrar. We can take a look at her baptism record below.
Anna is found in her first census at the age of 6. Her father was a farmer in the Salem Township.
When it came time for Anna to be confirmed, that event took place at Cross Congregation near Longtown, as seen in the image below.
Andrew Bohnert married Anna Muench on January 12, 1899 at Salem Lutheran Church in Farrar. The church record for this wedding is pictured here.
The Missouri marriage license for this pair is shown below.
According to our German Family Tree, Andrew and Anna had 7 children, all of whom were baptized at Zion Lutheran Church in Longtown. There were also some of the children from the Bohnert/Leible marriage that have church records in the Zion, Longtown books. When the 1900 census was taken, the Bohnert’s had 3 children in their household, all of which were from Andrew’s first marriage. Andrew was a farmer in the Union Township.
Next, we find the Bohnert’s in the 1910 census. Four more children had been born to Andrew and Anna by this time.
In the Perry County atlas of plat maps produced in 1915, we see that the Bohnert farm was located not far from Longtown.
The 1920 census lists 5 children in the Bohnert household. All of them were children from Andrew’s 2nd marriage.
The last census in which we find Andrew was the one taken in 1930. Three sons remained living with their parents.
Andrew Bohnert died in 1938 at the age of 78. We can view his death certificate.
Andrew is buried in the St. Michael’s Catholic Cemetery in Fredericktown.
Anna Bohnert is found in the 1940 census as a widow. She was living with her youngest son, Eugene, and his family.
Anna Bohnert died in 1947 at the age of 73. Her death certificate is displayed here. It says she died of liver cancer.
Anna is buried in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Longtown.
Andrew Bohnert, even after he married a Lutheran, maintained his Catholic faith. Anna Bohnert, though, appears to have had enough influence with her Catholic husband to manage to have her children become members of the Lutheran church in Longtown. She also must have maintained her Lutheran faith throughout her lifetime.