Once again, one of those lonely baptism records found in our German Family Tree is going to take us on a trip elsewhere. As near as I can tell, today’s birthday boy spent less than 3 years living in Perry County.

Gustav Otto Hemmann was born on July 20, 1882, so today would be his 142nd birthday. Otto was the son of Ernest and Christiane (Bergt) Hemmann. That makes Otto a great grandson of the famous patriarch of the Hemmann family, J.G. Hemmann, who had fathered at least 20 children. Otto was baptized at Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown. An image of his baptism record from that church’s books is displayed below.

It appears that Otto’s family moved away from Perry County prior to 1885. The child born into the Hemmann family, born in 1885, was reportedly born in Johnson County, Nebraska, which is where the city of Tecumseh is located. Christiane’s father, Adolph Bergt, was a pastor in Tecumseh. That son would be the only one born in that location. After that, the remaining Hemmann sons were born in Buffalo County, Nebraska, where we find the city of Amherst. That is where we find Otto’s family in the 1900 census. Otto was 17 years old and helping on his father’s farm.

That would be the only census entry we can view which had Otto as a single man. So, we will now take a look at the woman who would become his bride. Her name was Magdeline Maria Abels, who was born on August 21, 1881 in Germany. Magdeline was the daughter of Henry and Elise (Daescher) Abels. When she was just 8 years old, her family came to America aboard the ship, Herman, in 1889. This family can be seen on that ship’s passenger list here.

This family then settled in the farmland near Amherst, Nebraska. We find Magdeline in the 1900 census living in the same township as Otto Hemmann. She was 18 years old, and her father was a farmer.

Otto Hemman married Magdeline Abels on May 1, 1907 at Immanuel Lutheran Church near Watertown. Watertown is no longer found on a map, but there is a Watertown Cemetery not far from Amherst. A Nebraska marriage record is pictured here for this couple. Rev. J.D.M. Grosse performed the wedding ceremony. Grosse is a Perry County name. I made a brief search to see if I could connect him to our area, but I found none.

It looks as if Otto and Magdeline had 2 children, a boy and a girl. When the 1910 census was taken, there was 1 child in their household. I have included more of this census page in this image to display the fact that right above Otto, you will see his parent’s entry, and right below, you will see his brother, Gottfried Hemmann.

Otto had his World War I draft registrtation completed in 1918. It gives him a rural Amherst address and calls him a farmer.

The Hemmann’s were still living near Amherst when the 1920 census was taken. Once again, we see that Otto must have been living quite near his brother, Gottfried.

In the next decade, the Hemmann’s made a move. In the 1930 census, we find the Hemmann’s living near Hutchinson, Minnesota. Otto was still farming, and his son, Paul, was old enough to be helping him.

The Hemmann’s would remain in the Hutchinson area the rest of their lives. The 1940 census shows Otto and Magdeline along with their son, Paul, and his wife, Helen. Their daugther, Martha, had also gotten married in the 1930’s, so she was living elsewhere.

The 1950 census is the last one we are able to view. This time, Paul was the head of the Hemmann household. Otto and Magdeline were both in their 60’s.

Otto Hemmann died in 1953 at the age of 71; Magdeline Hemmann died in 1960 at the age of 78. These two are buried together in the Oakland Cemetery in Hutchinson.

In a previous post, Another Teacher Hemmann, it was told that Otto’s brother, William, was once a teacher in Hollywood, Minnesota, which is not that far from Hutchinson. That brother also ended up living near Hutchinson in the 1940 census. William and his wife are also buried in the Oakland Cemetery. Perhaps, it was William that convinced his brother to make the move to Minnesota. We have a daughter who lives near Hutchinson, and even closer to Hollywood. I know that there is some mighty fine farmland in that area. Otto might have also moved to where he found more fertile soil. However, I will also state that he may have ended up dealing with more frigid and snowy weather.

Much closer to home, I will tell you that we are having a new carport added to our home. The builder is a Hemman. His is from the branch of the Hemmann family that has taken one of the “n’s” off his surname, but he is also one who could trace his family tree back to J.G. Hemmann. I may have to ask him how many great’s he has in front of the term, grandfather.