I will eventually get around to today’s birthday boy, but I choose to begin with a girl named Louise Frey, who was born on August 20, 1882. According to her later death certificate, Louise was born in Hermann, Missouri. She was the daughter of Philip and Sophie (Bauer) Frey. By the time we can view Louise in her first census in 1900, she was living in St. Louis. There is a bit of mystery in this entry. Louise’s father, Philip, is not found in this entry, yet her mother, Sophie, is said to be married. I did find a Philip Frey who is buried in Hermann, Missouri, but he did not die until 1907. Perhaps these two had separated or were in the process of divorce. Louise was 17 years old and employed at a shoe company. Her mother was a washerwoman.

Now, we will turn our attention to the man who would become Louise’s first husband. His name was Friedrich Wilhelm Schneider, who was born on July 16, 1873 in Germany. When Friedrich was 20 years old, he came to America on the ship, Dresden. We see his name on that ship’s passenger list below.

I was unsuccessful at finding Friedrich in the 1900 census. I suspect that he was living in St. Louis. I found a few Fred Schneider’s in that year’s census in St. Louis, but none of them seemed to match this particular Friedrich Schneider. A few were married and none were born in Germany.

Friedrich Schneider married Louise Frey on August 21, 1907 in St. Louis. I located this St. Louis marriage record for this couple that says they were married by a Lutheran pastor named Rev. Fedderson. I discovered that Rev. Fedderson was the pastor at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Spanish Lake, which is in the north part of St. Louis.

Then, I discovered that some records are now found on Ancestry.com from that church. Here is the church record for the Schneider/Frey wedding.

I believe that this pair had 4 children. In the 1910 census, there was just one child in their household. Friedrich was a laborer at a lumber yard.

In 1918, Friedrich had his World War I draft registration completed. If I am reading it correctly, I think it says his employer was the Julius Seidel Lumber Company.

Next, we find the Schneider’s in the 1920 census. There were 4 children in the family. Friedrich was in the same business.

Friedrich Schneider died in 1923 at the age of 49. His death certificate is shown here.

I also found Friedrich’s death record in the books of St. Peter Lutheran Church in St. Louis. It says he died of heart disease.

The death certificate says Friedrich was buried at the Missouri Crematory. I did not find any record of his gravesite on Findagrave.com.

Now, we will take a look at the man who would become Louise’s 2nd husband. This is where we finally find a person in our German Family Tree, and he is also today’s birthday boy. His name was Friedrich Ernst Danz, who was born on July 24, 1882. Today would be his 142nd birthday. Friedrich was the son of Emil and Pauline (Koch) Danz. Friedrich was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells, but since I am not in Altenburg, I cannot show you his baptism record. Fred, as he was known, is found in the 1900 census in which he was already a teenager. His father was a farmer in the Apple Creek Township, and Fred was helping him on his farm.

In the 1910 census, Fred was still living with his parents. He was still working on his father’s farm.

I failed to find a World War I draft registration for Fred. Fred was still single when he was in his 30’s, and still living with his parents when the 1920 census was taken.

I have no idea how a farmer from the Apple Creek Township managed to become acquainted with a widow from St. Louis. My only guess has to do with the fact that there were Schneider’s living in and around New Wells and Shawneetown, and those Schneider’s perhaps were related to Louise’s first husband. Fred Danz married Louise Schneider on November 9, 1926. I located this application for a marriage license for this couple. It says Fred was from Shawneetown, and Louise was from St. Louis.

The Missouri marriage license for this pair is displayed here. It says they were married by Rev. Langehennig, who was the pastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Jackson, Missouri.

I can also show you a marriage certificate for this event.

There were no additional children born to this couple. I believe that after they were married, Fred brought his new wife and some step-children to live on his parents’ farm. Since his mother died in 1925, it certainly would have been helpful for this household to have Louise there to help with the housekeeping. Then, Fred’s father died in 1928. In 1930, some plat maps were produced for Cape Girardeau County, and we find that, even though he was not living, there was a parcel of land for Emil Danz located west of Shawneetown. I have every reason to believe that this is where Fred and Louise were living in 1930.

In the 1930 census, the Danz household is found living in the Apple Creek Township where Fred was farming. Three Schneider stepchildren were in this entry.

I am really puzzled by what I found in the 1940 census. Fred is found as a lodger and farm laborer in the Walter Mirly household in the Byrd Township. He is called “married”, but there looks as if there is a line drawn through the “M”. I was unable to find Louise in that year’s census.

Then, in 1950, we find Fred and Louise back together in a census entry. They were living in the Shawnee Township where Fred was a farm helper at the age of 67.

Louise Danz died in 1952 at the age of 70. Her death certificate says she died at the Park View Nursing Home in Perryville.

Fred Danz died in 1955 at the age of 72. His death certificate below says he died at the Perryville Nursing Home.

Fred and Louise Danz are each buried in the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Shawneetown. I find it interesting that Louise’s gravestone says she was a mother, but Fred’s gravestone does not indicate he was a father. After all, he had not fathered any children of his own.

Now you know the story of Louise Frey, who, after being married and raising her family in St. Louis, ended up having her last Danz in Shawneetown, Missouri. Louise is presently found in our German Family Tree, but she is just called Louise and has no maiden name. That could be changed now that we know who she was.