If you read the story yesterday, you know it was one in which a boy born in Perry County spent most of his life in St. Louis. Those stories are not so unusual on this blog. In fact, my father’s story fit that category. Today, you will read yet another one.

Bernard Albert Schieferdecker was born on July 30, 1874, so today would be his special 150th birthday. Bernard was the son of Theodore and Elise (Ballmann) Schieferdecker. Around here, when the name, Schieferdecker, is mentioned, you might automatically think about the first pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Rev. Georg Schieferdecker. Bernard may indeed be related to Pastor Schieferdecker, but I cannot verify it. Bernard’s father was one of a pair of brothers that arrived in this area at about the time when Immanuel, Altenburg was being established in 1857. Bernard was the grandson on one of those Schieferdecker brothers, Carl (or Charles) Schieferdecker. Bernard’s parents had 5 children. The first 3 were baptized at Immanuel, Altenburg, but the last 2 were baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg. Even though Bernard was born in Grand Tower, Illinois, he was baptized in Missouri. Bernard was the youngest child. Here is his baptism record.

Bernard was not found in the Perry County vicinity for very long. In the 1880 census, when Bernard was just 6 years old, we find the Schieferdecker’s living in St. Louis. Bernard’s father was a bookkeeper. Bernhard had an older brother that died as an infant, so it turned out that he was the only son in the family.

The next census we are able to view is the one taken in 1900. Bernard’s father had died in 1891, so his mother was the head of the household. Bernard followed in his father’s footsteps and was a bookkeeper.

The 1910 census was the last one in which we find Bernard as a single man. This time it says Bernhard was a 35 year-old bookkeeper at a flour mill.

Now, we will look at the woman who would become Bernard’s bride. Her name was Stella Foell, who was born on February 16, 1886. Stella was the daughter of August and Eleanore (Meyer) Foell. I should have been able to find Stella in the 1900 census because her parents had lived in St. Louis for a long time, but I failed to find her. So, the first and only census entry in which I found her as a single person was the one taken in 1910. She was 24 years old and still living with her parents. Her father was an architect in St. Louis.

Here is a photo I located of Stella’s father.

I discovered that August Foall was the architect for a building that became known as the Hi-Pointe Theatre in St. Louis. Below is a picture of that theater in its earlier days.

Bernard Schieferdecker married Stella Foell on October 17, 1916. We can take a look at a St. Louis marriage record for this couple. It says this wedding took place at a Lutheran church, but I was not able to determine which one.

Bernard had his World War I draft registration completed in 1918. It says Bernard’s employer was the Saxony Mills, which is a business started by some original members of the Gesellschaft, the Schuricht’s.

In the 1920 census, the Schieferdecker’s still had no children. Bernard still had the same occupation.

The Schieferdecker’s only child was born in 1923, a girl named Bernice. I have to wonder if this couple was ready to name a child Bernard if it was a boy and Bernice if it was a girl. The 1930 census shows this small family, and Bernard continued his work as a bookkeeper. This time, Stella’s widowed father was the head of the household.

In 1935, we find the 3 Schieferdecker’s on a passenger list arriving in New Orleans from Honduras. The passenger list from the ship, Sixaola, is shown below.

Bernard Schieferdecker died in 1938 at the age of 63. His death certificate says he died of coronary heart disease. This document also confirms the fact that he was born in Grand Tower, Illinois.

Stella is found as a widow in the 1940 census. Her father was still the head of her household. No one in this entry had an occupation.

The last census we can view is the one taken in 1950. Stella is found living in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Her daughter, Stella, had married Valentine Mack, who was a Lutheran minister.

Stella Schieferdecker died in Wisconsin in 1974 at the age of 88. Both Bernard and Stella are buried in the Our Redeemer Cemetery in St. Louis.

Every once in a while, we have visitors at our museum who say they have Schieferdecker’s in their family tree. We will then try to determine whether they are attached to Pastor Schieferdecker’s branch of the family or one of the Schieferdecker brothers who were merchants in the Wittenberg/Grand Tower area on the banks of the Mississippi. I know there are no people carrying the Schieferdecker name that come from Charles Schieferdecker branch because Bernard was the only son, and he had only one daughter.