When I hear the surnames Springer and Bergmann, I automatically assume they were from the Friedenberg area of Perry County. You will read today about a Springer who married a Bergmann, and indeed it is true that this is a Friedenberg story. I will begin by displaying this 1915 plat map which illustrates how near the Springer and Bergmann farms were to each other. Today’s couple would be the result of a neighborhood romance.

First, we will look at today’s birthday girl, Emma Mary Bergmann, who was born on September 2, 1879. That means today would be Emma’s 145th birthday. Emma was the daughter of John and Salome (Hoehn) Bergmann. She was baptized at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg, so I am not able to display her baptism record. That congregation’s books were destroyed in a fire. Emma is found in the 1880 census when she was not even one year old yet. She was child #8 in a family of 9 Bergmann children. Emma’s father was a farmer in the Central Township.

The next census we can view that contains Emma was the one taken in 1900. She was 20 years old and was still living with her parents.

Now, we will turn our attention to the man who would become Emma’s husband. His name was Charles Friedrich Springer, who was born on August 7, 1875. Charles was the son of Michael and Elizabeth (Hoehn) Springer. That means both Emma and Charles had mothers who had the maiden name of Hoehn, which is another prominent Friedenberg surname. As near as I can tell, if these two mothers named Hoehn were related, it was not close. Like it was with Emma, Charles was baptized at Peace, Friedenberg. Charles is found in his first census in 1880 at the age of 5. I can tell you that this Springer household is found toward the bottom of one census page, and Emma’s Bergmann household is found toward the top of the next census page. Charles’s father was also a farmer in the Central Township.

The 1900 census lists Charles at 25 years old and called a farm laborer. He was still living with his parents. I can also tell you that this entry for the Springer household is found on the same census page as Emma. Only two households are found between them on this page. Those two were Rauh and Ochs households, two more prominent Friedenberg names.

Charles Springer married Emma Bergmann on November 24, 1901, and as you might expect, this wedding took place at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg. We can take a look at this couple’s Missouri marriage license here. This document says that Pastor Guemmer, who performed the wedding, was serving at the Friedens church

An article describing the Springer/Bergmann wedding appeared in the Perry County Sun.

According to our German Family Tree, this Springer couple had 11 children, all of whom were baptized at Peace, Friedenberg. In the 1910 census, we find the Springer’s with 5 children. Charles was a farmer in the Central Township. Right above this entry, you would find the household of Charles’s parents, so I think Charles was farming on his father’s land.

Charles had his World War I draft registration completed in 1918. It gives him a Menfro address and calls him a farmer.

The 1920 census shows an even larger Springer family. There are 9 children listed in this entry.

Emma Springer died in 1928 at the age of 48. Her death certificate below says she died of kidney tuberculosis.

Charles is found as a widower in the 1930 census. There were 4 remaining children in his household.

There were 3 children living with their father when the 1940 census was taken. A man who was about the same age as Charles named Henry Layton was included in this household. He was a hired man doing field work.

We can view one more census entry that included Charles. He was living with his youngest daughter, Thelma, who had married Willard Bergmann. Another of Charles’s sons, Leonard, who was still single, was living in this household. Willard is called the farmer, and it says Charles, at the age of 74, was helping on the farm.

Charles Springer died in 1956 at the age of 81. His death certificate shown here says he died at the Perry County Memorial Hospital in Perryville.

Charles and Emma are each buried in the Peace Lutheran Cemetery in Friedenberg.

This whole story takes place in Friedenberg. Charles found a neighborhood sweetheart and married her. That marriage ended up with a whole bunch of children. The sad part of the story is that this husband and that multitude of children lost their wife and mother at a very young age. And then Charles lived almost 30 years as a widower.