In previous posts about people with the name Oberndorfer, it has been noted that the original Oberndorfer’s came from Austria along with several others from that nation. Most of the Austrians settled in the Shawnee Township in northern Cape Girardeau County. However, the Oberndorfer’s found a piece of land in Perry County near Frohna. Today’s birthday girl was the only daughter of those original Oberndorfer’s. Before the end of today’s story, this woman would make her way back into the Austrian neighborhood in the Shawnee Township.

Anna Maria Oberndorfer was born on September 9, 1854, so today would be her 170th birthday. Mary, as she was called, was the daughter of Matthias and Anna Maria (Meyr) Oberndorfer. She was baptized at Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna. Her baptism record is pictured here.

Mary is found in the 1860 census at the age of 5. The Oberndorfer’s had arrived in America in 1852 with one child, and Mary was their first child born in this country. Her father was a farmer in the Brazeau Township.

Mary was a teenager when she is found in the next census in 1870. In this entry, she looks like the youngest child because she is listed last, but the census taker listed all the males before listing the only female child in the household.

In a much later atlas of plat maps made in 1915, we see the Oberndorfer land located not far from Frohna. By then, it was owned by Mary’s older brother, Joseph.

Not long after the 1870 census was taken, Mary would find a husband, so let’s take a look at him. His name was Wilhelm Heinrich Gotthold Lindner, who was born on August 28, 1850. Henry was the son of John and Johanna (Lorenz) Lindner. Henry’s parents had been married in Germany and brought their family to this country in 1848. Henry was also baptized at Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna. His baptism record is displayed here.

Since the census taker did not submit his 1850 census pages until October of that year, Henry shows up in that census at the age of 2 months. His father was a farmer in the Brazeau Township.

In the 1860 census, Henry was 10 years old.

The last census in which we find Henry as a single man was the one taken in 1870. Henry’s sister, Lina, had married Fritz Gerler in 1869, and that couple was living in the Lindner household. Another person, who appears to be named Claus Gerler, is a puzzle to me. Perhaps our Gerler expert, Diane Anderson, could tell us who he is.

Henry Lindner married Mary Oberndorfer on November 14, 1871. The church marriage record for this couple is found in the books of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altenburg and is shown below. When Immanuel Lutheran Church had been established in 1857, the Oberndorfer’s were charter members.

We can also view a Perry County civil record for this event.

The German Family Tree lists 6 children born to this couple, but not all of them lived to adulthood. In the 1880 census, we find the Lindner’s with 3 children. Henry was a farmer in the Brazeau Township. A few men were also in their household and working for the Lindner’s.

When the 1900 census was taken, we see Henry’s household filled with a combination of Lindner’s and Reisenbichler’s. Their daughter, Christiane, had married August Reisenbichler, and their new family was living with the Lindner’s. One of August’s brothers, Paul, was also included and doing farm labor.

We find a rather unusual situation in the 1910 census. First of all, we find both Henry and Mary living in the Shawnee Township, not in Perry County. However, these two are found in different households. Henry is found living with his son, also named Henry, who had married Ida Jahn. This entry says Henry was a retired farmer.

Mary Lindner is found living in the August Reisenbichler household in the 1910 census. The Reisenbichler’s were also living in the Shawnee Township at that time. I am not sure why Henry and Mary were not living in the same household in 1910, but they are both designated as being married.

Another puzzle is found in the 1915 atlas of plat maps for Perry County. As seen in the image below, there was still a parcel of land near the Apple Creek that was reportedly owned by Henry Lindner, even though we have evidence of him living on the other side of the Apple Creek at that time.

Mary Lindner died in 1911 at the age of 57. Perhaps Mary was having medical problems which may have been the reason she was living with the Reisenbichler’s in 1910.

We find Henry as a widower when the 1920 census was taken. He was still living with his son, Henry.

The 1930 census would be the last one in which we find Henry. We find him living in the same household at the age of 79.

Plat maps for Cape Girardeau County were produced in 1930, and we find a parcel of land owned by Hy Lindner. I cannot tell you if this land was owned by Henry, Sr. or Henry, Jr., but it would certainly be where the 2 Henry’s were living when the above census was taken. The “et al” that is shown may indicate that the 2 Henry’s may have had joint ownership.

Henry Lindner died in 1938 at the age of 87. His death certificate says he died of stomach cancer.

Henry and Mary Lindner are each buried in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in New Wells.

Henry Lindner had German lineage. He married a woman with Austrian lineage. As it turned out, Mary (Oberndorfer) Lindner, after being born and raised in the German community of Frohna, would return to the Austrian neighborhood near New Wells.