Back in 2019, I wrote a post titled, Henry and His Little Angel, which told the story of a Lohmann man who married an Engelken woman in Alva, Oklahoma. In that post, it was suggested that the name, Engelken, could be translated as a little angel. Today’s post will tell the story of another Lohmann/Engelken pair that were married in Alva. Today’s wedding actually was the first of the Lohmann/Engelken match-ups. We wil begin our story in Perry County with a boy being born on this date.
Theodore Gottlieb Lohmann was born on September 17, 1899, so today would be his 125th birthday. Theodore was the son of Peter and Margaretha (Versemann) Lohmann. He was baptized at Salem Lutheran Church in Farrar. We can view that baptism record below.
Theodore was still a baby when he appeared in the 1900 census. The Lohmann’s are found in those pages of the 1900 Salem Township census that are often so difficult to read. This is one of those entries. Theodore’s father was a farmer.
It turns out that the last census in which we find Theodore living in Missouri was the one taken in 1910. Theodore was 10 years old at the time. One more daughter, Ida, had been born to the Lohmann’s in the previous decade.
Theodore Lohmann was confirmed in 1913 at Salem Lutheran Church in Farrar, so the Lohmann’s were still living in Perry County at that time.
Theodore’s younger sister, Ida, was also confirmed at Salem, Farrar in 1916, so the Lohmann’s were still in Perry County at that time, too.
When Theodore completed his World War I draft registration in 1918, he is given an Alva, Oklahoma address. It also notes that his father, Peter, had an Alva address, so Theodore did not move there by himself. His entire Lohmann family had moved there.
The 1920 census shows the Lohmann family living in the Valley Township in Woods County, Oklahoma. That township is located just south of the town of Alva. Theodore was working on his father’s farm.
Now, we need to turn our attention to the woman who would become Theodore’s bride. Her name was Augusta Sophia Engelken, who was born on November 7, 1899. Augusta was the daughter of Henry and Katharina (Ehlen) Engelken. She was born in Montgomery County, Kansas. In the 1900 census, we find Augusta living in the Drum Township in that county. She was just a matter of months old. Her father was a farmer.
In the 1910 census, Augusta was 10 years old, and her family was living in the West Cherry Township of Montgomery County, Kansas.
The Engelken’s were still living in the same location when the 1920 census was taken. Augusta was called a stenographer.
It must not have been long after that census was taken that the Engelken’s moved to Oklahoma, and it must not have been long after that when Augusta got to know Theodore Lohmann. Those two were married on October 22, 1922 at Zion Lutheran Church in Alva. Since we now have the church records for that congregation in our research library, I am able to display the church record for this wedding.
In the above record, you will see that Augusta’s sister, Anna, was one of her attendants. Anna was the woman who married Theodore’s older brother, Henry, later at this same church. You will also see the other female attendant was Theodore’s younger sister, Ida. I am also able to display an Oklahoma civil marriage record for this couple.
The German Family Tree list 7 children born to Theodore and Augusta, all of which were baptized at Zion, Alva. In the 1930 census, we find the Lohmann’s with 3 children. Theodore was a farmer in the Valley Township.
Next, we find the Lohmann’s in the 1940 census. There were 6 children in their household.
In 1942, Theodore had a World War II draft card completed.
Theodore and Augusta’s daughter, Margaret, enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps in 1945. It must have been at about that time that this photo of this trio of Lohmann’s was taken.
A photo of this entire family was taken at some point about this time also. The youngest child in this family was born n 1942, so you can take a guess at what year this may have been taken.
The last census we can view is this one from 1950. There were 4 remaining children in their household.
Augusta Lohmann died in 1979 at the age of 79. Her death record from the Zion, Alva books says she died of a heart ailment.
Theodore Lohmann died in 1983 at the age of 83. We can also view his church death record here.
Theodore and Augusta Lohmann are buried together in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Alva.
I had the opportunity to once again page through the Zion Lutheran Church books while gathering images for this post. I was once again amazed at how many Perry County surnames are included in those books. It’s why we sometime refer to Alva, Oklahoma as a Perry County suburb.