Before I begin today’s story, I would like you to know that since August 28th, our museum’s Facebook page has been non-functional. The posts from this blog have not been able to be shared on Facebook. As of today, our museum has started a new Facebook page, and the blog posts should be once again automatically shared on it. If you are one of those people who were not aware of what has been happening, you likely missed plenty of blog posts. If you open this post on Facebook, you should be able to find all the posts that are archived on our website. The new museum Facebook page can be found by clicking on this link. Feel free to become a follower. Just a reminder that it is also possible to receive all of these blog posts by registering your e-mail on this website.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565960684574

=====================================

When I see the name, Bernhard, I automatically think of Bernhard P. Fife, the famous Deputy Barney Fife of The Andy Griffith Show fame. Today’s main character was named Bernhard. I do not know whether he was ever called Barney, but I cannot resist calling him that, even if it is only in the title.

Bernhard Friedrich Thurm was born on September 26, 1895, so he would be celebrating his 129th birthday today. Bernhard was the son of Gerhardt and Johanna (Kutscher) Thurm. He was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altenburg. We can take a look at his baptism record from that congregation’s books in the 2 images below.

If you look at a few of the names of his sponsors, Jungclaus, Stueve, and Gerler, you will likely conclude that the Thurm’s lived on The Ridge. That area was also once referred to as Friedland, as you can see in the above baptism record. This plat map shows the Gerhardt Thurm land which was certainly located on The Ridge.

Bernhard is found in the 1900 census at the age of 4. His father was a farmer in the Brazeau Township.

Next, we find Bernhard in the 1910 census. He had been confirmed at Immanuel in 1909, and in this entry he was a teenager. There were plenty of boys in this family, and Bernhard, along with a few older brothers were helping their father with the farming.

Bernhard had his World War I draft registration completed in 1917. He is given a Tripoli, Iowa address and was said to be working as a farm hand. Tripoli is located in Bremer County, which is a place mentioned on several occasions in prior posts on this blog. Bremer County qualifies to be another Perry County suburb.

Bernhard did spend some time in the military during that war. His military record is pictured here.

Bernhard apparently did not stay in Iowa for too long because in the 1920 census, we once again find him living in Perry County. He was back living with his parents, along with a few other brothers, and once again helping on his father’s farm.

I do not know exactly how his romance began, but I do know that Bernhard got married in 1923, and he had found his bride in Bremer County, Iowa. Perhaps he had met her when he was a farm hand in Tripoli, or he could have moved back to Bremer County again after 1920 and became acquainted with her at that time. Let’s take a look at the woman who would become his bride.

Matilda Minna Haar was born on June 22, 1903. Matilda was the daughter of Rudolph and Lina (Schlewitz) Haar. Ancestry.com has a collection of church records from Lutheran churches that is different from the Missouri Synod records that I have been displaying lately. I think that collection of Lutheran records are mostly ones from other synods like the Iowa Synod. Matilda’s baptism is found in that collection of records. She was baptized at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Sumner, Iowa. Her name is spelled Mathilde on this record, but I will use the spelling of her name that is found on her gravestone, Matilda. She has the middle names of Minna, Elizabeth, Hanna, and Martha on this document. Those match up with the names of her 4 female sponsors in the last column.

Matilda is found in the 1910 census at the age of 6 living in Denver, Iowa. Her father was a farmer.

Before I proceed, let me show you a map that includes some of the towns in Bremer County that will be mentioned in this post. It may help you get a better idea of the geography of that area.

Matilda was 16 years old when the 1920 census was taken.

Bernhard Thurm married Matilda Haar on August 28, 1923. These two were married at Zion Lutheran Church in Readlyn, Iowa. That is another congregation that has its records in the Lutheran collection of records mentioned earlier.

As near as I can tell, Bernhard and Matilda had just one child, a girl named Florence born in 1927. I located this Iowa birth record for Florence. She was born at Mercy Hospital in Waverly.

I am not sure when this photo was taken of Bernhard and Matilda. It is not of great quality.

In the 1930 census, we find the Thurm’s living in Denver where Bernhard was called a truck driver for the state highway.

When the 1940 census was taken, the Thurm’s were living in Waverly. Bernhard was a laborer for the highway commission.

Bernhard had a World War II draft card completed in 1942. It gives him a Waverly address and says he was employed by the Iowa Highway Commission.

The last census the public can view is the one taken in 1950. Bernhard still had the same job.

Matilda Thurm died in 1968 at the age of 64; Bernhard Thurm died in 1981 at the age of 86. Below is an obituary for Bernhard that was published in a Waverly newspaper. It mentions that Bernhard had two surviving brothers in Bremer County.

Both Bernhard and Matilda Thurm are buried in the Harlington Cemetery in Waverly.

Almost all of the Gerhardt Thurm sons ended up living in Bremer County, Iowa. I know we have had several folks come into our museum saying they lived in Bremer County. I always ask if they know any Thurm’s. They always answer that they do. In fact, not long ago, we had some visitor’s who were Thurm’s, and we managed to unite them with about the only Thurm man still living in East Perry County. One more thing. Almost all, if not all, of the Perry County natives that made their way to Bremer County were members of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altenburg, a congregation that was for many years a member of the Iowa Synod. That synod was first established not far from Bremer County.