In the Christian Church Year, the Sunday closest to September 29th is called St. Michael’s Sunday. That day recognizes the work of the Biblical archangel, Michael. This year, September 29th is actually on a Sunday. Now that you know that, I have to ask this question. What are the chances that I find a story about a man named Engelmann, which in German means “Angel Man” on this St. Michael’s Sunday?

Wilhelm Friedrich Engelmann was born on September 29, 1878, so today would be his 146th birthday. Wilhelm, like so many German boys with his name, would mostly go by the name William during his life. He was the son of Henry and Friedericke (Pohlmann) Engelmann.

Before I proceed, let me tell you that the version of our German Family Tree that I use these days is somewhat outdated because Lynn Degenhardt has been updating it. My version has just one record for Wilhelm Engelmann in it, and that is his confirmation record, which I will display later. The GFT does not indicate where he was baptized and does not indicate who he married. There are very few records that include people with the name, Engelmann. So, yesterday, I searched some other resources that we have in our research library at the museum looking for other records for Engelmann’s. One of the first places I looked was the binder that we have for a Lutheran church that once existed in the village known as Arnsberg. I did not find any records for William, but I did discover that his parents were married in Arnsberg. The image below gives evidence of that couple’s wedding which took place earlier in 1878.

I know that Lynn has been working on getting the church records from Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim included in the GFT. I think he may now have the baptism record for Wilhelm Engelmann in his version of the GFT, because that is where Wilhelm was baptized. However, my version does not have it. We have those records on our shelves in our research library, so I decided to look for his baptism record in those books. I was successful and am able to display that baptism record below.

William is found in the 1880 census at the age of 1. His father was a farmer in the Apple Creek Township.

The Arnsberg binder says that their Lutheran church closed its doors around 1890. So, when William was confirmed in 1892, his confirmation record is found in the books of Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown.

I was not able to find William in the 1900 census. I do know that he was not living with his parents. I found his parents living in the Byrd Township in Cape Girardeau County, which is about where the city of Jackson is located. William would get married in 1908, so we will now take a look at the woman who would become his bride. You will soon see that William likely became acquainted with her when his family was living in the Byrd Township.

Ida Henrietta Wilhelm was born on May 27, 1881, the daughter of Charles and Henrietta (Sievers) Wilhelm. I do not know for sure where Ida was baptized. Since I know that her family is found living near Jackson, one might think she was baptized in Jackson, but St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Jackson was not established until 1893. Since we cannot view the 1890 census, the first census in which we find Ida is the one taken in 1900. By that time, she was almost 20 years old. Her father was a farmer in the Byrd Township. This entry is just a few census pages away from the entry for William’s parents.

William Engelmann married Ida Wilhelm on February 23, 1908. Yes, that means a Wilhelm married a Wilhelm. They were married at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Jackson, but we do not have the church records from that congregation (at least, not yet). The Missouri marriage license below lists the pastor from St. Paul’s as the minister who performed the wedding service.

I am also able to display this marriage certificate for this couple.

We also get to look at this wedding photo of William and Ida. It includes 2 of their attendants. The other man is Ida’s brother, August Wilhelm. The other woman is Amelia Engelmann, William’s sister.

I believe that William and Ida had 5 children. When the 1910 census was taken, just their oldest son, Adolph, was in their household. William was a farmer in the Byrd Township.

When America entered World War I, Wiilliam had this draft registration completed. It gives him a rural Jackson address. I have no idea why the registrar says this form was completed in 1898.

In the 1920 census, there were 4 children in the Engelmann household.

William Engelmann died in 1929, so he did not make it into the 1930 census. William was 50 years old when he died. His death certificate below mentions both pneumonia and influenza as contributing to his death.

Ida is found as a widow in the 1930 census. All 5 of her children were living with her, along with William’s father, Henry Engelmann. Ida is called a farmer, but she had two sons who were also called farm laborers.

The last census in which we find Ida is the one taken in 1940. Henry Engelmann, at the age of 84, is called the head of the household. His daughter-in-law, Ida, and 3 of his grandchildren are listed in the household. Right below that entry is that of Fred Engelmann, another of Ida’s sons, who had gotten married and had a baby of their own. I am guessing that they were all living on the same farm land.

Ida Engelmann died in 1942 at the age of 61. The cause of death on the certificate below is myocarditis.

William and Ida Engelmann are buried together in the Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson.

On this St. Michael’s Sunday, as is sometimes proclaimed by the pastor prior to singing what is known as the Sanctus, we are “joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and…all the company of heaven.”  I think we can safely say that William and Ida are part of that “company of heaven”. In the book of Revelation, it says that the Archangel, Michael, crushes Satan’s power and casts him out of heaven. That story is depicted in the painting below.