In order to understand the Bienlein story that I will tell today, I had to discover a few facts that are not found in our German Family Tree. When I finally had it figured out, I think I know why the groom in today’s story is not tied in with his parents, who are found in the GFT. It all boils down to a few weddings that took place in a Catholic church. I am going to backtrack to the arrival of some Bienlein’s to this country in 1840. John Bienlein and his wife, Margaretha, along with 2 children came to America aboard the ship, Plato, in 1840. We see them on the passenger list below. I will add that on the previous page of this passenger list, several Bergmann families can be found. I will also add that there is evidence that Margaretha’s maiden name was Buelhorn, which is very similar to the name Billhorn, which does appear often in the GFT. In fact, Ferdinand Bergmann and his wife, Barbara Billhorn, were also on this passenger list, and Ferdinand is sometimes called the patriarch of Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg.

Several other Bienlein children were born to John and Margaretha in America. Our GFT includes the ones born up until 1847. However, there is evidence that another son was born in 1853 named after his father, John. I think now that John Bienlein is not found in our GFT because the people that reconstructed the Peace Lutheran Church records in the book, Friedenberg Remembrances, missed him because he did not get married in a Lutheran church. John Bienlein married Christine Heideburg in 1877. The marriage record shown below indicates that wedding was conducted by a Catholic priest, which probably means that Christine was a Catholic.

I also think that the children of this couple were baptized in a Catholic church. We find some of these Bienlein children in our GFT, and about the only reason they are there is because of a 1900 census. There is also a Bienlein son who married a Lutheran girl whose baptism record is in the GFT. Another Bienlein son married a woman who had been confirmed at the Friedenberg church. There are several other Bienlein’s that remained Lutherans and have several records in the GFT. It is the son that married a Lutheran that is a main character in this post.

Edgar Joseph Bienlein was born on September 5, 1891. As previously indicated, he was the son of Joseph, Jr. and Christine (Heideburg) Bienlein. He must have been baptized at a local Catholic church. Edgar is found at the age of 8. His father was a farmer in the Salem Township. Like so many other census entries from the Salem Township pages in 1900, this one is very difficult to read.

The only other census entry in which we find Edgar as a single man was the one taken in 1910. He was listed as being 16 years old, but I think he was closer to 19. Edgar was helping his father on his farm.

Now, we will turn our attention to the woman who would become Edgar’s bride. Her name was Mary Lizzie Anna Weith, who was born on October 16, 1893. That means she is today’s birthday girl who would be celebrating her 131st birthday today. Our GFT says that Anna was a twin, along with a girl named Anna Louise Weith, but I think these two were the same person. Anna was the daughter of Ferdinand (Fritz) and Margaret (Klobe) Weith. She was baptized at Cross Lutheran Church near Longtown. We now have the capability of viewing baptism images from that congregation. Below is Anna’s record. I will add that this is the only baptism record in those books for a child born on October 16th. There is no image for a twin sister.

Anna is found in the 1900 census at the age of 6. The image below is found on the same page in the Salem Township census as the one for Edgar, so it is also difficult to read. Anna’s father was also a farmer.

Next, we find Anna in the 1910 census as a teenager. They were still found in the Salem Township.

When the 1915 plat maps were produced, we find the John Bienlein and Fritz Weith farms located right next to each other.

With the Beinlein and Weith farms being adjacent to one another, it is not surprising that Edgar and Anna got to know one another quite well. Often, neighboring farmers would help each other with activities like harvesting, threshing, and butchering. I suspect that Edgar and Anna may not have attended the same school, but their families likely to got to know each other quite well.

Edgar Bienlein married Anna Weith on October 21, 1913, a week after Anna’s 20th birthday. This wedding did not take place in a Lutheran church. The Missouri marriage license below says the wedding was conducted by a Catholic priest.

We can also view this marriage certificate for this pair.

A few years after he was married, Edgar had a World War I draft registration completed. He is given a Crosstown address and had a wife and 2 children.

Edgar and Anna had 4 children, and since their baptism records are not found in our GFT, I have to assume that they were all baptized at a Catholic church. When the 1920 census was taken, we find the Bienlein’s with 3 children, and Edgar was a farmer in the Salem Township.

In the 1930 census, we see all 4 of the Bienlein children, 3 girls followed by a boy.

Next, we find the Bienlein’s in the 1940 census. Just a daughter and their son remained in their household. It seems unusual that their daughter is called the housekeeper and not Anna. Perhaps the census taker wrote the occupation in the wrong row.

Edgar had a World War II draft card completed in 1942. His mailing address is given as Menfro.

The last census we can view is the one taken in 1950. It looks like their son, Howard, was the main farmer, and both Edgar and Anna were helping him.

Edgar Bienlein died in 1965 at the age of 74. His death certificate below says he was living in Perryville at the time of his death.

Anna Bienlein had this photo taken at some point in time later in her life.

Anna Bienlein died in 1980 at the age of 86, too recently to view her death certificate. Edgar Bienlein is buried in the Mr. Hope Catholic Cemetery in Perryville. Anna is buried in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Perryville.

It appears that Edgar remained faithful to his Catholic church, and Anna remained a Lutheran throughout her life. Edgar’s parents are both buried in the Mt. Hope Catholic Cemetery, so it appears that in their case of a Catholic/Lutheran wedding, both the bride and the groom were Catholics.

Edgar and Anna grew up on nearby farms. The farther back we go in time around here, the more common it was for a bride and groom get to know each other because they lived near one another. With the advent of the automobile, becoming more mobile, and with more people going off to school and taking jobs elsewhere, the fewer couples were made up of “neighbors”.