Joseph Carl Bruhl was born on November 17, 1854, thus making today his 170th birthday. Joseph was the son of Jacob and Theresia (Ruiter) Bruhl. Back in the 1840’s and the early 1850’s, there were no Lutheran churches in the northern part of Cape Girardeau County. Two pastors from Perry County, Rev. Christoph Loeber and Rev. Georg Schieferdecker, would travel to that area to preach and administer sacraments to Lutherans in that vicinity. Baptism records for people from Cape Girardeau County can be found in the books of Concordia, Frohna and Trinity, Altenburg. Joseph Bruhl was born in northern Cape Girardeau County, but his baptism record is found in the books of Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg. Pastor Schieferdecker baptized him. We can take a look at his baptism record below.

Joseph is found in the 1860 census at the age of 5. Like so many other Lutherans in northern Cape Girardeau County, Joseph’s parents were Austrians. Joseph was the first in his family to be born in America. His father was a farmer in the Apple Creek Township.

By the time of Joseph’s confirmation in 1868, Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells had been established, and that is where Joseph was confirmed. At about the same time, a new congregation formed in Pocahontas in 1867 called St. John’s Lutheran Church. Joseph’s father was one of the founders of St. John’s as you see in the list of their charter members below.

In the 1870 census, Joseph was old enough to be helping his father on his farm. Included in this Bruhl household was a 9 year-old girl named Catherine Snider. I do not know how she came to be living with the Bruhl’s.

Joseph would get married before the next census was taken, so we will now look at the woman who would become his bride. Her name was Mary Elizabeth Bodenstein, who was born on October 27, 1860. Mary was the daughter of Christian and Theresa (Beiser) Bodenstein. I am not sure where Mary’s baptism record would be found. She was born too late in 1860 to appear in that year’s entry, so the first one in which we find her was the one taken in 1870. It turns out to be the only census entry in which we find Mary as a single person. Her father was a farmer in the Byrd Township.

Joseph Bruhl married Mary Bodenstein on November 20, 1879. Perhaps this couple wanted to get married before the Advent season when many Lutheran pastors would not perform weddings. I guess I could also say that it is appropriate for Mary and Joseph to be married before Christmas. These two were married by a minister named Rev. Delveau, but I was unable to determine which church he served. We can take a look at 2 civil marriage records for this couple from Cape Girardeau County. Here is the first one.

I have to display 2 images for the second civil marriage record.

According to our German Family Tree, Joseph and Mary had 9 children, and all of them were baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells. In the 1880 census, this pair of newlyweds had not yet had their first child. Joseph was a blacksmith in the Shawnee Township. A young laborer was included in their household.

Since we cannot view the 1890 census, the next census entry in which we find Mary and Joseph was the one taken in 1900. Their last child was born right before this census in 1899. Some of their children did not live to adulthood. This time, Joseph was called a broom maker.

Prior to the 1910 census, the Bruhl’s made a move. In the 1910 census, we find them living in the Byrd Township. There were just 3 remaining children in their household. This time, Joseph was called a carpenter.

When the 1920 census was taken, Mary and Joseph had an empty nest, and Joseph was back to being a broom maker.

At some point in time, Joseph and Mary had this photo taken on their farm. Joseph’s skill at making brooms is on display in this picture.

The last census in which we find Joseph was the one taken in 1930. The Bruhl’s were living in Jackson, Missouri, and at the age of 75, Joseph was still making brooms.

Joseph Bruhl died in 1932 at the age of 77. His death certificate is pictured here.

Mary Bruhl was still living when the 1940 census was taken, but I failed to find her in that census. Since her death certificate says she died in Flat River, Missouri, I am fairly sure that she was living with her son, Arthur, who lived there. Mary Bruhl died in 1941 at the age of 81. Here is her death certificate.

Joseph and Mary Bruhl are buried together in the Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson.

I married one of those rare women who says she likes to sweep. Now I wish I could acquire an authentic Bruhl Broom to put under the Christmas tree for my wife this year.