In today’s story, you will read about a Magwitz who marries a Stelling. However, this is not the first Magwitz/Stelling marriage to appear on this blog. Another post was written titled, Magwitz-Stelling Mates, and it told the story of the older siblings of today’s couple getting married prior to the wedding I will discuss today. This tale begins by looking at today’s birthday girl.
Anna Marie Stelling was born on November 29, 1874, so today would be her special 150th birthday. Anna was the daughter of Henry and Martha (Holschen) Stelling. Anna was baptized at Salem Lutheran Church in Farrar, but since I am away from Altenburg, I cannot display any church records for this post. If I was able to show it, you could see that one of her sponsors would be her later father-in-law, Christian Magwitz. Anna is found in her first census in 1880 at the age of 5. Her father was a laborer in the Brazeau Township.
As it turns out, that would be the only census entry in which we find Anna as being unmarried. So, we will now look at the man who would become her husband. His name was Martin Immanuel Magwitz, who was born on October 14, 1875. Martin was the last of 7 children born to Christian and Karoline (Hornemann) Magwitz. Like Anna, Martin was baptized at Salem Lutheran Church in Farrar. Martin is found in his first census in 1880 at the age of 5. His father was a farmer in the Salem Township.
Martin Magwitz married Anna Stelling on August 15, 1897. As you might expect, they were married at Salem, Farrar. We can view this couple’s Missouri marriage license below.
According to our German Family Tree, this pair had 8 children. The first was baptized at Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown, the second was baptized at Salem Lutheran Church in Farrar, the next 3 were baptized at Zion Lutheran Church in Crosstown, and the last 3 were baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Point Rest. In the 1900 census, we see just their first child in their household. Martin was a farmer in the Salem Township.
The 1910 census would be the last one in which the Magwitz’s would be living in Missouri. They had 5 children in their household. This time, Martin was doing his farming in the Bois Brule Township.
I figure that the Magwitz’s moved away from Perry County at some point between 1914 and 1918. They made a move to the little village of Shickley, Nebraska. Martin is given a Shickley address when he completed his World War I draft registration in 1918. This document says that Martin was a section hand for the Chicago & North Western Railroad which ran through Shickley.
I found this photo of downtown Shickley. It looks like one of those northern towns that made their road wide enough to pile up the winter snow in the middle of the road. The sign on the building with the mural says that the town was established in 1888 when the railroad was built through that part of Nebraska.
In the 1920 census, we find the Magwitz’s living in Shickley with 6 children. Martin was a laborer for the railroad.
Prior to the 1930 census, Martin and Anna moved their family to York, Nebraska. This entry says Martin was doing hand labor. Three of their children were also part of the work force.
The map below shows the relative locations of Shickley and York.
Anna Magwitz died in 1935 at the age of 60. I was not able to find Martin in the 1940 census, but when his son, Arnold, completed his World War II draft card in 1942, it says that his father, Martin, was living in Geneva, Nebraska. You can see that city on the above map as well.
Martin is found in the 1950 census as a 74 year-old widower who was living by himself in York.
Martin Magwitz died in 1953 at the age of 77. When he died, a short obituary was published in the Perry County Republican.
Both Martin and Anna Magwitz are buried in the Vernon Cemetery in York.
Today’s couple spent about half of their lives in Missouri and the other half in Nebraska. Martin spent about half of his life on a farm, and the other half working for the railroad and other jobs. And especially today, we wish Anna Magwitz a Happy 150th Birthday.