Today’s couple was briefly mentioned in a previous blog about the Markworth family titled, Tailor, Tiler, Teacher, Preachers. Today, I will go into more detail about this couple. It just so happens that the bride is today’s birthday girl.

Maria Wilhelmine Markworth was born on December 18, 1844, so today would be her 180th birthday. Mary was the daughter of Heinrich and Friedericke (Mueller) Markworth. Mary’s mother was the sister of Rev. J.A.F.W. Mueller, who we often call Alphabet Mueller, and he was the first graduate of Concordia Seminary in Altenburg. Below is a photo of Mary’s parents.

Mary was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg, but I am in Minnesota today and cannot get photos of church records. I can tell you that the baptism record, according to our German Family Tree, says that Mary was baptized at her home. Trinity Lutheran would not have a permanent church building until 1845. Mary is found in her first census in 1850 at the age of 6. Her father was a tailor in the Brazeau Township.

Next, we find Mary in the 1860 census as a teenager. This time, her father was called a farmer.

Now, we will turn our attention to the man who would become Mary’s husband. His name was Conrad Damm, who was born in Germany on March 3, 1838. He was the son of Johann and Johanne (Trier) Damm. One biography that I located for Conrad said he was from Altendorf, Germany. This bio also states that he came to America when he was 17 years old and may have spent some time in Pennsylvania working as a blacksmith. Then, he went back to Germany before returning to this country with 2 brothers. Conrad attended the Lutheran college in Fort Wayne, Indiana before he became a seminarian in St. Louis.

I suspect that Mary Markworth may have become acquainted with Conrad when he was a student at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. Perhaps her uncle, Rev. Alphabet Mueller, who was a pastor in the St. Louis area for a while, introduced her to Conrad. When Conrad graduated and was ordained as a minister, his first call was to a Lutheran church in rural Sibley County, Minnesota. I think it was St. John’s Lutheran Church, which is now given a Gaylord, Minnesota address. That congregation was established in 1855. An internet map says this church is about 29 miles away from where we are right now in Mayer, Minnesota. It was in Sibley County that Rev. Conrad Damm married Mary Markworth on August 27, 1867. We can view 2 Minnesota marriage records for this pair.

Here is another Minnesota record for this wedding. I find it interesting that the pastor that married this couple was named Rev. Charles Schulze. Another famous Charles Schulz, the creator of the Peanuts comic strip, was also a Minnesota native.

It appears that this pair had 10 children. When the 1870 census was taken, this couple had 2 children in their household. Pastor Damm was called Charles in this entry, and Mary was called Laura. Their son, who was named Henry, was also for some reason called William in this entry. Despite that, I am almost certain that this is the right Damm couple.

One more child was born in Minnesota in 1872, but then within a few days of one another, their two sons Henry and Johannes, died as a result of smallpox. We can view these Minnesota death records for them. Interestingly, two later children born to the Damm’s were called Henry and John.

The Damm’s must have left Minnesota shortly after the deaths of their sons. When their next child was born, that birth took place in Wisconsin. The 1880 census shows this family living in Bloomfield, Wisconsin where Conrad was a Lutheran minister. There were 4 children in their household. Also included in this entry was the family of William Engelbert, who was a school teacher. I suspect that the Lutheran church in Bloomfield had a parsonage/teacherage. I think Rev. Damm served Christ Lutheran Church near Bloomfield which was established in 1861.

At some point in their lives, Pastor Damm had a photograph taken of just him, and he and Mary had a photo taken of the 2 of them.

A lot happened during the time span between 1880 and 1900. First, according to his bio, Rev. Damm also served a congregation in Sand Prairie, Illinois which is not far from Peoria and Pekin. I think this may have been St. Paul Lutheran Church, which is now given a Menito, Illinois address.

According to a biography of his life, Rev. Damm resigned from being a pastor in 1892 as a result of poor health. Then, he and his brother-in-law, Rev. Rosenwinkel, who was married to Mary’s sister, moved to Apopka, Florida and bought an orange grove. That orange grove failed as a result of a hard freeze, and the Damm’s were left destitute. They moved to St. Charles, Missouri where their daughter, Elisabeth, lived. She was married to William Wegener, who was a Lutheran school teacher. The Damm’s are found living in St. Charles when the 1900 census was taken. Conrad was back to being called a minister. Their son, Henry, was a school teacher.

Rev. Conrad Damm died in 1903 at the age of 65. I am able to display his obituary.

Here is another short biography of Conrad’s life. I am not thrilled with Altenburg being spelled, Altendung, in this bio.

Mary spent the remainder of her life as a widow who lived with some of her children in St. Louis and St. Charles. However, I failed to find her in the 1910 census. Mary Damm died in 1915 at the age of 70. Her death certificate says she died in St. Charles.

I am also able to show Mary’s obituary.

Rev. Conrad and Mary Damm are each buried in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in St. Charles.

We have a Mueller family binder in our research library. In that binder, it especially follows a Mueller, a Strasen, and a Markworth branch of that Mueller family tree. I know the compiler of that family history makes the point that these branches of that tree produced hundreds of people who were pastors, teachers, or the spouses of pastors and teachers. We see several such people in this tale of the Damm family.