You will read the story of a man and a woman who were each born and raised in Perry County, but would spend much of their lives in St. Louis. However, later in their lives, they chose to return to their ancestral home. They would die and be buried in Perry County.

There is some potential dispute about the date of birth for one of today’s main characters. One document says he was born on January 4th. Another says he was born on January 24th. But several other sources, including his gravestone, say that he was born on January 26th. I lean toward the last one, and that one would qualify him to be today’s birthday boy.

Heinrich Johann Funke was likely born on January 26, 1886, and if that is the case, then today would be his 139th birthday. Henry was the last of several children of Herman and Anna (Ochs) Funke. I have written a post, Some Funke Longtown Beginnings, that gives some details about the lives of Henry’s parents. Later in Henry’s life, his parents would be part of a group of German Lutherans who would establish Zion Lutheran Church in Longtown. However, when Henry was born, that church did not exist. Henry was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville. His baptism record from that congregation’s books is displayed here. You can see a birth date of January 26th on this document.

Henry was born during the time when Perry County kept birth records, and we can view the one for him. This form does not even give this baby a first name. It just calls him a male child, and it also gives his date of birth as January 24th.

Since we cannot view the 1890 census, the first one in which we find Henry was the one taken in 1900. He was 14 years old and called a student. His father was a carpenter in Longtown.

A year before the above census was taken, Henry was confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in Longtown. He was a member of one of the first confirmation classes at that congregation which was established in 1897. When the 1910 census was taken, we find Henry living with his parents at the age of 24. For some reason, he is not given an occupation.

Since Henry would get married during the next decade, we will now take a look at the woman who would become his bride. Her name was Lenita F. Bergmann, who was born on January 4, 1889. Lenita was the daughter of Michael and Mary (Bergmann) Bergmann. She was the child of a Bergmann/Bergmann marriage. I wrote this story about Lenita’s parents, Bergmann – Popp – Bergmann. Lenita was baptized at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg, so I am unable to show an image of her baptism record. Lenita is found in the 1900 census at the age of 11. Her father was an implement dealer in Perryville.

The only other census entry in which we find Lenita prior to her marriage is the one taken in 1910. She was no longer living with her parents. Like many other young ladies back in those days, she went to St. Louis and became a maid. She is found at the age of 21 in the household of 3 single Papin sisters, all in their 50’s.

Henry Funke married Lenita Bergmann on September 12, 1912 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville. We can view this couple’s church marriage record below. It says that Henry was from St. Louis, and Lenita was from Perryville.

The Missouri marriage license is pictured here.

Henry and Lenita would have no children. After their wedding, it appears that Henry took his bride to St. Louis, where they spent many years. Henry had his World War I draft registration completed in 1918. This document gives evidence that Henry had moved to St. Louis, and he was working as a conductor for the United Railway Company. That was a company that ran streetcars in St. Louis. This is the document that gives Henry a birth date of January 4th. What I find fascinating is that January 4th was his wife’s birthday.

In the 1920 census, we find Lenita’s brother, Leonard, living with the Funke’s. Henry continued his work as a streetcar conductor, and Leonard Bergmann was a salesman.

The 1930 census shows just Henry and Lenita in their household. Henry had the same job. I wonder if Henry was at some time assigned a route along Grand Avenue hauling St. Louis Cardinals fans to the old Sportsman’s Park to watch a ballgame.

In the 1940 census, both Henry and Lenita were in their 50’s and still living in St. Louis. By this time, Henry had plenty of experience conducting streetcars.

Henry had his World War II draft card completed in 1942. It says he was born in Longtown. His employer was the St. Louis Public Service Company, and he lived not far from the streetcar hub located on Delmar Boulevard.

Here is a photo of a streetcar on Delmar Boulevard. I think this is a more recent replica of the old streetcars once used in St. Louis.

After retiring from his streetcar career, Henry and Lenita moved back to Perryville. That is where we find them in the 1950 census. They were in their 60’s and had no occupations.

Henry Funke died in 1964 at the age of 78. His death certificate below says his usual occupation was for a public service company.

Henry’s church death record is found in the books of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville. It says he died of a heart attack.

An obituary for Henry can be read below.

Lenita lived another 20 years after her husband’s death. Later in her life, this photograph was taken of her. It is not of very good quality.

Lenita Funke died in 1984 at the age of 95. She died too recently to view her death certificate. Henry and Lenita are buried together in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Perryville.

I grew up in Jennings, a suburb in north St. Louis. I have vague memories of seeing streetcars running when we traveled nearer to the center of St. Louis. I do not think I ever rode in a streetcar, although I did ride the city busses a few times. However, my memories of streetcars mainly consist of remembering us bouncing over streetcar tracks in our automobile when we went to visit my grandparents who lived near Forest Park.