The birthday boy for today is Reinhold Selmer Kasten, who was born on February 24, 1872. Therefore, today would be his 153rd birthday. Reinhold was the son of Carl and Juliane (Lehner) Kasten. He was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells. His baptism record is displayed here.

Reinhold is found in the 1880 census at the age of 8. His father was a farmer in the Shawnee Township.

There is a span of 20 years between the time of the above census and the next one we can view in 1900. During that time, it looks like the Kasten family may have relocated because Reinhold was confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Pocahontas in 1885. Then, Reinhold would get married prior to the 1900 census, so we will now take a look at his bride.

Lina Rosine Gaebler was born on March 4, 1880, the daughter of Samuel and Magdalena (Schilling) Gaebler. Lina is one of those babies whose baptism record is found in the books of Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg, but was baptized in Wittenberg, where another unofficial congregation worshiped prior to becoming an official congregation in 1903. Her baptism record is pictured here.

Lina is found in the 1880 census as a baby. She was the firstborn child in this Gaebler family. Lina’s father was a cooper in Wittenberg.

The Gaebler family made a few moves also during the next 2 decades. A baptism that took place in 1889 has its record in the books of Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells. That congregation is also where we find Lina’s confirmation record. She was confirmed in 1893. I am placing an image of that confirmation record here to confirm that Lina was baptized in Wittenberg.

A Gaebler baby was born in 1896, and that child was baptized at Zion Lutheran Church in Pocahontas, a congregation that had been established in 1889. That leads us up to the Kasten/Gaebler wedding.

Reinhold Kasten married Lina Gaebler on October 30, 1898. These two were married at Zion Lutheran Church in Pocahontas. The church record for this event is shown below.

The Missouri marriage license for this pair can also be viewed.

A marriage certificate for the Kasten/Gaebler wedding is pictured here.

Reinhold and Lina had one child, a daughter born in 1900. That girl was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells. I think these newlyweds had moved near New Wells and Shawneetown after they were married. Here is Hilda Kasten’s baptism record.

The 1900 census shows the Kasten’s with their one daughter. Included in their household was Reinhold’s brother, Stephan. The two brothers were each called merchants. I think it is likely that they operated a store in Shawneetown.

Just the trio of Kasten’s appear in the 1910 census. Reinhold was still called a merchant in the Shawnee Township.

Hilda Kasten was confirmed in 1913, and her confirmation record is found in the books of Trinity Lutheran Church in Shawneetown. That congregation had been established in 1909.

The Kasten’s relocated during the next decade. They are found living in Cape Girardeau when the 1920 census was taken. This time, Reinhold is called a bank cashier.

When the 1930 census was taken, we find a combined household made up of Reinhold and Lina, along with their daughter, Hilda’s, family. Hilda had married Henry Schrader. Reinhold was a bookkeeper for a building & loan company, and Henry was a bricklayer. They were still living in Cape Girardeau.

Next, we find the Kasten’s in the 1940 census. Reinhold and Lina had an empty nest, and Reinhold had the same occupation.

The last census in which we find this couple is the one taken in 1950. Reinhold and Lina were each in their 70’s and neither had an occupation.

Both Reinhold and Lina Kasten died in 1953. Reinhold died in January at the age of 80. His death certificate below says he died of a cerebral hemorrhage.

Lina Kasten died in July at the age of 73. Her death certificate says that she had had a heart attack.

Reinhold and Lina Kasten are each buried in the Cape County Memorial Cemetery in Cape Girardeau.

There are 4 Lutheran churches found in the Shawnee Township of north Cape Girardeau County. This Kasten couple managed to get records into the church books of all 4 of them. After those early days in that township, this family spent several decades in Cape Girardeau. I suspect that they became members of Trinity Lutheran Church in that city.