About two weeks ago, blog readers were introduced to a new name, Kester. That post highlighted a man named Joseph Kester. Joseph was the older brother of the bride who is highlighted today. Joseph was the firstborn child of George and Mahala (Bürkbüchler) Kester. The next child born to that couple was Marie Margaretha Kester, who was born on October 27, 1861. Like all the other Kester children, Marie was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. Her baptism record is pictured here. Back in those days, in the Trinity books, you find notations about whether the baptism took place in Dissen (Friedheim) or Sudheim (Kurreville). Marie was baptized in Dissen.

Marie shows up in the 1870 census at the age of 8. Her father was a farmer in the Apple Creek Township.

The only other census in which we find Marie unmarried is the one taken in 1880. Her father had died in 1872, so Marie’s mother was the head of the household.

Now, we will turn our attention to the man who would become Marie’s husband. His name was William George Sander, who was born on March 13, 1856. William was the son of Frederick and Augusta (Harenberg) Sander. I know that William was likely born near Gordonville, but the 2 Gordonville churches that still exist had not been established yet. I also looked for William’s baptism record in some other early Lutheran Churches, Hanover and Eisleben, but with no success. So, I do not know where William was baptized. He is found in the 1860 census at the age of 4. His father was a farmer in the Hubble Township of Cape Girardeau County, which is where Gordonville is located.

Next, we find William at the age of 14. You can see that he was the oldest child in this family.

William was still single when the 1880 census was taken. He was farming with his father.

William Sander married Marie Kester on April 5, 1885, so today would be this couple’s 140th wedding anniversary. These two were married at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim, and their church marriage record is pictured here. This document says William was from Gordonville, and Marie was from Critesville, which was near Frieheim.

The Missouri marriage license for this pair is displayed below.

We can also view this marriage certificate for William and Marie.

According to Family Search, this couple had two children, one born in 1886 and the other in 1887. Both of them were girls. The daughter born in 1886 died in 1891, so she never shows up in a census entry. Then, when the 1900 census was taken we find an interesting Sander household. In addition to William and Marie and their daughter, Minnie, there was an 8 year-old, Bertha Sebastian, and a 10 year-old, Gusta Gross, who were both described as nieces. There was also a boarder, Emile Habicke, who was helping William on his farm in the Hubble Township.

Augusta Rose was the daughter of William’s aunt, Rosina Sander, who had married a man named Gross. Rosina died in 1891, and their daughter must have spent some of her childhood being raised by William and Marie. Bertha Sebastian was the daughter of Marie’s sister, Mathilda Kester, who had married John Sebastian. However, Mathilda died as a result of Bertha’s birth in 1892. So, it appears that Bertha spent much of her childhood living with the Sander’s.

Next, we find William and Marie in the 1910 census. Just Bertha Sebastian was living with the Sander’s.

The last census entry in which we find William is the one taken in 1920. This time, they were living in Gordonville and William was doing day work as a farm laborer. In their household was a different niece by the name of Frieda Hellwege who was 10 years old. Frieda’s mother had been married to William’s brother, Frederick. Frieda’s mother then married Martin Hellwege. However, when Frieda was just one year old, her mother died, and it looks like William and Marie got to take in yet another niece.

William Sander died in 1923 at the age of 67. His death certificate can be viewed below.

A transcription of Willam’s obituary can be found on Findagrave.com. This obituary states that Bertha and Frieda were adopted daughters.

Marie was a widow when the 1930 census was taken. She was still living with Frieda Hellwege.

The last census in which we find Marie Sander was the one taken in 1940. Marie, at the age of 78, was living by herself. I find it interesting that she is listed right above the entry for the Lutheran pastor in Gordonville. I am thinking that there is a good chance that Marie lived very near Christ Lutheran Church.

Marie Sander died in 1942 at the age of 80. Her death certificate says she died of diabetes.

William and Marie Sander are each buried in the Christ Lutheran Cemetery in Gordonville.

The past few days, as I was researching for blog posts, we have been experiencing evenings when we had to keep an eye on the weather forecasts because there have been tornadoes popping up in the Mississippi River Valley. Two days ago I wrote a story that took place in Jonesboro, Illinois and there had been tornado warnings in that vicinity. Last night, I was hearing that there was a possible tornado forming near Gordonville. It is safe to say that a lot of folks here in the Midwest will be happy when all this violent weather comes to an end.