Today would be the 160th birthday of Ernst Heinrich Yamnitz, who was born on April 6, 1865. Ernst was the son of Charles and Margaret (Dittmar) Yamnitz. He was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. We can take a look at his baptism record from that congregation’s books here.

Ernst is found in the 1870 census at the age of 4. His father was a farmer in the Union Township, but this Union Township was not the one in Perry County. It was the one in Bollinger County.

In the 1880 census, Ernst is for some reason called Henry A. He was 14 years old at the time. You can see that his Yamnitz family had gotten considerably larger in the previous decade.

Now, we need to take a bit of time to look at the woman who would become Ernst’s bride. Her name was Johanne Friederike Louise Zoellner, who was born on July 7, 1864. I am going to use the name, Louisa, for her because that is what is found on her gravestone. Louisa was the daughter of Caspar and Hannah (Luninghoner) Zoellner. Like her future husband, Louisa was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. Let’s take a look at her baptism record.

Louisa is found in the 1870 census at the age of 6. Her father was a farmer in the St. Mary’s Township in Perry County.

Next, we find Louisa in the 1880 census as a teenager. This time, the Zoellner’s were listed as living in the village of Yount, which is found in the St. Mary’s Township.

Ernst Yamnitz married Louisa Zoellner on August 26, 1889. As you can see on the Missouri marriage license below, this couple was married by a justice of the peace in his office.

We are also able to view this marriage certificate for this couple. Like it says in the marriage license above, this certificate says Ernst was from Bollinger County, and Louisa was from Perry County. However, their two locations were actually quite near one another.

Family Search says that Ernst and Louisa had 6 children. Two of them died at rather young ages. When the 1900 census was taken, we find them with 4 children in their household. Ernst was a farmer in the St. Mary’s Township.

Next, we find the Yamnitz’s in the 1910 census. Their oldest daughter, Minnie, had died in 1905. Also, another son had been born and died in the previous decade. So, we once again see 4 children in the Yamnitz family.

In the 1915 atlas of plat maps for Perry County, we find a parcel of land with the name E.H. Yamnitz.

The 1920 census shows Ernst and Louisa with one unmarried son. In addition, their daughter, Stella, and her husband, Gentry Nations, were living with the Yamnitz’s.

The Yamnitz’s are found in the 1930 census with just their single son, Floyd, who was helping his father with the farming.

Later in their lives, Ernst and Louisa are in the 2 photos below. I am not sure who the others are in the first photo.

The last census in which we find the Yamnitz couple is the one taken in 1940. This time, they had an empty nest. Both of them were in their 70’s.

Louisa died later in 1940 at the age of 76. Her death certificate below gives her the date of birth as July 8, 1864, which does not agree with her baptism record. However, quite a few family trees on Ancestry.com give Louisa a July 8th birthday, probably because of this death certificate.

Ernst Yamnitz died on the first day of 1950 and therefore just barely missed being included in the 1950 census. He was 84 years old when he died. His death certificate says he died of stomach, intestines, and liver cancer.

I found this obiituary for Ernst.

Ernst and Louisa Yamnitz are buried together in the Yount Cemetery in Yount. The gravestone says that Louisa was born in 1865, which is not correct.

Ernst and his family would certainly qualify to be another one that could be classified as being Yount Yamnitz’s. The Yamnitz surname is found way toward the end of the alphabetical listing of names in our German Family Tree. Yet Ernst managed to find a bride whose surname would be found farther toward the end of the alphabet.