I have a new name for our post today, and it is a real doozie…Walperswiller. Now, that is a mouthful. It is also a real challenge to type. I hope I spell it correctly each time I write it today. Here we go!

William Arnold Walperswiller was born on December 15, 1865, the son of Benedict and Johanna (Amelunke) Walperswiller. According to his later death certificate, William was born in Gordonville. One of the Lutheran churches in Gordonville, Zion Lutheran Church, was established in 1863, so perhaps William was baptized there. However, the binder we have for that congregation doesn’t start listing baptism records until 1867. William is found in the 1870 census at the age of 4. His father was a farmer in the Hubble Township, which is where Gordonville is found. This entry says his father had his origins in Switzerland.

The only other census in which we find William prior to his marriage is the one taken in 1880. He was 14 years old and helping his father on his farm. William gained 3 sisters during the previous decade.

Now, we will take a look at the woman who would become William’s bride. Her name was Emma Deimund, who was born on March 16, 1867. Emma was the daughter of William and Sophia (Schweer) Deimund. Emma’s father would eventually have 3 wives. Sophia Schweer was his second wife. Several Deimund children had been baptized and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim, but no baptism record for Emma is found in our German Family Tree. Emma is included in the 1870 census at the age of 2. Her father was a farmer in the Apple Creek Township.

The photograph shown below supposedly shows Emma standing in the back. I have to think that this photo included Emma and her younger sister, Louisa, who had been born in 1871. So, this photo was probably taken a few years after 1871.

Next, we find Emma in the 1880 census. Emma’s mother had died in 1870’s, and her father had then married Matilda Sevens (or Seahan). We find 6 Deimund children and 2 Sevens children in this blended household. Emma was 13 years old.

William Walperswiller married Emma Deimund on April 9, 1885, thus making today this couple’s 140th wedding anniversary. The Missouri marriage license below says that they were married by Rev. Birkner, who was the pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Gordonville at that time. I looked in the Zion Lutheran Church binder for this marriage record, but it does not include any weddings for the year, 1885. That was the year that Rev. Birkner left Zion, so perhaps he neglected to write down that record before he left.

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

We do not find any Walperswiller children listed in our German Family Tree, but Family Search lists 6 children. Four of those children died prior to the 1900 census. In that year’s census, we find the Walperswiller’s with just one daughter. William was a farmer in the Hubble Township.

The 1910 census indicates that their last child, a son, was now included in the Walperswiller family.

The Walperswiller’s are next found in the 1920 census. Their daughter, Laura, had gotten married in 1916, and would die as a result of childbirth in 1919. Now, it was just their son, another William, who was living with his parents, although I think this son was actually named Ray.

The last census in which we find William and Emma was the one taken in 1930. They had an empty nest, and William, at the age of 64, was still farming.

Emma Walperswiller died in 1935 at the age of 68. Her death certificate below says she died of liver cancer.

I located this transcription of Emma’s obituary that was published in the Southeast Missourian.

William Walperswiller died in 1938 at the age of 72. We can also view his death certificate below.

I am also able to display a transcription of William’s obituary from the same newspaper.

Both William and Emma Walperswiller are buried in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Gordonville, but neither one of them has a gravestone photo on Findagrave.com.

I guess I am not the only one who might get tired of writing or typing the surname, Walperswiller. The youngest Walperswiller son named Ray must have changed his name after his parents died. In the 1940 census, he is called Ray Williams. Perhaps he changed his name to Williams because both his father and grandfather were named William. Even his maternal grandfather was named William. When Ray died in 1959, we see that his death certificate uses the name Ray Williams. This form does say that Ray’s father was William Walperswiller, although it is misspelled, and his mother’s maiden name is misspelled as Diamond.

I mentioned yesterday that I was hoping for a more uplifting story today. I suppose this one is not as tragic as the previous 2 posts, but it certainly is not without its sad events. Only one child was still alive when William and Emma died, and even that one died when he was just 56 years old. We see evidence in this story that there were no Walperswiller’s for the next generation from this family. Even the only son who had children had his name changed. Maybe tomorrow’s story will be more uplifting.

This story made me look up the history of diamond rings. The popularity of diamond rings did not begin until the 1940’s, and prior to that, diamond rings were only worn by the elite. So, I am certain that Emma did not receive a diamond ring when she became engaged. However, William was blessed with a Deimund when he found his bride.