We will be looking at another couple today in which the bride and groom have surnames that can be found toward the end of the alphabet…Wilke and Zoellner. It is the groom that would be celebrating a special birthday today.

William Friedrich Wilke was born on April 22, 1875, so today would be his 150th birthday. William was the son of Friedrich and Louise (Damme) Wilke. His baptism record shown below comes from the books of Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim.

William is found in the 1880 census at the age of 6, although I think he was only 5. His father was a farmer in the Apple Creek Township. This was quite a large Wilke family.

Since we cannot view the 1890 census, and because William would get married prior to the 1900 census, we will now take a look at the woman who would become his bride. Her name was Louisa Mathilde Zoellner, who was born on May 4, 1875, about 2 weeks after William Wilke was born. Mathilda was the daughter of Gustav and Anna (Sewing) Zoellner. Like her future husband,, Mathilda was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. Her baptism record is found on the same page as William’s baptism record in that church’s records. Only 2 other baptism records are found in between William’s and Mathilda’s.

Mathilda is found in the 1880 census at the age of 5. Her father was also a farmer in the Apple Creek Township.

I thought that since William and Mathilda were born at about the same time, that I would find them in the same confirmation class, but that was not the case. William was in the 1888 confirmation class at Trinity, Friedheim.

Mathilda Zoellner was confirmed the next year in 1889.

William Wilke married Mathilda Zoellner on June 9, 1898 at Trinity, Friedheim. Below is the church marriage record for this couple. This record says William was from Friedheim, and Mathilda was from Arnsberg, which is just down the road from Freidheim.

We can also view this pair’s Missouri marriage license.

In the 1900 census, we see that this couple had yet to have any children. William was farming in the Apple Creek Township.

This Wilke couple was married for 11 years before having their first and only child. Arthur Wilke was born in 1909, and his baptism record is also found in the books of Trinity, Friedheim.

In the 1910 census, we find the trio of Wilke’s…William, Mathilda, and Arthur, who was still an infant.

William had his World War I draft registration completed in 1918. He must have been one of the older men who was required to register. He was already 43 years old. He is given a Friedheim address.

The Wilke’s are found in the 1920 census with the same individuals listed.

Next, we find the Wilke family in the 1930 census. Arthur was old enough to be helping his father on his farm.

The last census in which we find Mathilda was the one taken in 1940. Arthur is called Otto in this census entry.

Mathilda Wilke died in 1943 at the age of 67. We can take a look at her death certificate here.

An obituary for Mathilda was published in the Perry County Sun.

William is found as a widower in the 1950 census. He was living with his son, Arhur, and his family. At the age of 75, William no longer was given an occupation.

William Wilke died in 1960 at the age of 85. His death certificate says he died of a cerebral hemorrhage.

We can read William’s obituary from the Perry County Republican.

William and Mathilda Wilke are each buried in the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Friedheim.

I have written quite a few stories on this blog about couples who were each born, baptized, confirmed, married, raised a family, and then died and were buried while being members of the same congregation. However, I think this may be the first one in which the husband and wife were members of Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. I am sure they are not the only ones from that church that would qualify for this distinction, and now that we have that congregation’s records indexed in our German Family Tree, I may be finding more of them.