Just one year ago, I wrote this story about Samuel Tirmenstein and his wife, Christiane Claus. In that post, it stated that Samuel was not only born on May 1st, but that he also was likely married on May 1st. And since he and Christiane were married in Germany in 1825, that means today would be their 200th wedding anniversary. I just could not resist sharing this story again today because I am always on the lookout for bicentennial occasions like this.
A rather large Tirmenstein family made the voyage with the Stephanites who arrived in America in 1839. There are just a few church records in Perry County churches for Timenstein’s, so it appears they did live here for a while, but they did not remain in Perry County long. The Tirmenstein’s returned to St. Louis where they had spent their first few months before the immigrants bought their land in Perry County. During their time in St. Louis, this family became important business people in that metropolitan area and also had quite a few descendants who either became full-time church workers or married full-time church workers. Because of this, the Tirmenstein name spread all over the country. And as they spread out, so did the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. The Tirmenstein’s became very influential in the growth of the early Lutheran church in America. Samuel and Christiane certainly qualify to be called the Tirmenstein Trailblazers.
So, although there is a bit of debate about the exact day of their wedding in Germany, I think it is very appropriate to wish this special couple congratulations on their Bicentennial Wedding Anniversary.