The birthday girl for today’s tale is Lydia Emma Fassold, who was born on June 2, 1891. That makes today Lydia’s 134th birthday. She was the daughter of George and Mathilda (Fassold) Fassold. A previous post was written about Lydia’s parents who were both Fassold’s titled, A Fassold/Fassold Family. None of the children in this Fassold family have baptism records documented in our German Family Tree. So, I do not know when or where Lydia was baptized. Lydia is found in the 1900 census at the age of 8. Her father was a farmer in the Salem Township. The entry below is one of those images from the Salem Township 1900 census pages that are so difficult to read.

The only other census entry in which we find Lydia prior to her marriage was the one taken in 1910. She was 18 years old and still living in the same township.

Now, we will take a look at the man who would become Lydia’s husband. His name was John Valerian Blandford, who was born on October 1, 1890. John was the son of Joseph and Mary Jane (Parres) Blandford. I do not think that the Blandford’s were Lutheran, so I cannot tell you anything about his baptism. John is found in the 1900 census at the age of 9. His father was a farmer in the Saline Township.

In a later plat map, we find the Joseph Blandford farm located north of the town of Brewer.

In the 1910 census, John was almost 20 years old and was working on his father’s farm.

John Brandford married Lydia Fassold on November 25, 1915 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville. The church marriage record for this wedding is displayed below.

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

According to a later obituary, the Blandford’s had 11 children. Our GFT only includes 10 of them. I think all of them were baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville, but the ones beginning in 1924 are not included in the books that are found on the Missouri Synod collection on Ancestry.com. Those books have baptism records that stop in 1924.

John Blandford had his World War I draft registration completed in 1917. He is given a Perryville address and was said to be farming. It also said that he had a wife and two children when he had the form filled out.

When the 1920 census was taken, the Blandford’s were living in the Central Township, and John was farming. There were 3 children in their family.

Several more children were added to the Blandford family during the next decade. In the 1930 census, there were a total of 8 children in the household. Included was also Lydia’s mother, Tillie Fassold. John was still a farmer.

Next, we find the Blandford’s in the 1940 census. Two more children had been added to the family in the previous decade. This time, we find the Blandford’s living in the Cinque Hommes Township.

John had his World War II draft card completed in 1942. No information is given on this form about John’s employment.

The last census the public can view is the one taken in 1950. In that entry, we see that John had moved into the city of Perryville, and he was a janitor at the shoe factory. Two sons were still living with John and Lydia. Also, their daughter, Elta, who had been married to Donald Schindler but was now widowed, was also living with her parents, along with her 2 children.

At some point, John and Lydia had these two photographs taken. They actually are likely from a larger photograph that has been cropped.

Lydia Blandford died in 1956 at the age of 65. Her death certificate states that she died at the Perry County Memorial Hospital in Perryville.

I located this obituary for Lydia. It says she had 11 children.

John Blandford died in 1966 at the age of 75. His death certificate says he died at the Perry County Memorial Hospital in Perryville. It calls him a retired shoe worker.

John and Lydia Blandford are buried together in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Perryville.

The Blandford surname is not one I was previously familiar with, but with as many Blanding boys in this family, I am guessing that there are still plenty of Blandford’s to be found around here. I did a quick internet search and found several people involved in different businesses in Perryville with that surname. I even found a Dr. Blandford who practices at the hospital in which John and Lydia died.