Today’s post will include an almost-new surname and a birthplace that has never been mentioned before. Today’s birthday boy gets connected to today’s story because he married a woman who was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. Instead of beginning with the birthday boy, I am going to start with the girl who would become his wife.

Bertha Dora Pohlmann was born on July 5, 1896, the daughter of Christian and Cecilia (Schlatitz) Pohlmann. This girl would be called Bertie for almost all her life, and that is also the name found on her gravestone, so I will use that name. Bertie’s baptism record from the books of Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim is pictured here. If you look at the column listing the sponsors, you will see that her female sponsor was also named Bertha Pohlmann.

Bertie is found in the 1900 census at the age of 3. Her father is given no occupation in this entry, but her grandfather, Frederick Schlatitz, was called a merchant. This family was living in the Whitewater Township in Bollinger County.

I found this note on Ancestry.com that explains not only why Bertie’s father had no occupation in 1900 but also how her father died in 1904.

Bertie’s mother then married Frances Young, so when we find Bertie in the 1910 census, it appears that her name was Bertie Young. The Young’s were living in the Liberty Township in Bollinger County. Bertie’s grandfather was still in the household and still working as a merchant at a general store. Her stepfather was called a laborer who was working out.

There is a place found on an internet map program that is called Schlatitz. It is located in the Liberty Township between the towns of Marble Hill and Advance.

I found a postmaster’s appointment list that says Frederick Schlatitz became the first postmaster for this location that was probably named after him. He likely operated that post office out of his general store.

Bertie would get married prior to the next census, so now it is time to turn our attention to today’s birthday boy. His name was George Washington Fowler, who was born on June 16, 1882. That means today would be George’s 143rd birthday. This also means that George was about 14 years older than his future wife. I did a search for the surname, Fowler, on this blog and found one result. It gave this surname as a possible maiden name for a character in that post, but I mentioned that I was very suspicious that it was a correct name. So, the name, Fowler, has shown up on this blog before, but it was not a prominent one in the story that was written. George was the son of William and Mary Ann (Meyers) Fowler. George was born in Bakersfield, but not the big city in California. I did a search on Bakersfield also, and there was a mention of the California city on this blog. However, the Bakersfield where George was born is located in Ozark County in Missouri, which is located right on the Missouri/Arkansas border in the midst of the Ozarks. George is found in the 1900 census at the age of 17. The Fowler family was living in the Bayou Township in Ozark County, which is where Bakersfield is located. George was farming with his father.

I was unable to locate George in the 1910 census. Then, George Fowler married Bertie Pohlmann on January 24, 1915. I located a Missouri marriage license for this pair, but it was entirely illegible. I did find this marriage certificate for this wedding. This document says that both Bertie and George were living in Schlatitz, Missouri. The wedding was performed by a minister, and I suspect that may have been a Baptist preacher.

In 1918, George had his World War I draft registration completed. He is given a Sank, Missouri address. Sank is another remote location just down the road from Schlatitz. It says he was farming for himself.

Family trees on Ancestry.com indicate that George and Bertie had 12 children. When the 1920 census was taken, the Fowler’s were living in the same household with Bertie’s mother and stepfather. George was working as a well driller, and the Fowler’s had 3 children.

In the 1930 census, George was called a farmer, and there were 7 children in the Fowler household.

Next, we find the Fowlers in the 1940 census. George and 3 of his sons were still farming in the Liberty Township. Their last child had been born in 1939.

In 1942, George had his World War II draft card completed. This time, he is given an Advance, Missouri address.

I failed to find the Fowler family in the 1950 census, although I know that George and Bertie were still alive. George Washington Fowler died in 1962 at the age of 81. This document is the only one I found that says George was born in 1880, not 1882. I think that is why our German Family Tree gives that as his year of birth, and that is why I chose George for today’s story. I thought it was his 145th birthday. His death certificate says he was living in Advance, Missouri at the time of his death.

Here is an obituary for George that was printed in a newspaper. It says his funeral service was held at Advance Baptist Church.

Bertie Fowler died in 1983 at the age of 87. We are not able to view her death certificate. A transcription of her obituary can be found on Findagrave.com. It lists 10 of her children as survivors and says that she had 18 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren.

George Washington and Bertie Fowler are buried in the Collins Cemetery in Dongola, Missouri, another small village located in that same area.

Bertie started her life as a German Lutheran from near Friedheim, but eventually married a Baptist from Bakersfield. It appears that she became an active member of a Baptist church herself. As for her involvement in the VFW Auxiliary, I know that she had at least one son who served in the Korean War.