Heinrich Friedrich Carl Wilke is today’s birthday boy. He was going to be called Charley during most of his life, so that is the name I will use. Charley was born on July 31st, and I chose him for today’s story because I figured today would be his 140th birthday. Our German Family Tree says he was born in 1885, but I soon discovered that there were other documents that say he was born in 1886. Charley was the son of Henry and Catherine (Ruessler) Wilke. He was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. We can view an image of his baptism record below. The year of Charley’s birth is confirmed on this document as taking place in 1886, so today would be his 139th birthday, not his 140th.

Because we cannot view the 1890 census, the first census entry in which we find Charley is the one taken in 1900. Charley was 14 years old, and his father was a farmer in the Cinque Hommes Township in Perry County.

Charley’s father died in 1905, so when the 1910 census was taken, we find that Charley, at the age of 23, was the head of the Wilke household. He and a younger brother, Henry, were doing the farming.

When plat maps were produced for Perry County in 1915, we find a small farm located near Schumer Springs owned by C. Wilke. The southern border of his farm was the line separating Perry County from Bollinger County.

Charley had his World War I draft registration completed in 1917. He is given a Lixville address and was said to be employed by his mother.

Charley was still single when the 1920 census was taken. Charley was still head of the household, living with his mother and 2 brothers, who were also farming with Charley.

Charley would get married later in 1920, so we will now look at the woman who would become his bride. Her name was Anna Lisette Sophie Pohlmann, who was born on August 13, 1889. Annie, as she was called, was the daughter of William and Caroline (Emde) Pohlmann. Like Charley, Annie was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. Her baptism record is displayed here.

Annie is found in the 1900 census at the age of 10. Her father was a farmer in the Whitewater Township in Bollinger County.

In the 1910 census, Annie was 19 years old and was called a hired girl for a private family.

Annie was still single in the 1920 census at the age of 30. She was given no occupation.

Charley Wilke married Annie Pohlmann on May 9, 1920 at Trinity, Friedheim. This form says Charley was from Lixville in Perry County, and Annie was from Hilderbrand in Cape Girardeau County.

Here is a map that shows the proximity of the towns of Hilderbrand, Lixville, Friedheim, and Schumer Springs. The dashed lines show the boundaries between 3 counties…Perry, Bollinger, and Cape Girardeau.

Trinity, Friedheim’s records also include forms called “Records of Marriages Solemnized”. Here is the one for Charley and Annie.

I will also display the Missouri marriage license for this pair.

Charley and Annie had 3 children, all baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. In the 1930 census, we find the Wilke’s living with Annie’s parents in the Whitewater Township of Bollinger County. Charley was a farmer. There were 2 Wilke children in the household.

In that same year, 1930, plat maps were produced for Bollinger County. Below is a map showing the W.A. Pohlmann farm located east of Lixville. It would have been between Lixville and Hilderbrand. I figure that after Charley and Annie were married, Charley took over the Pohlmann farm.

The Wilke’s are found in the 1940 census with all 3 of their children. Both of Annie’s parents had died prior to the time that this census was taken, so they are no longer included in this entry.

Charley had his World War II draft card completed when the United States joined that war. He is given a Hilderbrand address on this form.

The last census we can view is the one taken in 1950. Charley and Annie had an empty nest.

Annie Wilke died in 1966 at the age of 76. Her death certificate below says that she died at the Lutheran Hospital in St. Louis. It also gives her a usual residence in the St. Louis area, indicating that the Wilke’s had moved to that city prior to their deaths.

Charley Wilke died in 1970 at the age of 84. His death certificate says he died at the Affton Nursing Home in St. Louis. This form gives him a birth date of July 31, 1885. Perhaps that is why our German Family Tree says he was born in 1885.

Charley and Annie Wilke are buried together in the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Friedheim.

Almost all the documents shared in this post, along with his gravestone, give Charley Wilke a birthday of July 31, 1886, so I think it is confirmed that today would be his 139th birthday. Another challenging aspect of this story is the fact that the two highlighted characters were found living on land found near where 3 different counties are adjacent to one another. They were also near two small unincorporated towns, Lixville and Hilderbrand, which are not often mentioned as active communities nowadays.