In previous posts on this blog, I have written about Bergmann/Bergmann, Mueller/Mueller, Schmidt/Schmidt, and a few other marriages in which the bride and groom had the same surname. Today, you will read another one of those stories. This one will be a Kester/Kester wedding. And in this case, both the bride and groom were Kester’s from the same congregation…Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. I will begin with the groom, who I thought was today’s birthday boy. As I dug deeper into his story, I discovered that today is likely not his birthday, but you are going to read it today anyway.

Johann Joseph Kester probably was born on August 17, 1880, but our German Family Tree says that he was born on August 12th. I think I know a couple reasons why this mistake was made. One reason I will mention now. Our German Family Tree does not include Joseph’s baptism record. His siblings have baptism records from the Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim, but Joseph’s is not included in our GFT. At least, his record is not included yet. I went to the Friedheim books this morning and found the baptism record for Joseph. Somehow, this record was missed when that congregation’s records were added to our GFT. Joseph’s baptism record is pictured here.

As you can see, the date of birth for Joseph was August 17th, which I now think is his correct birthday. You can also see that Joseph was the son of George and Louise (Bangert) Kester. Please also note that two of Joseph’s sponsors were Joseph and Maria Kester.

Joseph was born too late in 1880 to make it into that year’s census, and we are not able to view the 1890 census. So, the first census in which we find him is the one taken in 1900. Joseph was 19 years old and helping his father on his farm in the Apple Creek Township. There were quite a few Kester sons in this household, and only one daughter.

I failed to find Joseph in the 1910 census. I do know that he was not living with his parents in 1910. Then, Joseph would get married prior to the 1920 census, so we will now take a look at the woman who would become his bride. Her name was Anna Minna Emma Elisabeth Kester, who was born on January 11, 1886. She was the daughter of Joseph and Maria (Maintz) Kester. And yes, I figure it was Emma’s parents who were sponsors for Joseph J. Kester’s baptism. I wrote a post not that long ago about Emma’s parents titled, Mary and Joseph – Friedheim Kester’s. Emma was also baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim.

Emma is found in the 1900 census at the age of 14. She was the firstborn child in her Kester family. Her father was a farmer in the Apple Creek Township.

In the 1910 census, Emma was still living with her parents.

Joseph Kester married Emma Kester on February 11, 1912 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. Yes, that means Joseph Kester, the groom, would have gained a new father-in-law named Joseph Kester. Another way of saying it is that the father of the bride, Joseph Kester, would gain a new son-in-law named Joseph Kester. Since the bride and groom shared the same great-grandparents, they were second cousins. The church marriage record for this couple is shown below.

We can also view one of those records found in the Trinity books called “Record of Marriages Solemnized”.

I was unable to find the standard Missouri marriage license for this couple, but I did locate this marriage certificate.

Joseph had his World War I draft registration completed in 1918. He is given a Daisy, Missouri address. Please note that this is another document that gives Joseph an August 17th birthday. We also see a note that Joseph was missing 2 fingers of his left hand.

Our German Family Tree lists 4 children born to Joseph and Emma. Each of them was baptized at Trinity, Friedheim. When the 1920 census was taken, we find 3 sons in their household.

The Kester’s are found in the 1930 census with all 4 of their children. Joseph was still farming in the Apple Creek Township.

The 1940 census lists 3 children still living with their parents. One son, Alfred, was a school teacher at a rural school.

Joseph had his World War II draft card completed in 1942. This is yet another document that gives his birthday as August 17th.

The last census the public can view is the one taken in 1950. Their son, Alfred, and his wife were living with Joseph and Emma, along with a nephew named James Kester.

Joseph Kester died in 1954 at the age of 73. If you look at his death certificate below, his birthday looks like it could be either August 12th or August 17th. It may be one of those 7’s that was written with a slash through it like some people write a 7.

Emma Kester died in 1968 at the age of 82. Her death certificate indicates that she died at the Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau.

Both Joseph and Emma Kester are buried in the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Friedheim. Joseph’s gravestone is engraved with the birth date of August 12, 1880. I think that date may be the result of someone misreading Joseph’s death certificate.

The story of Joseph and Emma Kester is another one like the one published yesterday. It is one that can be called a “cradle to grave” couple. In this case, not only did the husband and wife remain members of Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim from the time they were born and baptized all the way to being buried in that church’s cemetery, but both the bride and groom carried the same Kester surname from cradle to grave.

Maybe you can re-read this story on Joseph’s real birthday, August 17th.