Between 1885 and 1894, a Schuerenberg family lived in Jacob, Illinois and had 5 children baptized. Today’s birthday girl was the first one of those children born and baptized there. This Schuerenberg family did not remain in Jacob very long because the next child to be born into this family in 1896 was born and baptized in Chester, Illinois. Chester is also the place that today’s birthday girl spent almost all of her life, except for her early years growing up in Jacob.

Amelia Margaretha Carolina Schuerenberg was born on August 13, 1885, so today would be her 140th birthday. According to some photographs found on Ancestry.com that are labeled, Amelia was often called Molly. She was the daughter of Heinrich and Emilie (Rueckels) Schuerenberg. Amelia was baptized at Christ Lutheran Church in Jacob, Illinois, and her baptism record can be viewed below in two images.

If we were able to view the 1890 census, we would have found Amelia living in the Fountain Bluff Township, but, as said before, prior to 1900, the Schuerenberg’s moved to Chester. That is where we find the Schuerenberg household in the 1900 census. Amelia was 14 years old, and her father was a farmer near Chester.

Perhaps it was about this time when this photograph of the 3 Schuerenberg sisters was taken. From left to right, we see Amelia, Mathilda, and Margaret.

We find Amelia in one more census prior to her getting married. In the 1910 census entry below, Amelia was listed as being 24 years old.

Now, we will take a look at the man who would become Molly’s husband. His name was Robert Russell Glenn Douglas, who was born on October 31, 1888. Robert was the son of John and Isabelle (Adams) Douglas. I located these photos of Robert’s parents, who were both of Scottish descent.

Robert is found in the 1900 census at the age of 11. His father was also a farmer near Chester.

In the 1910 census, Robert was 21 years old and helping his father on his farm. The page on which we find this entry for the Douglas’s was just 2 pages away from the one for the Schuerenberg’s in that year’s census, so they likely lived fairly close to one another.

The photo below of Robert and his siblings may have been taken about this time. The photo is captioned, and you can see that Robert is standing in the back.

Robert Douglas married Amelia Schuerenberg on October 25, 1911 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Chester. In a binder we have in our research library for St. John’s Lutheran Church, we can find this transcription of this couple’s church marriage record.

Here is a wedding photo of Robert and Amelia. Robert is seated, and Amelia is on the right.

Robert had his World War I draft registration completed in 1917. He is given a Chester address and was farming for himself.

Robert and Molly had 3 children, two boys followed by a girl. The first two children were baptized at St. John’s, Chester, but not the daughter born in 1918. All of them were born prior to the 1920 census. In addition to their 3 children in this entry, we find Robert’s mother. His father had died in 1915, so she was a widow. Also living with them were two of Robert’s sisters and an aunt (his mother’s sister). Robert was a farmer. This has all the looks of Robert taking over his father’s farm in Chester.

I think this photo of Amelia holding one of her children along with her parents must have been taken about this time.

Perhaps this photo that includes Amelia and her mother, along with several other women was taken at about this time also. Amelia is the second from the right in the back row.

When the 1930 census was taken, we see just Robert and Amelia with their 3 children.

Next, we see the Douglas’s in the 1940 census. Robert was still farming.

Robert had his World War II draft card completed when America entered that war.

The 1950 census shows Robert and Amelia with an empty nest.

Later in their lives, Robert and Amelia had this photo taken.

Robert Douglas died in 1960 at the age of 71. Thanks to a person on Ancestry.com who shared it, we can view his Illinois death certificate.

Amelia Douglas died in 1984 at the age of 98. Robert and Amelia Douglas are buried together in the Paradise Cemetery in Chester.

Once again, a lonely baptism record found in one of the nearby church’s books leads us to add yet another new surname to our collection of folders included in our collection of GFT names. This story does not take us too far away. Chester is not far upriver from Jacob. I suspect that the surname, Douglas, can be still found in the Chester community.