I am going to begin today’s tale by looking at a boy who was born in 1862 and baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. His name was Heinrich Friedrich Bangert, who was born on December 15, 1862. Henry was the son of William and Catherine (Eichmeier) Bangert. His baptism record from the books of Trinity, Friedheim is shown below. Even though he was born in 1862, he was not baptized until early in 1863.

Henry is found in the 1870 census at the age of 7. His father was a farmer in the Union Township in Bollinger County.

I have noticed after writing stories that took place in this area in the past that a new Whitewater Township must have been formed in the 1870’s, and several people who had lived in the Union Township would be living in the Whitewater Township when the 1880 census was taken. That is the case with these Bangert’s. In 1880, Henry (called Frederick H) was a teenager. His father had died in 1878, so his widowed mother was the head of the Bangert household. Henry and an older brother were working the farm.

If we could see the 1890 census, we would find Henry still prior to his marriage, but that is not possible. So, we will now take a look at the woman who would become his bride. Her name was Hannah Adeline Seabaugh, who was born on November 6, 1867. Hannah was the daughter of Wiley and Polly (Middleton) Seabaugh. I do not know what religion the Seabaugh’s had, but I am almost certain it was not Lutheran. When the 1870 census was taken, Hannah was said to be 4 years old, although I think she was younger. Her father was a farmer in the Union Township in Bollinger County, Missouri. It was quite a large Seabaugh family.

Like was the case with the Bangert’s, the Seabaugh’s are found living in the Whitewater Township when the 1880 census was taken. Hannah was called 12 years old.

Henry Bangert married Hannah Seabaugh on November 5, 1891, so today would be this pair’s 134th anniversary. That wedding also took place on the day before Hannah’s 24th birthday. According to the 2 civil marriage records below, they were married by the probate judge, Charles Weber, one of the original German Lutheran immigrants who arrived in 1839. These two were married in Perry County.

Here is a document that looks more like a certificate.

Henry and Hannah had 4 children. I thought that some of these children may have been baptized at the Lixville Lutheran Church, but I did not find any of them there. I think there is a higher likelihood that they were baptized at the Whitewater Presbyterian Church. In the 1900 census, the Bangert’s were living in the Whitewater Township, and Henry was farming. There were 3 children in their household.

Next, we find the Bangert’s in the 1910 census. All 4 of their children are found in this entry. They were still living in the same location.

The last census in which we find Henry was the one taken in 1920. Just 2 sons remained in their household.

Henry Bangert died in 1929 at the age of 65. His death certificate gives a cerebral hemorrhage as the cause of his death.

An obituary for Henry was published in the Perry County Republican. Both the above death certificate and this obituary give the wrong year for his birth, and these 2 documents do not even agree on what year that was. It also gives the wrong year for his wedding.

Hannah is found in the 1930 census as a widow. She was living with her son, Thomas, who had married Beulah Statler.

Even though Henry was no longer living, when the 1930 plat maps for Bollinger County were produced, we find the H.F. Bangert farm near Lixville.

Hannah Bangert died in 1932 at the age of 65. Her death certificate can be viewed here.

Henry and Hannah Bangert are each buried in the Whitewater Presbyterian Cemetery in Lixville.

Each of their gravestones are the variety which has a photo attached to them. Below are enlarged images of Hannah and Henry’s photographs. I must admit that I let loose with an exclamation when I saw the photo of Henry.

There are several farms near Lixville with the name, Bangert, in the 1930 plat maps. There are also some Seabaugh’s. I did find one Bangert child that was baptized at the Lixville Lutheran Church, but it was not a child of Henry and Hannah. It is not hard to understand how a Bangert managed to find a Seabaugh spouse in the Whitewater Township of Bollinger County.