Our birthday girl for today’s post is Anna Maria Wilhelmine Charlotte Wehmueller. Now, that is a mouthful! She was born on November 10, 1856, so today would be her 169th birthday. She was called Mary during her life, so that is the name I will use. Mary was the daughter of Henry and Wilhelmine (Stollen) Wehmueller. Mary was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. Below is an image of her baptism record from that congregation’s books.

Mary is found in the 1860 census at the age of 3. Her father was a farmer in the Apple Creek Township.

Next, we find Mary in the 1870 census still living in the Apple Creek Township. She was 13 years old and would get confirmed at Trinity, Friedheim the next year in 1871.

Now, we will turn our attention to the man who would become Mary’s husband. His name was Henry F. Ponti, who was born on November 27, 1849. Henry was the son of Henry Albert and Sophia (Ehlers) Ponti. Henry is found in the 1850 census as an infant. His father was a laborer in St. Louis.

I was unable to locate Henry in either the 1860 or 1870 censuses. However, I did locate an 1873 St. Louis city directory that shows several Ponti’s living in St. Louis and working at the Missouri Chair Company. I assume that today’s main character is the one called Henry Ponti, Jr. who was called a sawyer.

I also do not know how Henry managed to get acquainted with Mary Wehmueller. Then, on October 14, 1873, Henry Ponti married Mary Wehmueller at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim.

I am also able to display 2 civil marriage records from Cape Girardeau County. Both of them spell Henry’s surname as Ponty. This first one has a few marriage records on the same form.

Here is a second civil marriage record.

I think this Ponti couple had 7 children, including a set of twin girls. When the 1880 census was enumerated, we find the Ponti’s living in St. Louis with 2 sons. Henry was called a laborer.

We have to wait until 1900 to view the Ponti’s in another census. There were 5 daughters in the household, and Henry was called a sawyer. In parentheses, it says “band saw”. Three daughters were part of the work force.

The last census in which we find Henry Ponti is the one taken in 1910. Once again, Henry is called a sawyer.

Henry Ponti died in 1917 at the age of 67. His death certificate below says that he died of a cerebral hemorrhage. He is called a machinist on the occupation line.

I also located a death record for Henry which is found in the books of Zion Lutheran Church in St. Louis.

Mary Ponti is found in the 1920 census living with her daughter, Augusta, who was a saleswoman.

The last census in which we find Mary is the one taken in 1920. She was still living with Augusta, but Augusta had married Frank Holle.

Mary Ponti died in 1933 at the age of 77. We can also view her death certificate here.

Mary’s death record is also found in the books of Zion Lutheran Church in St. Louis.

Henry and Mary Ponti are buried together in the St. Peter’s Cemetery in Normandy. Normandy is a municipality of St. Louis located in the northern part of the city.

I do not know exactly how it happened, but today’s Friedheim birthday girl managed to get to know a St. Louis man, who happened to be a sawyer, and lived the rest of their lives in St. Louis.