Today’s story begins in the Farrar/Crosstown area but eventually leads to the neighborhood in which I was born and raised in North St. Louis. The birthday girl for this post is Ernestine Hedwig Emilie Bachmann, who was born on November 20, 1895. Emilie was the daughter of Martin and Martha (Steffens) Bachmann. She was baptized at Salem Lutheran Church in Farrar. We can view her baptism record below.

Emilie is found in the 1900 census at the age of 4. Good luck reading this census entry from the 1900 pages from the Salem Township. Emilie’s father was a farmer.

When the 1910 census was taken, we find Emily as a teenager. She had been confirmed at Salem, Farrar in 1909. She was the oldest of the Bachmann children.

Emilie would get married during the next decade, so we will now turn our attention to the man who would become Emilie’s husband. His name was Johann Ernst Stuebinger, who was born on March 9, 1896. Ernst was the son of John and Elisabeth (Christisen) Stuebinger. He was baptized at Cross Lutheran Church near Longtown. We can also look at his baptism record below.

Ernst is also found in those pages of the 1900 Salem Township census entries that are so difficult to read, although this one is considerable better that the one for Emilie. Ernst was 4 years old, and his father was also a farmer.

In the 1910 census, Ernst was 13 years old. In 1909, he had been confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Point Rest.

Ernst had his World War I draft registration completed when the United States entered that war. He is given a Crosstown address and was said to be farming with his father.

Ernst did serve time in the military during that war. According to his military record shown here, he did not spend time overseas, but it does say he had a 5% disability as a result of his service.

We can see the Stuebinger farm on this 1915 plat map. It was located near Crosstown. If you look right above the Stuebinger farm, you will see the farm of M. Bachmann. That would be the farm where Emilie Bachmann was born and raised. So, it is not hard to figure out how Ernst and Emilie got to know one another. They were neighbors.

Ernst Stuebinger married Emilie Bachmann on June 29, 1919 at Zion Lutheran Church in Crosstown. A transcription of this pair’s church marriage record is pictured here.

I am also going to display 2 civil marriage records for this event.

This Stuebinger couple did not have any children. In the 1920 census, we find these newlyweds living in the Salem Township. Ernst was a farmer. In addition to this couple’s entry, right below them you find a few other Stuebinger families, including Ernst’s father and mother.

During the next decade, Ernst and Emilie moved to St. Louis. In the 1930 census, the Stuebinger’s were living in St. Louis. Ernst was a laborer at a chemical company.

Next, we find the Stuebinger’s in the 1940 census. This time, it says Ernst was a machinist at an electrical manufacturing business. Ernst and Emilie were both in their 40’s at the time.

Ernst had his World War II draft card completed in 1942. He was living in Webster Groves, a municipality of the St. Louis metropolitan area, and his employer was the Emerson Electric Company.

Here is an old photo of the interior of the Emerson Electric plant in North St. Louis.

The last census the public can view is the one taken in 1950. Ernst was called a general inspector for a wholesale electrical manufacturing company. I assume he was still working at Emerson Electric.

It appears that Ernst and Emilie moved back to Perry County prior to 1960. Ernst Stuebinger died in 1960 at the age of 64. His death certificate below says he died at the Perry County Memorial Hospital in Perryville and gives him a Perryville address.

Ernst’s death record is found in the books of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville.

At a later time in her life, Emilie had this photograph taken.

Emilie Stuebinger did not die until 1983 at the age of 87. Ernst and Emilie are buried together in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Perryville.

Shortly after World War II, my father got married and became an employee at Emerson Electric. He worked there until he retired. I also had two uncles and a cousin who worked at Emerson Electric during their careers. I can say that the fact that my brother, sister, and I were able to attend Lutheran High School North in St. Louis was largely due to the fact that my father had a good job at Emerson Electric. I can also say that the fact that my brother and I were able to attend Concordia, Seward to be prepared to become Lutheran educators was largely due to the money that my dad made while working at that company. I put together the map shown below to show where my home place (2508 Tyrell Dr.) was in Jennings and where Emerson Electric and Lutheran North were found. Emerson Electric is the complex located just to the left of Hibbett Sports on this map. Between Emerson Electric and Lutheran North is the Norwood Hills Country Club.

I will add that Lutheran High School Central moved to this North St. Louis location and became known as Lutheran North in 1965, so that school has been located there now for 60 years.