Back in 2017, I wrote a post titled, Seelitz Soldiers. In that article, I mentioned several young men who served in the military during World War I who were from the local Seelitz community. I am going to go into more detail today about one of those young men, who happens to be today’s birthday boy. He is also part of my family tree and was still alive when I was a boy, but I have absolutely no recollection of ever meeting him.

Hugo Heinrich Jacob Schlimpert was born on December 5, 1895, thus making today his 130th birthday. Hugo was the son of Jacob and Caroline (Boeger) Schlimpert. He was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg. An image of his baptism record from that congregation’s books is pictured here.

Even prior to Hugo being found in a census entry, I figure this photograph must have been taken of the Jacob Schlimpert family. Hugo’s sister, Meta, was born in 1898, and she is not included in this photo. Hugo is the young boy holding his father’s hand.

Hugo is found in the 1900 census at the age of 5. His father was a farmer in the Brazeau Township, but I am also certain that he lived in the Seelitz neighborhood. A servant by the name of Sarah Boehme was also living with the Schlimpert’s.

Two more children were born to Jacob and Caroline during the next decade. In the 1910 census, there were 5 children in the Schlimpert household. Hugo was 14 years old at the time. He was confirmed that year at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg.

The photo below of the Schlimpert family was supposedly taken in 1916. Hugo is standing in the back on the left.

Hugo had his World War I draft registration completed in 1917. It gives him a Wittenberg address and says he was working on his father’s farm.

Hugo did serve time in the U.S. Army during that war and was even sent overseas for combat duty. His military record is pictured here. It says he served in Europe from June of 1918 until May of 1919.

Hugo is found on a passenger list for the ship, U.S.S. Agamemnon when he returned home in 1919.

When I searched for a photo of the U.S.S. Agamemnon, I came across an interesting story about this ship. Prior to being named the Agamemnon, this ship was a German ship named S.S. Kaiser Wilhelm. The ship was docked in the United States when we entered World War I, and it was seized by us and eventually renamed the U.S.S. Agamemnon.

Although I never heard any stories about Hugo’s war experiences when I was growing up, I have heard some of them over the years since. Apparently, Hugo’s life after that war was impacted by his experiences while he was a soldier. I do know that Hugo never married. When the 1920 census was taken, he was still living with his parents at the age of 24. He was working on his father’s farm.

In 1923, Hugo’s mother died. His father, then a widower, was living with 3 of his children, Hugo, Meta, and Oscar. Jacob, Hugo, and Oscar were doing the farming.

Hugo’s brother, Oscar, got married to my father’s sister, Lorna Schmidt, in 1933. Then, in the 1940 census, we find Jacob as the head of the Schlimpert household, along with his 2 single children, Hugo and Meta, and Oscar and Lorna with their firstborn child, Marie. I also included a portion of the Degenhardt household right above the Schlimpert’s which included the name, Wilmar Degenhardt. Wilmar died just a few years ago. If he was still alive, he could likely be able to tell me more about Hugo Schlimpert.

Hugo had a World War II draft card completed when the United States got involved in that war.

Not long after World War II, Hugo’s father died. The last census the public can view is the one taken in 1950. Hugo was 54 years old, and his sister, Meta, was 52. Those two were living with the Oscar Schlimpert family, which by then, included 5 children. I once again included a portion of their neighbor’s household, the Degenhardt’s, that included 3 sons, Larry, Dewey, and Lynn. You should know Lynn as the creator of the German Family Tree.

On many occasions during my childhood, my family would visit the Schlimpert family in Seelitz. I certainly remember my 5 cousins as well as Meta Schlimpert, whose story I wrote in the blog post, Serving Her Family Faithfully. However, I do not ever remember meeting Hugo. At some point in time, Hugo moved to the Jefferson Barracks Veterans Hospital in St. Louis and remained there for several years.

Hugo Schlimpert died in 1965 at the age of 69. His death certificate can be seen below.

I am sure that Hugo qualified to be buried at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, but his body was brought back to Altenburg where he is buried in the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery.

Although there is no evidence on Hugo’s military record or his death certificate of him having long-term effects of his wartime experience, his lengthy stay at the Veterans Hospital was because of the traumatic memories he had from his time during World War I. I have also heard stories that Hugo may have been subjected to the Germans’ use of chemical warfare during that conflict. I can tell you also that other members of my family tree, including my father, had traumatic experiences during the wars in which they fought. Knowing stories like that of Hugo Schlimpert help me be more understanding about the effects that our veterans have to deal with after their military service.