I will be telling the story of the original Springer’s to settle in Perry County today. I located this story because a man named Peter Springer was born on December 8th. As it turns out, Peter’s birth year is a matter of debate. I will show evidence that he was either born in 1808 or 1809. Another interesting fact in this tale is whether his first name was either Peter or Pierre.

Peter (or Pierre) Springer was born in the town of Rountzenheim, which presently can be found in France. Rountzenheim is located in an area called Alsace-Lorraine, which is found on the border between France and Germany and has been fought over by those two countries throughout history. Peter’s entry on Family Search includes several birth records from that town, and I have to give credit to our friend in Germany, Tim Yamnitz, for finding these documents. I am able to show you a birth record for a baby named Pierre Springer, who is said to have been born on December 8, 1809. He was the son of John George and Marie Elizabeth (Arnold) Springer. I certainly admit that I have to rely on the translated information found on Family Search because I cannot read much on this document. But if you look about halfway down on the right-hand side, you will definitely see the name, Pierre, which is underlined.

In a Hoehn book we have in our research library, there is this photo of the Springer ancestral home in Rountzenheim.

Pierre would get married prior to immigrating to America, so let’s take a look at the woman who would become his bride. Her name was Magdalena (or Madelaine) Hoehn, who was born on May 21, 1817. Like Pierre, she was born in Routzenheim, France. We are also able to look at a birth record for Madelaine Hoehn (or Höhn). She was the daughter of Tobias and Eva Barbara (Hoehn) Hoehn. That’s right, her parents formed a Hoehn/Hoehn couple.

Pierre Springer married Madelaine Hoehn on September 8, 1840. They were married in Rountzenheim, and we can also view a marriage record from that town’s books. You can see that the groom was named Pierre, and the bride was named Madelaine.

Four children were born to Pierre and Madelaine Springer in Rountzenheim, and birth records can be found on Family Search for those children. They all say that the names of the parents were Pierre and Madelaine.

In 1847, the Springer’s came to the United States aboard the ship, Titcomb. The passenger list for that ship is organized differently than most. The males are listed separately from the females, and the children are not necessarily listed right next to their parents. Below is the list that contains the male Springer’s. On this image, you can see that Pierre’s first name is given as Peter. His sons, George, Friedrich, and Louis, can be found farther down the list.

On another page, you find the female Springer’s. On this image, you can see that both Springer females are called Magd., which is short for Magdalena.

In America, we never see the Springer’s called Pierre and Madelaine. They are always called Peter and Magdalena (or Lena). In the 1850 census, the Springer’s are found living in the Brazeau Township in Perry County. Most of the household members were said to be born in Germany in this entry. The last of 4 children in this household was born in Missouri. One son, Louis, who had been born in Europe, is not in this entry. He likely died at some point, and his name is also not included in our German Family Tree (at least not yet).

Also found in the Hoehn book is this map which displays where the Springer farm was located in Perry County.

Two more children were born in the 1850’s, so when the 1860 census was taken, we find the Springer’s with 5 children. Their oldest daughter, Magdalena, had married Conrad Ochs in 1848. This time, Peter, Magdalena, and 2 children were said to have been born in France. Also, the Springer’s were living in the Cinque Hommes Township, which had been carved out during the 1850’s.

Next, we find the Springer’s in the 1870 census. It would be the last one in which we find Peter and Magdalena. This is another entry that says these two were born in France. Peter was still farming along with 2 of his sons in the Cinque Hommes Township. We also find evidence that the Springer’s had become members of Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg after they arrived in Perry County.

Both Peter and Magdalena died in the 1870’s. First, Peter Springer died in 1876. If he was born in 1809, then he would have been 66 years old when he died. However, his gravestone found in the Peace Lutheran Cemetery in Friedenberg says that he was born on December 8,1808. If that was the year of his birth, then he died at the age of 67.

Peter had an obituary printed in the Perryville Weekly Union. It also gives 1809 as the year of his birth.

Magdalena Springer died in 1879 at the age of 61. She is also buried in the Peace Lutheran Cemetery, but Findagrave.com does not have a gravestone photo for her. I did find this paragraph written about Peter and Magdalena in the Hoehn book that explains what happened to the Springer gravestones in the Peace Lutheran Cemetery.

It is almost as if we have two different couples in this post. Across the Atlantic Ocean, they were known as Pierre and Madelaine Springer, but here in Perry County, they were Peter and Magdalena Springer. I guess you could also say that several of their children were born to Pierre and Magdalena, and the others were born to Peter and Magdalena.

By the way, I think Peter was born in 1809.