I will tell the story of a baby boy who was born in Uniontown on today’s date 150 years ago. You will discover (or rediscover) that the circumstances of this baby’s birth were rather unusual. If you rediscover it, you would have read a previous post about this infant’s older brother who celebrated his 150th birthday 2 years ago. I wrote his story in the post, George and Gesine – The Harmening’s in Lidderdale.

Theodore Christopher Harmening was born on December 20, 1875, the son of Henry and Mary (Lessmann) Harmening. I noticed that when I wrote the previous post, I listed his mother’s maiden name as Lessing, not Lessmann. I did not try to discover why I did that, but I do know that our German Family Tree includes the name, Lessmann. Here is where we discover the unusual aspect of this birth. Theodore’s father had been the pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim from 1869-1872 according to this list of early pastors at the church.

In the previous post, I mentioned that perhaps Rev. Harmening became disenchanted with being a pastor and resigned his call. After all, he ended up owning some farmland near Uniontown. However, maybe the fact that another Harmening child was born in 1872, but died later that year, had an impact upon his decision. Two children, one being Theodore and one being the main character in the previous post, were baptized at Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown. Theodore’s baptism record is displayed below.

Sadly, Theodore’s father died in 1877, leaving his mother as a widow. The fact that he died just 5 years after no longer being a pastor, might also indicate that perhaps health issues caused him to leave the ministry. We find Theodore’s mother as the head of the Harmening household in the 1880 census. We find the Harmening’s living in the Union Township. I figure this must have been a difficult time for the Harmening’s. I have no idea where this family got any income unless they rented out their farmland to other farmers. The children were too young to be farming. Theodore was 5 years old at the time.

Unfortunately, we have some unanswered questions about what happened to the Harmenings because we cannot view the 1890 census. In the case of Theodore, we find him living in the big city of Chicago according to this 1897 city directory. He is called a clerk.

Theodore got married just prior to the 1900 census, so I will now discuss the early life of the woman who became his bride. Her name was Ida Dora Klein, who was born on June 30, 1877 in Chicago. Ida was the daughter of Conrad and Dorothea (Jung) Klein. In the 1880 census, we find Ida at the age of 3. Her father was a mail carrier in Chicago.

That would be the only census entry we can view prior to Ida’s wedding. Theodore Harmening married Ida Klein on June 14, 1899. Below is a transcription of an Illinois marriage record for this occasion.

The Harmening’s had no children when the 1900 census was taken. However, I find it interesting that right above the entry for the newlyweds, we find the household of Henry Klein, Ida’s older brother. Theodore was called a salesman for a grocer.

Next, we find the Harmening household in the 1910 census. They had 2 children, and both of them were born during the previous decade.

Theodore had his World War I draft registration completed in 1918. He is given a Chicago address and said to be a traveling salesman for James P. Smith & Company. This form also says he was born on December 20, 1874, not 1875, but I think that is incorrect.

The 1920 census indicates that in addition to Theodore and Ida and their 2 children, Ida’s mother and single sister were living with them. If I read this correctly, it says Theodore was a salesman of fancy groceries.

The 1930 census turned out to be the last one in which we find Theodore. At the age of 55, Theodore was still a grocery salesman. Just their single son, Harry, was living with his parents, along with Ida’s single sister, Catharine.

Theodore Harmening died in 1934 at the age of 60. We can take a look at his Illinois death certificate which says he died of prostate cancer. This is another document that says Theodore was born in 1874, and since I think that is incorrect, I think he was only 59 when he died.

Ida is found as a widow in the 1940 census. She was living with her son, Harry, who was doing clerical work for a steel mill. Ida’s sister, Catherine (Katie), was still in the Harmening household.

Ida Harmening died in 1941 at the age of 64. Her Illinois death certificate says heart problems caused her death.

Theodore and Ida Harmening are buried together in the Mount Glenwood Memory Gardens West in Chicago.

Theodore’s gravestone is yet another place where we see his year of birth as 1874. However, I cannot get past the fact that Theodore’s baptism record says he was born in 1875, and that record is right in the correct place with all the other 1875 baptisms in that congregation’s books. So, I still think today would be Theodore’s special 150th birthday.